Nick Leason reckons a top ten finish is possible in only his second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race meeting at his home track of Silverstone on 15 October.

The Northamptonshire driver made his BTCC debut at Brands Hatch two weeks ago and believes that if engine problems had not prevented him starting races two and three he would have been on the fringes of a points-scoring finish there.

Leason, who drives a Vauxhall Astra Coupé for the Daniels Motorsport team, told BTCC.net: “I had good pace all weekend at Brands and if I’d done those two races I honestly feel a top ten would have been on.

“Admittedly, you need a bit of luck for that to happen but I was pretty close on times to one of the other ‘newbies’, Chris Stockton, and he was knocking on the door a couple of times. I’m sure I could have gone with him.”

Leason’s race day, though, was curtailed by an oil leak in race one in which he found himself playing catch-up after stalling his car at the start. The engine has since undergone a rebuild and Leason believes a strong showing is in store at Silverstone.

“I’ll be practising my starts, that’s for sure, because I momentarily stalled at Brands, and apart from losing time getting off the grid you then lose more time trying to get past a few people,” he added.

“But the Sodemo engine is very good and at Silverstone there are three very fast straights which will suit it really well. Also at Brands we didn’t throw money at new tyres and were just being sensible. At Silverstone I know we can step up a gear and should be in the thick of it.”