Scotsman Rory Butcher has scored a double top during the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship practice sessions at Knockhill, suggesting the home hero is set to be a serious contender for pole position when qualifying comes around later this afternoon.

Such was the pace of FP2 that no fewer than 20 drivers dipped under the existing qualifying lap record in what was the fastest BTCC session in history around the 1.27-mile circuit.

That lap record currently belongs to Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish and the Honda man went second quickest in the session, proving a perfect tonic for the title contender before the business end of the weekend commences.

Team Parker Racing's Stephen Jelley was topping the times midway through the 40-minutes of running, but the BMW 1 Series man eventually had to settle for third. Jelley's effort still represents an impressive return to form for the BTCC race winner as he looks to add further podiums to his 2019 tally.

Double champion Jason Plato ran under the radar for the vast majority of the two practice sessions, before the Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing driver fired in a late flier to take fourth ahead of local lad Aiden Moffat. Laser Tools Racing's Moffat has run in the top five all day so far, with the Scottish squad seemingly unlocking more potential in its Infiniti Q50.

Former champions – Andrew Jordan and Matt Neal – were next in the order, whilst BTC Racing's Chris Smiley bounced back from a problematic FP1 to claim eighth in this one.

Team BMW's Tom Oliphant was ninth in his ballast-free 3 Series, whilst Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's Ash Sutton rounded out the top ten.

Qualifying for Round 23 of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship takes place at 15:00 with exclusive streaming starting five minutes earlier via www.itv.com/btcc.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 2 – Knockhill

1 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance 50.615s 
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.254s
3 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.303s
4 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.309s
5 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.361s
6 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.362s
7 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.370s
8 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +0.409s
9 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.450s
10 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.485s
11 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +51.162s
12 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.556s
13 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.557s
14 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +0.611s
15 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.670s
16 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.697s
17 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.745s
18 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.859s
19 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.859s
20 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.896s
21 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.034s
22 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +1.050s
23 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +1.181s
23 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +0.992s
24 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.287s
25 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.454s
26 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +1.496s
27 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.538s
28 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.543s
29 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +1.572s
30 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.725s

Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance's Rory Butcher topped the opening Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship free practice session at Knockhill, heading home fellow countryman Aiden Moffat.

It was an impressive display from the two Scotsman on home turf with Butcher's Honda way out front by 0.246 seconds – a relatively substantial margin around the tight and twisty Knockhill layout.

"I know the track really well, obviously, but the car’s working well too," said Butcher, having already dipped under last year's qualifying lap record. "There’s more to come but we’re clearly in a good place.

"We tested here back in March and I had a feeling the car would be strong here. It’s now about putting that into practice in the actual event. There’s a long way to go, so we’ve got to work hard.

"We’ve got the last three weekends and it’s nice to know we’re strong here. We’ll hopefully score good points and if we’re a little bit closer to the contenders then we’ll be happy with that.

"It’s going well with Mike (Bushell). He’s right up there as well. Having my engineer in the other car is a dream come true. He’s a class act and it’ll be a real help."

Few could have predicted that Moffat would be next on the timesheets as his Laser Tools Racing squad continue to acclimatise to the Infiniti Q50, having switched from the Mercedes A Class mid-season.

The times were predictably tight throughout the remainder of the field with the top 23 drivers being covered by less than a second.

Stephen Jelley displayed the prowess of the rear-wheel drive BMW 1 Series by taking third, ahead of Andrew Jordan's newer 3 Series, suggesting that the Bavarian marque could be back at the sharp end this weekend.

Mike Bushell – replacing Sam Tordoff this weekend – was straight on the pace in the sister AmD Honda Civic Type R and flew to fifth on his return to the series, whilst Senna Proctor produced arguably his best session of the season with sixth in his Adrian Flux Subaru Racing Levorg.

BTC Racing's Josh Cook was next in the order, whilst last year's Knockhill pole-sitter – Dan Cammish – was eighth for Halfords Yuasa Racing.

Ash Sutton ensured both Subaru's were inside the top nine positions, whilst Jake Hill's Trade Price Cars Audi S3 made a welcome return to the top ten.

The BTCC cars are back on track for FP2 at 12:05, whilst the all-important qualifying session for Round 23 of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will be streamed live from 14:55 via www.itv.com/btcc.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 1 – Knockhill

1 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance 50.857s 
2 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.246s
3 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.284s
4 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.305s
5 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.355s
6 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +51.229s
7 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.373s
8 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.395s
9 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.448s
10 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +0.464s
11 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +0.471s
12 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.500s
13 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.529s
14 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.564s
15 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.589s
16 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.627s
17 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.756s
18 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.795s
19 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.845s
20 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +0.878s
21 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.913s
22 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +0.933s
23 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +0.992s
24 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.053s
25 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +1.110s
26 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +1.534s
27 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.913s
28 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.939s
29 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +2.962s
30 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +6.966s

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher makes its annual trip across the border this week, as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship visits Scotland’s national motorsport centre, Knockhill Racing Circuit, for Rounds 22, 23 and 24 (14/15 September).

The Motorbase-run outfit arrives at the Fife circuit determined to get its championship campaign back on track. A taxing weekend at Thruxton last month upset the squad’s hope of closing the gap to the championship leaders, with both Tom Chilton and Ollie Jackson vowing to fight back in Scotland with a determination to a return to winning ways.

Chilton arrives at Knockhill with happy memories, as a commanding win in the final race of the weekend last year saw the Reigate-racer claim his first victory of the season and the 34-year-old is eager for a repeat performance this weekend.

Jackson’s return to the Motorbase line-up has already delivered his BTCC-career-best qualifying and points-scoring result this year, and the #48 driver is eager to push on and add to his Independent race win and points tally as the championship enters its final stages.

Team Manager Oly Collins commented; “Knockhill is always full of entertainment. We’ve had a bit of a break over the last four weeks and everyone is raring to go again.

“You couldn’t get more of a contrast in characteristics with our last outing. It’s tight and twisty with undulations compared with the high-speed Thruxton. Knockhill is like a rollercoaster for the drivers.

“The tyre side of things will be interesting again. It’s the first time the grid will have been on the soft tyre for the majority of the weekend. We know that the soft tyre likes Knockhill so we’ll see how people play it. The Motorbase Focus has historically enjoyed the soft tyre, and gone well at Knockhill so we’re aiming for good results this weekend.”

“I’m praying for rain and more wins like last year,” said Chilton. “I love Knockhill race track and the support we receive from the fans there is fantastic. It’s always one of the closest races of the year as it’s such a short lap. I love the racing and can’t wait to get out in free practice and balance on two wheels again.”

“I’m looking forward to Knockhill,” said Jackson. “I love the challenge of the undulating circuit and traditionally it’s been a track where the Focus has performed well. Combined with the fact that we have the softs as the prime tyre and we’ve been strong on them all year I’m expecting us to return to the sharp end this weekend.

“It’s a long journey to Scotland but it’s always worth it, the atmosphere is one of the best of the year and it’s always a weekend of hard-fought battles and exciting motorsport. Let’s hope we can make the long journey back with some silverware to keep us company!”

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship heads north of the border to Fife’s Knockhill Circuit next weekend (14/15 September) for its annual Scottish jaunt and Rounds 22, 23 and 24 of the 2019 season, which is rapidly reaching a crescendo. 

With three race weekends remaining, there are still more than 200 points on the table, and any number of twists and turns along the way to deciding the final destination of the most coveted prize in British motorsport. 

It’s BMW’s reigning champion Colin Turkington that currently holds the best hand, with a 30-point advantage over nearest rival, and West Surrey Racing stablemate, Andrew Jordan. The chasing pack, led by Honda’s Dan Cammish – buoyed by a strong outing in Hampshire three weeks ago – is waiting to pounce.

Knockhill is traditionally a source of vintage touring car action, with the rollercoaster circuit comprising undulations, big kerbs and slingshot jinks as well as a big stop at Taylor’s Hairpin – the scene of countless overtaking manoeuvres over a race weekend. 

It’s a longstanding favourite amongst drivers and fans alike, and its passionate, partisan supporters turn out in their droves – a major factor behind the circuit’s unique atmosphere. This year, despite its later-than-usual date in the calendar, it will be no different. For those not watching trackside, ITV4 will have all of the action covered, live and free-to-air over an eight-hour race day with qualifying also streamed live.

Knockhill: 14/15 September

Qualifying LIVE: Saturday 14 September
ITV.com/BTCC from 1500

Raceday LIVE: Sunday 15 September
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1100-1800
ITV4+1 1200-1900
ITV Hub 1100-1800
ITV.com/BTCC 1100-1800

Highlights: Saturday 21 September
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1030-1200
ITV4 +1 1130-1300
ITV Hub Available anytime for the next 30 days

Highlights: Sunday 22 September
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 0655-0810
ITV4 +1 0755-0910

Highlights: Wednesday 25 September
ITV & ITV HD 2345-0100

Trade Price Cars Racing will aim to return to the top ten positions when the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship makes the trip to Knockhill this weekend for the eighth event of the season.

The team makes the long journey to Scotland on the back of a challenging weekend last time out at Thruxton, where it had to settle for a best finish of 12^th.
 
Hopes are high however that the tight and twisty nature of the Knockhill circuit will be better suited to the Audi S3s, leaving drivers Jake Hill and Mark Blundell more confident about their chances on track.
 
Rising star Hill has enjoyed a fine season to date - including a podium finish at Brands Hatch back in April - and goes into the weekend sitting 15^th in the championship standings.
 
Despite being put through his paces at Thruxton last month, a pair of top 15 finishes in Hampshire means Hill has already secured a personal best haul of points with nine races of the campaign still to run.
 
The 25-year-old has enjoyed success at Knockhill in the past, with multiple podium finishes when competing in both the Ginetta Junior Championship and the Ginetta GT Supercup.
 
The target this time around is to try and add to the seven top ten finishes he has secured this season in order to strengthen his championship position over the final rounds of the year.
 
Team-mate Blundell will be making his first appearance at the tight and twisty circuit overlooking the Firth of Forth at the wheel of the sister Audi.
 
The former F1 racer and Le Mans 24 Hours winner will be eager to bounce back from a tough weekend on track at Thruxton last time out, where he had to settle for a best finish of 26^th.
 
Whilst this weekend will be his race debut at Knockhill, Blundell did have chance to test the Audi at the Scottish circuit prior to the start of the season, leaving the 53-year-old hopeful of a stronger showing on track.
 
Blundell will be seeking to try and race his way into the top 20, with the ultimate goal of returning to the points scoring positions for the first time since the season opener at Brands Hatch.
 
"I've never raced at Knockhill before so this promises to be another weekend of firsts for me,” said Blundell. “The last time we had that this year was at Croft, which proved to be one of our more positive outings, so hopefully that is a nice little omen for us.

"After another difficult weekend at Thruxton, I’m determined to come out fighting this weekend. I’ve got a huge amount of respect for all the guys on the grid as it takes a lot to be successful in the BTCC and I’m optimistic that this weekend is the time to enjoy a little bit of success ourselves!"  
  
 “I’m really looking forward to the weekend because Knockhill is a circuit that I absolutely love,” said Hill. “Having not raced there last season, I can’t wait for Saturday to come around so I can get back out on track and get the action underway.
 
“Knockhill is one of those circuits where it is difficult to make predictions about what to expect and we’ll have to see where we stand when practice kicks off. However, the Audi has shown strong pace there in the past and the car we have now is better than it was then, so I think we can be optimistic about a solid weekend on track.
 
“At every circuit bar Thruxton, we have been strong this season and capable of racing inside the top ten. Hopefully the same will be true at Knockhill and we can look to try and pick up three good points finishes.”

Colin Turkington and Andrew Jordan are set to renew battle for Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship supremacy at Knockhill this weekend (14/15 September), as Tom Oliphant targets his maiden series victory north of the border.
 
Team BMW’s Turkington and BMW Pirtek Racing stablemate Jordan head to Scotland sitting respectively first and second in the title table in the UK’s premier motorsport series, with an unrivalled five victories apiece from the opening 21 races of 2019. Both are former champions – Turkington in 2009, 2014 and 2018 and Jordan in 2013 – and both have a strong previous record at Knockhill, the only Scottish circuit on the BTCC calendar.
 
Turkington twice reached the rostrum there last year – two of 14 Knockhill podiums on his BTCC résumé – while Jordan converted fourth on the grid into victory in race two. The Midlander has promised maximum attack again as he bids to narrow the 30-point gap currently separating him from the summit of the Drivers’ standings.
 
Oliphant, meanwhile, achieved the best finish of his rookie campaign in the BTCC at Knockhill in 2018, and has multiple wins and podiums to his name at the Fife circuit in TOCA support series. With no extra ballast aboard his Team BMW 3 Series, the 29-year-old has a bumper points haul in his sights this weekend.
 
“I’m feeling excited, refreshed and ready for battle," said Turkington. "I lived in Scotland for four years when I was at university in Stirling and did some instructing at Knockhill, so it’s somewhere I still have a lot of friends and I always enjoy going back. It feels like a ‘home’ circuit for me in that respect and it’s a mega track – not to mention a unique challenge. It’s nice to get stuck into something a bit different, and it definitely rewards bravery. We go there on the front foot and I’m feeling confident. Knockhill has generally been kind to rear wheel-drive cars, so it should be well-suited to the BMW 3 Series and I’m targeting a really strong points haul. As ever there, qualifying will be very important to set us up for a good weekend. The extra weight from leading the championship will hurt our acceleration coming out of the final hairpin onto the start/finish straight, but at the end of the day, that’s only a short section of the lap and hopefully the 3 Series’ strong handling characteristics will more than compensate. My overall mentality hasn’t changed. In the BTCC, you simply can’t afford to hold back in any way, shape or form, and I go into the weekend primed to attack.”

“I always look forward to going to Knockhill,” said Oliphant. “I’ve had a lot of success there in the past and it’s one of my favourite tracks on the BTCC calendar – very different to anywhere else we go. It’s fast, very flowing when you get it right and the undulation is quite incredible – and it’s a lot of fun driving it in a touring car. Knockhill has traditionally tended to favour rear wheel-drive cars, but the resurfacing work last year brought the front wheel-drive boys back into the equation a bit as it boosted their traction out of the last hairpin. In that respect, we don’t necessarily have the same advantage as we used to, particularly over a single lap, but whatever the weather decides to throw at us this weekend, I’m confident the BMW 3 Series will be competitive. Being 11^th in the championship, I arrive carrying no extra weight, whereas most of the other rear wheel-drive cars in the field will have to contend with ballast, which makes quite a difference at Knockhill. That means I’m in a prime position to compete right up at the sharp end in qualifying – and hopefully from there, I can challenge for my first BTCC race win.”

“I think we should be strong at Knockhill,” said Jordan. “We’ve got weight in the car, which will have an effect with the circuit’s stop-start nature and uphill sections, but I’ve always been quick there and I’m confident we will be up at the sharp end. I’m not focussing massively on the championship fight at the moment, and I go there with the same approach I’ve had all season. At Knockhill, you have no choice but to simply grab the car and get on with it. I can’t afford to have a non-finish, but equally, I can’t afford to just drive round either – sometimes when you try to stay out of trouble, it can bite you so we’ve got to crack on. I’m going to Knockhill to race, and to race hard. I’m looking for wins and podiums. I’m not in a position to play the percentages – I need to get after Colin. He has a solid lead, but around Knockhill, things do tend to kick off. The BTCC has a habit of throwing up surprises, which means you can never take anything for granted. We took some points out of him at Thruxton, and we need to take even more this weekend. If I can get the gap down to 20 points or less, it will be game on and properly gloves off at Silverstone and Brands Hatch!”

Experienced racer Mike Bushell will return to the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this weekend at Knockhill with the Cobra Sport AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance team.

Bushell, a two-time winner of the Renault UK Clio Cup, will be at the wheel of the Honda Civic Type R (FK2), usually driven by multiple race winner Sam Tordoff, who will miss the Knockhill race meeting following the tragic passing of his newborn son, Arlo.

The decision to put Bushell in the car for the Scottish event has been made with the full agreement of Sam and the Tordoff family, with the 30-year-old seen as the natural choice to take up the drive.

Bushell made his BTCC debut at Knockhill back in 2013 and has been working with the team this season as race engineer on the sister Honda of Rory Butcher, and also raced for AmD Tuning for a full season back in 2015.

“Sam and the Tordoff family saw Mike as a natural choice,” team boss Shaun Hollamby said.

“The whole team has made huge steps forward this season, and Sam has been integral in pushing the team forward over the last ten months.

“Without Sam's strong work ethic and determination the team wouldn’t have been in the strong position that we are currently in. Mike was his first choice as substitute driver, having worked together throughout the season.

“There is no pressure on Mike in terms of results and the priority this weekend is to show full respect to Sam, Georgina and the Tordoff family at this difficult time.”

Tom Ingram and Team Toyota GB with Ginsters are Scotland-bound this weekend, as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship races north of the border to picturesque Fife circuit Knockhill – where the Bucks-born ace makes it clear he has silverware in his sights.
 
Since making his debut in the UK’s premier motor racing series in 2014, Ingram boasts a strong record at Knockhill, piloting his Speedworks Motorsport-run car to a commanding triumph two years ago and taking the chequered flag an excellent second last season prior to post-race ride-height failure.
 
The 26-year-old similarly shone at Knockhill on his way up the ladder in the support series, with victories in multiple categories, and he returns sitting eighth in the BTCC standings amongst the 30 high-calibre contenders, barely 20 points outside of the top five. That means he will carry just 12kg of success ballast into qualifying and race one, around a track where additional weight is a greater handicap than usual.
 
Ingram warmed up for his forthcoming Scottish jaunt by dropping into Silverstone late last month for the opening round of the 2019/20 FIA World Endurance Championship, where he enjoyed a privileged up close and personal peak at Toyota Gazoo Racing’s world-beating, state-of-the-art TS050 Hybrid sports prototype. Inspired by the experience, he is now ready to put on a spectacular show for the BTCC’s loyal Scottish fans behind the wheel of his Team Toyota GB with Ginsters Corolla this weekend.
 
“We’ve been quick at Knockhill in previous years,” said Team Principal Christian Dick. “So we understand what makes a front wheel-drive touring car tick round there – indeed, I think it’s fair to say we’ve had the strongest FWD package on the grid in Scotland in recent seasons.
 
“Obviously this time we arrive with a new car and we’ve not been able to test there ahead of the race weekend, but there’s absolutely no reason why the circuit shouldn’t suit the Corolla so we’re in positive mood.
 
“In theory, the fact that the Corolla has a shorter wheelbase than the Avensis should play in our favour around Knockhill’s tight-and-twisty layout, and hopefully we can come out-of-the-blocks in good shape in free practice and then just fine-tune from there. Qualifying will be key because there’s only really one clear-cut overtaking opportunity, and the race weekend is taking place a little later in the year than usual which could impact upon the weather, but we are confident in all conditions.
 
“The resurfacing in 2018 definitely helped front wheel-drive competitors, but Knockhill remains inherently a rear wheel-drive track. Have we got something for them this year? I think we have. We’ve given them a real run for their money over the past couple of seasons, and that leaves us optimistic of putting in a good performance and coming away with a clutch of strong results this time around, too.”
  
“I’m really looking forward to Knockhill. I’ve always gone well there, and I enjoy the unique challenge the circuit presents,” said Ingram. “The driver can make more of a difference than at most tracks in the UK – there’s time to be found if you are willing to down a few brave pills and push the limits.
 
“I’m optimistic we will have a more successful weekend than we did last time out at Thruxton, which we knew would probably be a bit of a struggle. We were definitely more competitive than we had been there earlier in the year, but the results didn’t really reflect our improved pace and I think we now understand why that was, so hopefully we can turn it around at Knockhill.
 
“I’m confident the analysis we have done over the past three weeks will pay dividends, and whilst we’re still getting to grips with the Corolla, it should be well-suited to the circuit so on paper at least, we should be reasonably quick.

“We’ll be playing catch-up to a certain extent in free practice, but nobody has any truly representative testing under their belt at Knockhill this year. Yes, a lot of teams have data from last season that they can fall back upon, which we obviously don’t have with the Corolla, but all the work we’ve done so far with the car will hopefully stand us in good stead. Ultimately, it’s all guesswork anyway until FP1!
 
“Saturday (qualifying) is likely to be the most important day of the weekend, because you need to be significantly faster than the driver ahead at Knockhill to make any real headway in the races. With that in mind, my aim is to qualify inside the top five and then come away with a podium finish on Sunday – at the very least...”

Honda's Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship drivers Dan Cammish and Matt Neal head for the Scotland and Knockhill Circuit next weekend with wind in their sails following the Thruxton race weekend which saw the team take its largest points haul of the season and Cammish rocket to his - and the team's - first race victory of 2019.

The Honda Civic Type Rs were on the podium in all three races in Hampshire, elevating Cammish to third in the Drivers’ Championship, closing up the manufacturer battle and resulting in Halfords Yuasa Racing regaining the lead of the Teams' points table.

The tight and twisting Knockhill circuit in Fife generally favours the rear-wheel drive cars of Honda's closest rivals but the team will be buoyed by its recent form and the knowledge that Cammish was the fastest in qualifying at the 2018 meeting, going on to secure a brace of podium finishes.

With just nine races left in the 2019 championship, Honda is hopeful that it is hitting peak form at just the right time.

“Thruxton was a great weekend for me and the team,” said Cammish. “To get the monkey off our back with our first win of the season was awesome, and to come away from that round with the biggest points haul I have ever accumulated in one BTCC weekend was amazing.

"I took my maiden pole position at Knockhill last year and I really like the track – it's great for the spectators as they can get really close to the action and it's great to drive, there is really no respite and you have to take your chances and be brave to overtake. I certainly have my eye on the prize now being just 34 points off the top of the table so I will be trying to put my Honda Civic Type R at the sharp end again this weekend, I can't wait.”

“After a tough qualifying at Thruxton, I got my head down and made some great progress in the first race to finish eighth and to complete the day with two visits to the podium was fantastic,” said Neal. “This has brought us right back in the game now for the drivers, teams and manufacturers championships, so onwards and upwards!

“I love Knockhill, it doesn't necessarily suit front-wheel-drive cars with the slow hairpin at Taylors and then the steep uphill climb on the main straight. But our tails are most certainly up, so we'll be taking the fight to our rivals for sure. I'm raring to go.”

Sam will not participate in this weekend’s BTCC race meeting, due to family circumstances.

“My wife Georgina and I are heartbroken to say that our beautiful baby boy, Arlo George, passed away peacefully on Saturday.

“After arriving safely on Monday, 2^nd September, it transpired that his kidneys were not formed properly. Sadly no cure or treatment could save him.

“We are devastated, but truly grateful for the precious days that we got to spend with our perfect baby boy.

“We ask that our privacy be respected at this painful time.”