Two top ten finishes for Collard at Thruxton.

Rob Collard took his Vauxhall Astra to two top ten finishes in the three British Touring Car Championship races at the Thruxton circuit in Hampshire today, the highlight a superb fifth overall.

In the opening race of the day Rob claimed 11th, one place away from starting the second race of the day from pole position under the championship's new 'reverse grid rule'. The results place Rob, from Eversley in Hampshire, third in the Independents Trophy after the first of this season's ten BTCC meetings.

In Saturday's qualifying session Rob was never quite happy with the handling of his Collard Racing Astra, ultimately disappointed to be only 13th on the 20-car grid. In the first of Sunday's three 16-lap races, he was soon caught up in a four-car battle for the important tenth place that would have brought a prestigious pole position start, just missing out as he finished 11th.

"I really thought we were going to get tenth place," said Rob, "and I could see we were catching one of the Protons. I was fighting with Chilton's Honda, and he got a better run than me out of the chicane. One place higher up would have put us on the front row for the next race..."

In the second race of the day Rob brought his Brackenwood Windows-backed car storming up the order in the early going, running sixth after just two laps. That became fifth at the end of a superb drive which saw him finish just three seconds behind the race winner.

"I'm pleased to come out of an incident packed race with a good result," said Rob straight after the race. "I could see things happening in front of me, and made up places, and was then holding my own at the front of the field.

"Fifth place is a very good finish for us, and we were on the verge of battling for a spot on the podium overall. We need to make sure we get more results like that."

The final BTCC race of the day saw Rob firmly lay his Thruxton hoodoo to rest, coming home eighth at the circuit which saw his car seriously damaged last year in a first lap shunt. Despite the strong finishes, the ever-competitive racer was still disappointed by the weekend as a whole, and the pace of his car.

"We need to get the car back to the workshop, pull it apart, and see what we can find," explained Rob at the end of the day, "there is something seriously wrong somewhere.

"I'm disappointed by the weekend overall, even though we got two top ten finishes, after testing at Donington where we were sixth quickest I was hoping we could have done more today."