Photo: PSP Images

Rob Austin to start race one from the back

Rob Austin will start the opening BTCC race of the weekend at Rockingham from the back of the grid after being handed a third strike of the year for an incident at Knockhill.

Austin was handed a retrospective penalty by stewards who looked into a clash with the Mercedes of Adam Morgan on arrival at Rockingham and deemed the Handy Motorsport driver to be at fault.

As a third penalty of the season, Austin drops to the back of the pack having qualified in 22nd spot.

Austin becomes the second driver of the season to hit three strikes, with Matt Simpson having suffered the same fate earlier in the year.

Jason Plato, Rob Collard and Matt Neal are amongst seven other drivers on the grid who are at risk of incurring a similar penalty going into race day, with two strikes already to their name.