Realistic Rob Austin targeting front wheel drive honours

Rob Austin says his focus at Croft this weekend is to be the top front wheel drive car as the BTCC season reaches the half-way point.

Austin saw his hopes of a second podium finish of the season disappear at Oulton Park when he suffered a mechanical issue in the final race of the weekend.

The HMS Racing man will seek to bounce back from that disappointment when the team makes the long trip to North Yorkshire but he admitted that it would be tough in his Alfa Romeo Giulietta against the rear-wheel drive BMWs – which are widely expected to lead the way.

“Oulton Park was a rear-wheel drive circuit which saw the BMWs get two out of three wins and a podium lock-out in race three,” he said, “but Croft hands the rear-wheel drive cars their biggest advantage of the season by far.

“With that in mind you have to be realistic and alter your expectations and, unfortunately, that means we are extremely unlikely to be challenging for a podium in race one.

“Once the success ballast comes into play, and with the reverse grid for race three combined with some luck, chances might open up but I think our realistic target has to be to aim to be the top front-wheel drive car.”

Austin sits 17th in the standings going into the weekend, with his podium finish at Brands Hatch during the season opener being his best result to date.