EVESHAM’S Rob Austin is hoping Handy Motorsport can defy the odds in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Croft Circuit this weekend.

Austin steered the front-wheel drive No.11 Toyota Avensis to an Independents victory in Cheshire last time out.

He was seventh overall and claimed ninth and eighth placed finishes in the two preceding contests.

But Austin believes the rear-wheel drive Croft circuit will favour other teams in the fifth event of the series.

“Our target is to achieve solid points for Croft,” declared Austin.

“I think the potential for big glory is going to be slim because it’s a rear-wheel drive circuit.

“The Hondas are head and shoulders above everyone else at the moment with front-wheel drive. I’m sure the top five at least will be locked out, so it’ll be all about trying to get into the top 10 in qualifying for us.

“We’re keeping our expectations realistic.

“If we can bag another three top-10 finishes in the races we’ll all be happy.

“Things will then swing back in favour of the front-wheel drive teams at Snetterton after the summer break.”

Austin is fourth in the Independents Trophy standings and inside the top 10 of the main BTCC title race where less than 30 points cover sixth to 10th positions.

The trip to North Yorkshire heralds the half-way stage in the series.

Pershore-based Halfords Yuasa Racing boasts Gordon Shedden who is top of the pile as he searches for a third consecutive BTCC crown.

“It’s fantastic to be heading to Croft leading the championship, but the downside to that is having to carry 75kg of glorious ballast for qualifying and race one,” said Shedden.

“That means we’ll need to play the long game, but hopefully the Civic Type R will do the business.

“Croft is an interesting circuit,” he said.

“It’s a little bit like a game of two halves with some slow, technical corners and some really fast, high-adrenaline corners.”

Matt Neal, in the second Halfords Civic Type R, is also in the mix after achieving a podium triple at Oulton Park.

All three of Sunday's BTCC races will be broadcast live on ITV4, via the ITV Hub and streamed live at itv.com/btcc