Collard and Foster look to secure championship at Brands Hatch (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Collard and Foster look to secure championship at Brands Hatch

8:00am Saturday 20th October 2012 in Sport By Graham Merry

NORTH Hampshire drivers Rob Collard and Nick Foster still have everything to drive for this weekend at the final round of the British Touring Car Championships on the Brands Hatch GP circuit on Sunday.

Hook’s Collard goes head to head with Andrew Jordan for the independent drivers championship, where he trails by 28 points, while Foster is sixth, just one point behind Dave Newsham.

In the independent team championship Collard and Foster’s e-bay motors team lead the way on 426, just five ahead of Jordan’s Pirtek Racing, with Redstone Racing third on 416.

Both Hook’s Collard and Odiham’s Foster will arrive at the Kent track full of confidence after excellent results in the last meeting at Silverstone.

Collard collected two podium finishes after coming home fourth in race one.

He followed that up with a second place and then, having started in ninth on the reverse grid, fought his way up to third in his final outing of the day.

The Hook driver said: “In race one I was really knocked around and ended up going back to seventh before fighting back to fourth. We led in race two for a lap.”

Meanwhile, Foster qualified 14th for race one and battled his way up to sixth and then came in 10th for race two.

The reverse grid put Foster on pole and he led for the first 13 laps before having to settle for fifth place.

The Odiham racer said: “We struggled in qualifying and then I flat spotted one of tyres early in race one and they were surprised I managed to finish the race.

"Next time out I got mugged late on which cost me a number of places.

“I got a great start from pole and held the pack well, but Jason Plato was in a different race and came up so fast and there was no way I could hold him back.”

Looking ahead to Brands Hatch, Collard said: “I have nothing to lose going into the weekend and I hold the lap record at Brands in a BMW.

“A lot will depend on what turbo boost they decide to give the Honda, but you can sure I will give it my best shot.”

Foster said: “I really want to finish in the top five of the independent championship and we have a strong chance to win the team event. So I will be looking to do as well as I can because there is a lot to race for.”