ROB Collard is the new leader of the British Touring Car Championship after the latest three races at Snetterton.

The Hook driver started slowly at the Norfolk circuit with a first race to forget as he came in 16th.

This was then all to change for the rest for the weekend.

In race two after a big crash which stopped the race, Collard came storming through after the re-start.

The Hook driver came up from 16th to finish and was right on the tail of third place man Matt Neal as the pair went over the finishing line.

The reverse grid for race three saw the West Surrey Racing driver fifth on the grid with his team mate and championship leader Sam Tordoff on pole.

A problem to Tordoff’s car saw him forced out due to an engine problem.

This was then followed by a massive crash on the very first lap which saw Hunter Abbot’s Chevrolet barrel roll off the start line ending up on top of a crash barrier and also taking out a television gantry with the cameraman lucky to escape injury.

The race was stopped and from the re-start Collard flew off the start line into second place and it took him only two laps to take the lead from Jason Plato.

He held this position until the final lap, when reigning champion Gordon Snedden, pushed him off the track to take top spot and win the race.

So Collard had to settle for second place, but this was good enough to take over top spot in the drivers’ championships with 188 points, three points ahead of former leader Tordoff with Neal a further three points behind, the BMW pair.

Looking back over another good weekend Collard said: “I am absolutely delighted to be leading the championship and with Knockhill next I really feel I can stay there.

"The only disappointment was not winning race three and I was surprised the stewards did not investigate Shedden’s move on me.”

Collard’s youngest son Jordan driving in one of the BTCC support series Ginetta Junior twice fought his way up into the top 10, before being knocked off the track and had to settle for 17th and 14th in his two races.

Father Rob said: “I felt he drove really well at Snetterton, but due to other drivers had nothing to show for it.”

This weekend, his eldest son Ricky Collard is in action at Snetterton in the Formula Three Championship, which he currently leads.