ROB Collard enjoyed a great opening weekend in the British Touring Car Championship, with three top 10 finishes including a podium in race two at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit.

The Hook racer started race one from 15th on the grid, but fought his way through to finish seventh.

Then in race two, the BTCC's overtaking king moved his WSR-run BMW 125i M Sport up to second.

In the reverse grid final race at the Kent circuit, Collard started seventh and finished sixth which left him fifth overall in the driver's championship after the first three races. He is 12 points behind leaders and reigning champion Gordon Shedden.

After a great first weekend, Collard said: "If you’d told me at the start of the weekend that I’d finish seventh, second and sixth, I’d have taken it, so I’m pretty happy with my points haul.

"Race Two was brilliant because every time I kept asking for a little bit more from the car, it gave me more and I was able to make some moves I was pretty proud of.

"I was faster than the cars around me at the end and I’m convinced I could have won if the race had just been a couple of laps longer. It’s been a strong start.”

Collard's youngest son Jordan Collard was also in action in one of the support races the Ginetta Junior Championship where he finished 14th and 13th in the second race he was up to top 10 before being spun round.

The second of the BTCC’s 10 events in 2017 takes place at Donington Park on the weekend of April 15/16.