ROB Austin secured his and Handy Motorsport’s first Independents Trophy victory of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season at Oulton Park on Sunday, taking seventh place overall in the third of the day’s contests.

Finishing ninth overall in round 10 and then an improved eighth in round 11, where he was also in the Independents top three, Austin was the best non-manufacturer performer in the weekend’s final encounter to bag an important result for the Swindon team.

Helping Austin retain fourth in the Independents Trophy standings, his healthy haul of results from Cheshire means the Toyota Avensis driver has closed to within only four points of the class top three.

In the outright BTCC standings, Austin departed Oulton still inside the championship top 10 and Handy is an improved fifth in the Independents Team standings.

“Before the weekend I had aspirations of fighting for pole, but we underestimated the rear-wheel drive cars and the Hondas were in a whole different league,” said the Handy driver.

“The issue was compounded by not hooking a lap up in qualifying, but after that I couldn’t have asked for three better results really.

“Taking three good scores and an Independents win was great.

“It would’ve been nice to get a bit of luck with the reverse grid for race three but, again, the Hondas were always going to come through.

“We did a good solid job this weekend, nothing special, but a good job nonetheless.”

Team principal Simon Belcher added: “From my point of view I’m really happy. We were strong on pace at the first couple of events this season, but didn’t take away too many points, but we turned that around at Thruxton and I wanted the same again at Oulton.’’ Reigning champion Gordon Shedden moved to the summit of the standings after winning the final race at Oulton Park.

Shedden, who drives for the Halfords Yuasa Racing team, the work’s team of Swindon-based Honda UK, is now 16 points ahead in the overall standings.

Teammate Matt Neal secured a trio of runners-up finishes at Oulton to lie fifth overall.

The championship returns next month time when rounds 13, 14 and 15 take place at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire on June 10-11.