EVER-improving British Touring Car Championship team Handy Motorsport return to home ground today.

Situated just 30 miles down the road from the squad’s Swindon base, Handy are looking forward to competing in front of their home crowd at Thruxton once again – and with renewed confidence too, with proven BTCC race-winner Rob Austin piloting the team’s Toyota Avensis.

Making big strides over the course of the first two race meetings at Brands Hatch and Donington Park, both driver and team are relishing the unique challenge which Thruxton provides, and particularly as a circuit, where a true racer like Austin can make a huge difference.

“We’re all really looking forward to being back at Thruxton. The team has a lot of unfinished business there,” said team principal Simon Belcher. “With Rob on board this season, we go there with a lot of confidence and aiming to continue the good progress we’ve been making so far this year.

“We took our first ever top 10 at Brands Hatch and then bettered that last time out at Donington with an eighth place.

“So the top six and more is the target as we push on to keep moving forward.”

With average lap speeds of around 110mph, Thruxton is a circuit like no other in the UK.

Over the last couple of years, with Belcher at the wheel, Handy has suffered some terrible misfortune there – in particular in 2014, when the car was launched into the trees at the fastest part of the circuit.

Even though the current campaign hasn’t been completely straightforward, Austin goes into the weekend seventh in the Independents Trophy standings while Handy holds the same placing in the Independents Team Trophy.

Improving with each event, Austin achieved Handy’s best ever result of eighth place overall in round six at Donington Park.

Relishing being back in action at Thruxton, the Worcestershire driver will arrive in Hampshire fresh from an incredible fund-raising effort after he cycled all the way from London to Paris.

Getting his adventure underway last Thursday, 28th April, from Trafalgar Square in central London, Rob and a group of fellow fundraisers from Freestyle 360 gym set out to cycle the 200-plus miles to the French capital.

Just 30 miles from the destination, though, a flare-up of a tendon problem in his knee meant he had to cut the challenge agonisingly short of the finish to ensure it didn’t have an adverse impact on this weekend.

Even so, Austin still managed to raise £2,000 for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund and says he will go back to complete the full distance.