KNOCKHILL Circuit in Fife, the home of Scottish motorsport, hosts the annual visit of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship this weekend, where Alfa Romeo racer Rob Austin is hungry to fully realise the true potential of his 2018 car.

The whole DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing team makes the 400-mile journey from its base in Swindon and is determined to make the eighth race meeting of the BTCC season one to remember.

Frustratingly, the maiden season for the squad’s glorious Alfa Romeo Giulietta has been tempered by an unbelievable run of misfortune.

Costing Evesham driver Austin a hatful of points on multiple occasions, it has also limited the team to one podium finish thus far.

The car has an immense amount of potential – as seen numerous times this season – and the team continues to work night and day to unlock the results those efforts undoubtedly deserve.

Austin said: “I love Knockhill, it’s one of my favourite tracks to drive. There’s always a great atmosphere and the guys at the circuit always do a great job of running the event.

“I’ve been on the podium there quite a few times and I’ve never seen a crowd like it.

“The potential is unquestionably there to visit the podium again, as it has been for some time now, but events outside our control have stopped us from demonstrating it.

“I would love to have a clean, fair run. If we do, I’m sure we can be right up there.”

Traditionally a track which suits rear-wheel drive cars, the front-wheel drive Alfa Romeo will be at a disadvantage in that respect, but with Austin something of a Knockhill specialist – he first raced there back in 1998 in the single-seater Formula Renault UK Championship – there are realistic hopes for one of the better weekends of the year for DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing.

Team principal Simon Belcher said: “As a driver, I always loved Knockhill, and I know Rob does too. The racing is great and so is the crowd. We’re hoping the long trip brings us the good fortune we have been missing recently.”

Opening free practice will begin the track action at Knockhill on Saturday at 9.50am with session two following at 12.30pm ahead of qualifying – which will be streamed live online at the www.itv.com/btcc website – at 3.25pm.

On Sunday, round 22 will start at 11.50am, round 23 will commence at 2.25pm and round 24 will conclude the weekend’s action at 5.20pm.

All three races will be screened live on ITV4 with the addition of online streaming.