ROB Austin believes Swindon’s Handy Motorsport can achieve podium success in this weekend’s British Touring Car Championship rounds at Oulton Park.

Confidence is high in the team ahead of the annual trip to Cheshire after their most consistent points haul of the season at Thruxton.

As well as racking up a brace of top-five finishes as part of a hat-trick of top-10 results last time out, Austin also confirmed his increasing competitiveness in a front-wheel drive touring car by securing the fifth fastest time in qualifying at Thruxton.

“I’m really looking forward to Oulton,” said Austin. “I think it’ll be another strong circuit for us, like Donington, and I really will be trying to challenge for the front row on the grid in qualifying.

“I think that’s achievable. Oulton Park provides a great opportunity for us to score well and, hopefully, get back onto the podium so that’s what we’ll all be working towards.

“I really want to win a race because it has been a long time. Oulton is a track which should suit our car so we’re all going there feeling positive, especially after Thruxton which was our weakest track of the season.”

Going into the fourth event, Austin is ninth in the championship standings and inside the top four in the Independents Trophy.

Handy team principal Simon Belcher added: “Oulton should see us back to where we were at Donington. It’s much more suited to our Toyota than Thruxton was but, having said that, our results at Thruxton weren’t too shabby at all so we’ve got very high hopes.

“The whole team is working as hard as ever to deliver a car which can challenge for the podium.”