Motorbase Performance boss David Bartrum has only one thing on his mind as the second half of the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship season kicks off – points.

The next round of the championship sees Motorbase Performance tackle Snetterton race circuit in Norfolk - fresh from official BTCC testing at the same venue on June 24-25 during the mid-season break.

The test session was an encouraging one for Motorbase Performance, with both drivers Rob Collard and Steven Kane posting top ten times by the finish of the second day, and the team principal of the Kent-based outfit is in bullish mood about his team’s prospects in the remaining five rounds.

Bartrum believes his squad has made significant progress in testing during the mid-season break and is in position to build on the strong showing at the previous round at Croft, where both of the team’s BMW 320s mixed it at the front end of the pack. Rob Collard secured two top-five finishes and Steven Kane scored points in the opening race before a mechanical problem ended his weekend while strongly placed in race two.

As well as the pace they showed in testing the Motorbase Performance drivers will be looking to call on their experience of Snetterton from previous outings there come race weekend. Both have good career records at the Norfolk circuit, with numerous podium finishes there in previous seasons. A good points haul at the 2008 event would see Motorbase Performance close the gap on the leaders of the Independent Teams standings and put the drivers back in contention for the Independent Drivers title.

The weather could play a key part during race weekend at Snetterton. An unseasonably wet summer means showers are being forecast on both Friday and Saturday in the South East - posing a potential set-up poser for all competitors.

Motorbase Performance Team Principal David Bartrum said:
“I’m really looking forward to the second half of the season as all my favourite tracks are still to come. We started the season with a brand new car in the shape of the BMW and it has taken a bit of time to learn how to get the best from it, but we’ve been making great strides and starting to show our potential. During the break we have been working on the car and I’m confident we’ll get the best out of it from now on. I want to get on the podium and then win a race as soon as possible, it’s that simple.”

Motorbase Performance Team Driver Steven Kane said:
“I can’t wait for Snetterton as I’ve always performed well there in any car I’ve driven. There will be lots of slip-streaming going on due to the nature of the track and that will make it exciting for drivers and spectators. The last round at Croft wasn’t a great one for me due to technical problems but it was a really good race weekend for the team as a whole, so we’re looking to improve even further at Snetterton. The car is performing better now we’ve had some time to work on it during the break. We’ve definitely gone in the right direction and found a good set up, so if we can get near the front of the grid there’s no reason why we can’t do really well.”

Motorbase Performance Team Driver Rob Collard said:
“I’m really pleased with the way testing has gone over the past few weeks and we’ve definitely closed the gap on the other BMWs. I think we still have some time to find in the dry but both the car and the team as a whole have taken a big step forward. We’ve got a really competitive race set up now, so if we can improve our qualifying times I think we will be knocking on the door at the front of each race. If the dodgy summer weather brings a shower of rain next weekend that will also play into our hands and make us very competitive.”