News: Competing in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship and the Porsche Carrera Cup GB

The next instalment in the high-profile campaign for Kent-based Motorbase Performance will be at the spectacular Rockingham venue in Northamptonshire this weekend (21/22 April).

While Gareth Howell and Matt Allison handle the team's SEAT Cupra Toledos in rounds four, five and six of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, Sam Hancock, Steven Kane and Andy Britnell will contest rounds three and four of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB.

The team showed its class at Brands Hatch, netting a range of encouraging results, but team boss David Bartrum now wants even more success as the BTCC returns to Rockingham for the first time in four years. For the fans, Rockingham is unique on the BTCC schedule as the whole circuit can be seen from the main grandstands. With the BTCC riding high in spectator support, it is little wonder that advance ticket sales suggest a huge crowd will gather on Sunday at the Corby track.

Howell and Allison will be taking on the might of the works supported teams in three BTCC races and both drivers showed their potential at Brands Hatch when the season opened. Howell, of course, is a proven race winner, while Allison was one of the revelations of the meeting as he showed himself one of the crop of new stars in the 2007 BTCC. Podium finishes are within their reach this season.

Meanwhile, all three Carrera Cup GB racers have real expectations of at least one trip to the Rockingham podium. Hancock and Kane are both quickly getting to grips with the 400bhp Porsches, which represent a big difference to the type of cars they have raced to date. Hancock showed his pace at Thruxton in testing, running second fastest to Tim Harvey, while Kane is likely to get stronger and stronger as his sportscar experience develops. Steven lives in Brixworth near Northampton these days, so he will also carry local honour at Rockingham.

Britnell, meanwhile, already has two podium finishes to his credit after a win and a second place in the pro-am category at Brands Hatch as he battled with Nigel Rice. Andy will now head to Rockingham determined to maintain his bid for the coveted award as well as finish as high up overall as possible.

So, with five cars competing in five races, it is going to be another big weekend for the team at Motorbase Performance. For those not able to be at Rockingham, the full Sunday race programme will be screened on the Setanta satellite channel. In addition, the third BTCC race of the day will also be broadcast live on ITV3 from 4pm to 5.30pm. Highlights will run on ITV1 at 1.30am on Monday 23 April, and on Men & Motors from 7.30pm to 8.05pm on Friday 27 April.