Rob Collard and his team are confident of getting his Vauxhall Astra ready for rounds seven and eight of the British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone this weekend.

The Hampshire racer's car was almost written off in a first-lap shunt at Thruxton over the bank holiday, denying Collard the chance to consolidate his lead in the Independents Cup.

Collard sent the body shell to Triple Eight Race Engineering, who built the Astra, while the engine is currently with specialists in France to be checked over. "We were hoping to get the car back today, giving us two and a half days to rebuild it from a bare shell and get it on the truck for Silverstone on Friday," said Collard.

"The engine went back to the engine builders, Sodemo in France, because the inlet manifold got smashed and we were worried that it may have ingested some debris. All in all that was a very expensive crash and I'm still disappointed by the driving standards in the BTCC, and the lack of disciplinary action about them. These things shouldn't happen at this level of the sport."

Collard now trails Gavin Pyper in the Independents Cup. The Scot, who drives an Astra for the Thruxton-based GA Motorsport team, was involved in the accident which Collard says will leave him £25,000 out of pocket.