• Rob keeps the pressure on

Rob Huff is breathing down the necks of the leaders in the Renaultsport Cup as the ultra-competitive series races into its fast three rounds.

The Cambridge driver is only 10 points adrift of the second man in the championship as he prepares for the 12th of the 14 rounds, at Knockhill near Edinburgh.

"If anybody had offered me this position at this stage, before the series started, I would have snatched their hand off," he said. "I've proved I can mix it with the top guys who have much more experience.

"But for that bad crash at Thruxton when I was T-boned by a car coming sideways at me off the grass I would be leading the championship.

"I was watching the video of it the other day, and the car must have spun around seven times."

There was a much more mundane reason for the 22-year-old double motor racing scholarship winner finishing outside the podium places in the last round at his "home" circuit) of Snetterton.

One of the gearbox bolts on his Clio somehow sheared off, preventing him getting the best out of the car in qualifying.

He had to settle for what for him was a "disappointing" fifth finish, dropping him out of the top three in the overall eankings. Ironically though the frustrating day improved his title chance.

"Although I was fifth," he said, "the way the others finished meant the placings at the top squashed up. Leader Paul Rivett came fourth and Martin Byford and Daniel Buxton were behind me. So it's all to go for.

"The mechanics managed to do something to the gear box thank goodness because I was down at 16th at one stage in qualifying at Snetterton.

"I managed to get on the grid in eighth, and sliced through two places quickly from the start. Then Byford made a big mistake and I was up to fifth.

"I had a battle with Tim Mullen. He took us both off the track at a tight right hander, but I got through for the fifth place which keeps me right in it.

"I had a win and a second up at Knockhill when I won the Formula Vauxhall title, and it would be great to get that kind of finish again."

Huff is also competing in the Peter Best BCV8 MG series, in which he leads the B class after a second place in the last round at Silverstone, despite some timing problems with the car.