RORY BUTCHER says he is targeting silverware this weekend as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) hots up.

The 34-year-old and brother-in-law Gordon Sheddenare in North Yorkshire and Croft in the first of two back-to-back race weekends looking for points to put pressure on those at the top of the leaderboard.

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK driver Butcher, and Halfords Racing with Cataclean's Shedden, are separated by just four points in seventh and ninth places respectively in the standings, with the former's haul of 136 leaving him 74 behind leader Ash Sutton.

There are 12 rounds of the 2021 season to go, with a visit to Silverstone following the action at Croft, with events at Donnington Park (October 9-10) and Brands Hatch GP (October 23-24) bringing it to what is sure to be an action-packed conclusion.

Last time out at Thruxton, on August 28-29, Butcher, whose dad, Derek, is the owner and CEO of Knockhill, enjoyed a consistent run of points-scoring, claiming a fourth, fifth and sixth-place finish.

For three-time BTCC winner Shedden, however, it was far from the ideal weekend, with a 13th place in race one being compounded by retirements in each of the remaining two.

With 240 points up for grabs potentially between now and the season's end, both drivers still have the opportunity to make their presence felt at the top of the standings, and Shedden heads to Croft still seeking his first race win of the campaign.

Butcher has one to his name in 2021 – at Oulton Park – and, with seven points finishes from nine previous starts at Croft, is targeting podium places this time around.

"I really enjoy Croft. It’s quite close to Scotland so I tend to get a lot of my sponsors coming along, and it generates good racing, with a fantastic atmosphere all the way around the lap," he said.

"It’s a circuit of extremes, from the super-quick Jim Clark Esses, Barcroft and Sunny In/Out to the slow-speed complex in the final sector and the tightest hairpin on the calendar. You’re never going to find the perfect set-up, and striking the best compromise is a massive challenge from an engineering point-of-view, while, as a driver, you need to be able to rapidly adapt your approach from one corner to the next.

"Our potential has been building throughout the year and after a tricky start to the season, I’ve really fallen in love with the (Toyota) Corolla – we’re best buddies now.

"Whilst the number one priority at Croft has to be another solid weekend, at the same time, we know we have the pace for podiums so I feel we should be coming away with some silverware.

"The team is doing a good job, the car is in a great place and I’m feeling strong, so if we can put that all together, hopefully the results will follow."

The race day broadcast today commences at 11.35am on ITV4.