RORY BUTCHER is aiming to kick-start his team's Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season at a circuit that holds "happy memories" for him.

The Kirkcaldy-born driver, whose father, Derek, formerly owned and was CEO of Knockhill Racing Circuit, heads to Snetterton this weekend seeking his first podium of the 2023 edition.

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK driver Butcher, 36, is 12th in the drivers' standings after the opening two race weekends, at Donnington Park and Brands Hatch Indy, with 31 points so far.

Dan Cammish, of NAPA Racing UK, is the competition's early pacesetter, with 88 points, but Butcher is confident that he, and his team, made progress at Brands last time out, where he picked up one sixth and one seventh place, and one second-to-last finish.

In 2021, Snetterton, in Norfolk, was the scene of Butcher's first podium finish for his current team, finishing third, and he has belief that they can be in the mix for similar this weekend.

"We definitely took a step forward at Brands Hatch," he said.

"We were closer to the sharp end than we had been at Donnington Park. Had lady luck been on our side in the final race, we could well have come away with all three cars finishing inside the top five, and, while we're still not quite where we want to be, we know the areas in which we need to improve, and everybody has been pushing super-hard behind the scenes in order to do so.

"I'm confident that will see us edge a bit nearer again at Snetterton, which is a very different kind of challenge to Brands Indy. Despite not being one of my favourite circuits on the calendar, it's somewhere I usually go well, and it holds happy memories as the scene of my first podium for Toyota Gazoo Racing UK a couple of years ago.

"If we can kick-start our season with a similar result this weekend – if not even better – that would be a great way to reward the team for everybody's hard work."

Butcher, and Kelty's Ronan Pearson, competing for EXCELR8 Motorsport, will be on the grid for Saturday's qualifying session - which will be streamed by ITV on their website, and ITV Sport's YouTube channel - and Sunday's race day, which is live on ITV4 from 10.45am.