VX Racing will be looking for cooler temperatures this weekend as the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)heads to Croft Circuit near Darlington for the fifth round of the series.

The team and its trio of drivers, reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi, championship leader Matt Neal and youngster Andrew Jordan, all have a point to prove and are aiming for victory at the circuit.

At the previous round in Oulton Park, the front wheel drive Vauxhall struggled in the heat of the British summer. With temperatures topping 27 degrees, the tyre degradation became a significant issue in the team's quest for victory.

This weekend at Croft the VX Racing team will be hoping that the temperatures remain cooler, to aid their championship challenge. Only two points now separate Neal from nearest rival Turkington in the driver's championship as the race for the title heats up.

Championship leader Neal said: "We are heading to Croft with fresh minds. We will see what pace we can draw out of the Vauxhall, but we expect three very hard races.

"I love Croft, it has a good mixture of everything, It has some big commitment, high speed corners, as well as long straights and slow corners. The atmosphere there is great, the North-East crowds are brilliant and they really get stuck in with the cheering and the booing.

"We are carrying more weight than Colin (Turkington) in this next race, the small two points gap we have are worth nine kilos. But then you have to look at it that come the end of the season, the points gap could be the difference between winning and losing the championship, so I'm happy to carry it."

Giovanardi, who lies only 19 points behind in the championship battle added: "If it is as hot as it was at Oulton Park, we will face similarly difficult conditions, I would prefer it to be cooler, although rain might favour us.

"That is one factor that is outside of our control, but could play a big part in our fortunes over the weekend. The rear wheel drive cars will undoubtedly be more suited to this track than the Vauxhall, but as a team we have the experience and determination to give them a run for their money."

After three strong point scores at Oulton Park, Jordan is looking ahead to the next round.

"I like Croft, it's a high speed circuit and you need guts for some parts of the track which makes it a good challenge for a driver," he said. "Again, I think the BMWs and the Chevrolets will prove strong round there, but we will work on it and we will be there or thereabouts come race day.

"To prepare for a race weekend I usually watch last year's coverage to reacquaint myself with the track and I'll also work on my fitness. We saw in the heat at Oulton how a driver needs to be race fit, Sunday is a long day and we need to be as prepared as we can be."