Gilham to drive Thorney Motorsport NGTC Vauxhall Insignia in BTCC round at Snetterton

The switch is expected to help both him and his regular Tony Gilham Racing outfit acclimatise to NGTC machinery, which he plans to adopt from the 2013 season.

As revealed by AUTOSPORT in July, , and in the process become the first driver from the USA to compete in the series since 1975.

"John Thorne (Thorney team boss and regular driver) has a big sponsor lined up for the future and it'd be nice to try and help him move the car closer to the front-running pace, plus it keeps my face on the grid which is good for my sponsors," Gilham said.

"It'll also be valuable NGTC experience for everyone within our team as that's the route for us in the future... we hope to have a considerable presence on the grid next season.

"I won't see the Insignia until the first practice session on Saturday morning but the aim will be to steadily work away at the set-up and keep chipping away at the lap times.

"It's obviously going to be a very busy weekend for me, driving the Insignia and overseeing Robb's debut in our Civic but I've drafted in extra staff to ensure it all runs smoothly. It's important Robb is properly looked after on his first outing with us - I am sure he is going to be competitive."