Mark Blair - An independent view

And this weekend he will be aiming to consolidate his second place in the Independent's Cup, after a frustrating time at Snetterton two weeks ago.

At the East Anglian circuit, the 1988 Vectra SRi Challenge winner failed to join one qualifying session and miss the Feature Race completely.

However, Blair is pleased with the way his first season is going.

'We're second in the championship, which is probably as good as we could hope for given the pace of Matt Neal,' he said.

'The whole team is doing a good job, particularly since it's the first year in touring cars for both myself and ADR.

'Second in the Independents, with a car that is essentially two years old - I'm very pleased with the way that it's going.

'Obviously you're racing with the best touring car drivers in the world at this level, so every little mistake gets punished, but in one way it's easier than racing in the Vectra Championship.

'Last year there were three of us running at the front, and the pressure was always on; in the BTCC as an Independent you're running further back, and the race is usually decided within four or five laps.'

Finances are clearly a concern for most of the Independents, as evidenced by the abrupt departure of Paula Cook and her DC Cook-run Honda Accord from the series. But Blair sees advantages in running in Britain's premier tin-top series.

'Obviously it's very expensive, and I was fortunate to get a head start with the car from Vauxhall; they've given us some technical assistance, too.

'Without those then we wouldn't be here, and even now, we're running on a shoestring budget. You have to be careful you don't do too much damage on the track, as they're hideously expensive to repair.

'Yet in some ways, it gets easier to find backers as you get higher up the tree.

'Paradoxically it is probably easier to find a hundred thousand pounds or more to do this, than it would be to find a couple of thousand or so for a Formula Ford racer.

'It's higher profile; you can go and ask people for twenty five or fifty thousand, and leave them almost embarrassed to 'only' be giving you that much!'

Looking forward, Blair was understandably cautious about predicting his future.

'Who knows? Obviously I'd like a works drive, with Vauxhall or whomever. I'd like to find a drive with an Independent team, either free or with me bringing a small amount of money - but a full works drive has to be the ultimate goal.

'It's going to be very difficult to compete in next year's championship on the same basis, but you never know.

'Obviously I want to stay in it; ADR want to stay in it, regardless of what I do. It remains to be seen where our futures lie.'