Alfa Romeo 156 drivers Eoin Murray and Mark Smith believe Silverstone’s fast National circuit will offer them a chance of their best results of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season when they line up on the grid there this weekend. The Alfa’s engine is known to be among the punchiest on the grid and, and along the Silverstone National circuit’s three long straights, could help propel them up the order.

Quest Racing’s Murray is a potential podium finisher He has starred at almost every meeting since joining mid-season at Croft and at Donington Park – a circuit with a lay-out comparable to Silverstone – briefly ran third ahead of champion elect Matt Neal’s Honda Integra. Reigning European Alfa Challenge champion Murray, aged 23, told BTCC.net: “I think it will be Silverstone where we’ll be at our best yet. The circuit has a lot of long straights and the engine in the Alfa is very strong. We’re racing on a tight budget compared to the big teams and so far we’ve been pretty sensible. Silverstone, though, is the season finale and while I’m not going to do anything stupid I can certainly let my hair down a bit more. Provided there’s no damage I believe we can have a very strong finish to the season.”

Smith, meanwhile, says his ultimate goal is to end his debut BTCC season with a first championship point – his family-run InFront Motorsport team is the smallest on the grid, but lately has started to gain in performance and confidence.
 

Birmingham-based Smith said: “A point for us would be brilliant. To finish the season having broken my duck would be lovely and at Silverstone we’ve got our best chance yet. It would need a bit of luck, but I’ll be aiming to give Martyn Bell a run for his money, which I did at Donington, and he’s come away with a few points finishes this year. Silverstone is pretty similar to Donington as you keep the speed up for a lot of the lap.

“Certainly, the spirit is back in the camp – after Snetterton in August all our heads were down. For the first time we actually took a step backwards with the car. We had massive oversteer through the fast corners but at Brands Hatch a couple of weeks ago we went a long way to sorting that and I was back up with Martyn and a couple of the new Lexus drivers. In fact, we went too far on the set-up and I had understeer! But at Silverstone we should have it properly sorted – we know where to look.”

Smith also said it was unfair to judge his Alfa 156 with that of Murray’s as, underneath, the two machines differ considerably. He added: “We know our position with the budget we’ve got. Our car is based on the 2001 model whereas his is a 2005 version with four years’ extra development from N.technology in Italy (the company charged with developing Alfa Romeo’s touring cars). “Every component on the car will have improved and if you look underneath the skin of the two cars there’s a lot of difference. His engine’s probably got a fraction more horsepower, but it’s the suspension where the real difference lies. Just go and take a look at it. That’s the reality and don’t think for a moment I’m making excuses because I’m not – Eoin is a top-class driver and has been getting the results he deserves. Who knows, maybe I’ll buy his car from him over the winter…”