Dan Eaves has insisted he can still catch and beat more experienced team-mate Matt Neal to this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship title.

Eaves, one of the BTCC’s rising stars, currently lies third in the standings, behind fellow Team Halfords Honda driver Neal and Vauxhall’s Yvan Muller – the champion in 2003.

There are nine more races to go in the BTCC season, with the first three of those at Knockhill, Fife this coming Sunday 28 August. Eaves trails Neal by 27 points and Muller by 11.

Eaves, aged 30, said: “It’s not over yet – I’m in this to become champion and I think I’m good enough to do it.

“Twenty seven points can vanish very easily in this game and I’m feeling very confident about Knockhill.

“It’s always been a good track for me and all it takes is for me to win twice and Matt have a couple of thirds and it suddenly becomes very tight again.

“We know we’ve got to work together to beat Muller – he’s the danger man. If I finish ahead of him I’ll be happy, but it won’t be enough. To be champion is what I want.”

Eaves, from Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, goes into the weekend unsure of his car’s performance – it was badly damaged in a crash by the team’s new third signing Gareth Howell in testing last week.

Eaves added: “When I was told Gareth was testing my car I was a bit surprised. Then I got three calls telling me he’d shunted it – I thought they were all wind-ups but they weren’t.

“I was very annoyed but I know the team will make it good as new for Knockhill. I also rate Gareth and am sure he’ll be a good addition to the team at Kncokhill.”