Stefan Hodgetts, the son of double British Touring Car champion Chris Hodgetts, will make his debut in the Green Flag-backed championship at Ireland's Mondello Park this weekend, 12-13 June. Hodgetts will race a Vauxhall Astra for the Team Sureterm squad, in place of Charlie Butler-Henderson.

Hodgetts starred in last year's one-make SEAT Cupra Championship and Mondello marks the first time since that he will have come up against Robert Huff who beat him to the title - and the dream prize of a BTCC drive with the Spanish manufacturer.

His one-off appointment follows news that Gavin Smith - one of the favourites for this year's SEAT title - will also make his BTCC debut at Mondello in Sureterm's other Astra.

Hodgetts, aged 22, said: "I've no personal grudge or vendetta against Rob - I want to beat him as much as I want to beat Yvan Muller. I've never raced at Mondello and I've never raced a Touring Car, but I honestly believe a podium is a possibility in one of the three races.

"I'm absolutely over the moon to be racing in the BTCC. I'll only have the two practice sessions on Saturday to learn the track and the car before qualifying, but this is my big chance and I fully intend to make the most of it."

Sureterm team manager Ian Blackman added: "This team is all about young, talented drivers so Stefan fits in perfectly. I'm sure he can jump in the car and impress a lot of people on his debut. The fact we have two new drivers, Stefan and Gavin, in our team in one weekend is of no worry - we are all very excited by their arrival."

Hodgetts is the son of Chris Hodgetts, the last driver to win back-to-back BTCC titles in 1986 and 1987 driving Toyota Corollas.

Victories in the SEAT series aside, Stefan's background includes British Formula Three, Formula Renault UK and Formula Vauxhall - a category in which he won races against the likes of Gary Paffett and Ryan Dalziel, now leading lights in Germany's DTM and Amercia's Toyota Atlantic series respectively.