Dan Cammish says he is eager to try and challenge for a podium finish ‘sooner rather than later’ as he prepares to make his BTCC debut this weekend at Brands Hatch.

Cammish will line-up alongside multiple champion Matt Neal at Team Dynamics having been given the chance to replace Gordon Shedden after the Scot took the decision to make the switch to the new World Touring Car Cup.

Recent weeks have seen former Carrera Cup champion Cammish wracking up the miles in the FK8 version of the Honda Civic Type-R in preparation for the opening meeting of the year – including a group test around the Indy circuit last week where he posted the second quickest time.

The 28-year-old will now seek to replicate that pace this weekend when the season gets underway and was quick to praise his team for preparing a car that looked set to be a contender from the outset.

“Out-of-the-box, the new Civic Type R seems really impressive, which is very confidence-inspiring,” he said. “The guys pulled off a marathon effort to get my car finished in time, and notwithstanding a few minor niggles in the group test – which are only to be expected during a shakedown – it ran like clockwork, which is testament to all the boys at Team Dynamics for the superb job they did.

“I think we are pretty much there pace-wise, too, so going to Brands Hatch, my aspirations are high. I’ve got a great team behind me, and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to challenge inside the top ten or even top five from the outset.

“I’ll be giving it absolutely everything, and I’ll be disappointed if I’m not fighting for podiums sooner rather than later. I’m really looking forward to letting this car off the leash!”