YORK speedster James Thompson enters perhaps the most important weekend of his career tomorrow as he bids to take the British Touring Car Championship title.

Thompson goes into the final two rounds at Donington Park as the leader in the drivers' standings but both Yvan Muller and Matt Neal are in close contention and any one of the trio could lift the trophy come Sunday afternoon.

All three have led the Green Flag MSA BTCC at some stage throughout the 20-round series, each driving a Vauxhall Astra Coup, and between them Thompson and Muller have secured the manufacturers' and teams' titles for defending champions Vauxhall Motorsport.

The drivers' title, however, is the big one and will be decided on Sunday when rounds 19 and 20 take place. Qualifying at the 2.5-mile circuit will be held tomorrow following today's practice.

Thompson - who told the Evening Press at the beginning of the series that this year was his best-ever chance of glory - has led the championship for much of the season and arguably has the psychological advantage.

But team-mate Muller, runner-up in 2001 when he finished one place ahead of Thompson, will want to make amends for losing out last year, and is only four points behind the Yorkshireman.

Neal, the Egg Sport man, who also drives a Vauxhall Astra Coupe, is 22 points further back, but there are still 35 points to race for.

Thompson and Muller have notched up five wins apiece this season and Thompson, heeding the warning served by his controversial coming together with Muller at Brands Hatch four weeks ago, knows the gloves are now off and is.

"Everything that I have achieved this year is now irrelevant," he said.

"It's winner takes all at Donington and it is up to me to beat Yvan, just as it is up to Yvan to try to beat me. It'll certainly make interesting racing for the fans."

Muller, meanwhile, is expecting a tough weekend. "I've been here before but it doesn't make it any easier as James knows Donington very well," he said.

"I shall treat this weekend like any other and concentrate on doing my best. But with 35 points still available, I cannot discount Matt either. He can still win the championship. It is going to be very close."

The title fight isn't the only battle being fought this weekend. After a double MG win at the last outing, Thompson also wants to silence the critics for Vauxhall.

"All four Triple Eight-run Astra drivers have tested this year at Donington and I think we could realistically achieve an Astra Coup one-two-three-four on the grid," he said.

"It would be great to see us all running at the front of the field."

With both the Vauxhall Motorsport Astras and the two Egg Sport Astras running light in terms of success ballast this weekend, Thompson's prediction is a distinct possibility. Furthermore, the 28-year-old started his career at Donington and, with the lightest Astra of the four, he could well be leading the pack.

The action at the East Midlands track encompasses the three major championships in British motor racing (BTCC, F3 and GT).

Qualifying starts tomorrow at 1.35pm with Sunday's 15-lap sprint race getting under way at 12.55pm. The 25-lap main feature race starts at 4.15pm.

Updated: 11:49 Friday, September 20, 2002