JAMES Thompson, Yorkshire's lone star for this season's British Touring Car Championship, is facing the challenge with confidence, boosted by the knowledge that he will be driving a car superior to that which last season produced four wins for him.

Despite those successes, and a third placing in the driver's championship table by the end of the season, York-based Thompson described the driving experience as like "being in a bus", a view supported by his team mate, Dutchman Peter Kox, who also again drives for Honda this year.

Thompson's new car was on show at this week's Autosport International Show: it is narrower and shorter and therefore should also be faster than last year's car.

Its design should also iron out a major problem faced by the Honda team last year, a lack of consistency, especially in the longer races because the car suffered problems with a low level of downforce, losing the pace on the straights.

But there is no doubting the power of the new Accord, which this year is in the hands of West Surrey Racing, the new racing support team behind the car.

Thompson, recognised as one of the bravest and quickest drivers on the circuit, flies out to Spain next week to start testing in preparation for April's start to the season.

"The championship is going through a change, there are new regulations, a night-driving event as well, but I believe this car will live up to all our expectations," he said.

British Rally Championship driver, York's Jenny Davies, will again be behind the wheel of the works Proton Compact SRi, when the new season starts in March, but will have a new co-driver, Rachael Argo, a 30-year-old from Aberdeen.

They have driven together before, when Jenny was an independent and pursuing the Peugeot Challenge trophy.

Last year Davies shared the car with Claire Mole, of Berwick-on-Tweed, who stays with the team, but partners Swede Mats Andersson in the second Proton.

Following a convincing class victory in November's Network Q Rally of Great Britain (last round of the World Rally Championship), the cars have been revised. Mechanically, they remain largely unchanged, especially now that the gearbox gremlins of last season seem to have been solved, but there are now a number of external modifications.

"I think we are in for a good ride. We didn't have the chance to show our real potential last year," said Davies.

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