Rick Kerry and Nick Leason are aiming to team up for a joint assault on the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The duo are set to run a pair of BMW 120ds during the coming season as the AFM Racing team looks to expand to a two-car team having become the first outfit to run a diesel-powered machine in the BTCC during the 2007 season.

Deals have already been struck with a number of companies – set to be revealed in due course – that should allow the team to improve its competitiveness after a maiden season that saw the 1 Series running towards the rear of the field, with the focus now on improving performance to lift the team up the grid in its second season of BTCC competition.

While Kerry will hope to build on the reliability displayed by the car, Leason will just look for an upturn in fortunes after a part campaign in the BTC Racing Lexus that was beset by mechanical woes – with his season coming to an early close due to the myriad of problems he encountered.

"The engine is away having work done and we have done a few other deals so it's all happening," Kerry told Crash.net. "The car has been stripped down completely over the winter and we should be out testing in February.

"Hopefully it will all make us more competitive for 2008."

Leason has already spent time in the car, having joined the AFM crew for a test at Snetterton prior to Christmas.