Drive is on for BTCC fanatic Dave Newsham to keep career alive
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For the fifth consecutive season, Newsham will be looking for a new team and despite the financial constraints of being a BTCC driver becoming greater, he has no desire to get out of the car for good.
Westhill racer Newsham is on the lookout for sponsors before he can enter into negotiations with any team and has put a January deadline on making a decision on his automotive future.
Newsham entered the BTCC arena in 2011 and completed his fifth season in the Championships in October. His best two finishes of the season came in the final two weekends, finishing fourth at Silverstone and Brands Hatch, but discussions with Power Maxed Racing about a return have been tentative until Newsham can raise his purse.
A shortfall in sponsorship for the 2015 season meant Newsham had to bridge the gap out of his own pocket, something he admits he cannot do again.
“I’ve got to raise a lot more than I did last year,” he said. “There’s a couple of tentative enquiries there but until I raise the money it can’t go any further. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time.
“I’ve got nowhere near enough at the moment and I’ll be working hard over the next few weeks to see what budget I can raise. But it’s getting harder to find sponsors and I can’t continue to bridge the gap.”
He added that his former team-mate Josh Cook is also experiencing problems raising sponsorship funds, highlighting the difficulties some BTCC drivers face in just getting themselves on to the grid.
An avid motorsport fan since childhood, Newsham is not ready to give up just yet. Wife Jackie supports his continued love for BTCC and he feels that at 48, he still has a lot to offer.
“I still enjoy racing and I showed towards the end of last season I could beat the best in the country,” he said. “I know Power Maxed would like to keep me and I would like to stay with them. There’s quite a bit of investment coming into the sport this year and there’s a massive platform to advertise on.”
Alternatives are in the pipeline though, should the BTCC dream fade in the new year. The British GT Championship would provide a cheaper option for the Norscott Vending managing director, with each team’s sponsorship responsibilities shared between their two drivers.
Away from his own racing ambitions, he is encouraging his son Callum’s developing talent for motorsport. Newsham junior was bought a kart and has begun racing in his first season at Golspie Kart Club – the same place his father started racing when he relocated to the Highland capital.
“Callum didn’t really show an interest in motorsport when he was younger but in the last few years he’s really got into it,” said Newsham. “Him wanting his own kart proves that.
“It was good for me when I moved up here. I competed all across Scotland for a good number of years and it was always good fun.”
- Anyone interested in sponsoring Dave can contact him on 0845 241 3330 or by email at dave@norscottvending.co.uk. For details of what Dave's sponsorship package includes click here.
