Newsham claims biggest points haul of season
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DAVE Newsham claimed his first points for his new team after securing a top 10 finish in the latest round of the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park.
After switching from Geoff Steel Racing to the Special Tuning Racing team, Inverness driver Newsham was looking forward to a more competitive drive after a difficult start to his debut season at this level.
Despite mechanical problems in practice leaving the 43-year-old frustrated, he recovered well to claim a point in race one before ending race three with three more points to move him into 17th place in the
overall standings for the campaign so far.
“It was one of those weekends where things don’t go your way, but it was very encouraging at the same time,” said Newsham.
“To be a match, however, for Tom Boardman (Newsham’s Special Tuning Racing team-mate) on my very first meeting in the Seat car is great and we can only get quicker the more I drive the car.
On the whole, I enjoyed the round. The team was great, and most importantly, we were quick.”
After the difficulties he experienced with Geoff Steel Racing, Newsham was hoping for a change of fortune, but it looked as though luck would be against him as problems with his
exhaust meant the end of the session.
Qualifying was of no comfort to Newsham either. After moving up to 11th position, he encountered oil on the track, sliding off and doing some damage to the front of his car.
Once again, it resulted in an early retirement for the city driver, who would start race one from 16th on the grid.
On a track that was wet, but drying, Newsham opted for slick tyres — a decision that seemed the wrong one as he struggled for grip in the early stages.
“At this point of the race I was dead last and falling back off the pack,” he said. “I wasn’t aware that we were the only two cars on the track with slick tyres all round, so was wondering how the guys ahead were finding grip, and was questioning my ability.
“Then with five laps to go, I got a radio message from my engineer saying I was the fastest car on the circuit and that the cars ahead were coming back to me.”
Dave would go from 24th to 12th position within those final few laps and was lapping some five seconds a lap quicker than the leaders. It was, however, a little too late to get into the top 10, but there was the consolation of one point for the fastest lap of the race.
Newsham retained his slick tyres for race two and was quickly moving through the field from his 12th position on the starting grid.
A puncture resulted in him finishing back down the grid in 17th place, although he was once again impressive in his lap times, recording the seventh fastest.
Newsham was up against it in race three as it would take some feat to go from 17th and get into the points, but the dry track was a bonus.
A good start, however, soon pushed him up into eighth place before a collision with Andy Neat caused him to drop down the field a little.
Newsham quickly recovered from this setback and crossed the line in eighth, collecting his highest tally of the season in the process with a welcome three points.
The next rounds of the championship take place at Croft, near Darlington, on Sunday.
