Weather hampers test day for Newsham
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DAVE Newsham has already began preparations for next year’s British Touring Car Championship by spending a day testing with the Speedworks Motorsport team in a Next Generation Touring Car.
The Inverness driver enjoyed a season to remember this year with six podium placings, including two first places, all achieved with Team ES Racing in a less superior S2000 car.
Newsham, however, stated his desire at the end of the previous campaign to find himself a drive in a NGTC in order to be more competitive on a regular basis.
He was given an opportunity to test with Speedworks in a Toyota Avensis at Donington, but all did not go entirely to plan for the 45-year-old.
"My first run in an NGTC car was a bit of an anti-climax," said Newsham. "The conditions were not great for us.
"The major advantage of an NGTC car compared to my S2000 car is the tyres. They are bigger, wider and last longer.
"All of these advantages were against us at Donington as the bigger and harder the tyres they are, the harder it is to get heat into them."
Testing alongside fellow BTCC driver Lea Wood, Newsham arrived at a dry Donington track, although temperatures were only just above freezing.
After a couple of warm-up laps, Newsham set a reasonable lap time, but found the rear of the car to be very unstable due to the wheels locking, causing under-braking.
Despite this, he still managed a time of 1 minute 12.15 seconds, which was faster than the team managed in qualifying at the same venue earlier in the year.
Newsham adjusted the brake balance and was eventually happy with the setting he found. Aiming for a quick lap, he lost the rear of the car at Craner Curves.
He battled valiantly to rescue the situation, but it was to late as the car eventually came to a halt facing backwards in the gravel trap.
Upon analysing the data and checking tyre temperatures, Newsham found that it was just too cold for front wheel drive racing cars on slick tyres as the rear one’s were not getting warm at all. Until they do, they just do not function.
It left Newsham frustrated, but the whole experience was a worthwhile one as it gave him an insight into how the a team like Speedworks goes about its business.
"It was impossible to get any heat into the rear tyres, particularly as it’s not an abrasive track surface as well," said Newsham, who was voted the BTCC fans driver of the year in 2012.
"The spin down Craner Curves was a bit of a setback and I actually came away thinking the car was difficult to drive, but having gone through things with the team, we’re all now convinced it’s down to the temperatures.
"It’s meant I’ve not yet been able to really establish what an NGTC car can do, so I’d love another go.
"This test was not only about the car though. It was to see how the team operate and that was very impressive. A huge thank you to all at Speedworks for this opportunity."
Speedworks team principal Christian Dick was pleased with the test, despite the weather conditions not being suitable.
"Both drivers have been great to work with — very professional," he said. "Their times were also impossibly close.
"The two of them were very evenly matched, while they are also right in saying the weather didn’t helped."
