Speedworks Toyota driver Dave Newsham recovered a tough start to the fifth round of the 2013 British Touring Car Championship at Croft with a fine performance in the weekend’s sodden final race to seal the best result of his campaign so far.
The Inverness driver went to the North Yorkshire venue on the back of his best qualifying result of the season, but had a troublesome start to Sunday’s racing when, having started 12th on the grid, suspension problems forced him out of the day’s opening encounter.
Newsham recovered in style over the rest of Sunday’s proceedings to climb up the field in a difficult second race held in tricky conditions made undesirable by a pre-race shower, finishing in ninth position after starting a lowly 23rd on the grid. He then had by far hismost impressive showing of 2013 in the day’s soaking third race, running a competitive fourth behind Andrew Jordan for much of the race before taking the flag in a spirited fifth place.
“Things turned out not too badly in the end,” reflected the 45-year-old. “The car felt strong at the start of races two and three, and I was able to make the most of that to pick up places. It was no fun out there in the final one though; the rain was falling so heavily that I couldn’t even see my bonnet for the first few laps. In the end I just tried to hang on as best I could.”
