2 – Austin rushes to massively popular win
The ever-exuberant fan favourite Rob Austin had a season to remember in 2013, none more so than at the eighth BTCC meeting of the year at Rockingham.
On a purple patch of form that saw him claim a maiden pole position at Knockhill followed by a pair of podiums, as well as an appearance in the film Rush in between meetings, the following event at Rockingham saw Austin break his BTCC duck on a special weekend after a season which started with a car-wrecking shunt at Brands Hatch.
Andrew Jordan started from pole after winning race one, but a set-up change backfired and saw him fall down the order, the fast-starting Austin racing into the lead with the rear-wheel-drive Audi as the field headed through the banking for the first time.
At a track he almost won at in 2011, the thought that the first BTCC win of his career could arrive soon became reality. The WIX Racing A4 had the pace to win and Austin was soon making a break from the rest of the field.
However, Gordon Shedden kept him honest in the opening half of the race as the Honda Yuasa Racing Civic remained within a second of Austin in hot pursuit.
Austin need not have worried, as the Audi’s pace soon became too much for Shedden to contend with, Austin taking the chequered flag first to rounds of applause audible all around the Speedway.
Giving the Audi roof designers something to think about as he stood on top of ‘Sherman’ in the pits afterwards, Austin was left speechless as he finally claimed the win that had eluded him in his third season of BTCC until that faithful day.
(Photo Credit: btcc.net)
