Dan Cammish strengthened his Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship attack at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit (14/15 May) with an impressive hat-trick of top ten finishes, including a pair of podiums.
The NAPA Racing UK driver made a notable comeback on the 1.21-mile circuit, following a single points finish at season opener Donington Park after a fire caused the Yorkshire driver difficulty over the race weekend.
Saturday provided scorching heat and an exciting qualifying session in which Cammish secured eighth on the grid for race one.
Despite this, Sunday’s weather took a turn for the worse as the rain increased throughout the morning, resulting in all but two cars opting to start the opening contest on wet tyres. Cammish made a strong start but was unable to defend from Gordon Shedden on lap two as the Honda slipped by. Cammish then raced his way to third, securing his first podium of the campaign.
Race two saw the 33-year-old start in third and hold position until lap ten, when a four-lap battle with the Toyota of Rory Butcher ensued. Cammish resisted the competition and fought his way through the grid before finishing in an impressive second place, making it two visits to the rostrum over the weekend.
The rain came in full force for race three and consequently triggered two Safety Car periods during the 27-lap encounter. This, combined with the full wet conditions, made for a challenging race for Cammish, and he would cross the line in tenth, departing from the Kent-based circuit with 38 championship points.
With only two weeks before the next instalment of the season, as the BTCC roars into Thruxton (28/29 May), the NAPA Racing UK driver will be hoping to build on a change of fortunes at Brands Hatch.
“Overall, it was a good weekend," reflected Cammish. "What a difference a couple of weeks make! From Donington where we were on fire, literally, to Brands Indy where we're on fire metaphorically.
“Race day was great. We had two podiums: a third and a second. I think with another lap I could have won race two and another five laps I could have been quite a way in the lead. Everything that I needed from the car came to me and Josh [Cook] had used everything that he had. That's just the way we set the cars up and the way we roll it out, so I was really happy. Race three was a struggle for me and Ash [Sutton] and we came through to sixth from tenth, but it's not where we wanted to be.
“We struggled a little because it never dried enough to give us the car back that we need. It's interesting that we get a similar feeling in the full wet as we do in the full dry, but there's that in-between moment where the car is fantastic. I can't quite get my head around that, so I think we've got some homework to do, but on the whole, it’s been very positive. We've got two trophies in the bag, some points, so I can't ask for much more.”
