Following another challenging weekend at Thruxton, Halfords Racing with Cataclean heads to Croft for the next rounds of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with one primary focus: scoring significant points.
Thruxton started well for Kidderminster’s Dan Rowbottom, with the 32-year-old claiming a second pole position of the campaign following a stunning lap. After being run wide in race one, however, he had to settle into the pack and finished in sixth place, while team-mate Gordon Shedden battled through to 13th.
The second race of the day saw both drivers out of luck as technical gremlins curtailed their races, before a spirited drive from the back of the grid for Rowbottom saw the #32 machine finish in the points in 14th during the final encounter. Shedden’s bad luck continued into race three as contact saw him into the barrier at turn one.
Croft has generated some thrilling races over the years for the team, culminating an impressive tally of 15 podium finishes on the 2.13-mile circuit in the past decade, including five race wins over the period.
“It would be nice to convert a pole position to a win wouldn’t it!” stated Rowbottom. “Thruxton just didn’t go my way, the car felt strong, but it is difficult to move through the field there.
“Croft is a circuit that suits my style of driving, it’s a little bit heart in mouth in places, but you have several opportunities to overtake. We go there light on ballast, so I’ll be giving it full beans to climb back up the points table. We need a good weekend to bring us back up in all the points tables and I’ll be particularly keeping an eye on my lead of the Jack Sears Trophy.”
“Thruxton just wasn’t my weekend,” admitted Shedden. “I had a wee off on my fastest lap in qualifying and that kind of set the tone for the weekend!
"I’ve always gone well at Croft, it’s a fast and sweeping circuit out the back and I’ve had some mega battles there over the years. I think I’ve had ten podiums, so I’ll be looking for a strong performance again this weekend. There are some corners there like the Jim Clark Esses where you are threading the eye of a needle, you just can’t see a lot when you are door to door, bumper to bumper, you are driving on feel and intuition. But you can guarantee I’ll be giving it my all as usual and looking to help myself and the team gain some much-needed Championship points.”
Rounds 19, 20 and 21 of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Croft, North Yorkshire this weekend (18/19 September). Tickets are available to purchase on the gate, with further information including FAQs, ticket prices and more on Croft's website.
