THE AmDTuning.com team enjoyed mixed fortunes from the long trip to Croft after the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season hit the half-way stage in North Yorkshire.
The West Thurrock-based team headed into the weekend as a two-car team for the first time, with Nicolas Hamilton making his series debut at the wheel of an Audi S3 alongside the Ford Focus of the team’s regular racer Mike Bushell.
Nicolas, the first disabled driver to compete in the series, was set the target of picking up three finishes from his maiden weekend of touring car competition and produced an impressive performance that made light of his lack of experience behind the wheel of a BTCC machine.
The 23-year-old qualified 29th on the grid for race one, but could have been higher had he not lost time behind a rival whilst on for an improved time on his final lap of the session. Staying out of trouble, he then brought his Audi home to the finish in 25th in race one; the only drama coming late on when he clipped a tyre stack and eased off due to concerns about potential damage to the car.
Nicolas would then match that result with another solid drive in race two before taking his best finish of the weekend in race three; crossing the line in 22nd spot.
“The weekend has been absolutely mental,” he said. “Obviously there has been a lot of attention on me, and I’m over the moon with the support I’ve had from fans; it’s been fantastic.
“To be part of the BTCC is a great feeling and this weekend has been all about learning as much as possible to take forwards. I’ve been out of a race car for a while so it’s almost been like a fresh start, but the progress we have made from the first time I got into the car during testing at Brands Hatch to the end of the third race here is something I’m really happy with.
“The first race was as tough as I expected it to be but it went well apart from a small mistake towards the end when I clipped a tyre stack and in race two, I was able to gain more confidence in the car and what it can do. Race three was the first time I’d run on the soft tyre so there was more for me to learn there, but I’m pleased that I’ve come away from the weekend with three solid finishes.
“This weekend I think we’ve ticked the boxes that we needed to tick and with more time in the car, I know I’m only going to get quicker and be in a position where I can really push forwards and start racing with the guys ahead.”
For Mike, the long trip to Croft would prove to be a challenging one, with injury and a weekend-ending mechanical issue bringing a tough opening half of the season to a difficult conclusion.
The reigning Clio Cup champion had qualified 21st on the grid at the wheel of his Ford Focus, but his hopes of making progress in the opening race were hit at the end of lap one when he turned into the hairpin and was greeted by searing pain through his right shoulder; a legacy of the high-speed accident he suffered at Thruxton earlier in the year.
Despite trying to battle on, Mike was ultimately forced into the pits to retire before seeking medical attention in the hope of taking part in race two. With his shoulder strapped up, Mike was able to take his place on the grid and an impressive performance saw him come from the back of the field through to 19th – leaving him well placed to push for points in the final race of the weekend.
Unfortunately, an issue with the engine on the Focus was discovered when the car returned to the paddock and with the team unable to resolve the problem at the circuit, Mike was left with no option but to watch on from the sidelines with his aim being to return to form when the season resumes at Snetterton in August.
“If I didn’t have bad luck, I don’t think I’d have any,” he said. “The second race of the weekend went quite well and I enjoyed that one considering the discomfort I was in after race one – where it’s no exaggeration to say I was in total agony. From the moment my shoulder popped on lap one, the pain was horrendous but luckily a visit to the medical centre meant I was able to head out for race two.
“Missing race three was difficult as I honestly felt we could have pushed forwards into the points, but it’s one of those things that we couldn’t do anything about, and it was just a tough way to end what has been a difficult opening half of the season.
“I honestly thought this was going to be the weekend when things changed but it wasn’t to be. Our bad luck is hard to stomach but it only makes me more determined that when we get to Snetterton after the break, we’ll come out fighting and show what we can do.”
Team boss Shaun Hollamby said he was pleased with the way the team had performed on its first weekend as a two-car outfit, and promised there was plenty more to come through the remainder of the season.
“We set Nicolas some targets coming in to the weekend and he hit them all, so we’re very pleased with how he performed,” he said. “He’s been able to learn a lot, more than he gained from testing, and we’ll now work more with him over the summer break in preparation for Snetterton.
“For Mike, it was another tough weekend and we just need to put the first half of the season behind us and make sure we return to form in the races that are still to come. Considering the pain he was in, he drove well in the second race but there was an internal issue with the engine that we discovered before race three and the advice we were given was not to risk it in the race.
“Overall, this is the first weekend where we have run two cars and I’m really proud of the whole team and the way they have performed. While it would have been nice to get both cars through the three races, we live to fight another day and are looking forward to getting back on track after the summer.”
