Martin Depper “a bit behind schedule” on top 10 fight
Eurotech Racing’s Martin Depper declared himself “a bit behind schedule” on his bid to become a top 10 runner by the halfway point of the 2014 BTCC season.
The former Mini racer enjoyed one of his strongest drives of the year at Rockingham on Sunday, finishing 12th in the second race and beating works Honda driver Matt Neal into the bargain.
Depper also set a faster race lap than both Neal and his team-mate Gordon Shedden, but could do no better than 19th in the first and third races – the latter after contact with United Autosports’ Glynn Geddie.
The 46-year-old said his qualifying performances were hampering his bid for progress up the grid.
Speaking to TouringCarTimes, Depper said: “Top tens were the objective by mid season, so I’m running a bit behind schedule. The car can do it, and the team can do it. I’ve been saying all along it’s a learning curve for myself, and I’m just a little bit disappointed it’s taken so long to get there.
“I haven’t been doing myself any favours in qualifying, and that gives me a lot of work to do in the races. Rockingham is a perfect example, starting P26, and having to work your way forward from there. It’s hard work.”
Reflecting on race two, Depper added: “We had good pace once things had settled down. We started to pick a few off. Tom [Ingram] was having a good battle with Matt, and Matt was struggling, so he was holding Tom up.
“Tom got past him and I made a move where I nearly got the both of them, but he pushed me hard on that one, and I had to concede the position back. But eventually we made it stick.
“From an enjoyment point of view, I enjoyed that one a lot more than some of the rest. The car’s working well and we’ve zoned in on some of the setup, which has played into my hands.”
Race two showed that on his day, Depper can mix it with the likes of triple champion Neal on an equal footing.
“They fight very hard and don’t like to concede these positions – and quite right too. It does concentrate the mind a little bit, and is very enjoyable and very challenging,” he added.
