Airwaves wants strong 2nd half of season

As the BTCC breaks for its summer holidays, the Airwaves team are looking back on a good start to the season that has seen the team regularly competing at the front of the pack, but are hoping for an even stronger finish to the championship.

With two wins to the teams name thanks to Rob Collard, team principal Dave Bartrum is looking forward to the second half of the season, and is confident that there will be further success for the BMW team.

“We’ve had a pretty good first half of the season and will come back even stronger after the summer, just like we did last year. I’m looking forward to some of the tracks that are coming up and I’m sure both Rob and Jonny will come back re-charged and ready to go looking for more wins.”

The wins so far (at Brands Hatch and Donington) have come through Collard, who lies fifth in the championship battle at the break, on 98 points, fifty-one behind championship leader Colin Turkington, but only fifteen behind Jason Plato in fourth.

The former hot rod racer believes however that his position could have been even better, had it not been for some on-track clashes.

“It’s been a bit of mixed first half of the year for us. To take two wins so far is excellent but I feel we’ve lost a few good results in incidents that have been no fault of our own, and that’s been tough.

I’m looking forward to having a nice relaxing holiday with the family over the summer then coming back on the attack when it all starts again at Snetterton. We came on strong as a team in the second half of last season and I will be looking for us to do the same again.”

Teammate Jonny Adam is yet to win, after having his opening round victory taken away for his move on Plato, but the series debutant has recorded a pair of podiums, and could well find himself in the winner’s circle during the second half of 2009.

A treble champion in the BTCC support races, the Scottish driver has found the step up tough, but rewarding.

“The team have been great and if we just find a little more consistency we definitely have the ability to produce more really good results in the second half of the championship. It’s been a rollercoaster first half of the season for me with a lot of high and lows, but I’ve really enjoyed my first year in the BTCC so far.”