Dave Newsham takes second career win at Knockhill

Dave Newsham took his second BTCC victory from two consecutive reverse grid races at Knockhill, whilst DNFs for Jason Plato and Gordon Shedden gives Matt Neal back the lead of the Championship.

Newsham started from pole position on the reversed grid, with a surprise sprinkling of rain causing concern over which tyres to start the race on, with Triple Eight’s Andy Neate and Team ES Racing’s Chris James opting for slicks whilst the others chose wets.

It turns out slicks was the right call. Newsham held the lead into the first corner ahead of Eurotech Racing’s Jeff Smith with Honda Racing Team driver Matt Neal in third. Meanwhile Jason Plato drove straight into the pits on the green flag lap, still suffering with an engine issue which had already affected his run in race two.

Plato’s team-mate Andy Neate went wide at Clark’s, before pitting along with Chris James for slick tyres.

Speedworks Toyota driver Paul O’Neill passed Aron Smith’s Motorbase Ford at the SEAT curve on lap four, with Nick Foster’s WSR BMW then running into Smith’s Ford but both were able to continue, however Gordon Shedden was forced to take avoiding action in his Honda Civic behind and went across the grass, which blocked the radiator and saw him forced to retire.

Two laps later Smith was able to retake his position from O’Neill, but would later slip back down the order to eighth.

Tom Onslow-Cole was able to move up the order to finish as the top placed West Surrey Racing BMW in fifth.

Up front, Newsham led the whole race, building up a four second lead at one point which was later whittled down to 1.5 seconds by Jeff Smith in the Honda behind, who was also being harried by Matt Neal and Smith’s team-mate Andrew Jordan.

Newsham went on to win, with Jeff Smith taking his first podium for Eurotech Racing with Matt Neal’s third propelling him into the lead of the Championship by ten points over Gordon Shedden.

The next race meeting is at Rockingham on September 23rd.