Rob Collard disappointed not to race after medical test rules him out

Rob Collard has said he’s disappointed not to be able to finish the season, after the West Surrey Racing driver was forced to withdraw from the weekend after undergoing a medical test after practice, which saw the championship doctor not pass him fit to continue.

The 48-year-old had dropped out of contention for the drivers’ championship after a no-score two weeks’ ago at Silverstone, when he was caught up in a multi-car incident with Team HARD’s Will Burns and WSR team-mate Andrew Jordan, after he’d been spun across the track.

Although Collard had initially been declared fit to race, a bout of dizziness after practice meant he was checked again, with his clearance rescinded on safety grounds.

“I’ve been a championship challenger for most of the season, so It’s a massive shame not to be able to finish it,” said Collard.

“I’ve recovered well since the accident at Silverstone, passed the concussion test I took here yesterday and felt fine driving in free practice. I started to feel dizzy when I got out of the car so I went for a check-up with the BTCC medical team who, unfortunately, have advised me not to drive. I’ll be here tomorrow supporting Colin (Turkington) and the team as best as I can as they aim for the championship.”

With Collard’s withdrawal, BMW have now nominated Andrew Jordan as their second points scorer alongside Turkington, as they fight for the manufacturers’ title against Honda and Subaru tomorrow, which they lead by 46 points.