Andreas Bäckman hails “really good day” after first win in Germany
Andreas Bäckman is celebrating his first win in the TCR Europe Touring Car Series at Oschersleben, after having overtaken his former team-mate and driver coach Dan Lloyd with just over two laps to go as the two went head-to-head at the German circuit.
Bäckman lost ground at the start, with Lloyd’s Brutal Fish Racing Team Honda getting a better launch off the line, but Bäckman was able to keep in touch during the race, applying pressure as the two drivers’ tyres started to fade in the later stages.
On lap 14, Bäckman made his move at Hasseröder as Lloyd ran wide at the exit, with Nelson Panciatici also making his way past and up into second, with Bäckman holding on to score his first win in the TCR Europe series, and his first win since Croft in the TCR UK championship last year, then driving a WestCoast Racing-run Honda Civic.
“It’s been a really good day,” said Bäckman to TouringCarTimes.
“I didn’t make a good start, so after that I tried to follow Dan, but he was defending really good, so I just tried to stay with him until the end.
“At the end of the race, I was getting closer, and then he made a mistake at Turn 3 so I was able to pass him there. I was then nervous for the last laps as I really wanted to get this first win in TCR Europe.”
Bäckman said the key was that he was able to manage his Yokohama tyres until the end, while it was clear Lloyd’s tyres were fading fast in the closing laps.
“My tyres and his were going away at lot in the last few laps. I managed to manage my tyres until the end, I just had to stay calm and not drive too hard.”
Bäckman has now leapt up to second in the drivers’ standings, with a number of the leading drivers not scoring, but says that’s not part of his focus at the moment.
“Before this race I was eighth, and now I’m second, it’s so close in this series. I want to keep going and hope to stay around here at the end of this year. I’m not too focussed on the championship, and I’m taking it race-by-race.”
