Callum Newsham wins Brands Hatch opener
Callum Newsham extended his advantage at the top of the TCR UK standings with victory in the opening race of the season finale at Brands Hatch.
Newsham had bagged the championship lead after scoring pole in qualifying, with an opportunity to extend his advantage after Max Hart was ruled out of the race with the engine issues that had prevented him from setting a time.
Newsham lined up on pole for the start with Harry Bloor alongside, but Bloor jumped the start to give the Hyundai a clear run into turn one of the first time. With Bloor plummeting down the order, Brad Hutchison came through to second, with Jenson O’Neill-Going rising two spots into third.
Having carried a grid penalty into the race, Max Hall gained two spots on the opening lap and then got caught up with Rod McGovern at Paddock Hill on lap two, with McGovern going sideways through the gravel before rejoining.
As Newsham set about building a lead at the front, Hall was putting pressure on O’Neill-Going for third, briefly getting ahead on lap seven before O’Neill-Going immediately reclaimed the spot.
The pair then clashed at Druids on lap eight which allowed Bloor to pass the pair, albeit with a ten second time penalty for his jump start meaning he was out of the battle for the top three.
Hall however was able to make a move stick for good on lap nine as he dived down the inside of O’Neill-Going at Druids to take fourth on the road, and third on corrected times.
No sooner had Hall completed the move than he picked up a five second penalty for exceeding track limits, which was quickly increased to ten as he picked up further infractions.
Newsham had built a lead of more than seven seconds at the front of the field, with Bloor moving ahead of Hutchison on the road, when the race went under caution after an off into the gravel for McGovern – with his Cupra ending up beached in the gravel on the outside of the circuit.
As the clock ticked down, the red flag came out with under three minutes on the clock, with Newsham taking the victory as the result was classified at the end of the 18th lap.
That meant Hutchison took second in the Cupra, with Bloor classified in third despite his penalty ahead of O’Neill-Going, with Hall’s penalty dropping him down to fifth.
Russell Joyce and Barry-John McHenry rounded out the finishers.
