WIX Racing with Eurotech fought hard in an uphill battle at Croft

Croft Circuit proved challenging for all three Honda Type Rs

WIX Racing with Eurotech fought hard in an uphill battle at Croft
With the venue typically suiting rear-wheel drive cars, all three Honda Type Rs endured a difficult qualifying.

Wix Racing with Eurotech headed to the fifth round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship aware of the challenges they would face at the Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire.

Matt Simpson managed to qualify just a tenth of a second behind the multiple race winner to take P27, with Brett Smith a further 0.07s back in 28th.

Qualifying in the second half of the field gave all three drivers ample opportunity to take points in the Dunlop Forever Forward competition, which awards drivers who make up positions during the race.

Jack and Matt both enjoyed a midfield battle which ended with the pair finishing 21st and 22nd.

Unfortunately, Brett’s first BTCC race at Croft came to an early end when he pitted on lap 14 of 17 due to grass pick up.

Free of ballast for the second race of the weekend, Jack and Matt continued to pick up positions.

Matt made the better start of the pair to pass Jack early on, and drove a clean race to finish 17th.

Jack followed him home in P18, while Brett managed to climb up to 21st from the back of the grid on the hard option Dunlop tyre.

Two solid performances put Matt and Jack in prime position for point in the final race of the weekend at Croft.

Both made strong starts, with Matt breaking into the points on the opening lap.

The incredibly competitive BTCC midfield meant positions didn’t stay the same for long, and Matt was shuffled backwards as he fought for points.

A last gasp move on the final corner of the final lap put him ahead of Stephen Jelley, and Matt crossed the line 15th to take his first point of the weekend.

Jack’s drive was cut short when a suspected puncture forced him to pit five laps before the chequered flag.

Brett also suffered a frustrating end to the weekend with a P28 in race three.

Matt said: “The Eurotech guys have been trying to get everything they can out of the car.

“We scored a point in the last race.

“I think that’s the hardest point I’ve ever scored in my life.

“We’ve had the same problem all weekend.

“We’ve tried everything and we can’t cure it.

“I think we need a week’s worth of testing to try and cure it ready for next year.”

Brett’s said: “It’s been a difficult weekend.

“We’ve been chasing an issue that we’ve not really been able to solve at all.

“We tried to engineer the car around that issue but it’s not really worked to any great extent.

“Croft is always a difficult one.”

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