With the opening rounds of the 2019 British Touring Car Championship taking place at Brands Hatch this weekend, Halfords Yuasa Racing is optimistic of their chances following promising pre-season testing of its Honda Civic Type R race cars.
2018 was the first year the team raced the latest FK8 version of the Honda Civic Type R, and Team Dynamics, which runs Halfords Yuasa Racing made good use of the winter break to upgrade the cars and carry out extensive pre-season testing programme. The team travelled all over the UK, from Knockhill in Scotland to Croft in Yorkshire before joining the official pre-season test day at Brands Hatch in Kent last week.
Dan Cammish had set third-fastest time in his Civic Type R at the end of the full-day test at the Kent circuit, which saw all 30 BTCC entries on the track shaking down their new 2019 cars. Team-mate Matt Neal was ninth-fastest, less than three tenths of a second behind Cammish.
Dan Cammish commented: “We ended last season very strongly and I took two wins in the final meeting at Brands Hatch. While that was on the long circuit and the first round will be on the shorter Indy circuit, 95 per cent of it is the same and I almost got my first pole position at this opening round last season. We’ve had a good winter, made some improvements to the car and I’m definitely an improved driver. I’m feeling fit and healthy and can’t wait to get started.”
Meanwhile, Matt Neal, who is also Team Dynamics Director, said: “I’m really looking forward to the first races – we are starting our second season with the Civic Type R FK8, the winter has gone well and I’m optimistic for 2019. Brands is the best place to start the season, on the short circuit the races have a real stadium atmosphere. If I was a fan Brands would be one of my first circuits to go to.”
The first three rounds of the 2019 British Touring Car Championship take place this weekend at Brands Hatch in Kent on Sunday 7th April.
Author Bio:
Simon Burrell is Editor-in-Chief of Our Man Behind The Wheel and Our Man On The Ground Travel and Lifestyle Magazine.
Photos by Jacob Ebrey Photography
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