Dan Cammish:
“It has been a positive weekend overall and I am especially happy to be back on the BTCC podium. They were very difficult wet conditions in race one, but the Civic Type R felt composed throughout and just served to make the end third place result more satisfying. In race two I couldn’t quite hold off Tom [Ingram] in his much lighter car on the run to the line but fourth place is still a very valuable points haul. We had a very fast car in race three, but I was caught up in the tight pack and then made a mistake on a greasy track which dropped me back. Nevertheless, the pace has been strong this weekend as a whole, which gives me confidence for the upcoming rounds where I will be going all out for victory. Finally, huge congratulations to Matt Neal and the whole team for a brilliant victory in the ‘Diamond Double’ final race!”
Dan Cammish delivered a sterling performance in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship as the enduringly popular series marked its 60th anniversary at Snetterton with a weekend of celebrations honouring decades of iconic tin-top action, concluding with a special third race run over 60-miles – approximately double the distance of a regular encounter. With the added reward of double points and the unique opportunity to both qualify and race on zero ballast, the stakes for a single BTCC race had never been higher.
In the tricky wet conditions of race one Dan claimed the third podium of his rookie season with a faultless drive to third position in the Honda Civic Type R (FK8). Following up with a run to fourth in race two, an off in the tightly-contested finale denied Cammish a larger points haul, though it did allow him to extend his lead in the Jack Sears Trophy.
His efforts contributed to a landmark weekend for the team as a whole as team-mate Matt Neal claimed victory in the special Diamond Double race in the Team Dynamics-backed Honda. Matt retained second position through the opening laps before steadily upping the pressure before pouncing to snatch the lead and take control of the race.
From then on, the combination of Neal’s precision driving and the Civic Type R’s flawless performance over an unprecedented 21 laps took him all the way to the chequered flag for an emotional second victory of the season.
With points added for leading and for his fastest lap, Neal’s maximum 44 points is the most ever awarded for a single race and fittingly marks another crowning career moment for the series most experienced racer in his 651st outing.
Moreover, Neal’s success sees him slash the leading margin in the BTCC drivers’ standings, just 16 points adrift of the top spot in third position overall. Dan and Matt’s performances in Norfolk contributed to a landmark weekend for the team as a whole with Honda closing the gap to BMW in the manufacturers’ championship and Halfords Yuasa Racing leaping to the top of the teams’ championship with four rounds and 12 races remaining.