Cammish blames himself for BTCC Snetterton qualifying shunt

The Yorkshireman caused the second of two red flags that interrupted the first half of the session, when his Motorbase Performance Ford Focus ST came to rest on the grass at the entrance to the Oggies right-hander.

TV footage showed that Cammish had speared off the track exiting the preceding Hamilton left-hander and careered across the grass before making contact with the barrier on the approach to Oggies.

“I think it was just driver error,” Cammish told Autosport.

“I turned in a bit early for Hamilton, then I turned out but I still hit the barrier.

“That shot me across the track to the right, and there’s a big bump in the dirt and that put me even further off.

“I was just a passenger from that point, and I hit the barrier and that damaged the right-front suspension.”

Cammish had set a single flying lap to that point that put him third in session at the time of the accident, but which would have been demoted to 17th by the end of qualifying.

But with the rules stating that anyone causing a red flag has their best lap time deleted, this left Cammish with no flying laps on the board, meaning he will start the race from 25th on the 27-car grid.

Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus ST

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

His progress in race one will be made more difficult by the fact that, as championship leader, he will be allowed just one lap of hybrid boost at a minimum speed of 135km/h.

But with Snetterton the first event of 2023 where all three compounds of Goodyear tyre must be used across the three races, Cammish could rescue something from the day.

“I don’t crash many cars, but I crashed one today and I only have myself to blame,” Cammish concluded.

“But when you’re pushing the limits so much, these things can happen.”

The closest two drivers to Cammish in the points – Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai-equipped reigning champion Tom Ingram and Motorbase Ford team-mate Ash Sutton – start race one from second and first positions respectively.