Dave Newsham claims maiden British Touring Car win at Snetterton
Dave Newsham scored his first British Touring Car victory in the reversed-grid race at Snetterton
The ES Racing driver was beaten off the line by Tom Onslow-Cole's WSR BMW, but took second back before the end of the opening lap. He then closed on the similar Vauxhall Vectra of poleman Lea Wood.
Newsham tracked Wood before making his move down the inside at Montreal on the fourth lap of 12.
As Newsham edged away, a fierce battle raged for third. Mat Jackson overtook Onslow-Cole out of the Bomb Hole and then held a multi-car pack at bay for several laps in Motorbase's new NGTC Ford Focus.
Under intense pressure, Jackson eventually made a mistake at Nelson, allowing Onslow-Cole, Gordon Shedden's works Honda Civic and the MG6 of Jason Plato through.
Onslow-Cole started closing on Wood, but ended up not having to make a move when the gearbox failed in the Vectra. The BMW thus took second behind Newsham, with Shedden completing the podium and taking the lead in the drivers' table.
Behind Plato, Jackson just held off race two winner Andrew Jordan's Eurotech Honda Civic, while Aron Smith brought Motorbase's S2000 Focus home seventh.
The next three cars were all recovering. Frank Wrathall (Dynojet Toyota Avensis) and reigning champion Matt Neal's works Civic had clashed at Hamilton on the opening lap. While Wrathall recovered relatively quickly to take an eventual eighth, Neal crossed the line back in 20th on the first lap.
Sometimes lapping faster than the leaders, Neal charged back and took advantage of a Rob Collard/Rob Austin contretemps to move into ninth. He nevertheless had to defend from Collard's WSR BMW in the closing stages, Collard himself on a fightback after starting near the rear of the field.
Results - 12 laps: Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Dave Newsham ES Vauxhall 24m12.464s 2. Tom Onslow-Cole WSR BMW + 0.991s 3. Gordon Shedden Honda + 2.592s 4. Jason Plato MG + 3.066s 5. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford + 5.130s 6. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Honda + 5.444s 7. Aron Smith Motorbase Ford + 6.898s 8. Frank Wrathall Dynojet Toyota + 9.676s 9. Matt Neal Honda + 18.863s 10. Rob Collard WSR BMW + 19.074s 11. Adam Morgan Speedworks Toyota + 23.968s 12. Jeff Smith Eurotech Honda + 24.615s 13. Daniel Welch Welch Proton + 37.279s 14. Nick Foster WSR BMW + 39.353s 15. Ollie Jackson AmD VW + 41.114s 16. Andy Neate MG + 49.359s 17. Tony Hughes Speedworks Toyota + 49.461s 18. Robb Holland Gilham Honda + 52.714s Retirements: Lea Wood Wood Vauxhall 8 laps Rob Austin Austin Audi 7 laps Tony Gilham Thorney Vauxhall 6 laps Chris James ES Vauxhall 1 lap
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