BTCC R6 – CROFT: BLISTERING HEAT AND LOTS LEARNT AT CROFT
Lot's of progress made at one of the most challenging circuits in the UK
The Croft race weekend in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) was filled with intense action, challenging conditions, and dramatic moments, making it an unforgettable event for both Scott and fans. Located in North Yorkshire, Croft Circuit is known for its technical layout and demanding corners, which provided the perfect backdrop for a thrilling weekend of close racing.
The weekend kicked off with the Free Practices. The weather was typically British, with intermittent rain showers making the track conditions unpredictable. During the first practice session, the focus was on dialing in the car's setup to suit the mixed conditions. Finding the right balance between speed and stability was crucial, as Croft's mix of fast straights and tight corners demands a well-rounded car which is not easy to find.
In the second practice session, the team and Scott experimented with different tire compounds to gather as much data as possible before qualifying. With the weather radar saying it was going to rain, the team quickly bolted on the soft tyres to simulate a qualifying run, and we done this just in time before the heavens opened.
Qualifying session was held under overcast skies, but thankfully the rain held off. The competition in BTCC is always fierce, and this weekend was no exception. Every tenth of a second counted, and the margins between drivers were incredibly tight. Scott went was pushing harder than ever in qualifying taking risks to get the most out of his SGS Cupra Leon. The car felt fantastic, and I was able to extract the maximum performance from it. However, on Scott's quickest lap he got a track limits violation which meant his quickest lap got sadly taken away.
In Race One Scott was eager to move forward after the annoying qualifying session. After gaining a place at the start I knew I could push forward on the hard tyre. This is what we did and in the end I managed to get up to 17th place after long battles throughout the whole of the race.
Starting from P17, again Scott's aim was to move as far forward as possible. After another rocket-ship start, Scott was battling hard to fend off his opposition. In the end after a long and sweaty race, Scott converted the P17 start to a P15 finish and more points on the board.
Race Three was by far the most difficult. After giving it everything in race one and two, it was both physically and mentally demanding going into race three. However Scott tried his hardest and pushed the whole race, however in the end he lost a position in the final corner to put him down to 16th.
The Croft race weekend was a rollercoaster of emotions and challenges, but ultimately it was a success. Scott would like to say a massive thank you to all of his partners for the amazing journey so far in the BTCC: SGS Engineering, TradeNation, TekBoard Composites and DSP Rail & Civils. Let's keep on pushing until the end of the year!
