Little reward after much promise for Collard and WSR

Rounds 7, 8 & 9 of the 2005 British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch
June 4/5, 2005

Brands Hatch race report

There was a sense of frustration in the West Surrey Racing camp after a weekend that promised much, but delivered little. The signs were good from the start, as Rob set the second fastest time in the first free practice session of the weekend. On the tight Brands Hatch Indy circuit, every 1000th of a second is vital, and it qualifying there was just 0.559secs separating the top ten on the grid. Rob set the sixth fastest time to start Sunday's first race from the third row of the grid.

A driving standards penalty applied to Tom Chilton saw Rob promoted to fifth on the grid for round seven, and he held his ground as the red lights went out, before gaining a place as Gavin Smith slid sideways in his Astra Sport Hatch at Clearways on the opening lap.

Rob soon found he had to defend against the advances of Seat duo Jason Plato and Luke Hines. Indeed the pair both edged past Rob at Clearways on lap four after Plato nudged the MG into a sideways slide. The following time around, however, it was Rob that found a way back past Hines with an impressive move that saw him stick to the tricky inside line around the final corner on the 1.2 mile circuit. The pair continued to battle and eventually it was Hines that managed to take fifth position, with Rob finishing the race in sixth.

The second race of the day started well for Rob, as he moved up to fifth position at the start, before sitting on the heels of Jason Plato. It was a position that allowed Rob to capitalise as Plato edged inside third placed Colin Turkington at Surtees, following the former champion past the Astra Sport Hatch.

A safety car period followed, but it was not long before Rob secured another impressive manoeuvre at Clearways, this time passing Jason Plato to move up to third position. In the closing stages, Rob chased down Yvan Muller in second, putting the Frenchman under considerable pressure before successfully finding a way past.

Unfortunately, it was a shortlived second position as a tap from Jason Plato at Paddock Hill Bend sent Rob sliding sideways. Although he was able to catch the MG ZS and keep the car on the track, it was a knock that cost him dearly, as he could only rejoin down in sixth position.

With a reverse grid for the final race of the day, it was a second row start for Rob. The polesitting Lexus quickly fell backwards, and as the pack approached Paddock Hill Bend for the first time, Rob took to the outside line in order to position his WSR machine at the front of the field. However, not for the first time during the day, his hopes were dashed.

Despite being in front, Rob received a heavy knock from second placed James Pickford as the pair went through Paddock. There was little Rob could do as his left rear wheel hit the edge of the gravel trap. Although he controlled the slide initially, he could not prevent the MG from kicking back across the track and ending up beached in the gravel at the bottom of Paddock.

Rob said, "The car got off the line brilliantly and I thought I was clear and in the lead of the race and then I just got a massive whack from one of the Seats. There was enough space around there for two cars, and I felt I was in the lead and I actually outdragged him going into the first corner."

"Obviously he felt that he could carry a bit more speed in there and he just hit me. He hit me so hard that it knocked the car majorly sideways. We're not just talking a tap. I got a tap from Jason Plato in the second race at Paddock and I managed to control a 100mph slide - this one I couldn't - there was so much more contact."

He continued: "It has been up and down this weekend. We started very well. The first race was nothing stunning, but we came home sixth overall in the end. It was ok, nothing great, but it gave us data to alter the car and we made some quite big changes on the setup."

"The car in the second race was absolutely awesome. We sat there very well in third place, and I put a move on Yvan Muller. Unfortunately, I just lost the rear going into Clearways on the second to last lap, which dropped us down the order, but then, again, with what we learned, we made more changes for the last race."

Despite the frustrating end to the weekend that postponed hopes of a first BTCC victory for Rob, he remains upbeat as he looks ahead to the next meeting at Oulton Park: "What we've learned today is really going to suit Oulton, we feel. I went well there last year in the Astra, and I just can't wait to get there. I think it's going to be a very good meeting."