Donington Park, East Midlands, September 7th, 2003

Collard Shows Qualifying Pace at Donington

Hampshire racer holds slender points lead

Highlight of a dramatic British Touring Car Championship meeting for Hampshire’s Rob Collard was a superb qualifying performance that saw him third on the grid for the opening race – highest starting slot of a Independent Trophy runner all season. Sunday’s races provided mixed fortunes, Rob taking second in class on the first, and having to put in a storming recovery drive in the Collard Racing Vauxhall Astra from the back of the field in the second to keep his championship hopes alive.

“It’s fantastic,” said Rob straight after qualifying, “this is new territory for us. We have proved we have the speed, the car was quick in testing and we have now put it at the front end of the grid. I’d like to run at the front in the race, but I need to think of my own championship.”

In the first of Sunday’s two 25-laps races, Rob got his Astra – bearing logos of new sponsor Teng Tools for the first time – off the line well and slotted into third place in the early corners. A problem at the end of the first lap saw him lose ground, but he gained places and came home second in the Independents class and ninth overall.

“I didn’t get a brilliant start,” explained Rob, “and held position despite it being a bit like stock car racing on the first lap. I slotted into third, and was defending my line into the chicane, and found there was so much dirt over the track from the two cars in front my car understeered.

“I went across the grass a little, and had no drive on the way out of the corner, it didn’t pick up till I got back to the first corner. It cleared itself and I just had to pick off a few cars to get back to where I needed to be. ”

The second race was equally eventful for Rob, a tap from one of the works team’s cars forcing him to pit early in the race as his car filled with tyre smoke. From then on it was a charge from the back of the field, Rob reaching 16th and sixth Independent by the chequered flag. The result eroded his championship lead, Rob now a point clear with two races to go.

“I got boxed in at the start, and was lucky to make it through the first lap. I was trying to keep out of trouble but got pushed to the outside, lost places. The car was going well and I had a battle with a works Proton.I got past him and he hit me in the rear. That made the bodywork run on a rear tyre and there was tyre smoke everywhere, it was coming in the car and making it hard to breathe.

“I had to pit as we didn’t know how bad the damage was. It was a big shame and I now have a one point lead, not a comfortable lead with two races left.”