Quotes from the seventh race day of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season at Knockhill
Dan Lloyd: “I’m really pleased with the weekend. It was strong for us in all conditions, including the chaotic wet-dry conditions we faced in race 1. We demonstrated strong pace and performance in all sessions this weekend, so I’m very happy. Me and the team now have a good understanding of the car, and we’re at a point where we’re fine-tuning things, which is crucial in touring cars to maximise our performance over a weekend.
“However, I’m a bit disappointed with race three. It didn’t go as we hoped. Something seemed missing in the second half of the race. I’m not sure if I picked up some damage, but the front tyres suddenly lost grip. Despite that, we scored valuable points and garnered significant TV coverage for our sponsors. This was by far the most challenging race weekend of the year, so I’m grateful. A big thank you to the team for making the right calls on tires and strategy this weekend; they were fantastic.”
Michael Crees: “It was a tough weekend up at Knockhill. It could have turned out differently after running in 5th place in race one, as we stayed out on slicks despite the worsening weather. It seemed like the right call until a second wave of rain flooded the track within seconds. This put us at the back for race two, which was disappointing. Despite this setback, we managed to move forward in races two and three before retirement in the final race of the day.
“Ultimately, we ended the weekend feeling disappointed, as it easily could have gone the other way. A big thank you to the team and the support I received this weekend; it was amazing. I can’t wait for Donington Park in a few weeks.”
Dan enjoyed his strongest race weekend of the season. Photograph – Gavin Proc Photography
Dexter Patterson: “Overall, it was a really good Sunday. Qualifying didn’t go as planned, but we did an excellent job of recovering on Sunday, starting with race one, where we gained nine places amidst the chaos of the rain to finish in the top 12. In the dry conditions, the car remained competitive, allowing us to hold our position in the mid-pack. This set us up to attack in the final race of the day. In the last race, rain arrived while on the grid and after a short delay, we got going. The car’s pace was strong, and we steadily moved forward, ultimately finishing 6th and secured my best result in the BTCC to date. It was a fantastic Sunday on home soil, and I’m looking forward to carrying this momentum into the rest of the season.”
Daryl DeLeon: “Race day at Knockhill was quite challenging, to be honest. The track was entirely new to me, and I had never been here before. Learning a new track in the conditions we faced was not the easiest task. Unfortunately, we encountered issues in all of the races, which was far from ideal. With the unpredictable weather, it was somewhat of a lottery.
“Despite the difficulties, we’ll take this as a learning experience and work towards improvement for Donington Park. I’ve already driven the Cupra Leon at Donington Park during the official tire test, and we performed well during that session. So, I’m feeling excited heading into the next weekend.”
Dexter had a brilliant race day and claimed his best finish in the BTCC to date. Photograph – Patrician Media
Rob Huff: “I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend with the team and being back in the BTCC. My partner and I were warmly welcomed into the team, and it was lovely to be so involved from the start. Unfortunately, from a racing standpoint, we spent nearly the entire weekend grappling with an engine issue. This meant we lacked power throughout the weekend, which is disappointing as it prevented us from achieving the position we aimed for to make it a successful weekend. It’s frustrating to think about the potential we had, as by the end of the weekend, we seemed to have matched the car’s pace, but we were always missing that extra half a second due to the engine problem.
“Despite leaving Knockhill with a sense of frustration, I genuinely enjoyed working with the team for the weekend and being back in the BTCC. It was wonderful to reconnect with many familiar faces.”
Jack Butel: “We learned on Saturday evening that one of the dampers had failed during qualifying. Despite this setback, we entered Sunday with a positive outlook. However, the weekend started to unravel just before race one when a driveshaft snapped on the grid. This forced us to return to the garage for a replacement. The team did an exceptional job getting the car ready in time for race one, I can’t thank them enough. During that race, we unfortunetly made a pit stop for wets at the wrong moment. Due to the rules, we lost a significant amount of time as we had to wait to be serviced as our team mate was already in the pits.
“In race two, we had a good performance, and our pace was strong. Yet, a few setup issues hindered our progress. The final race of the day turned out to be one of the craziest experiences I’ve had in touring cars. The weather shifted from completely dry to a monsoon within seconds. Despite the unpredictability, I really enjoyed the race, and I’m reallt looking forward to Donington Park.”
Rob battled hard despite an ongoing engine issue throughout the weekend. Photograph – Patrician Media