Team-mate Lewis scores seasons’ best finish in Race 3
Callum Newsham claimed a pair of podium finishes from TCR UK’s weekend at the Silverstone National circuit (August 17-18) despite carrying maximum Compensation Weight on his i30 N TCR.
Having taken two wins from the previous round, Newsham’s JH Racing-run was carrying 40kg extra for the weekend, round five of the 2024. However, he was still able to qualify fifth to start the first race on row three, from where he was quick to make progress in Race 1. He gained one place after another driver span on the opening lap, prompting a Safety Car intervention and once racing resumed he made an opportunistic move as the two cars ahead disputed second place to get between then and then make a move to the inside at Brooklands to claim second place. He pressured the leader throughout most the remaining 12 minutes of the 20-minute contest, interrupted only by a second appearance of the Safety Car, but could not fashion a move to take the lead.
From ninth on the partly reversed grid for Race 2 Newsham made similarly rapid progress, climbing into the podium positions before the red flag flew after a major accident – happily with no major consequences for the drivers involved. Newsham then moved up to second at the first corner after the restart before again chasing down the leader. He was on the tail of the leader through the closing laps – even threatening an overlap to the inside on the final corner of the race – though he was again unable to craft a crucial move for victory.
The weekend came to an anti-climactic end for Newsham in Race 3. After being squeezed towards the pit wall off the start he made contact with another car at Turn 1, puncturing his front-left tyre and putting him into retirement without completing a lap.
There was however, still a podium for the JH Racing team to celebrate after Darron Lewis finished a season-best second place in the squad’s second car, his final overtake made with two minutes to go after going door-to-door past the pits with the other driver.
The other i30 N TCR drivers on the grid for the weekend – Stewart Lines and Sam Laidlaw took best finishes of seventh and ninth respectively.
