Cammish on top as BTCC moves on to Brands
THE second round of the 2023 British Touring Car Championship takes place this weekend at Brands Hatch in Kent. The twisty Indy Circuit is great for spectators – and not just because the track is so short and undulating that from certain points you can see almost an entire lap. The compact layout also means it’s known for fireworks – from Jason Plato’s sideways save after getting tagged at the top of Paddock Hill Bend to a brake failure that cost Honda Civic driver Dan Cammish what would have been his maiden BTCC title, with barely two laps to go of the 2019 season.
The start of the 2023 campaign has gone much better for Cammish, though. Now at the wheel of the Napa Racing Ford Focus, he bagged two wins from the opening three rounds at Donington Park. The first was taken in style, passing the BMW of Jake Hill around the outside of the Craner Curves before completing the move into the Old
Hairpin. Cammish then controlled race three throughout to earn a comfortable victory.
The most exciting race was the second, where changeable conditions made tyre choice difficult. One driver who made the call better than most was Nicholas Hamilton. Watched by his seven-time F1 championship-winning brother Lewis, he battled his Cupra Leon through the pack and then fought hard to defend his sixthplace finish over the line – by far his best result to date. The race was won by Tom Chilton, who bagged the 14th win of his BTCC career, and his first since 2019.
“The twisty Indy circuit at Brands Hatch is great for spectators and famous for fireworks”