BTCC ROOKIE IS LOOKING QUITE HANDY
Amid a hectic BTCC silly season, Ash Hand’s graduation with a minnow team seven years after his narrow defeat to Ash Sutton in the 2015 Clio Cup UK caused only a few minor ripples. But Hand, who in between times claimed the GT4 crown in the 2019 British GT Championship, has been looking ever-stronger at the wheel of his Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra.
At Thruxton he qualified the venerable machine sixth, and impressively raced to fifth position in the opening race as he bids to build himself a BTCC career. Hand has a five-year deal with his sponsor, used-car emporium Carstore, and
“the plan is to be winning the championship in years two or three. We know we’ve got to progress but, the way this season is starting to shape up, going into next year we’ll be right there.”
Hand said he’d “adapted my driving style a little bit” and credited customer TOCA engine supplier M-sport with getting more out of its powerplant. And he was doubly happy with his breakthrough fifth-place finish because “we had a cracked manifold and a head gasket gone, so we were running at 130 degrees. To manage that, we’re doing a good job.”
Potentially that was behind the 28-year-old’s exit from race two with engine problems while running sixth, and Hand, who is being advised by former Clio king Phil Glew, then got involved in a hairy incident at Church Corner with Adam Morgan in the final race. Perhaps the diamond needs polishing, but he’d shown pace on a weekend where team-mate Michael Crees also stepped up with 8-9-8 finishes. “You can do so much with a touring car,” added Hand. “There’s a lot of knowledge to take on board but I’m really enjoying it. How can you not when you’re getting to the sharp end?”