Adrian Flux Subaru Racing, run by Team BMR, travels to Snetterton this weekend for the next three rounds of the 2019 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).
FLUX PRESENTS
Spectators visiting Snetterton this year will be able to enjoy a live chat and Q&A session with Ash Sutton and others in the Campsite Marquee on Saturday evening from 6pm, as the latest in the Flux Presents series, which aims to bring fans closer to their motorsport heroes, takes over the marquee. As well as Ash being present, BTCC rivals Jason Plato and Josh Cook will also be on stage and ready to get a grilling from both the host and the general public.
This race weekend could be a frustrating one for the Adrian Flux team, however, as BMR’s chief engineer Antonio Carrozza explains:
“For me, the season has been very up and down,” he admits, “we had a very strong start to the season with strong points finishes and podiums. We have slowly slipped further away from the championship lead over the last 2 rounds, which is very disappointing considering these should have been our stronger tracks.
“The Subaru has generally spent its life at the bottom of the speed traps and relied upon the drivers and chassis to attain its lap time.
“Unfortunately, when Saturday qualifying sessions haven’t gone to plan and we are left sitting in the middle of the pack (as we did at Croft and Oulton) the race day is very difficult. A car without the straight line speed is very hard to race, and making progress on race day is incredibly difficult, regardless of how talented your drivers are.”
Ash Sutton reflected on the strong start to 2019:
“The season got off to a really good start,” he said, “I feel we have had some Lady Luck with the damp conditions suiting us.
“As the season has unfolded, it has become harder and harder, it’s just been about focusing on the job in hand and collecting those points. The Adrian Flux Subaru Racing guys and girls have done a cracking job so far.”
Snetterton
Located In South Norfolk, just off the A11 between Thetford and Norwich, the Snetterton track is now one of the longest in the country.
Antonio Carrozza explains more about track, and the difference to the tyre regulations this year:
“Looking forward to Snetterton, the focus has to be on Saturday’s qualifying and getting the most out of the medium tyre for a short run.
“Race day is an entirely different story this year, with a different compound of tyre being used for each race (and no prior nominations!). This should make for an exciting Sunday’s racing for the fans, with totally different strategies being laid out (and people racing each other on the soft, medium and hard compounds in each race).
“I think there could be some big winners (and losers) on Sunday, mainly through tyre choice! I’m sure there will be a frantic five minutes before each race while drivers and engineers are waiting to see which tyre other teams select!
“We made some good forwards steps with the chassis during the two-day tyre test, and hope to put some of the information learned to good use this coming weekend!”
Ash Sutton told us more about Snetterton’s challenges:
“A small part of me is hoping for some wet weather at Snetterton, it’s not a great track with the amount of straights and makes our lives very hard. We made a lot of changes at the tyre test and hopefully can put a package together for this weekend.”
Senna Proctor in the number 18 car is Ash’s team mate this year. He had this to say:
“The season for me has been ok, I think there are some areas which I am happy with and some areas which I have improved on, no negatives just learning different things about the car and trying to be stronger and faster every time.
“I’ve always enjoyed driving at Snetterton and think we will be fighting for a top ten position there, I would like to think we could come away with some good points. Only time will tell where we stack up but I am excited to get back behind the wheel of the Adrian Flux Subaru Levorg.”
Rounds 16, 17 and 18 last year
Last year, Ash won the second race at Snetterton, after he’d taken a second place in the opening race, but finished down in 20th in the third race. Senna took a 7th and 12th place finish after failing to score in race one, while driving a Vauxhall Astra.
Watch it on TV
If you’re unable to find your way to the circuit to experience BTCC in the flesh then don’t despair, ITV4 will once again be showing live coverage (available in HD) of 2019 BTCC rounds, with extensive coverage of the support races.
Qualifying will be live online from 3:00pm on Saturday (August 3, 2019) at http://itv.com/btcc.
Rounds 16, 17 and 18 of the BTCC (as well as coverage of the support races) will be shown on ITV4 and ITV4 HD, Sunday (August 4, 2019) from 10:45am.
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Photo credits (including header photo): Jakob Ebrey
