Dan Cammish:
“It was a weird weekend in many ways, because there was so much focus on the title and maybe I drove a bit more in mind trying to help Ash than I have in the past. The speed was there, we qualified only a fraction of a fraction from second place, but it just didn’t quite fall my way. I’ve made my own mistake in race one, I was trying to make a difference and was so desperate to hold Jake behind that I made a mistake. That dropped me down a few spots into the clutches of all the BMWs and then race two I drove really well to finish eighth and was happy with the speed. I think we had the third fastest lap, so that was positive.
“Race three I really thought we’d have an opportunity, but I was shuffled down the pack through no fault of my own. My day was spoiled because people go into hairpins and don’t think that they should press the brake. It’s about the third time this year where I found myself in a good position at the front of the train, get the car slowed down, and get an almighty whack from behind.
“As a team, I think everyone’s happy with the outcome of the season. Of course, we would have loved to have won the Drivers’ title, but it just wasn’t to be, and it wasn’t through lack of trying. So many guys have pushed right to the end and given it everything. We won the Teams’ Championship, so there’s lots to be proud of. It’s been hugely, hugely enjoyable to be part of and I think we’re all looking forward to 2023.”
Dan Cammish claimed a trio of top ten finishes at the final round of the British Touring Car Championship season last weekend (October 8/9), with those results helping NAPA Racing UK secure the Teams’ title in the process.
The Yorkshireman went well in practice on Saturday morning, finishing the first session fastest and the second in fifth position, before heading into qualifying that afternoon. Once again, he was rapid, eventually finishing up fourth for the opening contest, just 0.018s from a front row start and behind teammate and championship hopeful Ash Sutton.
Dan started race one well and did all he could to try to protect Sutton from Jake Hill on the opening lap but ran slightly wide at Druids, which left him vulnerable and dropping a couple of positions. There would be two Safety Car periods, but it was hard for Dan who was passed in the closing stages while trying to make forward progress, crossing the line ninth.
He slipped back to 11th on the opening lap of race two, slowly climbing back up to ninth with a good move on Bobby Thompson by lap seven of 15. From there he wasn’t able to gain any places on track but would be classified eighth owing to a time penalty handed to a car ahead.
Making a superb start to the final race of the season, Dan shot into second place into Paddock Hill Bend, but contact from behind at Druids pushed him wide and down to seventh. Doing all he could for Sutton by holding title rivals Tom Ingram and Jake Hill behind, contact spun Adam Morgan around which baulked him, allowing Ingram, Hill, and George Gamble past, meaning he would be classified eighth at the flag.
It was an up and down season for Dan personally, with the highs of victory at Thruxton and several podiums matched with low points where he could not show the very best of his skill and ability behind the wheel. However, with the Teams’ Championship secured for NAPA Racing UK and both he and Ash Sutton in the top eight of the Drivers’ standings, it was a solid first year for the outfit and gives plenty of optimism for 2023.
