Handy Motorsport,BTCC,Silverstone
Simon Belcher buoyed after raising £4,600 for Cancer Research
Only six races remain in the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, beginning with next weekend’s visit to Silverstone National Circuit where Handy Motorsport is quietly confident of mounting a challenge for a major haul of points and, hopefully, a return to the podium.
Despite a somewhat vexing outing at Rockingham near Corby a couple of weeks ago, with potential hampered by some in-race contact, driver Rob Austin still produced very strong pace at the wheel of his Toyota Avensis and the touring car fan-favourite delivered unsurprisingly good racecraft too.
Silverstone’s short 1.64-mile National Circuit always provides some of the most action-packed racing of the season and affords the Swindon team a great chance to be back near the sharp end, with all at Handy Motorsport determined to make a return to the overall BTCC podium.
Additionally, the aim is for Austin to try and close down the top four in the Independents Trophy standings as Handy seeks to consolidate fourth place in the very keenly contested Independents Team Trophy.
Austin, of course, achieved the team’s maiden BTCC podium at Snetterton – as well as its first Independents Trophy class victory – when the second half of the season got underway at the end of July to fully confirm the team’s place as genuine contenders in the ranks of the UK’s biggest series.
“We can’t wait for Silverstone, everyone is focused on mounting a major challenge and there’s no reason we shouldn’t be competitive”, said team boss Simon Belcher, “The issues compromising our potential at Rockingham were totally out of our control, we know how much pace was in the car and in Rob. It didn’t go our way there but we should be back at the sharp end at Silverstone.”
Team boss Belcher smashes Cancer Research fundraising targetHandy’s team principal turns his attention back to the BTCC now after a fantastic fundraising effort last weekend, 3rd/4th September, at Doncaster Lakeside where he made a competitive return to the British Jet Ski Championship for the first time in 15 years, all in aid of Cancer Research.
With Austin and others from Handy Motorsport on hand to offer moral support, Belcher contested races in a total of four classes. In the premier ‘2 Stroke Open’ class he rolled back the years to finish fifth overall, just three points behind fourth placed James Bushell, the current World Champion.
Notably, Belcher’s achievements came despite losing between 6mph and 7mph to the competition in the Open Class, his 785cc Jet Ski giving away around 400cc to the skis of his rivals. In the other three classes he racked up a series of third and fourth place results.
Having raised more than three quarters of the £3,000 fundraising target prior to the event, the desired figure was smashed on the first day of the Jet Ski race meeting. In the end, Belcher managed to raise an outstanding £4,600 for Cancer Research.
“It was such a great weekend and nice to see some faces from the past, and introduce some new fans to Jet Ski racing”, he commented, “I’ve raced something every year for the last 24 years and I wasn’t going to make 2016 the year I didn’t race anything!
“We’ve raised £4,600 for Cancer Research UK which is amazing. We targeted £3,000 and never dreamed we would raise the total we eventually did. I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated to this worthy cause and supported me, now it’s time to focus on the BTCC again!”
Handy Motorsport will be back on track in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at 09.30 next Saturday, 17th September, for the opening practice session at Silverstone with session two following at 12.45 and qualifying getting underway at 15.45.
On Sunday, 18th September, round 25 will begin around 11.55, round 26 will follow at 14.30 and round 27 will conclude the day’s action at around 17.15. All three encounters will be screened live on ITV4 with qualifying and the races also streamed live online HERE
2016 BTCC Drivers Championship Standings:15th Rob Austin, 95pts
2016 Independents Trophy Standings:5th Rob Austin, 228pts
2016 HiQ Teams Championship Standings:9th Handy Motorsport, 102pts
2016 Independents Team Trophy Standings:4th Handy Motorsport, 247pts
