AmDTuning.com returns to action at Rockingham

The AmDTuning.com team will return to action when the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heads to Rockingham this weekend for the eighth round of the season.

The West Thurrock-based team elected to miss the previous round of the year at Knockhill in Scotland in order to carry out two days of testing at Snetterton, with the test being used to try and extract more performance from its turbo-powered Volkswagen Golf.

Ollie Jackson, AmD tuning.com

Photo by: Pat Cranham

Although the test didn’t pass without a few minor issues, the team was able to make improvements to the Golf leaving Ollie in optimistic mood as he returns to action at Rockingham this weekend, with three strong points finishes being the target.

“We had a few small issues that we had to deal with during the test but we have definitely taken a positive step forward with the set-up on the car,” he said. “We found more front-end grip and that will improve the handling when we get to Rockingham.

“I think we have to aim to be pushing towards the top ten again this weekend and get back into the zone we were in earlier in the year. We’ve seen the NGTC cars take big steps forward but hopefully we can run strongly all weekend and be in a position to score some good points.

“The Golf is still very much a work in progress and hopefully with the steps forward we have taken, we can show what it is capable of in the final three rounds of the season.”

Team boss Shaun Hollamby said the information gleaned from the test had more than justified the decision taken to miss the Knockhill race weekend, with the team heading into the final three rounds of the season with a sense of fresh optimism about its chances.

“I love Knockhill and the Scottish fans are some of the most welcoming around but it was the right decision for us to go away and carry out a test with the car,” he said. “

There were things we needed to look into and although we could have gone to Knockhill, run around on track and possibly picked up a few points, we wouldn’t have been able to learn what we learned in the test as Knockhill is so unique and unlike any other circuit on the calendar.

“In the test we discovered that we really need to run the car stiffer than we had been doing, and when we made that change, it improved the handling and the grip. I’m looking forward to seeing what impact the changes have this weekend as Rockingham is a circuit where we have gone well in the past, especially last year where we qualified tenth and were only seven-tenths of a second away from pole.

The short wheelbase of the car suits the infield section and if we can squeeze some more power from the engine for the long run round the oval, it should be good.

“We also have some new personnel onboard for the final three rounds of the year, which has given us a fresh viewpoint on some things, and we are optimistic about the remainder of the season.”

Source: AmDTuning