The last three years have seen a transformation at Eurotech Racing from perennial midfield runners to improved top-ten finishes, a journey that took another significant step at Brands Hatch last weekend.
Whilst the result of qualifying was surprising and partly due to the changeable weather conditions, the fact remains that Jeff Smith still had to set a lap time on his initial run faster than everybody else. The two rows of the grid immediately behind Smith’s Type R boasted eight championship titles, with a rising star of the sport alongside. It’s not as if the entire field was displaced – Eurotech simply put the right package together when it counted.
But should the result be all that surprising? Smith has invested extensively in the outfit since purchasing it from Mike Jordan – with a trio of the latest-spec Honda Civic Type R machines, a brand new premesis in the Midlands capable of housing a support series challenge simultaneously, an expanded MINI Challenge programme and some of the best title-winning engineers and personnel in the pit lane just the tip of the iceberg.
The acquisition of Jack Goff over the off-season only further cements that ambition – Smith’s objective from the start has been clear; Eurotech should represent a title-challenging prospect each season as others do – Dynamics, West Surrey Racing, Motorbase, Triple Eight and Team BMR.
Goff’s performance at the weekend clearly illustrates the step forward the team have made – his hat-trick of top-twelve finishes, including fourth with a broken exhaust during the first race, means he is just three points shy of beating Martin Depper’s total in the same car across the entirety of last season. Difference in driving ability? Perhaps – but that’s irrelevant in the context of Eurotech moving up the field with those improved results.
Given the consistent performance the Team Dynamics’ works Honda Civic Type Rs have exhibited at every circuit over their two-year life span thus far, it also seems foolish to dismiss Brands Hatch as a ‘one off’ in terms of performance for Eurotech. Though the two outfits almost certainly run variants on setup, the actual cars themselves are of similar specification. The next few rounds should also answer as to whether Eurotech can sustain a challenge for race victories as development continues – something they’re certainly capable of.
Team Principal Marvin Humphries knows how to win in the BTCC – he was Team Manager at WSR when Colin Turkington took a dominant second title back in 2014, and his analysis of the team’s start to the new season is likely to carry some weight, regardless of how many other teams broadcast the same material post-weekend.
“What a fantastic, promising start to the season, to get the first pole was a massive boost to the team. We are happy that the pace is there, Jack and Jeff have shown they are confident and capable of putting the cars at the sharp end and looking like a formidable combination. This is the start of a great season.”