Verizon Connect Racing’s Finlay Crocker believes overtaking in today’s TCR UK races at Castle Combe will be no mean feat, despite the size and speed of the circuit.
Crocker’s fastest time in the half-hour qualifying session yesterday earned him sixth on the grid for race one, although he feels he could have gone quicker if he had a clear lap.
His second-fastest lap places him fourth on the grid for race two, and he is keen to make up positions in the opening laps as he feels there are no blatant overtaking opportunities at the 1.85-mile Wiltshire track.
“Not entirely happy because we got blocked on our fastest lap yesterday in qualifying which knackered the job a little bit,” Crocker told TouringCars.Net at Castle Combe.
“So I think we’ve got the speed – practice one yesterday we were fourth and we hadn’t done any testing. So there’s a bit more in it than where we are in both races.
“Despite the size of the track and the speed of it, I don’t think overtaking will be that easy here. There’s not a huge number of massively high speed to low speed braking areas or that type of thing.
“After the first few laps you’ll start to see the natural order of people’s natural speed. I think on a track like this as well everybody has got to be fairly respectful of each other and maybe a wee bit more sensible than some of us – probably myself included – have been at other times.”
When asked about the fast and flowing nature of the Castle Combe layout Crocker said that although he enjoys the venue, he feels the latest TCR machinery is simply too quick for a circuit that has little runoff.
“I don’t think we should be racing here, I don’t think it’s safe, personally,” he said. “That’s my own view. I just watched an accident there at the last corner, a car ended up upside down on its roof you know.
“The speed that the cars are going nowadays there’s just not the runoff here – and I’d be the first to criticise the F1 tracks going around with the runoff – but I think these cars are quick enough.
“I don’t dislike the circuit – it’s a lovely place with lovely people – everybody is very friendly and it’s a nice venue. It’s just quick enough – I don’t mind speed and close racing either – but you’ve got to have it in the right environment and I think the cars are just getting quicker and quicker and at some point the sensible pill has to be taken.
“I don’t know if that’s me just getting older! Ask me that ten years ago and we’d be alright!”