BTCC: Rob Austin Racing 2013 British Touring Car Championship season review

By Tarek Ramchani and Johan Laubscher

Rob Austin and his WIX Racing team (Rob Austin Racing) had a sensational 2013 season in the British Touring Car Championship. The only Audi team in the field showed great performances all season long. The Audi A4 NGTC is now a race winning machine, after a maiden victory at Rockingham and an amazing pole position at Knockhill. The team also faced a lot of bad luck and some hard moments, yet Rob Austin was always able to bounce back. Credits also to the "Sherman" fans, massive support for RAR, clearly one of the most popular efforts in the demanding BTCC.

The season review has been compiled from the 2013 Audi Motorsport Blog Weekend Round Up posts. Each round has been added as was seen in the individual Weekend Round Up posts during 2013, which can be accessed via the links throughout the review below.

Special thanks to our friend Phil Laughton from Phil Laughton Photography, for his great support throughout the BTCC season. Great photo coverage of Rob Austin Racing in the BTCC all season long.

Round 1: Brands Hatch (Indy)

The 2013 BTCC got underway at Brands Hatch. The pair of Audi A4 NGTC cars from WIX Racing (Rob Austin Racing) showed good pace during testing, and Rob Austin continued this good form by qualifying in the top ten. Austin chose to use his soft tires for the first race and he rocketed from seventh to second after the first sequence of corners. He then took the lead and led the first lap of the new BTCC season. Ultimately the soft tires gave in and Austin finished in third. Race two and three saw DNF finishes for Austin with race three seeing a large crash for him. The driver was unharmed and the car has been reported as repairable. Rob’s teammate Will Bratt fought hard and achieved a twelfth and fourteenth.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (30-31/03 - 01/04/2013)

Round 2: Donington Park

Round two of the British Touring Car Championship was held at Donington Park. Rob Austin Racing completed a brilliant repair job, as they successfully repaired the #13 Audi A4 after a massive crash at Brands Hatch last time out. The Audi team expected to perform well at round two, however issues with their straight-line speed hampered them all weekend long. Ultimately they qualified and finished outside of the top ten in all of the races.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (20-21/04/2013)

Round 3: Thruxton

Thruxton is the fastest circuit in Britain, and hosted the third round of the British Touring Car Championship. Rob Austin Racing have been plagued by low top speed performance this year. It was evident at Donginton, but even more so at Thruxton. The team struggled for pace and qualified in the lower half of the field. The three races on the day yielded similar results for the team and their Audi A4s, as they were confined to the rear of the grid.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (4-5/05/2013)

Round 4: Oulton Park

The fourth round of the British Touring Car Championship was held at Oulton Park this weekend. It looked like another tough outing for Rob Austin Racing and their two Audi A4 NGTC race cars. They qualified well down the order with the highest placed RAR Audi in eighteenth. The first race saw both Audis recovering, but they finished outside of the top ten. Rob Austin put in a great drive to grab a top ten in race two, finishing in eighth. The third and final race of the day saw Austin starting third on the reverse grid. He rocketed into the lead and lead half of the race, before being punted out of the lead, he ultimately finished in fifth. His teammate, Will Bratt, came from much further behind and stormed into the top ten finishing in sixth place.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (8-9/06/2013)

Round 5: Croft

Croft hosted the fifth meeting of the British Touring Car Championship this weekend. Rob Austin Racing and their two Audi A4 NGTC cars were at the event and showed good initial pace during practice. However they qualified in the lower half of the top twenty. The first race saw both Audis improving as Austin got up to thirteenth and Bratt fifteenth. Race two yielded similar results as Austin finished in fourteenth and Bratt eighteenth. During the third and final race of the day Rob Austin was able to finish in eleventh.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (22-23/06/2013)

Round 6: Snetterton

The British Touring Car Championship concluded its summer break this weekend as the series headed to Snetterton for round six. The two Audi A4 NGTC cars from Rob Austin Racing showed good pace this weekend, following a few difficult outings. Rob Austin was the highest placed Audi during qualifying with twelfth place. Race one ended with Austin finishing fifteenth and a retirement for his teammate Will Bratt. The second race saw Austin battling well and he progressed into the top ten, but he dropped to fourteenth on the last lap. He was followed by his teammate in sixteenth. Austin was as high as sixth during race three, but he ultimately finished in twelfth place and Bratt had a second retirement for the day.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (3-4/08/2013)

Round 7: Knockhill

Knockhill in Scotland was the setting for round seven of the British Touring Car Championship. Both Rob Austin Racing Audi A4 NGTC cars were entered, driven by Rob Austin and Will Bratt. Rob got the weekend off to a good start by setting the pace in free practice one. He continued this good form by highlighting the day with pole position for race one. This was Rob Austin’s first BTCC pole, and the first Audi on pole in the BTCC since 1997. Race one saw Austin finishing third, followed by second in race two and fifth after the reverse grid in race three. His teammate Will Bratt had a difficult day, but he was able to recover to eleventh in race three.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (24-25/08/2013)

Round 8: Rockingham

The British Touring Car Championship held round eight at Rockingham. Both of Rob Austin Racing’s Audi a4 NGTC cars showed good pace this weekend. Rob Austin qualified third for race one followed by his teammate, Will Bratt, qualifying in tenth. Race one saw Rob dropping to ninth on the first lap, along with a crash further back involving Will Bratt. Bratt unfortunately retired and was out for race one and two. Austin was able to storm back to third by the finish. Austin stormed to the front during race two and successfully defended his lead to take his first ever BTCC race win, the first Audi BTCC victory since 1997. The third and final race of the day saw Austin finishing ninth after the reverse grid and Bratt unfortunately retiring once again.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (14-15/09/2013)

Round 9: Silverstone

The penultimate BTCC round headed to Silverstone, running on the national circuit this weekend. Rob Austin Racing was back on the grid with their two Audi A4 NGTC race cars. The team was on a high following their maiden BTCC victory with Rob Austin at Rockingham last time out. Qualifying saw the Audis in seventeenth and nineteenth, with Bratt ahead of Austin. Rob Austin was able to recover during race one, as he went from nineteenth to twelfth. Race two saw an unfortunate crash for Rob Austin, but his teammate, Will Bratt, was able to score twelfth place. The third and final race saw Rob Austin finishing in seventeenth.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (28-29/09/2013)

Round 10: Brands Hatch (Grand Prix)

The BTCC finale was held at Brands Hatch this weekend. Rob Austin Racing fielded both of their Audi A4 NGTC cars, with a new look. Rob Austin Racing was back with his #13 Wix Racing A4 and he was joined by a new teammate. Youngster, Jake Hill, joined RAR driving the #9 Exocet Racing Audi A4. Hill showed excellent pace all weekend long and was able to qualifying in tenth place, followed by Rob Austin in thirteenth. Races one and two on Sunday saw Hill finishing fourteenth and eleventh respectively, whilst Rob Austin unfortunately retired from both races. The third and final race of the day and the season saw Hill finishing fifteenth and Austin eighteenth.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (12-13/10/2013)

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Rob Austin a true hero in British Touring Cars

By Tarek Ramchani

Rob Austin made history last weekend at Rockingham. The driver of the #13 Audi A4 NGTC not only took his first career victory in BTCC but also gave the Audi brand a first win in the series since 1997.

It took three years of hard work and a lot of ups and downs to Rob Austin to achieve this maiden result. The car always been among the strongest of the field but lady luck turned her back too many times. Now the Audi A4 NGTC improved a lot and able to challenge the front runners of the factory Honda and MG teams as well the strong privateer cars from BMW, Ford and MG. Sunday's win at Rockingham confirmed the great pefromances of Knockhill in Scotland last time out.

Rob Austin was delighted after his success last Sunday in Race 2. Joy and happiness for the privateer Audi driver, his team crew and on the grandstands of Rockingham Speedway. "Sherman" is clearly a fans' favorite in BTCC.

Rob Austin dedicated his victory to his fans and thanked them for their huge support all season long.

"Like I have said before, there have been times where we nearly jacked it all in, not through choice. We have been on the verge of bankruptcy and they saved us last year with the roof scheme and then this year with the t-shirts. That crash at Brands took a big chunk of our budget and we had looked like we were going to miss a round or two because of it.

It is just really humbling though to have this kind of support and it is as much of a win for the fans and my team as it is for me. If it wasn’t for their generosity and support we wouldn’t be here to have achieved the win" (quotes sourced from BTCC Crazy)

The next round of the British Touring Car Championship will be at Silverstone in two weeks time. Rob Austin and his WIX Racing will target other strong performances and podium finishes.

You can read BTCC Crazy full interview with Rob Austin right here.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Rob Austin Audi ends Rockingham race 3 in ninth

By Tarek Ramchani

Following his maiden BTCC race win today at Rockingham, Rob Austin was eager to perfrom well in the final race of the day.

Carrying extra weight after his victory in the second race, Rob Austin knew from the start he will not be able to fight for the race win again. The driver of the #13 Audi A5 NGTC fought really hard with a heavier car and had some nice fights on track. In the closing stages of the race, Rob Austin had a great battle with the privateer Toyota Avensis of Dave Newsham. Both drivers had a contact, Dave Newsham spun but Rob Austin allowed him to retake his position again. The Audi finished in ninth place in the end.

Bad luck hit again the second Audi A4 of the field. Will Bratt did not finished the race as the #14 Audi A4 NGTC retired after 13 laps into the race.

Race win went to the new BTCC points standing leader Andrew Jordan with this Honda Civic. Second place for Colin Turkington with the BMW 125i M Sport and third Jason Plato with the MG6 GT.

Overall it was a magical Rockingham weekend for Rob Austin and his team WIX Racing. A sensational win for the Audi A4 in a very demanding BTCC field, finally Sherman did after three long years of hard work.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Rob Austin made history for Audi by winning Rockingham race 2

By Tarek Ramchani

Rob Austin just made history at Rockingahm. The team owner and driver of the Audi A4 NGTC won with style the second race of the day.

"Sherman" lead the race from the green lights to the checkered flag. Starting from third place, Rob Austin jumped took the race lead in the first hairpin passing both Mat Jackson's Ford Focus and race 1 winner Andrew Jordan and his Honda Civic.

Rob Austin was simply flying on track with a very strong pace. Only Honda's man Gordon Shedden was able to follow him, but was never able to challenge the Audi driver. Rob Austin crossed the finish line victorious with a 4-second gap ahead of the Honda Civic of the 2012 BTCC champion.

This was the first Audi BTCC victory since 1997. The last time that an Audi was victorious in the BTCC was Frank Biela driving an Audi A4 quattro STW in race one at Brands Hatch held on 7 September 1997.

Will Bratt with the second Audi A4 NGTC unfortunatelly did not start the race.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Sensational third place for Rob Austin Audi in Rockingham race 1

By Tarek Ramchani

After a very strong qualifying session yesterday, Rob Austin again performed very well in today's Race 1. The Audi driver had a fine third place in a very chaotic race.

Rob Austin with his #13 Audi A4 NGTC started from third place but lost several positions at the start. Behind bad luck hit his team mate Will Bratt. The driver of the #14 Audi A4 NGTC spun and was collected by a Ford Focus. Will Bratt was forced to retire. The Safety Car was deployed and Rob Austin was running ninth after his bad start. When the race resumed Rob Austin started a great recovery passing the drivers in front of him one by one. "Sherman" was flying on track setting the fastest lap times of the race. With some laps left Rob Austin was able to overtake the works MG of Jason Plato after a titanic battle for fourth place. Two lap later Rob Austin passed the factory Honda of Gordon Shedden in the last corner of the last lap. Rob Austin takes a fine podium confirming the strong pace of his WIX Racing Audi A4 NGTC.

Race 2 is coming next. Rob Austin will start from third place again, whilst Will Bratt will start from the back.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Strong third for Rob Austin Audi in Rockingham qualifying

By Tarek Ramchani

After a maiden pole position last time out in Scotland, Rob Austin showed again a very strong pace today in Rockingham qualifying. The team owner and driver of the #13 Audi A4 NGTC qualified in a strong third.

Rob Austin with his WIX Racing backed Audi set a time of 1:22.588. Rob Austin will start third behind the two factory MG cars of poleman Jason Plato and the second placed Sam Tordoff. "Sherman" was only 0.238 behind Jason Plato's lap time. A great result for a true privateer effort beating the factory Honda team as well the strong independent rivals from BMW, Ford and Toyota.

A positive qualifying session for Will Bratt too. The driver of the #14 Audi A4 NGTC made into the top 10, with a fine tenth in a very demanding British Touring Cars field.

All three races are set for tomorrow. Fingers crossed for Rob Austin Racing and their two drivers.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Rob Austin Racing Audi aiming high at Rockingham

By Tarek Ramchani

The British Touring Car Championship is at Rockingham this weekend, for round 8 of the season. After a magical meeting last time out at Knockhill, Rob Austin Racing is aiming high with their Audi A4 NGTC cars.

Rob Austin was a true hero in Scotland. A historical pole position and then two podium results with his WIX Racing backed #13 Audi A4. Bad luck hit his team-mate, Will Bratt, with the sister #14 Audi A4.

The only Audi team in the BTCC field has improved a lot in the last few races, after all the bad luck in the first half of the season. The Audi A4 NGTC, one of only a few RWD cars in the championship, is able to match the pace of the factory supported cars from Honda and MG, as well as the top independents efforts from BMW and Ford.

Rob Austin, the team owner/driver, is optimistic for the Rockingham meeting:

"I think we could be in reasonable shape again, particularly in race trim provided it stays dry. The track surface is very abrasive which should favour the rear-wheel-drive machinery, such as Sherman. I think there could be some very interesting final few laps if the RWD cars are hovering near the front after two thirds distance" (quotes sourced from BTCC Crazy).

Two free practice sessions followed by the qualifying sessions are set for tomorrow. All three races will be held on Sunday.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Excellent second for Rob Austin Audi in Knockhill race 2

By Tarek Ramchani

Rob Austin and WIX Racing's dream weekend is continuing at Knockhill. After a maiden and historical pole position yesterday, Rob Austin is doing very well in the races today, with a very competitive Audi A4 NGTC.

Race 1 was held earlier and gave the privateer Audi driver a fine third place in the end. The team owner and driver of the #13 A4 NGTC battled hard with the reining British Touring Car champion, Gordon Shedden, for second place. Rob Austin matched the pace of the factory Honda driver, but was not able to take second. A third place, not bad for a true independent driver and privateer effort.

Race 2 was even better. Rob Austin started from third and immediately passed Gordon Shedden's Honda Civic for second. Up in front the BMW 125i M Sport of race 1 winner, Colin Trukington, was simply untouchable. Meanwhile Rob Austin managed to build a narrow gap ahead of Shedden, enough to secure a fine second place. A great result for Austin, equaling his best ever result in the demanding BTCC.

Bad luck hit his teammate Will Bratt. The driver of the #14 Audi A4 was forced to retire half way through the race, after 12 laps.

Race 3 is next at Knockhill. Fingers crossed for more strong performances and big results.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Ups and downs for Rob Austin Racing Audi at halfway mark

By Tarek Ramchani

The halfway mark in the 2013 British Touring Car Championship has been reached, with five rounds out of ten having already been run. Rob Austin Racing is the only Audi team in the field with their two Audi A4 NGTC cars. The team's two drivers are Rob Austin with the #13 Audi along with his teammate Will Bratt in the sister #14 machine. It has been a case of ups and downs so far for the WIX Racing backed team. Some good performances in various events, where the Audi A4 NGTC battled really well in a very demanding field. However the team has had some mixed and disappointing results at some venues as well. The obvious lack of top speed is really penalizing the team, when compared to the rival cars and brands.

In the overall driver's standing Rob Austin is fourteenth with 52 points and Will Bratt is eighteenth with 22 points. In the independent driver's standings Rob Austin is eleventh with 76 points and Will Bratt is fifteenth with 47 points.

Here is a complete round-up of Rob Austin Racing's season so far in the demanding BTCC.

Round 1: Brands Hatch

The 2013 BTCC got underway at Brands Hatch. The pair of Audi A4 NGTC cars from WIX Racing (Rob Austin Racing) showed good pace during testing, and Rob Austin continued this good form by qualifying in the top ten. Austin chose to use his soft tires for the first race and he rocketed from seventh to second after the first sequence of corners. He then took the lead and led the first lap of the new BTCC season. Ultimately the soft tires gave in and Austin finished in third. Race two and three saw DNF finishes for Austin with race three seeing a large crash for him. The driver was unharmed and the car was reported as repairable. Rob’s teammate Will Bratt fought hard and achieved a twelfth and fourteenth.

Round 2: Donington Park

Round two of the British Touring Car Championship was held at Donington Park. Rob Austin Racing completed a brilliant repair job, as they successfully repaired the #13 Audi A4 after a massive crash at Brands Hatch last time out. The Audi team expected to perform well at round two, however issues with their straight-line speed hampered them all weekend long. Ultimately they qualified and finished outside of the top ten in all of the races.

Round 3: Thruxton

Thruxton is the fastest circuit in Britain, and hosted the third round of the British Touring Car Championship. Rob Austin Racing have been plagued by low top speed performance this year. It was evident at Donginton, but even more so at Thruxton. The team struggled for pace and qualified in the lower half of the field. The three races on the day yielded similar results for the team and their Audi A4s, as they were confined to the rear of the grid.

Round 4: Oulton Park

The fourth round of the British Touring Car Championship was held at Oulton Park. It looked like another tough outing for Rob Austin Racing and their two Audi A4 NGTC race cars. They qualified well down the order with the highest placed RAR Audi in eighteenth. The first race saw both Audis recovering, but they finished outside of the top ten. Rob Austin put in a great drive to grab a top ten in race two, finishing in eighth. The third and final race of the day saw Austin starting third on the reverse grid. He rocketed into the lead and lead half of the race, before being punted out of the lead, he ultimately finished in fifth. His teammate, Will Bratt, came from much further behind and stormed into the top ten finishing in sixth place.

Round 5: Croft

Croft hosted the fifth meeting of the British Touring Car Championship. Rob Austin Racing and their two Audi A4 NGTC cars were at the event and showed good initial pace during practice. However they qualified in the lower half of the top twenty. The first race saw both Audis improving as Austin got up to thirteenth and Bratt fifteenth. Race two yielded similar results as Austin finished in fourteenth and Bratt eighteenth. During the third and final race of the day Rob Austin was able to finish in eleventh.


The sixth meeting of the season will be at Snetterton after the long summer break, taking place on August 3rd and 4th.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

Rounds 1-5 text based on our weekly Audi Motorsport Blog Weekend Round Up posts. The WRU series of posts can be seen HERE.

Gallery: Rob Austin Racing Audi A4 at Oulton Park BTCC

By Tarek Ramchani

Rob Austin Racing had a great weekend at Oulton Park in the British Touring Car Championship. The privateer Audi team bounced back after two difficult rounds at Donington Park and Thruxton. The car was improving all day long after a difficult qualifying session. Race 3 turned out to be a magical round for both Rob Austin and Will Bratt. The two drivers finished in fifth and sixth with their WIX backed Audi A4 NGTC cars. Here is a selection of great photos from our friend Phill Laughton.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Rob Austin Racing Audi performed well at Oulton Park

By Tarek Ramchani

Oulton Park hosted the fourth meeting of the British Touring Car Championship this weekend. After a difficult qualifying session on Saturday, there were some fears that Rob Austin Racing and their Audi A4 NGTC cars will struggle in the races on Sunday. On race day it was a completely different story.

Rob Austin with the #13 Audi qualified in eighteenth for race 1, and his teammate Will Bratt with the sister #14 A4 further back in twenty-third. The two drivers struggled a lot on Saturday but they were able to bounce back in the races.

In race 1 Rob Austin battled hard and was able to finish in thirteenth position, whilst Will Bratt gained some positions up to seventeenth. Race 2 was even better for the RAR drivers as Rob Austin, with an improving Audi, was charging hard against the privateer Toyotas and BMWs, a fine eighth position in the end. Will Bratt also improved up to thirteenth place in the end. Not bad after very disappointing performances the day before, and it was not over yet.

Race 3 turned out to be the best of the day for the privateer Audi team. The WIX backed A4 cars were flying on track. Rob Austin started from third on the reverse grid and immediately went into race lead. He kept that position for several laps before being passed by some of the drivers. Rob Austin managed to finish in a strong fifth in the end. Will Bratt had the race of his life. Bratt started from thirteenth on the grid and had impressive pace. The driver of the #14 Audi challenged big names and front runners from MG, BMW and Ford. Will Bratt finished in a very strong sixth position, his best result ever in the demanding British Touring Car Championship.

We at the Audi Motorsport Blog have said it before, and we will say it again, the RAR Audi A4 NGTC is one of the finest cars in the BTCC field. Rob Austin Racing faced two dark meetings at Donington Park and worse at Thruxton, with a very obvious lack of top speed. Now the team is back and eager to do well in the remaining rounds. In the championship points standings Rob Austin is thirteenth with 42 points and Will Bratt is eighteenth with 21 points. In the team's standings Rob Austin Racing is tenth with 38 points.

The next round of the BTCC will be at Croft, where the Audi performed very well last year with Rob Austin.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Disappointing qualifying for Rob Austin Racing Audi at Oulton Park

By Tarek Ramchani

The British Touring Car Championship is at Oulton Park this weekend, round 4 of the season. Rob Austin Racing the only Audi team in the BTCC, again with their two WIX backed A4 NGTC cars.

After a very difficult Thruxton meeting last time out, Rob Austin Racing was aiming high for this weekend at Oulton Park. However, the qualifying session turned out to be another difficult one for RAR. Rob Austin only managed to qualify in eighteenth place with his #13 Audi A4. The team owner and driver set a time of 1:27.936, 1.806s behind the pole setting car. His teammate Will Bratt, with the #14 Audi, was far behind as he qualified in twenty-third position. Rob Austin is known for his fighting spirit and never giving up, he will fight hard to bounce back. The BTCC field is more competitive than ever, even privateer cars are doing very well, like the Toyota Avenis.

Pole position went to Jason Plato in his factory MG6. Sam Tordoff is second for an all MG front row. In third was Gordon Shedden with the works Honda Civic from Yuasa Honda Racing. The qualifying session results can be seen here.

The three races are set for tomorrow. We wish the best of luck to Rob Austin and Will Bratt.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Rob Austin Racing Audi eager to do well at Oulton Park

By Tarek Ramchani

Rob Austin and Will Bratt had a very difficult weekend with their Audi A4 NGTC cars at Thruxton last time out. You can read our report of the third BTCC meeting right HERE.

The WIX Racing backed Audi A4 proved to be very good, as seen at Brands Hatch with storming performances from Rob Austin. Now after two disappointing rounds, the team is eager to fight back and battle for the top spots. The next round on the BTCC calender is at Oulton Park. A challenging track but very different from the penalizing Thruxton circuit which emphasized the lack of top speed for the A4s.

Rob Austin, the team owner and driver of the #13 Audi A4, had a chat with our friends from BTCC Crazy about the upcoming round at Oulton Park.

"Our sponsor for this year WIX have been amazing as they have given us the platform to compete for the full season. However we don’t have the big budgets of Honda and MG to go out and test when needs be. We have to count the cost of things so we will try get some development on both cars and roll into Oulton nearer to the front than we have done the past few meetings." (quotes sourced from btcccrazy.co.uk)

Photos credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: A weekend to forget for Rob Austin Racing Audi at Thruxton

By Tarek Ramchani

As expected Rob Austin Racing faced a very hard weekend at Thruxton, for the third meeting of the British Touring Car Championship. The two Audi A4 NGTC cars struggled a lot on a very penalizing track.

It all started with a very disappointing qualifying session yesterday, Will Bratt qualified his #14 Audi A4 in eighteenth place and Rob Austin with the #13 car was twenty-fifth. In race 1 Will Bratt again finished in eighteenth place, right ahead of the other Audi with Rob Austin in nineteenth. In race 2 Rob Austin improved one position finishing eighteenth, whilst Will Bratt ended twenty-second. Race 3 was clearly the hardest of the day for RAR. Rob Austin did not finish the race, retiring after eight laps. Will Bratt was seventeenth.

Thruxton race saw a case of Honda domination, the works Honda Yuasa Racing Team won all three races. Matt Neal with the #2 Honda Civic victorious in the first two races of the day. The race three victory went to the 2012 champion, Gordon Shedden, with the #1 Honda Civic.

Rob Austin Racing may have struggled a lot at Thruxton, with a very obvious lack of top speed, however the car is very well balanced, as seen at the previous two rounds at Brands Hatch and Donington Park. Outlon Park is the next stop for the BTCC, a track which could be favorable for the Audi A4s.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Hard qualifying for Rob Austin Audi A4s at Thruxton

By Tarek Ramchani

Thruxton is hosting the third meeting of the British Touring Car Championship this weekend. Rob Austin Racing, with their two Audi A4 NGTC cars, faced a very hard qualifying session.

From the start the two drivers, Rob Austin and Will Bratt, were expecting that their Audis would not be competitive. Thruxton is the fastest track on the BTCC calendar, thus very difficult for the RAR cars. Whilst being one of the strongest cars in the field, the Audis are lacking in power when it comes to top speed performance, when compared to their rivals. Rob Austin the team owner/driver of the #13 Audi A4 qualified in a very disappointing twenty-fifth place. Rob Austin also complained of a broken component in the suspension. His team mate Will Bratt with the sister #14 machine did slightly better, he ended in eighteenth place. Pole position went to Andrew Jordan with his privateer Honda Civic, in second was Gordon Shedden with the factory Honda Yuasa Racing, third was Matt Neal in the second works Honda.

Rob Austin was very disappointed after the hard qualifying: "Well, that was an unfortunate qualifying session. We've found a broken component in the suspension that cost us huge time on corners. Boys working hard now to rectify. Keep smiling folks; the fight back begins tomorrow" (quotes sourced from Rob Austin Racing official Facebook page). Qualifying results are here

The three sprint races are set for tomorrow. We wish the best of luck to the Rob Austin Racing team and their two drivers.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography