TEAM HALFORDS – ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES A WINNER

Easter weekend saw a positive start to the Team Halfords BTCC assault, as the team left Brands Hatch with three trophies in tow.

Qualifying day saw the 406 Coupes power round the 2.6-mile Grand Prix circuit as the Team Halfords drivers, Dan Eaves and Tim Harvey respectively achieved 4th and 6th position for the Sprint race and 3rd and 6th for the Feature race.

The Sprint race saw a strong start from Harvey who catapulted himself into 5th position, while Eaves tucked in behind the front running cars of Vauxhall’s Muller and Neal and the MG of Anthony Reid. A puncture caused Muller a slow slog to the finish line, and as Reid lost control at wide into the gravel, Eaves was able to move up the grid, and remain in second, to take his best ever podium.

Dan Eaves commented; ‘It was fantastic to finally feel the car working so much better, its handling is great and the set up of the car really works for me. I was battling with understeer at the start, but that improved as the race continued, which let me move past Tim and go for the lead.’

The Feature race proved a bittersweet victory for Team Halfords as Tim Harvey’s lead in the Touring Championship on Lap 8 slipped from view, but the Independent Cup stayed firmly in his grip.

The action packed 20 lap Feature race provided highs and lows for the team. On the 1st lap the Vauxhalls of Tom Chilton and Paul O’Neil went out leaving the way clear for both Team Halfords drivers. Eaves, after securing second, went wide at Graham Hill Bend with power steering problems and dropped down to 7th while resulting in an early pit stop.

Tim Harvey, showing his considerable knowledge of the track fended off both MG’s, and by the 8th Lap was sailing clear in 1st position, while team mate Dan Eaves was stuck in the pits with power steering problems. This stop didn’t fall within the pit stop window, so Eaves was back in the pits for the tyre change on lap 9.

Harvey came into the pits on lap 12 for his regulation pit stop tyre change, and after a blistering 6.2 second pit stop, screamed out of the pits to re-enter the race in 5th Position with 2 cars still to pit.

TOCA officials then advised Team Halfords that car 8 had been penalised for speeding in the pit lane and would be issued with a Stop Go penalty on Lap 17. Penalty completed, Harvey rejoined in a disappointing 11th, but battled his way through the field to finish 1st in the Independents Cup and 7th in the Drivers Championship.

After a 3rd pit stop for continuing power steering problems, Eaves battled on to end the day in 13th for the Drivers Championship, and a 3rd in the Independents Cup.

Despite disappointments in the Feature Race, Team Halfords left Brands Hatch in high spirits after its successful debut in the 2002 British Touring Car Championship. Roll on Oulton Park….