Daniel Rowbottom is focusing on taking his first win of the season and, although he’s fallen away from the title battle, he isn’t ruling out a late comeback.
Rowbottom is currently fifth in the championship standings after taking a double podium at Oulton Park. Now, after taking that maiden podium for the new DRM team, he’s focusing on the team’s first race win.
“From here on it is about going for wins,” he said. “I don’t believe the title is on anymore – the gap to Mike is too big, maybe. On saying that, I’ve won titles from further back than this…”
The one-car team has been battling at the front of the field for most of the season. Rowbottom has taken points from every race this year, and hasn’t finished outside the top 10 since Donington Park.
But Rowbottom’s qualifying hasn’t been so strong. He’s qualified outside the top 10 in four of the eight races so far, and hasn’t started higher than sixth.
Rowbottom believes, if he wants to take that win, improving qualifying will be essential.
“I like to think we can win a race at Croft,” he said. “As ever, it’ll be vital to qualify on the first few rows, particularly with the sorting out that can happen at Croft’s first corner, Clervaux. It’s infamous for catching people out.
“We’re still not fully there in qualifying. [Mike] Bushell is the qualifying god! He’s able to extract those final few tenths of a second, but I don’t think it’ll be too long before we’re there.”
Feature image credit: Caroline Rhea
