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
