Dorlin Frustrated by Contact After Strong Pace at Knockhill

James Dorlin endured a frustrating weekend at Knockhill in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, with the Restart Racing driver showing strong pace but seeing his progress repeatedly compromised by contact and incidents in the notoriously tight Scottish circuit.

The weekend began with cooler conditions than those experienced at the previous round at Thruxton, while light rain during Saturday's Race to Pole added another challenge for the drivers. Although the drizzle was not heavy enough to require wet tyres, the changing conditions made for a difficult session.

Dorlin initially ran inside the top eight during the 17-lap Race to Pole and looked well placed to secure a strong starting position for Sunday's opening race. However, while battling in the closely packed field, he was pushed wide and, due to the nature of the Knockhill circuit, was unable to regain the racing line.

The incident dropped James down the order and left him fighting back from 16th, eventually finishing the session in 15th position and leaving him with a difficult starting position for race day.

Despite the setback, Dorlin continued to show encouraging pace throughout Sunday's three races. However, the tight and unforgiving nature of Knockhill once again proved challenging, with contact and being forced off line costing valuable positions.

In the final race, James lost ground at the start but immediately began fighting back, making several positions during the opening lap. The car felt strong underneath him and James was able to continue pushing forward.

However, his progress was again compromised when he was pushed out during the second lap. The contact cost him further positions and, despite recovering some of the lost ground during the remainder of the race, James felt the earlier incident had ultimately affected the outcome.

Reflecting on the weekend, Dorlin was frustrated that the pace of the car had not translated into the results he felt were possible.

James Dorlin said:

"Knockhill has been a really tough weekend for us. The pace we've had has been really good, but we just haven't been in the right place at the right time and we've been getting shoved left and right."

"In Race 3 we lost a bit off the line, but we made a few places back on the first lap, so we were moving forward and the car felt good. Then on lap two I was pushed out and that affected our race."

"After that we were a few places down and although we came back, we'd lost a bit in that first bit of contact. That's touring cars unfortunately, especially around here at Knockhill."

"We'll put this one behind us and look forward to Donington and see what we can do there."

While the results may not have reflected the underlying pace, Dorlin leaves Knockhill determined to put the frustrations behind him and focus on the next opportunity. The championship now moves on to Donington Park, where James and the Restart Racing team will be looking to convert their pace into the results they have been chasing.