Newsham Shines at Croft: TCR Championship Lead Secured

Following a strong showing at Silverstone, Cobra Sport brand ambassador Callum Newsham arrived at Croft full of confidence and ready to attack the technical Yorkshire circuit. Despite early challenges in qualifying, the weekend unfolded with impressive results and a shift in the championship standings.

Qualifying proved tricky for Callum, as the i30N’s setup wasn’t quite to his liking for the Croft layout. Excessive oversteer through the corners resulted in time lost and limited adjustment time during the session. Despite this, he dug deep and managed to secure a superb P2, a remarkable recovery under difficult conditions.

Race 1

Race one saw Callum hold steady in second place for much of the race. By the final lap, he had closed the gap to just half a second behind the leader, showing his ability to adapt and manage the car’s balance effectively. A solid drive and more importantly, points on the board.

Race 2

The reverse grid format of race two delivered fireworks from the outset. Callum made a blistering start, moving from P9 to P2 within the first lap. But the action didn’t stop there, championship rival Adam Shepherd managed to push him back into P3, only for a dramatic collision between Shepherd and fellow rival Steve to unfold on lap six. The contact saw Steve crash out and allowed Callum to regain second place.
Post-race investigations handed Shepherd a penalty, disqualifying his result and promoting Callum to race winner - a just reward after a hard-fought contest.

Race 3

The final race of the weekend began with a heavy crash at over 120mph involving Steve, who thankfully walked away uninjured. After a lengthy red flag delay and restart, Callum made another good launch but couldn’t quite match Adam’s pace, who had returned to form. The real threat came from behind as Sam Laidlaw applied pressure, but Callum held his nerve to bring the car home in P2 once again.

With consistent podiums across all three races and Adam’s penalty taken into account, Callum now moves into the lead of the championship standings. With half the season remaining, the title fight is well and truly on and things are set to get even more exciting as we head into the next rounds at Oulton Park.