James Nash is predicting a ‘bit of a struggle’ in this weekend’s TCR International Series races at Oschersleben, with the Craft-Bamboo Racing driver carrying the heaviest car on the grid in Germany.
Nash rebounded in the title race to an extent in the previous races at the Salzburgring, scoring a second-place finish in race one and points in race two to close the gap to the points leaders, with team-mate Pepe Oriola enduring a particularly problematic weekend.
The Brit is predicting further strong form from the Volkswagen Golf GTi competitors this weekend, who still carry a 30 kg weight break compared to Nash’s SEAT León TCR. Furthermore, the Brit has to carry 20 kg of success ballast for being the second most successful driver in Austria.
With Oschersleben not having been on the World Touring Car Championship when Nash competed in the series, it has been eight years since he last raced around the circuit near Magdeburg.
“I have raced at Oschersleben before, back in 2008 in the SEAT León Eurocup,” said Nash. “I finished second in the opening race but didn’t finish race two. It marked my first-ever podium result abroad and as such felt very good so I’ve got good memories of the track.
“Oschersleben is a typical modern mix of slow-ish corners and short straights. As such, it should suit the Volkswagen Golf runners very well and for the rest of us it might be a bit of a struggle.
“I did well two weeks ago in Austria, finishing the weekend with a race one podium and overall as the second-top points scorer, but it means that with the success ballast I’ve got to carry for that, together with the high base weight of my Craft Bamboo Racing Lukoil SEAT León, I will actually be driving the heaviest car of anybody in the two races.”
Nash admits that his technical troubles in Imola have cost him in the title race, and he is looking to the next two events in Europe to be problem-free to get his championship challenge back on track.
“Hopefully the technical issues we’ve had with the car recently are now cured,” added the 30-year-old. “It’s not been good having so many DNS’s and DNF’s for the team, certainly so early on.
“We need to focus and get past the next event in Russia in two weeks’ time and then in the series’ summer break we’ll have some real time to work and improve the cars.”