Things just keep getting better and better for Daryl DeLeon, securing a 9th place finish at Donington Park GP over the weekend. But it was a surprise result for the Filipino-British driver after a sudden drizzle propelled him from dead last up and into the Top 10 with 5 laps to go. This also marks his best result in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) to-date.
The changing weather conditions meant that Un-Limited Motorsport achieved zero progress on Saturday. Unsure whether the races will be run in the wet or dry, the team was unable to work on the #18 Cupra León’s setup and simply used both Free Practice sessions to scrub their tires. On the brighter side, Daryl was able to set a good lap during Qualifying that put him P13 on the grid, although not quite enough to progress into Q2.
His strong starting position in Race 1, however, failed to convert into results. The Duckhams Racing with Bartercard Cupra León swapped ends under braking only a few laps in, which Daryl managed to save, but lost him a lot of ground. It then took him several laps to get back up to speed before eventually catching up to the pack to finish 17th.
Daryl was back in the fight for Race 2. But in the rough and tumble, he unfortunately picked up some front end damage that required a costly trip to the pits for repairs. The unscheduled stopped saw him rejoin at the very back and finished where he started in 17th place.
After picking up 0 points from the first 2 races, Daryl made sure that he didn’t come home empty handed from Donington Park. A quick getaway in Race 3 saw the 17-year-old climb several places in the opening laps and was looking good for a point-scoring finish. But bad luck struck once again. He suddenly lost power mid-race forcing him to dart into the pits. Although the team was able to quickly resolve the issue, Daryl for the third time in a single weekend, was dead last once more. Then, his fortunes turned in an instant.
Back-to-back safety car periods allowed him to rejoin right at the tail end as the field bunched up for the restart. And as the lights turned green, rain started to come down on the 4.020 km GP circuit. This worked to his advantage as he found grip where others didn’t. Daryl made the most out of the last 5 laps, forcing his way up the standings to land a shock 9th place when the chequered flag dropped.
Finishing in the Top 10 after a rollercoaster of a weekend gives Daryl more to look forward to as the 2024 season of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) comes to an end. The penultimate round will take place at Silverstone Circuit on the 21st/22nd of September, followed by the season finale at Brands Hatch in October.
Daryl DeLeon: “I’m really happy to come home with 9th at Donington Park. We found pace in the car and my best-ever finish. Also, to do it with a pit stop was quite amazing. It was a good comeback in the end after our results in Race 1 and 2. Now looking forward to the last 2 rounds at Silverstone and Brands Hatch. We’ll see and keep on pushing.”
For news and updates, Like the Daryl DeLeon Racing page on Facebook, follow @daryldeleon on Instagram, or visit daryldeleonracing.com.
[Photos courtesy of BTCC and Un-Limited Motorsport]