How Newell’s summer discovery helped land Goodyear FIA ETRC Chrome pole

After rapid runs in free practice, Newell secured pole position in the Chrome category in a career-best fourth overall at Autodrom Most yesterday.

With Chrome title rival Mark Taylor eliminated in Q1, Newell is well placed to close on his fellow British racer in the championship chase with the duo just eight points apart prior to the Czech weekend.

“It was good, we were quick all day from Free Practice 1, so we knew we were in a good place,” Newell said. “To finish fourth overall and first in Chrome we were well happy.”

Explaining his rapid form, Newell said: “We had a couple of problems with the truck in Nürburgring, they got to the bottom of it, found what the problem was, put it right and it’s made the truck come alive.”

Asked to explain the nature of the problem, Newell said: “I can’t, no, of course [it’s a secret]!”

Newell will join his Löwenpower team-mate Sascha Lenz on the second row of the grid for Race 1, a prospect he’s relishing.

“I’ve been on pole here before, in Race 2 once, but if you’re on the outside you can get shoved out easy enough but luckily I’m on the inside so we’ll see how it goes,” he said.

Of his Q1 woes, defending Chrome champion Taylor explained what went wrong: "I went out, pushing on my first good lap, had a bit of a lock-up, no major, I knew I could survive from it. As I come out of Turn 10 the truck just kicked out and lost a bit of traction, put the truck off balance and made me touch the corner parker so that cancelled my lap out. As I went out to do my second push lap, the back half of the track started raining, so it turned into a wet lap, and it was impossible with the truck being set up for the dry. So every lap I put in became worser and worser because of the rain and there was nothing I could do. It’s one of them things."