Team SWR endured a difficult British F3 International series meeting at
Thruxton, although Josh Fisher was able to overcome a number of problems to secure more points for the National Class championship chase.
The frustrations for the team started in qualifying, where a wrong set-up choice left Fisher, and team-mate Nick Jones, lower than expected on the grid.
With overtaking difficult at most circuits, both drivers knew the races were going to be tough, but Jones didn't get a chance to move up the order when he was hit by Edenbridge driver Cheong Lou Meng on only the second lap and forced to retire.
However Fisher was soon making his way up the order and climbed to fourth in the National Class, the position he would finish in despite lapping just a tenth of a second slower than class victor Barton Mawer.
Race two would provide more challenges for both drivers, with Jones failing to even complete a lap after suffering a driveshaft failure on the start. Fisher was soon running fourth again until he was forced to pit when a tear-off strip from a rivals helmet became wrapped around the airbox hole on his Dallara, leading to an unscheduled pit-stop to have it removed and dropping him to down eighth place.
"The bad luck really hit us hard this weekend," team principal Trevor Powell said. "After the set-up problems in qualifying, the team worked very hard until late on Saturday night to get the cars right for Sunday, but qualifying is a big part of F3 and it's hard to make progress in the races.
"Poor Nick never had a chance to show what he could do, and Josh's problem with the tear-off was absolutely incredible. We just have to hope that luck is more on our side at the next rounds."
