Btcc crashing

The Fifer, whose father, Derek, is the owner and CEO of Knockhill Racing Circuit, was sent into a barrel-roll in the third race of the Silverstone weekend after contact with Halfords Yuasa Racing's Matt Neal.

Although his Motorbase Performance Ford Focus made heavy impact with the barrier, Butcher emerged relatively unscathed, although his team faced a battle to repair his car in time to race this weekend.

A podium in the opening race of the Silverstone weekend helped fifth-placed Butcher move on to points in the drivers' standings, 45 behind leader Ash Sutton, with nine rounds of the season remaining.

Speaking to the BTCC website, Butcher reflected: "That was the biggest crash I've ever had in my whole career but I actually walked out of the car and, other than a bit of tenderness in my legs, I've got back to training pretty quickly.

"I am, fortunately, doing really well. I think it just shows the strength of these NGTC (Next Generation Touring Car) touring cars and what a great job Motorbase Performance and Custom Cages have done in designing the shell.

"I've watched it over and over again, and the reason being is I really wanted to try and understand what happened for it to happen in the first place. Because of that, I've seen the impact and the car rolling and so on and, if I'm honest, I remember it vividly.

"I remember being alongside Matt Neal, I remember us being close, but I don't think we realised quite how close we were. If I'm honest, I wouldn't even describe it as contact. There was the lightest of touches because I didn't sense contact as such, I just felt the car go really light and, before you knew it, I was facing backwards.

"The impact itself was big but the scary part is just before it because, just as your skiting across the grass, you have a little moment to look over your shoulder and see what you're about to hit. It's the time between seeing that and actually hitting it that's quite scary.

"But, once I hit the barrier, I was curled up with my arms across my chest just trying to protect myself. You just feel these hits and you don't know what's going on."

Butcher continued: "In some ways, it's a fortunate thing I actually hit the barrier because the speed I was going, I could've narrowly missed that barrier but what would've happened is I would've crossed the track and I think somebody would've been collected. I think that would've been worse – the other driver may have been injured.

"I think the best thing may have happened, to the car's detriment, but nobody got hurt and that's the good thing.

"We've only walked away with 17 points and we did lose some ground but it's not over. It's almost made me more determined.

"I'm going to be going to Croft with a positive mindset and with the aim of coming away with a good points haul. I think it's just important to crack on and get on with it. It's not scaring me; these things happen and is just part of what we do.

"I've got such a focus on trying to fight for this championship that there's nothing else for it but to go straight out and crack on."

Rounds 19, 20 and 21 on Sunday will be broadcast live on ITV4.