Jake Hill and Colin Turkington both scored victories across a thrilling Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship race day on Sunday to leave WSR the most winning outfit at Knockhill.
Hill’s Race Two victory at the Scottish track plus a pair of fifth-place results in his BMW 330e M Sport helped him close to within three points of the Drivers’ Championship lead. While Turkington’s win and third-place finish made him the weekend’s top scorer.
With Adam Morgan adding a first podium of the year in Race One, Team BMW claimed the Award as the top-scoring team of the weekend while BMW also closed on the lead of the Manufacturers’ Championship, which they aim to win for a record tenth time.
Having taken his third pole position of the season on Saturday, Northern Irishman Turkington was untouchable in Race One as he led every lap and triumphed for the fourth time in 2024 – and the 71st time in his career.
The Team BMW driver then added third place in Race Two and ninth in Race Three to end the event with 46 points – more than any other driver.
While he was racing to the Race Two podium, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s Hill was pulling clear on his way to a sixth victory 2024 on what was his 250th BTCC start.
The Kent racer’s victory was the tenth of the year for WSR and with two further fifth-place finishes, strengthened his title chances.
Morgan secured his first podium finish of the year with a gutsy drive to third in Race One as the Lancashire racer showed strong pace in his BMW.
Sixth in Race Two was followed by an unfortunate non-finish in the finale while running in the top six due to drive-line failure, but the combined efforts of the #33 and Turkington netted Team BMW the award as the top-scoring team of the weekend.
Nine races remain in the 2024 season, the next three taking place at Donington Park, East Midlands, on August 24-25.
Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said: “I’m leaving Knockhill with a winners’ hat so I’m extremely happy with how today’s gone. We’ve had two fifth-place finishes and a win, which is mega. Neither Tom Ingram nor Ash Sutton, who we’re fighting against for the championship, had a big score so we’ve beaten them both considerably and taken the gap down from 21 points to just three. We are ready to continue the attack."
Colin Turkington, Team BMW, said: “It’s been a super weekend and a great way to bounce back after Croft. Reflecting on the weekend; pole, win Race One and podium in Race Two… just brilliant. I started Race Three tenth and finished ninth – it was like snakes and ladders out there. Sometimes the race doesn’t unwind the way you want and that was the case, but the aim was to score points and we’ve done that. We had really good pace with the BMW and I’m excited for the rest of the season.”
Adam Morgan, Team BMW, said: “The BMW’s been strong all day, it’s been a really good day for all of WSR as Colin and Jake had a good day too. It’s a bit of disappointing way to finish in Race Three. We were lying sixth as the safety car came in and as I went to pull a gear unfortunately something failed in the drivetrain. Until that point it was a good day. We had a third and a sixth and that’s where I should be. I felt happy and comfortable and we’ll take those positives onto Donington.”
Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “It’s been a great day at Knockhill in the sunshine. Wins for Jake and Colin and Jake’s only three points off the lead of the Drivers’ Championship. We’ve caught up a lot in the Manufacturers’ points race and we’ve won the Teams’ Trophy with Team BMW so we couldn’t have hoped for much more.”
