Title Chasing Turkington Takes Race Two Honours

Team BMW's Colin Turkington came out on top of a five car battle to win Round 17 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton.

It is the tenth victory so far in 2019 for the WSR-run BMWs – a record number achieved by the Surrey outfit in a single season – but it proved to be one of the team's toughest.

"That was the plan," said Turkington. "I wasn't confident beforehand as in the BTCC you never know. You should be faster on the softs but you can never be sure. I knew it was switched on from turn one and I had to be patient to make the right move and get the traction on exit from the 3 Series BMW.

"I don't think it's any more than I did in 2014. The 1 Series was very strong back then too. The guys made a decision to up the game still for this year. We wanted to be better and we built a faster car - we're reaping the rewards."

Dan Cammish claimed second for Halfords Yuasa Racing after fighting back shortly after mid-distance, whilst BMW Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan took the final spot on the podium – the 200th BTCC rostrum in total for the WSR/BMW partnership.

"It feels like a win to me," said Cammish. "That might be the best drive I've had in a touring car. I pretty much burst into tears over the line. I can't tell you how much effort that took to keep someone of Andrew Jordan's calibre behind me. Absolutely mega."

Pole-sitter Tom Ingram led the first half of the contest, expertly defending from the chasing pack in his ballast-heavy Toyota Corolla following his earlier victory. That pack was being headed by Turkington after the Northern Irishman had blasted his 3 Series into second off the line.

Cammish had lost out to Jordan early on, with the former running the Dunlop Sport Maxx medium tyre, but it was all change on lap seven of 12 as the chasers finally got into Ingram.

A slight touch from Turkington's BMW pushed Ingram wide, which in turn bulked up Jordan's BMW behind. When the dust quite literally settled it was Turkington leading from Cammish and Jordan, with the hugely impressive Ollie Jackson in fourth in his Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher Ford Focus.

Ingram was now unfortunately tumbling down the order and it would soon transpire that the Team Toyota GB with Ginsters car was suffering with a mechanical problem – he would eventually cross the line in 23rd.

Behind the lead quartet, which remained unchanged for the closing laps, it was Sam Tordoff in the AmD-run Honda. Yorkshireman Tordoff had dropped positions on the opening lap, having started the race in third, and had to settle for fifth at the finish.

Former team-mates Jason Plato and Ash Sutton took sixth and seventh in their Vauxhall and Subaru respectively, whilst BTC Racing's Chris Smiley battled hard from 14th to take eighth. Smiley was further rewarded with pole position for the reverse grid race, which will take place at 17:30.

Simpson Racing's Matt Simpson and TradePriceCars.com's Jake Hill finished exactly where they started, taking ninth and tenth at the chequered flag.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 17 – Snetterton

1 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 12 laps
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +4.386s
3 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +4.777s
4 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +6.110s
5 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +7.123s
6 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +7.574s
7 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +7.997s
8 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +10.681s
9 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +12.342s
10 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +13.324s
11 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +13.532s
12 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +14.227s
13 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +14.819s
14 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +26.406s
15 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +27.031s
16 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +28.725s
17 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +29.050s
18 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +33.815s
19 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +36.510s
20 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +37.202s
21 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +37.929s
22 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +41.904s
23 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +1m11.677s
24 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1m56.243s
25 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +2 laps
26 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +8 laps
27 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +8 laps
28 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +8 laps
29 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +12 laps
30 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +12 laps

4th August 2019