Team HARD. Racing's quintet of Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship drivers had a mixed weekend at the squad's local circuit of Brands Hatch last weekend (14/15 May), with Bobby Thompson rounding off the day with a maiden podium at the Kent circuit.

Having qualified 19th on Saturday, Thompson improved throughout race day in his Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero Cupra to clinch third in the final encounter:

“Finally, we managed to draw in our first podium," said the 25-year-old. "I think that is a huge jump for me in terms of mindset but also for the team. We know that we can do it and that we can hold our own against the more established teams in the series. In race three we were able to take it to the factory BMWs which proved in qualifying to be the car to beat this season.

“We didn’t quite maximise our qualifying on Saturday, but race day is where the points are won, and now we know we have a very strong race car in both the wet and dry. It's testament to the team who have worked incredibly hard over the winter to put us in the best shape possible.

“Going into the rest of the season we will be looking for more podiums as well as continuing to bank those points in our pursuit for the Independents' and Jack Sears championships.”

Team-mate Will Powell enjoyed his series debut on the 1.21-mile Indy circuit, having previously admitted his aim for the weekend was to learn as much as possible:

“What a baptism of fire! I’m loving being in the BTCC with Team HARD. Racing," announced the rookie. "Brands was always going to be a massive learning curve but trying to learn the car in varying weather conditions, often racing on a slick tyre on a wet or damp track, was very challenging.

"The team did an amazing job to get my Cupra Leon ready and I just wanted to do it justice. With any new race car, you get teething problems, and we knew this weekend would be a ‘test’ in the public spotlight but there was no choice.

“In race one, we decided to roll the dice and went for slicks on the grid, even though the track was wet, gambling on it drying. Then when a dry line appeared late in the race, I managed to set some competitive times and learnt loads about driving a touring car on the limit! In race two I had a bit of bad luck, and then I made a poor start in Race 3 and ran wide on the slippery track causing the car to overheat with blocked radiators requiring a pit stop to clear the ducts. Classic rookie mistakes that we’ll learn from.

“Overall, I cannot thank my crew and the whole team enough for the faith they’ve shown in me. I’ve now racked up a couple of hours running in the car and I’m looking forward to the next three races at Thruxton which will hopefully be more ‘normal’ and will allow me to get to grips with the Cupra.”

Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing's Aron Taylor-Smith consistently added to his Independent Drivers' points, and now sits fifth in the Standings, despite a trying weekend:

“A difficult weekend for our side of the garage, qualifying put us on the backfoot and the changeable conditions on Sunday also threw another spanner in the works.

“For me personally, we struggled to find the sweet spot in terms of what we needed from the car but at the same time, we have done very limited wet running. Having said that we learned a lot about my own driving and what I need from a car in those conditions to make it quick.

“In summary, a character-building race day but at the same time still positives to be taken. One thing that has to stand out is Bobby’s podium, I am over the moon for him and the team because it’s great to see the team get the results they deserve. Hats off to him, he drove impeccably in all three races and thoroughly deserved those results."

Nic Hamilton had a learning weekend, as he got used to the latest updates made to his car - to learn more about how Hamilton's car differs from the others on the grid, click here.

“I’m pleased with the weekend and excited for the future after what we learnt this weekend," said Hamilton. "We have a new servo-assisted brake pedal which wasn’t in the car until Saturday morning, and you don’t have a lot of time to get things sorted in practice, so Saturday was all about trying to fine-tune the brake pedal in the dry, but with rain ever-present on Sunday, it made the situation a lot more difficult.

"Getting the feeling with the new brake pedal in the rain during race one was a challenge as I’d never pressed the pedal before in the wet. Our pace showed progress throughout the day, and I didn’t feel any pain in the car which was nice and a really big improvement.

“I think we just need to fine-tune this brake pedal. Once we're there, I will gain even more time and, to be honest, I’m proud of my performance. I was consistent, didn’t make any mistakes and I don’t think you could expect any more after such a drastic change in the braking system that I'd never driven before."

Uptonsteel with Euro Car Parts Racing's Rick Parfitt had a disappointing end to the weekend with an unfortunate retirement in the final race of the day, having secured a best finish of 22nd during the second encounter as he continues to adapt to his Infiniti Q50:

“Another tough weekend where we suffered a lot of niggles that hampered my progress. But the positives are that I went quicker every time I went out and I am finally starting to understand the car.

"We will come back stronger at Thruxton in a couple of weeks' time.”

Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com was able to maintain its place at the head of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship on what proved to be a challenging, mixed-weather weekend on track at Brands Hatch last weekend (14/15 May).

Things started well for the Suffolk-based team, with points leader Tom Ingram topping the times in the opening practice session of the weekend despite not being able to use hybrid power due to his championship position.

Come qualifying, Ingram would secure sixth in a closely-fought session that saw over half of the grid dip below the previous lap record, with team-mates Tom Chilton in 12th and Dan Lloyd in 16th. Jack Butel meanwhile would line up in 27th, with his focus on trying to make up ground when the race action kicked off.

Rain in the preceding support series race provided a fresh challenge for the quartet going into the opening race of the weekend, with all four competing in the wet with hybrid power for the first time.

In tricky conditions on a drying track, Ingram fought his way through the field with a number of impressive overtakes as he climbed to third. When Jake Hill then had a moment at Paddock Hill Bend, Ingram took full advantage to grab second place and add another podium to his total.

From twelfth on the grid, Chilton was in the heart of the action in the midfield and ran tenth in the early stages. Part of a four-car battle for position throughout, he would start the weekend with a 13th place finish with Lloyd two spots behind having recovered well after running wide through the gravel at Clearways.

Butel also made good progress as he showed impressive speed to come through to 19th place, setting a fastest lap comparable with the top six.

With the rain continuing for race two, Ingram lined up second on the grid but was shuffled back to fifth in the early laps, where he would remain right through to the chequered flag.

Lloyd’s recovery from the opening lap incident in race one continued with a battling drive through to eighth place – the highlight being a three-way fight with the BMWs of Colin Turkington and George Gamble in the closing stages – whilst Chilton would take the flag in twelfth spot.

Butel would repeat his result from race one to cross the line in 19th having lost ground avoiding an incident at the start, with the reverse grid draw for race three seeing Chilton drawn onto pole position.

Chilton held position at the start of the final race before the safety car was called out to recover the Honda of Jason Plato from the gravel.

On the restart, he would stay out front before falling prey to some of the quicker cars behind, with his hopes of bringing home a top-six finish ended when he was forced to pit. A spin into the gravel at Clearways would then see his weekend end with an unfortunate DNF.

From eighth on the grid, Ingram battled his way through to fourth place at the finish to retain his strong start to the campaign, with Lloyd adding another top ten finish to his tally with ninth spot. Butel meanwhile would once again take the flag in 19th having raced hard in the midfield.

At the end of the weekend, Ingram continues to lead the overall championship standings, with Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com on top of the Teams’ Championship and EXCELR8 Motorsport heading the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ points.

"It’s always close round here and it was bonkers that a tenth of a second would have seen me up in the top six in qualifying,” said Chilton. “It’s been a tricky weekend though, and I struggled a bit for pace which is something we’ll look at before Thruxton.

"We managed to bag points in the opening two races and it’s frustrating that we ended the weekend in the gravel when I’d started on pole, but unfortunately I was just struggling for grip after the early laps and then contact damaged the front left.

"A little rub on the next lap was enough for the tyre to let go and I think it was just a cold tyre that then caught me out at Clearways when I went back out – and there was no saving it in those conditions. Roll on Thruxton, where I’ll be fighting hard to bounce back."

"All in all we’ve had a solid day,” proclaimed Ingram. “To come away from race one with a podium was a bit of a surprise after qualifying, but the conditions worked in our favour a bit. It was changing all the time which made it difficult, but we were able to stay out of trouble and have bagged more solid points.

"At this stage of the season, that is the real focus rather than worrying about where we are in the championship, although it’s nice to be going away from here still leading the standings. We’ve also now got some experience behind us when it comes to running the hybrid in wet conditions as – amazingly – all of our pre-season running was in the dry.

"It’s good that we’ve been able to tick that box, and we can leave Brands Hatch with our heads held high."

"After Donington Park, I would have bitten your hand off for three 19th-place finishes, although I do feel mixed emotions a bit,” admitted Butel. “Qualifying was difficult and it left me with work to do in the races, and I don’t feel our pace is reflected in the end results.

"The positive is that we have had good pace in all three races but, unfortunately, we just haven’t been in the position to really benefit from it. I hope we can go well at Thruxton, where I won the Jack Sears Trophy last season, and push for the kind of results that I feel we deserve."

"Brands Hatch has thrown a lot at us this weekend and it’s been a challenging one,” concluded Lloyd. “We went a certain way with the set-up coming into it but we could see in practice it was the wrong call, and we made changes for qualifying only to lose the hybrid, which cost me time.

"After the issue at the start of race one, it was all about recovering as best we could and we came through the pack well to score points in all three races and grab another pair of top ten finishes.

"Although there is a bit of frustration that we weren’t able to score the results I know we could have done, the pace is in the car and it won’t take much for us to be right up there fighting in the top five in the events to come."

After a busy Brands Hatch weekend, Alan Hyde was back in our ears last night as the latest episode of Tin Top Tuesday as the popular pitlane commentator and a raft of BTCC guests unpacked the events of the latest outing on the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship calendar.

You can listen back to the almost three-hour-long show below, catching up with stars including Josh Cook, Bobby Thompson, Tom Ingram and more.

Continuing Alan's new hashtag, let us know how you're catching up with episode two using #ThisIsHowIListen on Twitter!

Local driver Michael Crees experienced mixed fortunes at his home track of Brands Hatch Indy Circuit over the weekend (14/15 May) during the second race weekend of the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Having shown great pace in the CarStore Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra during Qualifying, with Crees finishing just 0.4 seconds shy of pole position and a wet and rainy opening race on Sunday saw the #777 machine charge through the pack to cross the line in 12th.

Bad luck would strike, however, during the second contest, when a multi-car incident on the opening lap caused significant damage to Crees’ Vauxhall Astra. The 38-year-old was forced to retire on the eighth tour of the 1.21-mile circuit and was unable to start Round 6 due to the crucial damage the car sustained.

Since the weekend, the team is already hard at work to ensure Crees’ Vauxhall is race-ready for the next outing on the BTCC calendar, at Thruxton, in just under two weeks’ time (28/29 May).

“I’m absolutely gutted for the weekend to have finished how it did after such a strong start,” admitted Crees. “But it’s great to know the car has real pace and I can’t wait now to jump back in at Thruxton in a couple of weeks!

“I have to say a huge thank you to everyone for all the amazing support I received across the weekend. It’s always fantastic racing on home ground at Brands but it truly was overwhelming to have as many guests there and to have as much support as we did.”

Dan Cammish strengthened his Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship attack at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit (14/15 May) with an impressive hat-trick of top ten finishes, including a pair of podiums.

The NAPA Racing UK driver made a notable comeback on the 1.21-mile circuit, following a single points finish at season opener Donington Park after a fire caused the Yorkshire driver difficulty over the race weekend.

Saturday provided scorching heat and an exciting qualifying session in which Cammish secured eighth on the grid for race one.

Despite this, Sunday’s weather took a turn for the worse as the rain increased throughout the morning, resulting in all but two cars opting to start the opening contest on wet tyres. Cammish made a strong start but was unable to defend from Gordon Shedden on lap two as the Honda slipped by. Cammish then raced his way to third, securing his first podium of the campaign.

Race two saw the 33-year-old start in third and hold position until lap ten, when a four-lap battle with the Toyota of Rory Butcher ensued. Cammish resisted the competition and fought his way through the grid before finishing in an impressive second place, making it two visits to the rostrum over the weekend.

The rain came in full force for race three and consequently triggered two Safety Car periods during the 27-lap encounter. This, combined with the full wet conditions, made for a challenging race for Cammish, and he would cross the line in tenth, departing from the Kent-based circuit with 38 championship points.

With only two weeks before the next instalment of the season, as the BTCC roars into Thruxton (28/29 May), the NAPA Racing UK driver will be hoping to build on a change of fortunes at Brands Hatch.

“Overall, it was a good weekend," reflected Cammish. "What a difference a couple of weeks make! From Donington where we were on fire, literally, to Brands Indy where we're on fire metaphorically.

“Race day was great. We had two podiums: a third and a second. I think with another lap I could have won race two and another five laps I could have been quite a way in the lead. Everything that I needed from the car came to me and Josh [Cook] had used everything that he had. That's just the way we set the cars up and the way we roll it out, so I was really happy. Race three was a struggle for me and Ash [Sutton] and we came through to sixth from tenth, but it's not where we wanted to be.

“We struggled a little because it never dried enough to give us the car back that we need. It's interesting that we get a similar feeling in the full wet as we do in the full dry, but there's that in-between moment where the car is fantastic. I can't quite get my head around that, so I think we've got some homework to do, but on the whole, it’s been very positive. We've got two trophies in the bag, some points, so I can't ask for much more.”

Brands Hatch's Indy Circuit played host to the most recent rounds of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, with the Kent circuit providing a trio of enthralling races on 15 May.

As always, you can relive all the thrills and spills from the 1.21-mile circuit using the BTCC's circuit commentary podcasts below!

Race 1:

Race 2:

Race 3:

BTCC brings the noise to a busy Brands Hatch and viewers on ITV

Josh Cook claimed a memorable Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship double at Brands Hatch today (15 May), before four-time champion Colin Turkington bounced back with a win in the finale at the famous Kent venue. 

Team BMW’s Turkington topped an incredible BMW 1-2-3-4 during qualifying on Saturday, but it was all change when a damp race day ensued come Sunday. 

Cook – starting fifth on the grid – gradually carved his way by the Bavarian machines to win the opening race around the 1.21-mile Indy circuit, before the Rich Energy BTC Racing star produced a commanding lights-to-flag success in the second bout. 

With rain falling for much of the morning, the vast majority of runners selected Goodyear wet tyres for the first race with the front-running BMWs initially leading the way. 

Pole-sitter Turkington went side-by-side with stablemate Jake Hill through Paddock Hill Bend for the first time, whilst Cook took the wide line to get the better of Team BMW’s Stephen Jelley. 

Cook made his life somewhat more difficult, however, as he briefly ran off-track to hand Jelley the position back shortly after. As the duo squabbled in the early stages it allowed the leading Turkington and ROKiT MB Motorsport’s Hill to scamper away. 

Jelley was the first of the BMWs to falter as Cook nipped back by at Druids on lap seven, but both Turkington and Hill also began struggling with their tyres by mid-distance. 

Hill then ran wide at Clearways as Cook squeezed into second, and five laps later he was leading following a good move by Turkington at Paddock.

Cook calmly went about his business for the remainder of the contest as the Bath racer took his first win of the 2022 season, and he would soon become the first double winner of the new campaign. 

Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com’s Tom Ingram and NAPA Racing UK’s Dan Cammish also benefitted from the fading pace of the BMWs to impressively complete the podium positions, whilst Hill and Turkington had to settle for fourth and fifth respectively. 

A fantastic race ensued in the next bout, building towards an exciting climax as the cars of Cook, Hill and Cammish ran nose-to-tail in the closing stages. 

The BMW 330e M Sport of Hill clipped the kerb at Druids on lap 22 of 24 as he spun out of contention, with Cammish eventually finishing just +0.253s behind Cook as the chequered flag fell. 

Butcher inherited third following Hill’s spin, whilst Ash Sutton made it a double celebration for NAPA Racing UK with fourth.

West Surrey Racing and BMW eventually overcame its struggles in the final race as Turkington went with a full wet setup to take the spoils. 

Reversed-grid pole-sitter Tom Chilton held station off the line and even withstood an early safety car spell, which followed an off at Druids for Rich Energy BTC Racing’s Jason Plato. 

The Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com Hyundai couldn’t hang on, however, as Chilton was gradually relegated down the order before pitting with a problem. 

Turkington fired his BMW 330e M Sport around the outside of Chilton at Paddock Hill Bend on lap eight, and Jake Hill’s ROKiT MB Motorsport machine soon followed suit. 

The story of the race was developing behind as an opportunistic move from Bobby Thompson pushed the Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero racer into third. 

Chilton’s day eventually ended in the gravel as another safety car period was called for late on, with all eyes on the two BMWs and Thompson’s Team HARD-run Cupra. 

The West Surrey Racing duo of Turkington and Hill remained line astern until the finish, whilst Thompson crossed the line for his first-ever podium in the UK’s premier motorsport series. 

It was a fitting and celebratory end to a wonderful weekend as Brands Hatch welcomed a big crowd, whilst the BTCC starred live on ITV for the first time in 15 years. 

Sunday’s race day commenced on ITV4 – the home of the BTCC – for the opening race before action switched to ITV for races two and three. 

Consistent top five finishes throughout the day for Ingram ensured the 28-year-old maintained his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Standings, with ‘star of the day’ Cook now just eight points in arrears. 

EXCELR8 Motorsport/Hyundai heads the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ order, as does its Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com outfit in the Teams’ table.

Cook and his Rich Energy BTC Racing squad hold the sway in both Independents’ championships, whilst rookie George Gamble impressively leads the Jack Sears Trophy. 

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returns at Thruxton in two weeks’ time (28/29 May). 

Josh Cook said: “I’m knackered – that was hard work! For us, it’s about the point scores, we need to keep scoring big points. Last year we lost out on the championship because of a couple of bad weekends so we need to make hay while the sun shines and just grab as many points as we can.

So, I’m pleased with the wins, but I’m happier about the points. We’ve just got to keep doing that every single weekend, to really boost the team. We had a tough start to the season at Donington, but to come here and get two wins is mega.”

Colin Turkington said: “I’m just so pleased I’ve got a reward for all the hard work yesterday after getting pole position. The weather didn’t favour us today, but for race three, we said let’s just go with a wet setup, starting P3 let’s just get to the front and go, and my gosh it was a different car.

“I knew I needed to get my head down, but a safety car with five laps to go! My engineer John kept me focussed on the radio and I knew I had better pace in my BMW than the guys behind, so I kept the focus to the flag. It’s been a super weekend for me. First podium of the year, first win of the year and good to see the BMW back at the front.”

Tom Ingram said: “All in all, we’ve had a solid day. Second in the first race was a bit unexpected with where we started and if you’d said we would come out of the weekend still leading the championship then I would have been surprised as the gap was so close and it was always going to be a challenge here. The track was changing all the time on race day and I’m pleased to still be leading, although the focus now is very much on scoring points. Yes, I want to win and I want to get podiums, but the points are what’s important and if we can keep bagging those top five finishes as we have done so far then I’ll be pleased.”

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Brands Hatch Indy

1.         Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing 24 laps
2.         Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.802s    
3.         Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +4.209s  
4.         Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +5.037s 
5.         Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +7.691s  
6.         Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +10.120s  
7.         Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +10.848s  
8.         Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +11.670s  
9.         Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +12.509s  
10.       Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +14.385s  

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Brands Hatch Indy  

1.            Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing 24 laps
2.            Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +0.253s   
3.            Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +0.932s 
4.            Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +4.381s  
5.            Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +7.185s 
6.            Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +10.086s  
7.            Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +10.384s 
8.            Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +10.889s   
9.            George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +11.965s  
10.         Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +12.666s  

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Brands Hatch Indy

1.       Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 27 laps 
2.       Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +1.181s
3.       Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +5.198s
4.       Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +5.808s 
5.       Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +6.186s 
6.       Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +6.488s 
7.       George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +7.031s 
8.       Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +8.256s
9.       Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +9.062s  
10.     Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +9.543s 

Team BMW bounced back from a challenging start to Sunday as four-time champion Colin Turkington took victory in the final Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship contest at Brands Hatch.

Reversed-grid pole-sitter Tom Chilton held station off the line and even withstood an early safety car spell, which followed an off at Druids for Rich Energy BTC Racing's Jason Plato.

The Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com Hyundai couldn't hang on, however, as Chilton was gradually relegated down the order before pitting with a problem.

Turkington calmly fired his BMW 330e M Sport around the outside of Chilton at Paddock Hill Bend on lap eight, and Jake Hill's ROKiT MB Motorsport machine soon followed suit.

The story of the race was developing behind as an opportunistic move from Bobby Thompson pushed the Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero racer into third.

Chilton's day eventually ended in the gravel as another safety car period was called for late on, with all eyes on the two BMWs and Thompson's Cupra.

The West Surrey Racing duo of Turkington and Hill remained line astern until the finish, whilst Thompson crossed the line for his first-ever podium in the UK's premier motorsport series.

Tom Ingram continued his impressive start to the 2022 campaign with fourth for Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com, as he maintained his standings lead.

Toyota GAZOO Racing UK's Rory Butcher and NAPA Racing UK's Ash Sutton were inseparable throughout as they came home in fifth and sixth respectively, ahead of Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport's George Gamble.

Eighth rounded off a stellar afternoon for Josh Cook – following his double victory earlier in the day – whilst Daniel Lloyd (Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com) and Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK) completed the top ten positions.

"I’m just so pleased I’ve got a reward for all the hard work yesterday after getting pole position," said Turkington. "The weather didn’t favour us today, but for race three, we said let’s just put a wet setup, starting P3 let’s just get to the front and go, and my gosh it was a different car.

"I knew I needed to get my head down, but a safety car with five laps to go! My engineer John kept me focussed on the radio and I knew I had better pace in my BMW than the guys behind, so I kept the focus to the flag. It’s been a super weekend for me. First podium of the year, first win of the year and good to see the BMW back at the front."

“I think I could have done that a bit sooner in the day, but it's great to be on the podium in the last one,” admitted Hill. “The car was good, my ROKiT MB Motorsport car was just fantastic in that last race! I think the BMWs excel when it’s a bit wetter, so with it being so greasy all day, before that last race it just didn't bite. We were still quick all day and I'm glad that it was mistake-free this time. I learned my lesson and we can come home with a podium.”

“It’s my first podium,” said Thompson, “and podiums don’t come often for the team, but hopefully they will now! To be the first front-wheel drive car – isn’t that just incredible. We had everything thrown at us; rain, then it stopped raining, a couple of safety cars. It's thrown it all at us and we held our own. I'm so proud of the boys and the job they’ve done this winter. They keep me on my toes and keep me honest out there. I’m loving every minute of it, I’m loving it.”

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Brands Hatch Indy 

1.       Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 27 laps 
2.       Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +1.181s
3.       Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +5.198s
4.       Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +5.808s 
5.       Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +6.186s 
6.       Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +6.488s 
7.       George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +7.031s 
8.       Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +8.256s
9.       Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +9.062s  
10.     Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +9.543s 
11.     Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +11.783s 
12.     Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +12.012s 
13.     Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +12.276s
14.     Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +12.336s 
15.     Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +14.014s 
16.     Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +14.777s 
17.     Jade EDWARDS (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +15.000s
18.     Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +15.927s 
19.     Jack BUTEL (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +16.152s
20.     Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +17.075s 
21.     Ash HAND (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +17.940s 
22.     Dan ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +18.645s 
23.     Dexter PATTERSON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +21.977s 
24.     Nic HAMILTON (GBR) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +25.229s 
25.     Will POWELL (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +1 lap
26.     Tom CHILTON (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +12 laps
27.     Rick PARFITT (GBR) Uptonsteel with Euro Car Parts Racing +14 laps
28.     Jason PLATO (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +27 laps

Rich Energy BTC Racing's Josh Cook secured a memorable double around the Brands Hatch Indy circuit after withstanding intense pressure throughout the second Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship race.

Cook – the first double race winner of the 2022 season – made a strong getaway from pole position, with ROKiT MB Motorsport's Jake Hill behind, whilst the car of NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish bogged down off the line.

There was contact further down the field going into Paddock Hill Bend for the first time as both cars from Laser Tools Racing (Aiden Moffat and Dexter Patterson), CarStore Power Maxed Racing (Ash Hand and Michael Crees) and the Halfords Racing with Cataclean Honda of Dan Rowbottom were all caught up in the melee.

Cammish was embroiled in a battle with the Toyota Corolla of Rory Butcher, after that had both seen off the attentions of championship leader Tom Ingram in the EXCELR8 Motorsport Hyundai.

A fantastic race ensued and gradually built towards an exciting climax with the cars of Cook, Hill and Cammish nose-to-tail in the closing stages.

The BMW 330e M Sport of Hill clipped the kerb at Druids on lap 22 of 24 and spun at low speed, as a number of rivals relegated him further down the order.

Cammish pressured Cook until the finish, but the Bath racer held on to clinch his second successive victory.

"I'm knackered – that was hard work!" said Cook. "For us, it's about the point scores, we need to keep scoring big points. Last year we lost out on the championship because of a couple of bad weekends so we need to make hay while the sun shines and just grab as many points as we can.

So I'm pleased with the wins, but I'm more happy about the points. We've just got to keep doing that every single weekend, really boost the team. We had a tough start to the season at Donington, but to come here and get two wins is mega.

"I was counting down the laps; every single time I crossed the line, I was trying to save some hybrid for the end in case an assault happened. I could see in my mirrors I was being hassled by Jake and the way that he was sliding that car into Druids was just spectacular.

Good to watch, but terrifying when he would close in again! I don't really know what happened, but he drove a good race. I was lucky to hold off the guys at the end."

Butcher inherited third after his own impressive drive, whilst Ash Sutton made it a double celebration for NAPA Racing UK with fourth.

Ingram and Halfords Racing with Cataclean's Gordon Shedden were fifth and sixth respectively, ahead of the frustrated Hill.

Daniel Lloyd (Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com), George Gamble (Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport) and Colin Turkington (Team BMW) completed the top ten positions.

A special mention also for Rich Energy BTC Racing's Jade Edwards for securing 15th, the second points score of her BTCC career so far.

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Brands Hatch Indy  

  
1.            Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing 24 laps
2.            Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +0.253s   
3.            Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +0.932s 
4.            Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +4.381s  
5.            Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +7.185s 
6.            Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +10.086s  
7.            Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +10.384s 
8.            Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +10.889s   
9.            George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +11.965s  
10.         Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +12.666s  
11.         Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +13.032 
12.         Tom CHILTON (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +13.558s  
13.         Jason PLATO (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +17.570s  
14.         Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +18.143s 
15.         Jade EDWARDS (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +18.316s 
16.         Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +22.026s 
17.         Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +23.999s  
18.         Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +24.900s 
19.         Jack BUTEL (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +25.117s 
20.         Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +31.305s 
21.         Nic HAMILTON (GBR) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +38.800s  
22.         PARFITT (GBR) Uptonsteel with Euro Car Parts Racing +39.506     
23.         Will POWELL (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +1 lap
24.         Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +3 laps
25.          Michael CREES (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +17 laps
26.         Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +24 laps
27.         Ash HAND (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +24 laps
28.         Dexter PATTERSON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +24 laps

Rich Energy BTC Racing's Josh Cook produced a stellar drive in slippery conditions as the Honda Civic driver won the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship opener at Brands Hatch.

With rain falling onto the famous Indy circuit in Kent, the vast majority of runners went with Goodyear wet tyres, and it was the BMW quartet – dominant during qualifying yesterday – that initially led the way.

Pole-sitter Colin Turkington went side-by-side with stablemate Jake Hill through Paddock Hill Bend for the first time, whilst Cook took the wide line to get the better of Team BMW's Stephen Jelley.

Cook made his life somewhat more difficult, however, as he ran briefly off-track to hand Jelley the position back shortly after. As the duo squabbled in the early stages it allowed the leading Turkington and Hill to scamper away.

Jelley was the first of the Bavarian machines to fade as Cook nipped back by at Druids on lap seven, but both Turkington and Hill also began struggling with their tyres by mid-distance.

On lap 12 of 24, it was the slick-shod Toyota of Rory Butcher that was the quickest car on track as the conditions swung back towards the chasing pack.

The ROKiT MB Motorsport BMW of Hill then ran wide at Clearways as Cook nudged his way into second, and five laps later he was leading following a structured move by Turkington at Paddock.

Cook calmly went about his business for the remainder of the contest as the Bath racer took his first win of the 2022 season.

"We like the mixed conditions but what a rookie error at the start!" said Cook. "But the chassis is just unbelievable. We know that the car goes really well in those conditions, and I had a really good car in the dry so I'm just really happy it transferred into the wet as well!

"Because I’d taken the delightful trip across the grass, my water temp was just slowly going up, so I had to kind of make sure I wasn't going to have to come in the pits – because there was a time where definitely that was an option!"

Hill disposed of Turkington and looked to attack Cook again for the lead at one point before the young star ran through the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend in the closing laps.

"I’m glad that we stayed out, just kept it below that turn-off limit and had to push when it counted," confirmed Cook. "As soon as Jake got back up onto me, I had to really try to get my head down and push, I don't know what happened, but I suddenly looked and he was gone. But I’m just really pleased for the team. I think we’ve worked really hard and they all deserve that."

Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com's Tom Ingram and NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish benefitted from the drama to impressively complete the podium positions, whilst Hill and Turkington had to settle for fourth and fifth respectively.

"I’m really pleased," said Ingram. "It was just a case of being patient, trying to save some (tyres/hybrid) where we could and almost hoping that other people around us start to drop away with tyres which thankfully they did. Full credit to Josh, he got on with the job early, managed to make hay whilst the sun wasn't quite shining but was in a good place!

"I could try to gloss it up and be nice, but I did have a smile on my face [as Jake ran wide]," responded Cammish. "It was really, really tricky conditions. There was one line and, if you got slightly off it, you were driving on what felt like an oil slick. It was at Paddock Hill, Druids was the same, Graham Hill was the same. Every corner there was such a finite line you had to take. But as a start for Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com, I’m pretty pleased!"

Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan took sixth from the charging Butcher in the #6 Toyota GAZOO Racing UK car, who arguably could have won the race if it was just a few laps longer.

Reigning champion Ash Sutton raced brilliantly to bring his Ford Focus through the field to ninth, sandwiched between the Halfords Racing with Cataclean duo of Gordon Shedden and Dan Rowbottom.

With the action already underway on ITV4, the coverage switches to ITV for Races 2 and 3 from 2pm.

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Brands Hatch Indy  

1.         Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing 24 laps
2.         Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.802s    
3.         Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +4.209s  
4.         Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +5.037s 
5.         Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +7.691s  
6.         Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +10.120s  
7.         Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +10.848s  
8.         Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +11.670s  
9.         Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +12.509s  
10.       Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +14.385s  
11.       Ash HAND (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +15.034s  
12.       Michael CREES (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +15.344s  
13.       Tom CHILTON (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +15.459s  
14.       George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +16.222s  
15.       Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +17.661s   
16.       Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +19.664s  
17.       Jason PLATO (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +20.553s  
18.       Jade EDWARDS (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +28.181s 
19.       Jack BUTEL (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +28.884s 
20.       Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +29.631s 
21.       Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +34.740s  
22.       Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +35.759s  
23.       Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +35.985s  
24.       Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +36.219s  
25.       Dexter PATTERSON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +36.748s  
26.       Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +40.999s  
27.       Nic HAMILTON (GBR) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +47.763s  
28.       Rick PARFITT (GBR) Uptonsteel with Euro Car Parts Racing +48.505s         
29.       Will POWELL (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +1 Lap