Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship race winner Adam Morgan had a tough time north of the border, while team-mate Jack Butel added another trio of race finishes to his BTCC résumé, as the championship made its annual visit to Knockhill at the end of August (29/30).

Qualifying saw Morgan set a strong time prior to a red flag stopping the session. On the restart, the squad elected to save rubber for race day, which would unfortunately see the #33 car drop down the order as the last gaggle of cars crossed the timing line, resulting in a 14th place start for the opening encounter.

“That was just one of those things,” reflected Morgan. “We thought we had read the session just right and no-one was improving so we elected to save rubber, but suddenly the session came alive at the end and we just weren’t in the right place to respond.”

Morgan found himself in a battle with Josh Cook during the opening laps of race one. Cook’s BTC Racing team-mate Tom Chilton squeezed past before a puncture for the #66 BTC Racing Honda resulted in Morgan moving into 12th at the chequered flag.

“We lacked pace in that race,” said a frustrated Morgan afterwards. “We made adjustments after qualifying but just couldn’t seem to find a way of finding a greater amount of speed, which meant that progress was really hard to make on a track at which overtaking is difficult.”

Despite pushing as hard as he could to make progress from 12th on the grid for race two, Morgan fell victim to contact which saw the Mercedes driver off the road, costing him places in the race and a chance at a reverse grid benefit for race three.

Morgan would start the final contest from 14th and once again found himself in traffic, as a concertina effect at the Hairpin delayed him, before being caught by the BMW of Stephen Jelley.

“I was quicker than him in some places,” said Morgan. “But I had to defend in others, which meant that I dropped away from the pack ahead – 14th again in race three isn't what we expected after Oulton Park.

“Knockhill is often hard to get a sweet spot on the set-up. It’s easy here to go down some blind alleys in the set-up which compromises your weekend, but we got through without damage and we know what to do at Thruxton to try to maximise our weekend.”

“That was one of the toughest weekends I can remember,” added Commercial Director Norman Burgess. “After the highs of Oulton Park, it is tempting to count this as a low weekend, but we were in the points in all three races and left Scotland with both of our cars intact.

“It was frustrating for everyone at Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools to not replicate what we did at Oulton, but you can’t fault Adam for trying to wring every last tenth of a second out of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

“Next stop is Thruxton, which is where we turned a corner last year to unlock some pace so we head to Hampshire with optimism.”

Butel’s made his maiden BTCC race weekend at the Scottish circuit in the sister Mercedes.

Crossing the line in 20th, 21st and 22nd Butel maintained his 100% finishing record, as the Jersey driver increased his experience in the BTCC.

“I learned a lot that weekend,” said Butel. “I’ve only raced here in single-seaters before, in British F4, so I had a lot to get to grips with, but I definitely felt that I made progress over the three races.

“The one sector of the lap in which I lost time was the middle one which includes the Chicane and I put that down to lack of time at the circuit, but I have to be happy with my pace at the end of the weekend compared to where I was at the start.”

Morgan lies eighth in the overall standings and fourth in the Independents’ Championship, while Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools is fifth in the Independent Teams’ Championship.

The next stop for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is at Thruxton, Hampshire, on September 19/20. Qualifying can be seen live on itv.com/btcc on Saturday, 19 September with the raceday action live on ITV4 on Sunday, 20 September.

First female driver to race in the BTCC since 2007. 

Power Maxed Racing have today announced that Jade Edwards will contest rounds 16, 17 & 18 of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship in one of their race-winning Vauxhall Astras.

Edwards is no stranger to the TOCA package, having raced in the highly competitive Renault UK Clio Cup since 2017, finishing 7^th overall last year. A race winner in the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge, she’s looking to follow in the footsteps of father Jim Edwards Jr, himself a BTCC race winner, and looking to use this opportunity to launch her BTCC career.

The team, who announced earlier in the year that they would field a single car entry during the condensed season, are in ongoing discussions with a number of drivers to fill seats for the remainder of the rounds.

Adam Weaver, Team Principal – “Having known Jade for quite a few years now, I’ve always been impressed with the way she throws herself into everything she does with such gusto. Whilst she’s had a lot of bad luck on the track, she’s a great driver, and has a well-earned reputation as a fan favourite. She’s spoken publicly about her longing to get onto the BTCC grid in a competitive car, and with the unique opportunities this year has given us, it was a no brainer for all of us to get her in the car for a round. I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do.”

Jade Edwards, Racing Driver – “Racing in the BTCC is a childhood dream of mine, and is something that I’ve made no secret of working towards. I’ve been  in the paddock since I was 10 years old, either supporting my dad or competing myself-to now be racing in the main event is something I’ll never forget! PMR have a brilliant track record, and Adam has always shown support in my career, even sponsoring my Clio campaign in 2018, so it’s amazing to have the opportunity to work with them. The Astra has already proven its speed this season, so I’m itching to get out in it and see what I can do.”

GKR TradePriceCars.com endured a challenging weekend on track as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship headed for Knockhill for the fourth event of the campaign.

The squad made the trip to Scotland looking to challenge for more championship points but it would prove to be a tough outing for drivers Bobby Thompson and James Gornall.

Despite both lapping within a second of pole position, the highly competitive nature of the field meant that Thompson and Gornall had to settle for 20th and 23rd on the grid, leaving them with work to do on race day on a circuit where overtaking can be quite difficult.

The opening race would end in disappointing fashion for Gornall when he was caught out by cars ahead slowing when the action was about to restart after an early safety car period, with damage sustained as he made contact with the Ford of Andy Neate forcing him to retire.

Thompson suffered a tough start to the race having slipped back down to 23rd, but recovered well despite struggling for front end grip, fighting his way up to 18th by the finish.

Thompson pushed hard in the second race to fight his way through to 16th place at the finish, picking up places with a number of opportunistic moves. However, he would then be excluded from the results for a technical infringement resulting in the 24-year-old starting race three from the back of the grid.

Gornall would be forced to contend with an alternator issue that caused a loss of power steering, but he wrestled the Audi to the finish in 20th place.

Both drivers were then able to avoid a multi-car accident that resulted in the final race being red-flagged and would end the restarted 20 lap encounter with Gornall as the better placed of the pair in 18th, having lost a place to the BMW of Carl Boardley in the closing laps after a race-long battle.

Thompson was one place further back in 19th, with the two drivers now hoping for a return to form when the series heads to Thruxton for the fifth event of the 2020 season in little under a fortnight.

"We had a challenging time as we struggled with straight-line speed and it was an uphill battle in the races,” reflected Thompson. “I pushed hard to try and move forwards in the first two races and had some luck on my side to make up places as others had issues. We got close to the points in race two before the exclusion, which put us on the back foot again.

"From the back in race three it was always going to be difficult and I managed to avoid the incident ahead which was the big plus as we could have picked up some real damage in that one. We’ve a few weeks to regroup ahead of Thruxton."

"It was a really difficult weekend,” acknowledged Gornall. “Through Saturday I felt we were making good progress and I did everything I felt we needed to do to get a good position in qualifying, but everyone else found more time than us which was disappointing.

"Circumstances went against me in race one as I came around the corner and the guys ahead had all slowed ahead of the restart, but it wasn't ideal to retire in that way. Race two was then a huge battle as we lost the alternator belt and I had no power steering, but we pushed on as you never know if people will fall off and you can pick up places.

"I tried hard in race three and I pushed as hard as I could. I felt I'd done well to keep Boardley behind. I had to push so hard to build a gap in sector one because I knew he was strong later in the lap and, sadly, he just managed to get ahead near the end. That was a weekend to put behind us and focus on the rounds to come."

Onslow-Cole will step in for the injured Ollie Brown for the next three Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship rounds to partner ex-team-mate Jack Goff.

International GT Open champion Tom Onslow-Cole will return to the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) and Team HARD. Racing for the next three events to replace Ollie Brown who remains on the sidelines through injury.

Onslow-Cole competed in the BTCC from 2007 to 2013, taking seven victories and 36 podiums over that time for marques such as Vauxhall and Ford, before joining Tony Gilham’s Team HARD. squad in 2013.

The team has been working hard to develop the Volkswagen CC in 2020, which Onslow-Cole debuted at the beginning of the 2013 BTCC season at Brands Hatch. The team recently announced that they would be retiring the ageing Volkswagen CC at the end of the season in what has turned into a fitting send off for the championship winning machinery.

Looking ahead to the BTCC’s visit to the UK’s fastest track in the country, Thruxton, Onslow-Cole said: “I’m super excited to be stepping back into the BTCC and reuniting with some old friends at Team HARD. Racing. The team has grown enormously since I last raced here, and I am grateful for this opportunity to come my way.

“I was lucky enough to debut the Volkswagen CC back in 2013 and even took the cars first podium at Thruxton of that season and when the team announced that they would be retiring the CC at the end of the season I thought to myself ‘it would be awesome to get one last go’. When Tony gave me the call, I jumped at the opportunity of getting back behind the wheel in the car’s final season in the BTCC, in what feels like a fitting end to its participation in the series.

“Naturally, it’s never nice to hear that a fellow driver has been injured whilst out on the track and I wish Ollie a speedy recovery from his injuries but I look forward to linking up with Jack (Goff) once again after seven years, and meeting Nic (Hamilton), to extract the maximum out of the car.

Tony Gilham, Managing Director of Team HARD. Racing commented: “The world remains in a funny place at the moment and this BTCC season is proving to be no different. As other teams and drivers have proved getting onto the grid for 2020 is very tricky and it would have been easy for us to retire the car until Ollie returns.

“Knowing that this will be the last season of the Volkswagen CC and for us to make the best of this situation I thought I’d give Tom a call and see what his plans were for this season. Despite commitments to other series for 2020 Tom was up for the challenge of getting back into the BTCC and fortunately for himself and the team he can commit to the next three race weekends.

“Tom’s racing record both in and away from the BTCC speaks for itself, and his achievements since he was last with us are remarkable. It’s a great achievement to acquire a driver of top pedigree at this stage of a very unique season of motorsport.”

Onslow-Cole will be partnering Goff in the second RCiB Insurance with Fox Transport Volkswagen CC for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship events at Thruxton, Silverstone and Croft, all of which will be broadcast live across the ITV network.

Motorbase Performance has really arrived in the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship followings its double-victory in just eight days across the recent Oulton Park and Knockhill events.

The all-new Ford Focus was extremely quick during pre-season, but the Kent-squad faced some misfortune when the delayed campaign eventually got underway. There was little doubting the team or potential of its latest machines, however, and that has since been underlined following standout performances from lead driver Rory Butcher.

Butcher – reigning Independents Trophy winner – rewarded his team with three top-10 finishes at his home track last time out, capped by a dominant victory in the weekend’s finale on Sunday afternoon.

The Ford’s first win at Oulton Park had come when a rival was excluded for failing the post-race ride-height test, but at Knockhill Butcher proved his pace again, taking the lead on the opening lap before powering clear to glory.

Scotsman Butcher, who came into the weekend carrying 48kg of success ballast, was fifth in the opening race and then stuck in the mid-pack for tenth in race two. However, he grabbed his chance in the reversed-grid final encounter.

“You know, coming home and taking our first proper victory in the new Ford Focus ST is one thing and doing it on the road is great,” said Butcher. “But doing it at home is really special and I just am so lucky to be part of this team and have this opportunity. I’m just so happy to reward them with a victory.”

“The car came alive finally. A little set-up change that we made going into the session and, obviously, stripping the car of its success ballast after quite a difficult race two really helped. It all came together, and it just shows you the performance of this new car.”

The results meant that Butcher now sits in third place in the fight for this season’s BTCC crown with four of the nine meetings completed.

Motorbase battler Ollie Jackson had a bruising weekend in his Focus, with an accident in the third race robbing him of his chance to score big points after making progress with the set-up of his machine across the three races.

Andy Neate also suffered a torrid weekend in his Motorbase Focus, with his charge being scuppered by a rival running into him during the opening contest, effectively ending his points hopes early at the demanding 1.27-mile hillside circuit.

Reflecting on the weekend, Motorbase principal David Bartrum said that Butcher’s race-three win was a landmark for the team, which will now have three weeks to prepare for the resumption of combat at Thruxton in Hampshire on September 19-20.

“A win on the road win, particularly Rory’s home circuit, is a great feeling,” says Bartrum. “It means we have had two wins in two meetings. I am a very, very happy team boss and looking forward to a few weeks in the workshop.

“There is quite a lot to do. But we will get it done and maybe we will be able to sneak a weekend off in there somewhere. Winning races is what gives us the motivation, and that is the position we are in, so no stone will be left unturned as we battle for this crown.”

A persistent performance by BTC Racing during rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Knockhill saw the squad battle its way back onto the rostrum to claim a second podium of the 2020 season so far.

It was another roller coaster of events for the Brackley-based outfit, which reached its 100th BTCC race start during the opener, with Tom Chilton making a welcome podium return in the final race of the weekend, whilst a torrid weekend of incidents impacted on his team-mates’ championship campaigns.

A truncated qualifying session on the Saturday saw a last push from the BTC Racing trio after the green flag. Josh Cook headed up the Hondas in 11th, with Chilton in 13th, and Michael Crees in 16th, despite all being less than half a second off the pole lap.

Race day started well for Cook and Chilton as they pushed up on the opening lap. While challenging for tenth on lap four, a rear right puncture pitched Cook off-track, firing the #66 backward into the barriers at Butcher’s at high speed, bringing out the safety car. Cook emerged shaken, but thankfully without injury, with the Civic sadly stricken with substantial damage.

A solid race for Chilton saw him move up the grid, narrowly missing out on a top-ten finish. Crees battled his way home on the narrow circuit to bring the #777 Honda home unscathed in 17th.  

An incredible job by the BTC Racing crew to get Cook back on all four wheels saw a monumental effort to rebuild the battered FK8 and, against all the odds, the Bath-racer lined-up for race two with just moments to spare.

From 24^th on the grid, Cook made a promising start. Racing three wide into McIntyre’s on the opening lap, he was unfortunately tipped into a spin, sending the #66 Honda into the gravel trap and out of the race for his second DNF of the day.

A sterling job by Crees saw the Jack Sears Trophy leader running in the point-scoring zone for the majority of the race before dropping back on the final lap, eventually crossing the line in 18th.

Chilton continued his climb up the finishing order. Making a strong start to move up to eighth in the opening laps, a brave lunge up the inside of Hill at Taylor’s Hairpin on lap 22 netted the Reigate-racer seventh place, which he held to the chequered flag.

After a red flag incident on the opening lap, a restart was called for the final race of the day.

Starting from fifth by virtue of the reverse grid draw and carrying 24kg of ballast on-board, Chilton made a lightning start off the line, taking the inside line through Duffus Dip to steal P4 from Hill. Racing door-to-door with Smiley, the 14-time BTCC race winner pulled the same move on the next lap to move past the Hyundai into third.

Coming under relentless pressure from Oliphant’s fast-charging BMW, Chilton delivered a defensive masterclass keeping the rear-wheel-drive machine at bay to claim his first podium of the season and second of the year for BTC Racing.

Starting from the back of the grid, Cook quickly made progress through the field, making up an impressive nine places as he battled his way back into the point-scoring zone to end another frustrating weekend on a more positive note.

Finishing just outside of the points, Crees’ 16th place spot in the final contest of the weekend saw him claim the Jack Sears Trophy class win – extending his advantage at the top of the standings to a comfortable 14 point lead.

The weekend’s results moved Chilton up into seventh place in the Drivers’ standings, with BTC Racing also seventh in the Teams’ championship – tied on points with sixth placed Speedworks Motorsport. In the Independents’ standings, both Chilton and the team sit in third place.

After a busy August schedule, the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship now takes a welcome break before reconvening at the fastest circuit on the calendar, Thruxton, on 19/20 September.

“If you look at the beginning of the weekend, we just didn’t quite get the rub of the green in practice and qualifying, so to come away with a podium is a great result,” said Joint Team Principal Bert Taylor. “I’m so pleased for Tom and his crew. They’ve worked relentlessly on his car to get Tom onto the podium.

“Josh’s crash in race one caused by a puncture was meteoric. The lads have my utter respect to have managed to get him back out for race two. It was nothing short of amazing, an immense effort. Yet again I’m so proud of the team effort this weekend, their work ethic is awesome.

“Ultimately it was a fantastic weekend for BTC Racing to mark our 100th BTCC race. Despite the challenges we faced, Tom ended the day with a podium and Michael has increased his lead in the Jack Sears Trophy.”

“I’m so happy that we managed to get a podium,” enthused Chilton. “I’m even happier that I’ve had two rounds where I’ve been consistently in the points where I should be.

“We worked out where we needed to improve the car after qualifying and I think if we went back now with the set-up we have we would be much higher up. I was really happy with the car in the race.

“It was a great weekend for learning and a great weekend for picking up trophies. A poor weekend for my team-mates, unfortunately, especially for Josh. I do feel for them. I’m really happy with the performance we had out of the car at Knockhill.”

“There’s really not much I can say about the weekend,” said Cook. “Yet again, we came away with a single point from three races and another two DNF’s through no fault of our own.

“I can’t praise the team enough for the epic job they pulled off to get my car repaired and back out for race two. They really did work miracles. I’m just sorry that work wasn’t rewarded out on track.

“I’m just looking ahead to Thruxton now. It’s my local track, and we took two wins there last year so we know that the Honda performs there. We have the benefit of being weight-free again, so have to be confident going into the next round.”

“After a tough weekend, we’ve come away having extended our lead in the Jack Sears Trophy,” said Crees. “So all-in-all it’s not a bad result. It was a tale of two halves for the team really. Unlucky for Josh with his troubles again, but a great result for Tom getting the podium.”

Speedworks Motorsport had a pleasant surprise earlier this week when the High Sheriff of Cheshire visited the team’s HQ, resulting in the family-run business being officially recognised for its valuable services to the community.

Speedworks has developed enormously - both on and off-track - over the last five years, expanding from a rookie BTCC team to Independents’ champions to a now manufacturer-backed squad in Britain’s most popular motorsport series.

The outfit remains a relatively small family-run business, but one that impressively operates on an international stage - racing cars, running race teams and winning races - as well as encouraging hundreds of young people in Cheshire into all types of engineering.

The squad employs a small number of dedicated people, but it’s inspired many, many more, largely through its BTCC successes.
 
Whilst Wednesday started like any other day for Christian, Amy and the Speedworks team, they were expecting to be visited by Baroness Newlove to see how her Bolton University undergraduates were progressing.

Whilst they also knew Nicholas Peter Hopkinson MBE (High Sheriff of Cheshire) was included in the visiting party they did not expect to be presented with a High Sheriff Award for its contribution to the community in the County.

High Sheriff awards are for people or organisations that make Cheshire proud... for going the extra mile, helping to spread kindness, encouraging others and contributing to the wellbeing of the County.

The High Sheriff was delighted to make the award, “small successful companies like Speedworks really do motivate young people into the profession and when young people are in gainful employment they are less likely to get themselves into trouble,” he said.

“Amy and Christian set a great example and are fully deserving of this High Sheriff award... I hope it brings them luck on the racing circuit.”
 
“We are so proud to have received this award from The High Sheriff of Cheshire and is a fitting tribute to all the hard work the whole team here have put in over the years,” enthused joint-owner Christian Dick. “It’s genuinely an honour to know that there is so much support and interest in the local community for what we are achieving and will continue to fly the flag for Cheshire!”

Everyone involved in BTCC congratulates Speedworks Motorsport on this wonderful recognition.

Team HARD. Racing will bring the Cupra name to Britain’s premier motor racing series for the first time in 2021, with the squad confirming it will be building a minimum of two brand new Cupra Leons to attack next season’s Independents’ Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) crown.

The Kent-based outifit has made no secret of its desire to develop new machinery to replace the ageing Volkswagen CC, which has been in the championship since it debuted with the team in 2013. The team has used the recent COVID-19 lockdown period to assess various car models from a range of manufacturers, before committing on the new Cupra Leon, which is due to hit the market later this year.

Team HARD. Racing are no strangers to developing new cars having been responsible for the Volkswagen CCs, which have taken 14 race victories, one Teams’ championship and one Independents’ crown in its eight-year participation in the championship.

The design process is already underway for the Cupra Leon and with hybrid technology being introduced to the BTCC in 2022, Team HARD. Racing has been in communication with Cosworth Electronics in order to ensure that the design on the new BTCC spec Cupra Leon is future-proof and capable of making the most of the new technology.

At the helm of the new project will be Team HARD. Racing Managing Director, Tony Gilham, former BTCC race driver who has been instrumental in the careers of no less than ten of the current crop of BTCC stars competing in the 2020 season.

Tony Gilham, Managing Director, Team HARD, said:“We are delighted to be bringing in a new marque to the BTCC. The Volkswagen CC has enjoyed a great deal of success over its life, but it’s time for change as we look to the new hybrid era of touring cars. We have done a lot of research and we believe that the dimensions and overall shape of the Cupra Leon will work perfectly with the current NGTC regulations that are in the BTCC. A lot of hard work and countless hours lie ahead, but we are confident that we can turn this new car into a competitive beast that will be mixing it at the front from the get-go next season.”

Jack Goff, Multiple BTCC Race Winner, said:“We had a really good winter programme with the CC and that’s reflected in the race pace which has been good all season. Unfortunately, we’ve been lacking in qualifying, we need something more and the Volkswagen CC’s capabilities have reached its peak. The CC is coming to the end of its life after the 2021 season so we have decided to move to a new car a year earlier to develop and get to grips with a new chassis before the all important introduction of the hybrid system in 2022. It’s going to be a busy winter, but for now I’m fully focused on giving the CC the best send-off I can!”

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “It’s always fantastic to see more new cars join the BTCC, this time with Team HARD. Racing. We set out the NGTC regulations to allow for great diversity and having the Cupra Leon on the grid is further proof of the strength of those regulations.

 “This new project from Team HARD. Racing should help this popular team advance up the grid in 2021. It’s no secret that the Volkswagen CC’s are one of the oldest on the grid but credit to Tony and his team for sticking with them and keeping the cars as competitive as possible.

“I look forward to seeing the step forward Team HARD. Racing can make with completely new cars from next season.”

Motorbase Performance once again scaled the top of the rostrum at Knockhill in Scotland last weekend with Rory Butcher rounding out a hectic week for the squad with his second victory in eight days in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

The UK’s premier motorsport series went straight from Oulton Park in Cheshire, where Butcher had claimed the team’s maiden victory of the campaign, to Fife in Scotland. The tight turnaround meant many members of the team stayed on the road and headed north rather than going back to the Kent workshops to fettle the three Ford Focus ST machines.

Butcher, the reigning Independents’ title-holder, rewarded the squad’s hard work with three top-ten finishes, which were capped with a dominant victory in the weekend’s finale on Sunday afternoon.

The Ford’s first win at Oulton Park had come when a rival was excluded for failing the post-race ride-height test, but at Knockhill, there was no doubt about Butcher’s pace as he took the lead on the opening lap and powered clear to glory.

Scotsman Butcher, who came into the weekend carrying 48kg of success ballast, was fifth in the opening race and then stuck in the mid-pack for tenth in race two. However, he grabbed his chance in the reversed-grid third encounter.

“Taking our first victory in the new Ford Focus ST is one thing and doing it on the road is great,” reflected Butcher. “But doing it at home is really special and I just am so lucky to be part of this team and have this opportunity. I’m just so happy to reward them with a victory.”

“The car came alive finally, so that and a little set-up change that we made going into the session and, obviously, stripping the car of its success ballast after quite a difficult race two really helped. It all came together, and it just shows the performance of this new car.”

The results meant that Butcher now sits in third place in the fight for this season’s BTCC crown with four of the nine meetings completed.

Motorbase battler Ollie Jackson had a bruising weekend in his Focus, with an accident in the third race robbing him of his chance to score big points after making progress with the set-up of his machine across the three races.

He bounced back from qualifying on the 11th row to fight his way up to the cusp of the points in race one and then launched into the points in the second encounter with 11th spot. However, he was caught up in a concertina effect going into the tricky chicane section in race three, which left him stranded broadside on the track and he was collected by a rival.

While Jackson emerged unscathed in the sizeable accident, he was ruing the missed chance to score a large points haul, which had gone begging.

“The car was good and had speed in it and the accident was a shame as we’d made progress and gone forwards,” said Jackson. “I’d like to think I had the pace of the cars in front of me up until the accident: I think it would have been a good result, I think we would have been in the top ten.”

Andy Neate also suffered a torrid weekend in his Motorbase Focus, in his first racing outing in a touring car at the demanding 1.27-mile hillside circuit since 2012.

His charge was scuppered by contact from a rival following a safety car period in race one, taking out both cars and leaving Neate with his first non-finish of the season. Further damage put him out of race two but he bounced back to finish in 20th in race three.

Reflecting on the weekend, Motorbase principal David Bartrum said that Butcher’s race-three win was a landmark for the team, which will now have three weeks to prepare for the resumption of combat at Thruxton in Hampshire on 19/20 September.

“A win on the road win, particularly Rory’s home circuit, is a great feeling,” said Bartrum. “It means we have had two wins in two meetings. I am a very, very happy team boss and looking forward to a few weeks in the workshop.

“We have been on the go since Oulton Park. We’ve been one very busy team, along with everyone else in this paddock you know. It’s been a real test of resources of the teams and I think they’ve all done a stonking job.”

Bartrum said that the team would now regroup at its Kent base and get the cars in brand new condition for the next rounds in Hampshire

“There is quite a lot to do,” he admits. “But we will get it done and maybe we will be able to sneak a weekend off in there somewhere. Winning races is what gives us the motivation, and that is the position we are in, so no stone will be left unturned as we battle for this crown.”

A double-podium finish kept Team BMW on top of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship on an action-packed day of racing at Knockhill.

Colin Turkington twice finished second at the Scottish track to leave with an 11-point lead in the Drivers’ standings, while three strong points finishes for Tom Oliphant helped to extend the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championship advantages of the WSR-run team.

Having qualified third carrying the maximum 60kg success ballast in his BMW 330i M Sport, Colin moved into second spot on the opening lap of race one; the Northern Irishman unable to prise an opening that would give him a shot at taking the lead.

A repeat performance in Race Two netted the four-time champion his eighth podium finish of the season – the same number that he recorded across his entire 2019 title-winning campaign.

Starting tenth in the final partially-reversed grid race, and with 54kg success ballast on board, Colin finished ninth, two places ahead of his chief title rival, to keep himself ahead in the points race.

Team-mate Tom made one of the most spectacular passing moves of the day, launching up onto two wheels on the kerb at Duffus Dip steal fourth place in race three.

That was his best result of the day, added to eighth and sixth places in the earlier races. Tom’s 32-point haul for the weekend keeps him fourth in the Drivers’ points and on course for his best-ever finish in the championship.

Colin Turkington said: “It’s another good points haul on a day when I had to be 100 per cent flat-out on every lap of every race, and I’m pleased to come away still ahead in the points. Qualifying third was what set me up for raceday, so I’m really grateful to WSR for giving me a fantastic BMW again. The main thing at this stage of the season is just to keep scoring points all the time, and it’s strange to think that we’re not even halfway through the championship because Knockhill in August usually means we’re getting towards the finish. It’s only going to get harder and harder as the title fight continues now.”

Tom Oliphant said: “I’m pretty pleased with raceday, especially after the qualifying performance. I’ve made up two places from my starting position in each race and achieved my points target for the weekend. I feel like I’ve established myself in the group of drivers in the top six of the championship, who are always fighting for podiums, and that feels good. This year has been good for me; the consistency of working with the same team, same engineer and same BMW is a big help and we’re seeing the results on-track.”

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “It’s been another very good team effort. Six finishes from six starts, two podiums and an increased lead in the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championships too. Colin and Tom have both driven very well today, given great feedback to get the BMWs dialled in more and more, and made up positions from where they started, and the result is more strong finishes. We’re looking forward to the three-week break and giving the team a bit of a breather, because four events in five weekends has been tough on everyone and we want to come back fully refreshed for Thruxton.”