Michael Crees signed off his maiden season in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship in style, producing a battling performance around the iconic Grand Prix circuit at Brands Hatch.

Entering the weekend riding a wave of momentum after claiming a sensational first-ever top ten finish a fortnight earlier at Silverstone, the Team HARD driver returned to his home circuit in Kent optimistic of adding to his points tally.

Persistent rain added further spice to the action throughout the weekend, with the wet weather intensifying during a frenetic qualifying session on Saturday. Struggling with the balance of his #777 Volkswagen CC, the 35-year-old ultimately powered his way to 28th on the grid.

The opening contest on Sunday proved to be one of attrition as mid-race rain added further excitement to proceedings. Running just outside of the top 20, Crees was one of several to dive into the pit-lane at the halfway stage and bolt on a set of wet tyres.

Unfortunately, the Broadstairs-based racer would have to queue behind a team-mate to get his new tyres, leaving him to finish a lap down at the chequered flag.

With track conditions still on a knife-edge, Crees took the gamble to run slick tyres in the second encounter whilst a majority of others stuck with wets. Unable to exploit them, despite the track drying considerably in the final few laps, the former two-time Ginetta champion crossed the line in 23rd.

Race three saw Crees’ season come to a premature conclusion as, on the fringe of the top 20, he was forced to pit due to a mechanical issue – a frustrating end for the Volkswagen CC driver.

"What a weekend, what a season!” said Crees. “We pretty much had weather of all sorts at Brands Hatch and for us, we gave it a good go, gambled on tyres but the dice didn’t roll our way, unfortunately.

“Overall, I’m over the moon with how my first season in the BTCC has gone. Joining the grid has been a dream come true. This championship is so competitive and like everyone, we’ve had our highs and lows along the way. To come away with points and a top ten finish is unbelievable; I had goals I wanted to achieve at the start of the year and I’ve achieved every single one of them.

“I’m heading into the winter in high spirits and I know that the BTCC is where I want to be for next year. We’ve got some options to look over and I’m confident that if I return, that I can become a regular in the points.”

Dan Rowbottom rounded out his maiden season in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with a points-scoring finish in the penultimate race of the campaign, held in trying weather conditions at Brands Hatch in Kent.

Behind the wheel of his Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Rowbottom began the weekend working through set-up adjustments on a greasy track, which was neither wet nor dry. Unable to find a rhythm in the traffic, Rowbottom concluded qualifying with a best time that would see him 27th on the grid for the opening encounter.

The opening race began on a damp track, but rain started to fall early when the race was neutralised by a safety car period to haul an errant car from the gravel trap. Rowbottom dived for the pit lane to change to wet tyres, storming back into the race ready to pick off places as the weather worsened.

Unfortunately for Rowbottom, the conditions didn’t deteriorate as expected, meaning that the cars on slick rubber still held an advantage until the last handful of laps when the rain really started falling in earnest. The #32 driver grabbed 18th place at the end of the race, but felt some disappointment that his tyre strategy had not paid off.

“Before the stop, I was 28th, so certainly it was the right call as it gained me places, but if the rain had been heavier, I could have made even more progress. I was a bit frustrated, but by the weather, nothing more!” said Rowbottom.

For the second race, the teams had a similar weather-induced quandary over tyres. With the track still damp but drying, the majority of drivers chose wets, with some gambling on slick rubber. As the penultimate round unravelled, however, the wet-shod cars retained a race-long advantage, as the circuit took longer to dry than anticipated. Rowbottom forged his Cataclean Racing Mercedes-Benz A-Class up to 12th place early on, before his tyres started to lose their edge.

“I was a bit greedy after the first safety car period, I think, and I just pushed a bit too hard,” said Rowbottom. “That meant that the tyre life decreased late on and I lost pace.”

The chequered flag saw Rowbottom take 15th place, securing his fourth points-scoring finish of the season.

From 15th on the grid for the final race of the season, the 30-year-old was optimistic but the cruel nature of the BTCC was to strike yet again as his front left tyre exploded heading through the daunting Paddock Hill Bend. Rowbottom limped back to the pits, but his race was over.

“That was scary! The car felt good and I was really hoping to get up the order, but it wasn't to be,” said Rowbottom. “It was a big bang and did some damage as the tyre went, so I had to park it.

“The season has been a real eye-opener overall. People said it was a tough championship, but it has been a lot tougher than I expected. We have run under the radar a bit, so I have been able to get on with learning the car and about the championship without too bright a spotlight on us. I want to return next year and repay the faith shown by Cataclean. As a brand, it has received massive coverage this year by being on the BTCC grid so it is certainly the place to be and I think with the lessons learnt we can come back stronger for 2020.”

Rob Smith enjoyed a positive conclusion to his maiden season in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at a rain-hit Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit in Kent, with the MG6 racer taking his sixth Independents’ Trophy points hat-trick of 2019.

Racing to a best finish of 12th in class during Round 28, the Telford driver went on to add 13th in the Independents’ in Rounds 29 and 30 later in the day and also posted a pair of top 20 overall results.

Ending his debut season in the UK’s biggest motor racing series 16th in the Independent Drivers’ standings, the Excelr8 Motorsport driver also ended his rookie BTCC campaign fifth in the Jack Sears Trophy – a battle contested by drivers yet to finish on the podium prior to the start of the campaign. In addition, Excelr8 concluded its maiden season in the championship inside the top ten in the Independent Teams’ classification.

“It’s difficult not to feel a bit frustrated as you always want to win in whatever you’re doing, but this has been our first year in the BTCC – all of us have come into it completely green and so we have to be happy with what we’ve achieved,” said Smith. “The team has done a mega job all year, it’s all been a huge learning curve and the car has been pretty much faultless, mechanically, all season.

“Operationally, and from a presentation point of view, everything has been fantastic and Excelr8 won the award for ‘Best Garage’ which is something we’re all very proud of. Our aim was to do the very best we could on the commercial side for our sponsors, and I think we achieved that by looking like a team that’s been in the BTCC for three or four years – not just our first season.

“In terms of the track action at Brands Hatch, it was our second-best qualifying of the year and, in very tricky and unpredictable conditions, we did a good job in all three races. Now the hard work starts for next season to hopefully renew the partnerships we have, and also bring in new ones. We have a year of vital experience now in the BTCC which we can build on for 2020.”

Both practice sessions at Brands Hatch were impacted by interim wet conditions and so not much useful information could be gleaned from either of the runs. Qualifying later in the day was wet and Smith was 14th fastest in the Independents’, equating to 24th overall.

An almost dry track awaited competitors for the first of the championship finale’s three races and, at the start, Smith got away safely through the first couple of corners.

Into Graham Hill Bend, though, the MG6 racer was put wide onto the grass and so dropped to the tail of the field in 30th position. By the start of lap three, Smith had zeroed in on the rear of team-mate Sam Osborne’s MG6 and the next time around he made his move to take 29th and 19th in class before the Safety Car was deployed.

During the lengthy cessation, the rain returned and half the grid opted to change to wet-weather tyres, Smith included. Climbing up the order after the re-start on lap 11, he went on to finish the race inside the overall top 20 and a strong 12th in class.

Beginning the penultimate race from 20th on the grid, Smith ran with treaded Dunlops on a wet-but-drying track and had to avoid multi-car contact on the run up to Druids to emerge in 19th overall and 12th in the Independents. Following a brief safety car period, the action got back underway on lap six with Smith an elevated 18th and 11th in the Independents due to one car having pitted.

Another safety car was required between laps 11 and 13, after which Smith was edged back to an eventual finish of 20th overall and 13th in class when some quicker slick-shod cars made their way through with the drying track starting to favour their tyres.

For the last race of Smith’s maiden season in the BTCC, he started on the soft compound option tyres from row ten of the grid and, although shuffled back several places on a busy first lap to 27th overall, he progressed through the order to take his third Independents' points haul of the day.

By lap five the Excelr8 driver was into 24th overall, and the top 15 in class, and as the race neared its conclusion he had moved into 23rd and also 13th in the Independents’. With just two laps to go, an excursion into the barriers for Dan Cammish’s manufacturer-backed Honda Civic – a result of brake problems – elevated Smith into 22nd overall and he retained 13th in the Independents.

“It’s been a great year and I must say a huge thank you to all of my sponsors,” said Smith. “They are the ones who made the season possible. Without their support, we wouldn’t have been able to step into the BTCC.”

Lady Luck was not on Tom Ingram’s side in the final event of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch, but the Team Toyota GB with Ginsters star refused to let the changeable conditions and ill-fortune hold him back as he scythed through the field for a top ten finish in the final race of the season.

Having arrived at the former Formula 1 circuit still harbouring the faintest of title hopes, Ingram’s chances were dealt an early blow when rain in qualifying wrong-footed the Speedworks Motorsport-run squad, leaving the 26-year-old in 17^th spot on the grid.

In greasy conditions in race one the following day, Ingram immediately leapt up to 11^th over the course of an assertive first lap and continued his charge as the heavens opened once more. On slick tyres, the two-time BTCC Independents’ champion had feistily fought his way through to fifth – a 12-place gain on his starting position – when a tag from behind sent him skating across the grass, with the contact leaving him with a puncture and wondering what might have been.

The track was still damp ahead of race two, but with a dry line beginning to emerge, Ingram – sitting back in 23^rd on the grid – opted to bolt on slicks while the majority of the field plumped for wet-weather rubber. Inevitably struggling early on, he enjoyed a spirited duel with former Ginetta rival Jake Hill – the pair easily the class of the six slick-shod runners and swapping places on numerous occasions – en route to 21^st at the chequered flag as the circuit finally dried out slightly too late.

That left Ingram with it all to do again in race three – the only fully dry contest all weekend. Into the top ten within just four laps behind the wheel of the #80 Toyota Corolla, he soon found himself sandwiched between title duellists Dan Cammish and Colin Turkington and having to manage a delicate balancing-act. Eventually clearing Cammish on lap 12, he went on to shadow champion-elect Turkington to the end, evincing scintillating raw pace on his way to an excellent seventh-place finish.

That cemented sixth spot for Ingram in the end-of-season Drivers’ standings in the UK’s premier motor racing series, as Team Toyota GB with Ginsters placed ninth in the 20-strong Teams’ table – and second amongst the nine single-car entrants.
 
“That was obviously a frustrating way to end what has otherwise been an overwhelmingly positive season,” said Team Principal Christian Dick. “We didn’t get qualifying right on Saturday – the grip level in the wet changed more than we had expected, which caught us out a bit, and it was something we didn’t have time to rectify during the confines of the 30-minute session. We knew from very early on that we were in trouble.
 
“Still, Tom has proven on multiple occasions in the past that he is more than capable of scything his way through the pack, and despite Brands Hatch not being the easiest place to make up ground, he drove the wheels off the Corolla in race one to go from 17^th to fifth.
 
“From where we were starting in race two, we didn’t have a lot to lose in taking a punt on slicks. Not being in title contention this year, we could afford to take more risks and whilst the track did eventually begin drying up, it didn’t do so quickly enough. If it had paid off, it would have paid off handsomely, but it was ultimately just too little, too late and we were all left wondering, ‘what do we have to do to get a break?!’
 
“The Corolla worked really well again in race three and Tom was able to charge through the field. He was very respectful when he found himself caught between Colin [Turkington] and Dan [Cammish] because he didn’t want to interfere in their fight, but it was very satisfying to see him match the pace of the championship-winning driver and car throughout the race on equal terms – in fact, I’d say we were actually faster. That was a really strong performance.
 
“To finish 2019 with four wins for the new Corolla in its first season in the BTCC is great testament to the work put in by the entire Speedworks Motorsport crew, and now we will go away over the winter, analyse where we still need to improve and formulate a plan that allows us to come back next year with a title-challenging package right from the outset.”
 
“What happened in race one effectively shaped our weekend,” said Ingram. “Qualifying wasn’t remotely representative of our true pace – it’s still early days for the Corolla in the wet and we just got it wrong on this occasion – but we immediately came out swinging on Sunday and I genuinely think a win was there for the taking in that race.
 
“I was right behind [eventual winner] Cammish when I got fired off. The Corolla felt great in what were pretty sketchy conditions when the rain began to fall, but I love the challenge that presents and was really confident and fired-up.
 
“We decided to take a gamble in race two with a ‘no guts, no glory’ approach. In situations like that, when the extra grip starts to appear it normally does so very quickly, but the track just came to us too late. Still, from 23^rd on the grid, it was definitely worth the risk.
 
“I was aiming for the top ten in race three, and obviously we managed a little bit more than that. I was in full-on ‘attack mode’ and it was fun fighting my way through. It wasn’t long before I found myself right in the middle of the championship battle, which was a fine line to tread because whilst I didn’t want to get too caught up in their scrap, at the same time I’ve got a job to do for my own team and sponsors.

“Seventh position from well down the grid was a good way to end what has been such a positive first season with the Toyota Corolla – one upon which we can look back with plenty of pride. We’ve worked extremely hard throughout the year to make the car as strong as it now is, and to achieve four victories and still be in mathematical contention going into the final weekend was way more than we could have expected. Most exciting of all is that the Corolla is only going to get better from here, so if we can hit the ground running in round one in 2020, the sky is the limit!”

BTC Racing came close to championship silverware as the curtain came down on the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season at Brands Hatch.

The Brackley-based team headed into the season finale in contention for three titles, with Josh Cook having a chance of both the overall and Independent Drivers' titles and the team in the mix for the Independent Teams’ championship.

Qualifying around the challenging Brands Hatch Grand Prix layout was held in wet conditions, but the two Honda Civic Type Rs were right on the pace with Chris Smiley posting the seventh-best time and Cook lining up directly behind him in eighth place.

Cook would climb up into the top six on the opening lap of race one, which started with the whole field on slicks but with rain on the way. A moment at Hawthorns on lap four saw him run wide and drop down the order before he elected to pit during a safety car period to switch to wet rubber as the rain started to fall.

Unfortunately, Cook was unable to make the most of the decision to change tyres when a fuel pressure issue saw him forced into retirement. Capping a tough opening race for the team, Smiley was then forced out himself just three laps later whilst running in eighth place after a stone thrown up by a car in front pierced the radiator.

With both cars at the back of the grid for race two, the team elected to run a split strategy ­with Cook starting on wet tyres but Smiley on slicks.

Cook would make up eight places on the opening lap alone to run inside the top 20 and would work his way through to 13^th place by the finish, leaving him in a solid place on the grid for the season finale.

Smiley’s gamble on dry tyres would ultimately prove to be the wrong call as low circuit temperatures meant it was too late in the race before conditions improved enough for the slick tyres to come into their own, meaning he crossed the line in 24^th place.
 
With his outside chance of the overall title having gone following his race one retirement, Cook went into the final race in what was effectively a ‘winner takes all’ battle for the Independent title with fellow Honda driver Rory Butcher.
 
With Butcher starting towards the front of the grid, Cook was well aware of the need to make up places quickly and he was a man on a mission in the opening laps, storming through the field to run third overall behind Butcher by the end of lap four.
 
Cook would heap the pressure on Butcher for the Independents’ class lead until the performance of his soft compound tyre dropped away, and he would eventually cross the line as second best Independent in fifth overall.
 
For Smiley, however, there was further disappointment when a gearbox issue saw his car come to a halt on the green flag lap, leaving him to park up on the GP loop and watch the season finale from the side of the circuit.
 
Cook ends the season fourth in the overall championship standings with three wins amongst seven podium finishes, and was runner up in the Independents’ Trophy by just two points. Smiley meanwhile, with three podium finishes of his own, ended the campaign 14^th overall and seventh in the Independents’ class.
 
In the Teams’ Championship, BTC Racing secured fourth place overall­ ahead of the works Vauxhall, Subaru and Toyota teams­ and was runner-up in the Independent Teams’ Championship.
 
“It’s been a difficult day,” said Smiley. “The hole in the radiator meant I had no option but to stop in race one, so I didn’t damage the engine. Then in race two, we went with the slicks and it just didn't dry enough. For race three we were on the right tyre with no weight but then something let go in the gearbox on the way to the grid and that was that.
 
“It’s a shame because we could have won the Independent Teams’ championship this weekend, but to finish second is still a great season for us in our first year with the FK8. There have been highs and lows along the way, but that is how racing is sometimes.
 
“We still have plenty of work to do and I don’t think we’ve unlocked the maximum from the car on my side of the garage and there is more still to come. We have to get our heads down during the winter and come back stronger next year.”

“I threw everything I had­ and a bit more at that final race but it just wasn’t to be,” said Cook. “I had the pace to get to Rory but I knew I only had a few laps to try and get ahead of him. He defended well and then my tyres dropped off and that was that; it just wasn’t our day.
 
“You can always wonder if you would have done things differently, but what we have done has been mega this season. We rocked up at the opening rounds and won when no-one expected us to and have never been lower than fourth in the overall championship. We could have focused on the Independent title and maybe we would have won it, but we went all out for glory and I don’t regret that decision at all.
 
“We can walk away with our heads held high this season as we have won more races than the factory Hondas, have had loads of podium finishes without any real testing. I can’t thank Steve, Bert and Ben enough and it’s been a pleasure to work with Chris. Now we can all go into the winter and recover from what has been a tough and hard-fought year.”
 
“As a team, we are over the moon with the season as a whole and I can’t thank everyone who has been involved enough,” said Team Principal Bert Taylor. “It’s a little bit disappointing that we didn’t pick up a title but if we weren’t disappointed then we wouldn’t be human. I’d much rather us be in a position where we have that disappointment than to have come into the final rounds with nothing to play for.
 
“Over the course of the season, we have grown in stature and have shown that we are capable of challenging right at the front of the grid on a regular basis, and I think that is a great achievement for a team that is only a few years old.
 
“We’ve had a car for ten race meetings this season that we have been learning and have done no testing, and we had a driver in Josh who was new to the team and didn’t know anyone. He has done a fantastic job for us and Chris has also driven really well and shown good speed, he just hasn’t had the luck that he needed.
 
“We’ve laid some good foundations this year and have to now work hard to build on them next season.”

Jake Hill completed a debut Trade Price Cars Racing campaign with a season-best qualifying and three impressive races at Brands Hatch in the final rounds of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

The #24 Audi driver accumulated one Independents' and an overall fastest lap as well as a points-scoring finish during the closing event of the 2019 BTCC season, on the way to fourth in Independent Drivers’ standings and helping his team to the same spot in the Independent Teams’ running.

A soaking wet qualifying session saw Hill slither to sixth overall. With the skies overcast for Sunday's opening race and the circuit still slippery, Hill started well – ending the opening lap fifth having passed Tom Oliphant early on.

As the conditions worsened, both Hill and AmD stablemate Rory Butcher made progress. The 25-year-old slipped by championship leader Colin Turkington into a provisional podium position, before both Butcher and Hill passed leader of the pack, Ash Sutton, to run first and second.

With just four laps to go and a podium looking likely, Hill suddenly slowed – forced to pit when a mechanical issue caused the car to lose power.

"The car was working so well as it often does in mixed conditions," said Hill. "Both Rory and I were quicker than the rear-wheel drive cars. I felt we could have challenged for another win and I was really deflated for the whole team as they worked so hard, and we were chasing down Chilton for third in Independents’.”

Hill gambled on slicks, starting 24th for race two on a greasy track. Ultimately, the circuit took longer than expected to dry, but a brave final lap saw the BRDC member once again take fastest lap, but this time fastest overall and 19^th at the chequered flag.

"It was the right call at the time but the temperature meant it just didn't dry quickly enough - the car was good though, and it's nice to have my first overall fastest lap.

For the final race conditions were dry, with Hill looking to give his all to work into the points.

A frenetic opening lap saw Hill bundled wide and end the opening lap in 22^nd, before working his way forward in the following laps, also benefiting from Tom Chilton and Senna Proctor dropping out.

The retirement of Dan Cammish's Honda saw Hill well in the points in 13^th before the #23 Audi S3 driver pulled off a bold move at Hawthorns to pass the remaining Team Dynamics Honda, finishing the race in 12^th and securing fourth in the Independent Drivers’ standings. This marked Hill’s 18^th points-scoring finish, as well as the tenth event in which Hill had scored points – no mean feat in his debut season with Trade Price Cars Racing.
 
"The car was good again, I had some good battles and I was determined to get past Neal at the end, so overall it's been another good weekend in terms of performance, and a fantastic year overall.

"We have had a podium on our debut, taken two wins on the road and one that definitely stuck - I know I've got the trophies! Winning my first BTCC race was immense – plus we scored points every weekend, qualified strongly and sealed three fastest laps over the year.

"The guys at AmD Tuning deserve their success - winning the Independent Drivers' with Rory (Butcher) and the teams, plus the Jack Sears Trophy is incredible.

"Huge thanks to everyone involved. As always, my Dad has been there working as hard as ever, I will always be grateful for all he's done.

"Also, it's been so cool having the legend that is Mark Blundell as my teammate. He is an incredible guy, and it's been an honour racing with him.

"I can't wait to go again in 2020!”

Ashley Sutton brought the curtain down on his 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign in fine fashion at the final event of the season, claiming victory around the Grand Prix layout of Brands Hatch.

In what has been a rollercoaster season for the Adrian Flux Subaru Racing driver, the 25-year-old entered the season finale with his sights set on a big result; and duly delivered in front of a bumper trackside crowd.

The 2017 champion mastered the wet conditions in his rear-wheel-drive Levorg both throughout practice and in qualifying. Setting a best time which saw him second on the grid, Sutton put himself in contention for a strong race day.

Launching into the lead from the outside of the front row, Sutton held the early advantage in race one before being shuffled back to second shortly after. As the rain around the circuit began to intensify, the Subaru driver valiantly fought to stay amongst the front-runners.

With several drivers opting to pit for wet tyres, Sutton showcased his comprehensive car control to continue on the dry tyre compound, although the conditions ultimately didn't favour him in the end and he was relegated to 11^th.

Sutton’s crowning glory came in the penultimate race of the season as he served up a virtuoso performance to clinch his and the teams' first win of the year.

Starting on the sixth row of the grid, the former Jack Sears Trophy champion enjoyed an impressive opening lap, scything his way into third place by the end of the first tour.

Following a brief safety car period, Sutton was on the move once more and showcased his ruthless overtaking prowess to pass the Honda pairing of Matt Neal and Dan Cammish - taking the lead in the process.

From there, the Hertfordshire driver was unchallenged as he powered away into the distance to claim a 14th BTCC career win.

Starting tenth by virtue of the reverse grid draw, Sutton rounded off his season with more silverware as he produced another storming drive to clinch third place - despite being ladened with success ballast.

Working together with former team-mate Josh Cook, the Renault UK Clio Cup champion of 2015 worked his way into fourth early on and remained there until the closing stages when he overhauled Cook for third; signing off the year in style.

Tallying six podium finishes in total, Sutton ends the season eighth in the BTCC Drivers’ Championship whilst Adrian Flux Subaru Racing finished fourth and eighth in the BTCC Manufacturer/Constructors’ Championship and BTCC Teams’ Championship respectively. 

Subaru will leave the BTCC after the title-winning BMR Racing squad's four-year deal to field the Levorg came to an end.

“It’s been a tough season,” said Sutton, “so it is fantastic to round out the year with a win and some more silverware - the team have worked tirelessly throughout so it is a great reward for them all. I was going into the finale wanting to win a race and that is exactly what we achieved!

“We knew we would be strong after qualifying but the weather didn’t help us in race one. In race two though the car was hooked up as soon as the lights went out; I was into third by lap one and then it was just about picking my moments to take the lead. 

“Once I got out front it was relatively easy and I could dictate the pace, look after the tyres and bring it home. To finish third in the final race is the cherry on top and the perfect way to sign off 2019. 

“It has been no secret that this year has been a frustrating one, but we’ve kept pushing and reaped the rewards. It felt great to be in the fight on Sunday! It will be nice to relax for a little while, hit the reset button and then I’ll begin plotting for next year.”

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher concluded the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season in memorable style, with a return to the rostrum at their home circuit, Brands Hatch.

Closing off a rollercoaster season, the Kent-based squad made its return to the podium with two Independent race wins, and five top-ten results during the action-packed triple-header season finale.

An expert on the Brands Hatch GP layout, Tom Chilton kicked-off his final race meeting of the year with a stunning drive from 19^th to third in the weekend opener. Having struggled to find the perfect set-up in tricky qualifying conditions, the Reigate-racer made an intuitive call to switch to wets under the safety car appearance.

With tyre strategy coming into play as the rain fell in the closing laps, Chilton carved his way through the field with an exciting drive to snatch third from Rory Butcher as the pair charged across the finish line.

Having claimed his fourth podium of the year in race one, Chilton immediately followed up with another sterling drive in the #3 Focus RS. Avoiding an opening lap melee, the Ford battled hard against the lighter chasing pack to lead home the first-ever Motorbase Independent 1-2-3, securing his fourth Independent win of the year.

Any hopes of a third rostrum appearance were dashed in race three, with Chilton’s race abruptly brought to an end on lap two. Having made a promising start on the soft tyre, the 34-year-old looked to be in strong podium contention before contact resulted in a sideways slide for the #3 Focus, into the gravel trap at Westfield.

Recording his second-best points-scoring weekend of the season, Ollie Jackson also settled his maiden Motorbase BTCC season in fine style with three top-ten finishes on his home circuit. Coming through from 20^th on the grid to break into the top ten in race one, Jackson showed excellent race-craft and strong pace to follow up with a sixth-place finish in race two.

Starting from seventh in race three by virtue of the reversed grid draw, the 35-year-old produced one of his best drives of the year to bring the season to a close. Holding off title contenders Dan Cammish, Tom Ingram and a fast-charging Colin Turkington for over ten tours of the circuit, a solid defensive drive rewarded Jackson with an eighth-place finish in the #48 Focus RS.

Thanks to the outstanding performance, Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher ended its 2019 campaign as the highest points-scoring Independent team of the weekend – a fitting tribute to conclude its successful three-year partnership with Shredded Wheat.

"A nice way to sign 2019 off,” said Team Manager Oly Collins. “After a difficult qualifying on Saturday we started on the back foot, but it was a great performance from everyone today. The drivers were great, the team behind the scenes, and pit-stops, were spot on as well. It's always difficult in these conditions.

"The decisions were tricky all day with the weather being so changeable and that puts pressure on the engineers, mechanics, tyre guys, etc. to make the right decision and get the job done. So, coming away with some silverware and a brace of top ten results is good."

“We have lots of positives to take from race day,” said Chilton. “We went from 19th to third in race one and got an Indy win and third overall. I have to say what a great job the team did on the tyre change. I didn’t give them any warning and they were epically fast. I literally called for wets as I came into the pits and they did so well and so quickly that led to our podium finish.

“Race two we had ballast on so it was a bit tougher out on track, but we did a great job. The reverse grid hurt us a little bit, but I got a cracking start in race three. My tyres were geared up to come into play later in the race. I was just starting to feel like my peak was coming in before I was fired off. I genuinely feel that we could have had three podiums this weekend.

“What was great in race two was leading home my team-mates Ollie Jackson and Michael Caine for an Independent’s 1-2-3. That was a massive high. It’s been a hard year for the team so that was a great result and I’m very happy for everyone at Motorbase.”

“It looked like we were in for another sad turn of events this weekend but actually we turned it around on race day,” said Jackson. “We’ve been a bit experimental with the car set up this weekend and it’s really paid off. We’ve moved the car on, unfortunately it was right at the last round, but it’s been mega today. The car has been so different this weekend that we didn’t really crack the set-up for qualifying, but today we got it right and it paid off.

“It’s been an up and down season. To come here and race against the championship contenders as we have this weekend shows that we’ve got the pace and the team can do the job, which is massively important.”

BMW made it back-to-back Manufacturers’ titles in the British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch last weekend, as Colin Turkington clinched a record-equalling fourth Drivers’ crown in the most dramatic fashion possible.
 
Turkington arrived at Brands’ legendary GP circuit – home to Formula 1’s British Grand Prix on 12 occasions between 1964 and 1986 – holding a 16-point lead in the pursuit of the most coveted prize in UK motorsport.
 
That margin was eroded, however, when intensifying rain over the second half of race one restricted the Northern Irishman to a fighting fifth-place finish. Having qualified on pole position for the third time in 2019, he led early on, but was ultimately powerless to withstand the attack of rivals who had pitted to switch over to wet-weather tyres during an early safety car period.
 
Turkington’s advantage was overturned altogether in race two, when a tag from another driver sent the Team BMW man into a spin and tumbling down to the tail of the order. That left him eight points shy of the lead going into the eagerly-anticipated finale, and with it all to do from 25th on the grid. A scintillating charge through the field secured sixth at the chequered flag – and with it, a supremely hard-earned fourth championship title.
 
BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan was similarly in the mix heading into the weekend, sitting 17 points adrift of the summit of the standings. He had reduced that deficit to just two points by the end of race three, courtesy of an eighth, second and fourth-place finish, as the 30-year-old came tantalisingly close to adding to his 2013 championship success.
 
The runner-up spot in the Drivers’ table was ultimately Jordan’s reward for a season in which he won more races than anybody else behind the wheel of BMW’s all-conquering new 330i M Sport.
 
Tom Oliphant concluded his maiden campaign with Team BMW with a sensational drive from 30th to a top ten finish in the finale. The 29-year-old proved his pace with fastest lap in race one despite the mixed conditions, before finding himself removed from contention on the opening lap of race two through no fault of his own – a setback that paved the way for his soaring charge in race three.
 
The results confirmed BMW’s sixth BTCC Manufacturers’ title, with Team BMW finishing second in the Teams’ classification and BMW Pirtek Racing sixth.

Colin Turkington, Driver, Team BMW, said: “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get close to Andy Rouse’s record [of four titles] – that’s amazing and very special. This has been my hardest championship yet by a long shot – to win it two laps from the end of the season is completely different to the other ones. It was the race of my life. My engineer told me that Dan [Cammish] was out, but I couldn’t see where Andrew [Jordan] was so I wasn’t sure if it was enough. I was in shock when I crossed the finish line and was told I was champion. It was just pure elation – nothing else in life gives you that feeling. I really do feel for both Andrew and Dan – it’s a bitter pill to swallow. You put in a full year’s work to try to win this, and I honestly thought it had got away from me after race two. Whenever you think you are out of it, though, there’s always a tiny little part of you that keeps believing, and we won this through hard work, grit and sheer determination.”

Tom Oliphant, Driver, Team BMW, said: “The weekend wasn’t kind to me as a whole, but I really enjoyed fighting through the field in race three – that was the way I wanted to finish the season. The track was finally consistent in that race, and I just gave it the full send and showed what this BMW is capable of. To finish inside the top ten from plum last on the grid was mega – I loved every second if it. It’s been a special year overall. It’s been a big step-up for me and I always knew it was going to be difficult, but my form over the second half of the season gives me a lot of confidence going into 2020. I’m with the best team, best car and best manufacturer – the work ethic here is absolutely phenomenal. We’ve rolled out three new cars and not had a single mechanical failure – I’m in awe of what we’ve accomplished, to be honest, and this is only the 3 Series’ first year. It’s a massive achievement.”

Andrew Jordan, Driver, BMW Pirtek Racing, said: “I don’t have many words, to be honest. There really wasn’t anything more I could have done. It’s just the one that got away. I was obviously up against it going into the weekend, but I gave it my absolute all. The weather couldn’t have made things much more difficult for us in race one – under the safety car, it was like a switch in terms of grip – but we fought back in race two. I needed to make progress and I was all guns blazing; I was coming through, as simple as that! We then came so close in race three – we certainly didn’t go down without a fight. At the end of the day, it wasn’t quite enough but the title wasn’t lost at Brands – it was lost at Donington Park back in April. We still come away from the season with six race wins, and I’m immensely proud of the job we’ve all done this year.”

On a frenetic final day of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, Honda driver Dan Cammish produced epic drives to take a race win and assume the championship lead, only to miss out on the title by just two points after his first mechanical failure of the season in the final race.

Having arrived at the final meeting 16 points behind championship leader Colin Turkington, and with Turkington’s team-mate Andrew Jordan breathing down Cammish’s neck in the standings, the weekend did not begin auspiciously for the Halfords Yuasa Racing team. Set-up problems in qualifying relegated Cammish's Honda Civic Type R to 12^th on the grid and Matt Neal 13^th, with their BMW rivals first and third.

The #27 Honda made an excellent start in race one to jump to eighth, but the omens did not look good as Turkington quickly established a lead. As a safety car period closed up the field, rain began to fall and several runners, Neal included, dived into the pits for wet tyres.

Cammish could not risk giving up track position but also knew his rivals' cars did not favour damp conditions. Balancing his Honda's slick tyres on the increasingly greasy track, he scythed through the field. Jordan and Turkington were quickly disposed of, before Cammish rounded leader Rory Butcher in a brave move that had the crowd holding their breath.

The Leeds driver took the win and was chased home, remarkably, by Neal. Another fast tyre change by the Halfords Yuasa Racing mechanics set the three-time champion up for a charge through the field on his wet rubber, to complete a memorable race for the Honda team.

From pole position in race two, Cammish assumed the lead but Neal was beaten away by the fast-starting Turkington. As the Honda tried to fight back the two made contact and Turkington spun to the back of the field.

In tricky conditions on a drying track, Cammish was determined to drive with a championship mindset and when threatened by rivals Ash Sutton and Jordan, the Honda man did not fight too hard. Third at the flag, with Turkington not scoring, propelled Cammish into an eight-point championship lead with one race to go.

Neal, meanwhile, was forced to give best to old sparring partner Jason Plato, but when Plato spun sideways on the last lap the Honda driver regained the place to come home fourth and secure the 2019 Teams' title for Halfords Yuasa Racing. 

The reverse draw for the final round put Cammish into eighth starting spot. He dropped behind the fast-starting Jordan at the start, but kept his rival in sight and even when passed by Turkington remained in the points lead, only to have the championship snatched away on the penultimate lap when a mechanical failure pitched the Honda off the circuit and out of the race.

Neal finished 13th after a tumultuous race from 13^th on the grid, but all of the team's thoughts were with his team-mate, missing out on the Drivers' title by just two points after a highly competitive season. The Halfords Yuasa Racing team had again been firmly in the title battle to the end and will now focus on returning even stronger in the 2020 season that starts at Donington Park on 29 March.    
 
“My first non-finish of I think two seasons,” said Cammish, “and the first time I haven't finished on the lead lap this season. Congratulations to Colin Turkington, he's a worthy champion. I’m disappointed more than anything. It’ll take a little while to sink in that I’ve lost it in that fashion, but that’s the way it is. Obviously Colin has had a great year, but I've taken the title fight right to the end, which is testament to the team and the Honda. We’ve done a lot of good racing this year, I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and that first race was mega regardless.

"It’s going to take me a little while to recover from that one. But I’ll be back more determined. It’s tough, it’s a long year and a lot of sacrifice, it’s tough on everyone, not just the driver. And to come within two points of being champion, you never know it might be the only chance I get, you just don’t know what the future will bring for any of us, but I gave it my all and it just wasn’t meant to be.”