FIFTH PODIUM AND INDEPENDENT SUCCESS FOR MB MOTORSPORT

MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square maintained its impressive run of form with a fifth podium finish of the season at Snetterton during the latest rounds of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

On the back of a hugely successful weekend at Croft in the previous event - where he secured a brace of top three finishes - rising star Jake Hill was able to add to his podium tally and also secured a first Independent class victory for the team, with Sam Osborne adding more points to his total in the sister Honda.

Having qualified on the front row of the grid after another impressive performance on Saturday, Hill headed into race one hoping to challenge pole sitter Colin Turkington for victory, but lost out to the Toyota of Tom Ingram on the opening lap.

As Turkington edged away in the lead, Hill diced for second with Ingram for the entire race; briefly edging ahead only to wisely gift the position back after contact whilst completing the move.

Third overall was still a fifth podium of the season for Hill, and also saw him secure the Independent class victory; the first such win for the team.

Starting from P18 on the grid, Osborne’s focus in the opening race was on trying to score valuable points towards the Jack Sears Trophy, he ran as high as 15th before taking the flag in 17th; scoring third place points in the JST, closing in on the standings lead.

Despite slipping down to sixth spot on the opening lap of race two, Hill showed strong pace throughout the race notwithstanding the additional success ballast now being carried on the #24 Honda.

Battling for position with the Honda of Dan Cammish, the 26-year-old was able to beat his rival in a run to the line out of the final corner to take fifth place and another strong haul of points.

Osborne, who spent the whole race running on the fringes of the points, diced for position with fellow Jack Sears Trophy hopeful Carl Boardley and managed to get ahead of the BMW on the final lap, securing second in class and the final championship point.

A frenetic final race saw Hill in the heart of the action alongside numerous championship contenders, and he came through the reverse grid race unscathed to end the weekend with a solid ninth place.

Consequently, Hill ends the weekend sitting eighth in the overall standings and fifth in the Independents' Trophy with just the season finale at Brands Hatch left to run.

Osborne looked well placed to fight for more points in race three as a strong opening lap saw him leading the JST runners, but his race would come to an early end when contact from Senna Proctor saw him forced off onto the grass and into retirement.

Despite that, he will head to Brands Hatch fourth in the JST standings; 25 points off the lead with 60 still available.

“We've had another fantastic weekend and it's nice that we are now regularly in contention for podium finishes," said Hill. "Getting a first Independent class win is also nice; even if it's been a little overdue! Race two was also pretty good apart from the start where I had too much wheelspin and in race three, I found myself in the wrong place at the wrong time when we were all battling in the pack and fighting for position. P9 was still a good result but we could have ended up battling for the podium again if we'd broken away from the pack. It's all to play for in terms of the top three in the Independents' title race and I'm hoping we can end the year well at Brands Hatch."

“I felt confident going into race day as I knew we were in the mix with the other drivers in contention for the Jack Sears Trophy and after race two," reflected Osborne. "Things were looking good and there were only a few points between us at the front. The final race was disappointing as I think we could have had a really strong result there and maybe even taken the championship lead, but it wasn't to be. I'll come out fighting at Brands Hatch and see what happens."

CONTENDERS CLASH AS TURKINGTON RETURNS TO THE TOP

Jackson wins final bout as Butcher and Ingram hit trouble at Snetterton

Team BMW’s Colin Turkington enjoyed one of the best weekends of his illustrious BTCC career as a double victory at Snetterton today (25 October) vaulted him back to the summit of the standings.

The Northern Irishman grabbed pole position in the all-new ‘Top Ten Showdown’ on Saturday afternoon and duly converted that into two commanding wins on race day.

Turkington followed that up with a podium in the final bout as Rory Butcher and Tom Ingram clashed, impacting on their respective championship challenges.

Motorbase Performance’s Ollie Jackson grabbed a second career BTCC victory in the reversed grid race, following on from his maiden success at Silverstone last month.

The morning action commenced with Turkington securing a lights-to-flag victory despite the early attentions of Toyota rival Ingram.

Turkington’s 3 Series blasted away from the line with what looked to be one of the best launches of the season so far, as Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters’ Ingram breezed by the sluggish-starting MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square Honda of Jake Hill.

Ingram’s Toyota Corolla went side-by-side with the #1 machine around the outside at Agostini on lap one, but Turkington cleverly squeezed Ingram on the exit of the turn, bringing Hill back into the battle. Hill scythed by Ingram but then ran wide through the next left-hander at Hamilton and Ingram was back into second.

It wasn’t the last time that the pair would switch positions as Turkington set about scampering away from the fight. Hill made a committed move on Ingram in the latter stages at Wilson, and Ingram’s Toyota was tipped into a half-spin. That allowed Hill through, but the MB Motorsport man subsequently chose to relinquish the position.

So Turkington, Ingram and Hill were confirmed in the podium positions but there was another scrapping trio behind them with Butcher eventually getting the better of two of his fellow title contenders – Laser Tools Racing’s Ash Sutton and Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish.

The top five in the overall Drivers’ standings occupied the top five positions for the majority of race two, with the only change coming during a last lap shoot-out following a late safety car period.

The battle simmered rather than reaching boiling point as Turkington produced a repeat victory from Ingram, although the latter did well to hang on for second.

Motorbase Performance’s Butcher nibbled at Ingram’s Toyota Corolla several times, with a significant effort made on the final lap. Butcher out-braked himself at Wilson – leading to contact – which enabled Sutton’s Infiniti Q50 to join the fray. Ingram fended them off as Sutton slipped into third, while Butcher fell into the clutches of Cammish.

It was Butcher’s turn to take a hit at the final turn as Cammish’s Honda Civic Type R slid into the Ford Focus through Murrays. Cammish lost out, however, as Hill pipped the Halfords Yuasa Racing car to the line by just 0.047s – breaking the race-long monopoly of the top five contenders.

Jackson rounded off a dramatic day by claiming a second career BTCC victory, as the leading protagonists kicked off behind in the final encounter in Norfolk.

The Ford man made one of the moves of the season on the opening lap as he held on around the outside, before eventually tucking in ahead of Adam Morgan in the Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools Mercedes.

Morgan kept Jackson honest throughout while also holding the chasing pack at bay, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the latter from taking another impressive and hard-earned win.

Turkington concluded his sensational weekend by claiming an unexpected podium, as Butcher’s Ford Focus crashed into Ingram’s Toyota Corolla at the final corner.

The Speedworks Motorsport-run car of Ingram had been reeling in Butcher’s #6 machine in the latter stages and he eventually made his move at Coram on the last lap. The initial contact happened through the right-hander, but as Butcher’s Focus skated across the grass he then returned to the track before slamming into Ingram’s car at Murrays.

Turkington scampered past and was followed home by fellow title contender Sutton in the Laser Tools Racing Infiniti Q50, whilst Butcher crawled home in fifth.

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Cammish claimed sixth, but he was one of many drivers to get stuck behind pole-sitter Chris Smiley in the Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai. The Northern Irishman defended extremely heavily from the likes of Sutton and Turkington, but it was Cammish who would eventually end Smiley’s effort as he tapped the rear of the Hyundai i30N.

Rounds 22, 23 and 24 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton saw Turkington return to the top of the Drivers’ standings, whilst his Team BMW outfit holds sway in both the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ tables.

Sutton is nine points adrift in the overall order, whilst Honda star Cammish is a further 16 in arrears. Ingram and Butcher remain in contention, but the duo will be ruing their clash at the final corner of the final race.

Sutton has moved into an unassailable lead in the Independent Drivers’ standings, whilst his Laser Tools Racing squad still tops the Independent Teams’ table.

Michael Crees leads the Jack Sears Trophy, whilst Turkington also returned to the head of Goodyear Wingfoot Award thanks to his pole position on Saturday.

The 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will conclude with three high-octane races around the famous Brands Hatch Indy Circuit on 14/15 November.

Colin Turkington said: “Race one was a great start to my day – it’s always nice to get pole and convert it into a win. The first lap was a bit tricky and as the leader, you’re the one doing all the experimenting, but I knew that if I could keep Tom [Ingram] and Jake [Hill] behind me for the first laps that I would have a good chance of converting the race.

“I got a good start again in race two and survived the first lap when the pressure was on, but it was really the scrap behind me that allowed me to break free. I saw that Tom was having an almighty race trying to keep the others behind, so I just tried to keep my focus and keep chalking down the laps – there’s nothing that beats that feeling of winning!

“Finishing third in race three was big surprise for me, but when it’s going your way, it’s going your way and this was a perfect weekend. I tried to be patient, make the right moves and stay out of trouble. I had excellent pace with the weight and I knew I had to fight for every point and every position before we go to Brands Hatch. The BMW has been ballistic at Snetterton, so absolute credit to Team BMW for that. I leave very happy tonight.”

Ash Sutton said: “A couple of times in race one, I was trying to egg [Rory] Butcher on. Every time I got close to him, he just defended which made my life hard as I had Dan [Cammish] behind me. In the middle part of that race, I just sat there letting him go after Tom [Ingram] – ultimately we weren’t going to get past that thing in a straight line. It was a tough race, but I was pleased to get back on the podium.

“I got hit left, right and centre in race three – I felt like I gave every car the room it needed but [Chris] Smiley just thought different. It was a kick in the teeth for Colin [Turkington] to jump us. I feel like today, we’ve been pushed around a little bit and we’ve not had the pace in the car, but we’ve come away with a shout and that’s the key thing going into Brands.

“I’m going to be all guns blazing there. It’s mega to get the Independents’ title – I’m over the moon with that. Obviously winning the Jack Sears Trophy in 2016, the championship in 2017 and now the Independents’, I’ve ticked off the majority of the championships you can win. Now we can go to Brands with the mindset of the overall title.”

Dan Cammish said: "What can I say we’ve been average throughout, we lacked something all weekend. From race one we’ve been chasing a lack of speed. We’ve looked good for pace this year but today we’ve just lacked something and I don’t know what that is. Usually when I go home if I’ve made errors then I’m feeling pretty down, but I don’t know what more I could have done all weekend.

"I could have done with a few more points out of today but what we’ve got to do is come back fighting at Brands and have a good end to this championship. I’m happy to be where I am. We’ve had a sensible year, there’s been opportunities missed but there’s also been some good days. It would have been nice to get a bit more out of this weekend, but all we can do now is regroup and see if we can come out with something a little bit quicker at Brands."

Tom Ingram said: “The plan was always to jump Jake [Hill] off the line in race one, and that worked out perfectly – but keeping him behind me was no mean feat. He got a little bit of a run into Wilson and a bit of an overlap, but it’s greasy on the inside and he locked up and couldn’t get it stopped, which resulted in a bit of contact. Jake and I have raced against each other for over ten years now, and there are no hard feelings.

“Race two was a tough one – it was hard work keeping those guys behind. The safety car intervention at least allowed my heart rate to drop momentarily and I was pleased to come out relatively unscathed, and really happy with another second place and more good points – I lost some ground to Colin, but gained ground on all the other guys. I felt like I really earned my Ginsters pasty for that one!”

Rory Butcher said: "I really hate being involved in incidents. It just doesn’t sit well with me. I love to race hard, I love door-to-door racing but when you end up going across the grass and hitting one of your competitors, it’s a horrible feeling. Tom should have come out of that corner and taken that podium, it’s a shame.

"Overall we’ve been strong, I don’t think we’ve made the most of what we had in front of us; we should have had two podiums at least I think. But there’s lots of positives that we’ve got to take from that. The fact that we were so pacy and potentially could have fought for pole. And now we’re going to a track that we’re strong at and have done a lot of testing at, so that’s something to look forward to."

Ollie Jackson said: “The first win was really emotional, but this one just feels brilliant. I used to win races back in Caterhams obviously, but I think once you get back into the feeling of winning races again, it’s definitely something and it gave me the confidence to push forward today. It’s fantastic after a pretty unlucky first race – I wasn’t expecting to have such a great end to the day.

“I got a good start and then managed to get the tyres switched on right away. I was just focussing on the track, getting the lines right and placing my car. Adam [Morgan] definitely had the pace on me towards the end. His car was probably set up to work in the second half of the race and mine was for the first half. gave me a good old push for the last few laps, but thankfully I just held on.”

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Snetterton

Race 1:
Tom Chilton received a verbal warning for an incident involving Stephen Jelley

Race 2:
Carl Boardley received a fine of £500 for a Parc Fermé infringement

Ollie Jackson received a verbal warning for an incident involving Chris Smiley

Race 3:
Rory Butcher received an official reprimand and had his licence endorsed by the addition of two penalty points for an incident involving Tom Ingram

Dan Cammish received an official reprimand and had his licence endorsed by the addition of two penalty points for an incident involving Chris Smiley

Aiden Moffat was penalised by the addition of 3 seconds to his overall race time for gaining an unfair advantage during an incident with Senna Proctor

An incident involving Ash Sutton and Chris Smiley will be reviewed at Brands Hatch Indy in three weeks’ time

An incident involving Matt Neal and Tom Oliphant will be reviewed at Brands Hatch Indy in three weeks’ time

OLLIE JACKSON TAKES SECOND CAREER BTCC WIN

Motorbase Performance's Ollie Jackson claimed a second career Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship victory, whilst the title contenders kicked off behind him in the final encounter at Snetterton.

Jackson made one of the moves of the season on the opening lap as he held on around the outside and eventually tucked in ahead of Adam Morgan in the Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools Mercedes. Morgan kept Jackson honest throughout, whilst also holding the chasing pack at bay, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Motorbase man from taking another impressive and hard earned win.

Colin Turkington concluded one of the best weekends of his BTCC career by claiming an unexpected podium – following his earlier win double – as Rory Butcher's Ford Focus crashed into the Toyota Corolla of Tom Ingram on the final corner.

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters' Ingram had been reeling in Butcher's #6 machine in the latter stages and eventually made his move through Coram on the last lap. The initial tap seemingly came from the Corolla through the right hander but as Butcher's Focus skated across the grass he then returned to the track and slammed into Ingram's car at Murrays.

Turkington scampered past and was followed home by fellow contender Ash Sutton in the Laser Tools Racing Infiniti Q50, whilst Butcher crawled home in fifth.

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish claimed sixth, but he was one of many drivers to get stuck behind pole-sitter Chris Smiley in the Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai. Northern Irishman Smiley defended extremely heavily from the likes of Sutton and Turkington, but it was Cammish who would eventually see off his effort as he tapped into the rear of the Excelr8 man.

BTC Racing's Josh Cook suffered damage in an earlier skirmish with Cammish but he also jumped the recovering Ingram across the line to take eighth, whilst MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square's Jake Hill and Excelr8 Motorsport's Senna Proctor completed the top ten.

Ollie Jackson said: "The first win was really emotional. This one just feels brilliant – I feel like a race winner already! It’s a great feeling again. I used to win races back in Caterhams obviously. But I think once you get back into the feeling of winning races again it’s definitely something that gave me the confidence to push forward today. It’s fantastic after a pretty unlucky first race when we have the pace, I wasn’t expecting to have such a great end to the day.

"I got a good start again, a good launch then managed to get the tyres switched on right away and it looked like Adam was struggling a little bit to start off with, so I just took advantage and hung on to it for the rest of it.

"I was just focussing on the track, getting the lines right and placing my car. Adam definitely had the pace on me towards the end. His car was probably set up to work in the second half of the race and mine was for the first half. All I had to do was focus. He gave me a good old push for the last few laps but thankfully I just held on."

Adam Morgan said: "That was pretty tough! The car was a little bit loose through turn one and normally that’s a good corner to set up to overtake into turn two, but without the grip, I left myself pretty open to attacks from Rory. It's a mega result for the boys, the team have worked faultlessly this weekend and the cars been absolutely on it. I’m just really chuffed for everyone at Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools.

"Ollie is a strong defender. He knows what to do with the car and where to put it. He drove faultlessly, didn’t make a mistake. That move around the outside of me on Agostini on the first lap, I’ll lose some sleep over that tonight. Overall though, a really great weekend and well done to Ollie."

Colin Turkington said: "A big surprise for me, but when it’s going your way, it’s going your way and today was perfect, three podiums, though obviously I inherited the last one. I could see there was a pretty hefty tussle going on between Tom and Rory. I could see it kicking off and just kept telling myself ‘keep your eyes on the road and don’t go off after them’.

"I’m very pleased with my weekend, I had excellent pace in the third race with the weight so I would have been happy with P5 from where I started. Top job by Team BMW once again.

"I just knew I had to fight for every point and every position before we go to Brands Hatch. It’s going to be the great unknown, so I wanted to have as many points in the bag as possible. I was stuck in a train for quite a while behind Tom Ingram and then behind Ash, but I tried to be patient, make the right moves and stay out of trouble. It went my way today, it didn’t at Croft, but it’s nice to fight back. I’ll leave Snetterton very happy tonight."

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Snetterton

1       Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance 12 laps
2       Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +0.217s
3       Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +4.872s
4       Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +6.312s
5       Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +8.195s
6       Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +9.194s
7       Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +9.782s
8       Tom INGRAM (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +9.934s
9       Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +13.758s
10   Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +16.544s
11   Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +17.167s
12     Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +17.561s
13     Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +20.891s
14     Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +21.443s
15     Glynn GEDDIE (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +28.737s
16     Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +29.716s
17     Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +30.859s
18     Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +34.649s
19     Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +35.046s
20     Jessica HAWKINS (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +40.032s
21     Paul RIVETT (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +40.322s
22     Ethan HAMMERTON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +44.761s
23     Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +47.177s
24     Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +50.883s
25     Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance DNF
26     Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square DNF

More to follow...

COLIN TURKINGTON AT THE DOUBLE

Team BMW's Colin Turkington has taken his second win of the day as the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship title contenders went wheel-to-wheel in the second bout at Snetterton.

The top five in the overall Drivers' standings occupied the top five positions for the majority of the race, with the only change coming during a last lap showdown following a late safety car period.

The battle simmered rather than reaching boiling point as Turkington produced a commanding victory from Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters' Tom Ingram, although the latter did well to hang on for second.

"It’s still the same pressure," said Turkington. "I got a good start again, and survived the first lap when the pressure was on, but it was really the scrap behind me that allowed me to break free. I saw that Tom [Ingram] was having an almighty race trying to keep the others behind, so I just tried to keep my focus, keep chalking down the laps. I could have done without the safety car at the end, but I managed it well and took home another win – there’s nothing that beats that feeling of winning!

"It’s a lovely place to be out in front – it’s a luxury. The BMW has been ballistic this weekend at Snetterton, so absolute credit to Team BMW for that.

"Race three is about surviving, getting stuck in and still trying to get some really good points. You’ve got to fight for every point, but I’m looking forward to a really good scrap."

Motorbase Performance's Rory Butcher nibbled at Ingram's Toyota Corolla several times, with a significant effort made on the final lap. Butcher made a late lunge on Ingram at Wilson – leading to contact – which enabled Laser Tools Racing's Ash Sutton to join the fray. Ingram fended them off as Sutton slipped into third, while Butcher fell into the clutches of Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish.

"I’ve no idea what happened," confirmed Ingram. "We had a fairly substantial knock to the rear, but it was going to come. It was 14 laps of bumper-to-bumper action so there was a certain amount of inevitability. Every time you come into the hairpin and you’ve got a train of cars behind you, you’re always waiting for the bump. I had two or three of them over the race distance, but you always brace for them anyway. I’m glad to come out of it relatively unscathed but it was a hard, hard race keeping all that lot behind.

"Ash is top-class. We know he’s super aggressive and he’s always going to be one to stick his nose in. I’m mindful of anyone on the last lap as obviously it’s the last opportunity to make a move. Ash has always been very strong over the last few laps, especially in a rear-wheel drive car. But it was hard work keeping Rory behind too. Wherever I stood they were coming at me."

It was Butcher's turn to take a hit at the final turn as Cammish's Honda Civic Type R slid into the Ford Focus through Murrays. It was Cammish that lost out, however, as the recovering Jake Hill pipped the Halfords Yuasa Racing car to the line by just 0.047s – breaking the race-long monopoly of the top five contenders.

BTC Racing's Josh Cook scrapped to seventh ahead of the amazing Ollie Jackson in the Motorbase Ford Focus. Jackson began the contest in 21st and gained ten places over the first few laps, before making further progress in the closing stages. He eventually ran side-by-side with Adam Morgan's Mercedes over the finish line and claimed eighth place by an incredible 0.002s.

Excelr8 Motorsport's Chris Smiley completed the top ten order and was further rewarded with reverse grid pole for the final contest later this afternoon.

The battle for the Jack Sears Trophy also intensified, as Michael Crees took his second win of the day. The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing driver now leads Bobby Thompson by three points, with Sam Osborne two points further back and Carl Boardley a further point in arrears.

The Team HARD outfit was in the wars again, as Jack Goff crashed out of heavily on the exit of turn one on the penultimate lap – bringing about the aforementioned safety car – whilst Nic Hamilton was unfortunately swiped into the barrier following contact from the wayward Audi S3 of Paul Rivett.

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Snetterton

1       Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 14 laps
2       Tom INGRAM (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +1.763s
3       Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.914s
4       Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +3.547s
5       Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +3.742s
6       Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +3.789s
7       Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +4.714s
8       Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +4.993s
9       Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +4.995s
10     Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +5.355s
11     Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +5.989s
12     Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +6.712s
13     Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +7.578s
14     Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +8.193s
15     Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +9.060s
16     Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +9.577s
17     Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +10.747s
18     Glynn GEDDIE (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +10.913s
19     Ethan HAMMERTON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +11.583s
20     Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +12.176s
21     Jessica HAWKINS (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +12.588s
22     Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +12.861s
23     Paul RIVETT (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +29.398s
24     Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +34.317s
25     Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD DNF
26     Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing NC
27     Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport DNF

TURKINGTON SURVIVES EARLY SCARE TO SECURE RACE ONE WIN

Team BMW's Colin Turkington secured a lights-to-flag victory in the BTCC opener at Snetterton despite the early attentions of Toyota rival Tom Ingram.

Turkington's 3 Series blasted away from the line with what looked to be one of the best starts of the season, as Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters' Ingram breezed by the sluggish-starting MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square Honda of Jake Hill.

Motorbase Performance's Rory Butcher was another who bogged down at the start, which seemingly created a concertina effect going into turn one. It was a nervy moment as an incident involving Laser Tools Racing pair Ash Sutton and Aiden Moffat, Ollie Jackson (Motorbase Performance) and Tom Oliphant (Team BMW) left the latter duo spinning out of contention – potentially ending the BMW man's championship challenge.

Reigning champion Turkington declared the first lap as 'tricky' post-race, particularly so when Ingram's Toyota Corolla went side-by-side with the #1 machine around the outside at Agostini. Turkington cleverly squeezed Ingram on the exit of the turn, bringing Hill back into the battle. Hill scythed by Ingram but then ran wide through the next left-hander at Hamilton and Ingram was back into second.

It wasn't the last time that the pair would switch positions as Turkington set about scampering away from the fight. Hill made a committed move on Ingram in the latter stages at Wilson, and Ingram's Toyota was tipped into a half-spin. That allowed Hill through, but the MB Motorsport man subsequently chose to relinquish the position.

So Turkington, Ingram and Hill were confirmed in the podium positions but there was another scrapping trio behind them with Butcher eventually getting the better of fellow title contenders Sutton and Dan Cammish (Halfords Yuasa Racing).

Sutton and Butcher's early exchanges were aggressive to the say the least as the pair bumped and barged their way down the Bentley straight and through Brundle. Scotsman Butcher held on, however, to claw back some points on the standings leader.

Adam Morgan made up early ground as he went from tenth to seventh in the Carlube-backed Mercedes, whilst the top ten positions were completed by Josh Cook (BTC Racing), Senna Proctor (Excelr8 Motorsport) and Michael Crees (The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing). Crees drove brilliantly from 17th on the grid as the Honda Civic Type R driver also went on to take an important Jack Sears Trophy win.

Remarkably, Turkington and Sutton are now tied at the top of the standings after 22 incredible contests as the race winner also grabbed a vital score for setting the fastest lap. Honda star Cammish is just eight behind the leading pair, with Ingram a further 15 back.

The unmissable drama continues with races two and three later this afternoon, with all the action now live and exclusive on ITV4.

Colin Turkington said: "Obviously it was a great start to my day – it's always nice to get pole and convert it into a win. I think we were all fretting at Team BMW before the race because we had wet tyres on the 3 Series as we sat in the garage as the track was taking a long time to dry. Just in the end it flicked over, so we started the race on slicks. That first lap was a bit tricky and as the leader, you're the one doing all the experimenting. But I knew that if I could keep Tom [Ingram] and Jake [Hill] behind me for the first laps that I would have a good chance of converting the race. It was an excellent start.

"I knew Jake would be pretty quick over the opening few laps and I could see those guys were battling. It just allowed me to get the car up to speed, assess where the grip was and get my head down. I was going for every point which you've got to do in this championship; I wanted to lead the lap, get the fastest lap and maximise my return after a difficult Croft. It feels really nice to bounce back.

"The added weight is going to slow me down in race two, putting that extra 12kg in the car, but I think I can get off the line as well as I did in race one. I was on the drier side of the track which got me a breather into turn one. We’ll keep making the car faster. I’d like to dedicate this win to a good friend who’s in hospital at home but is thankfully getting better – this one's for you, Victor."

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Snetterton

1       Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 12 laps
2       Tom INGRAM (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +2.570s
3       Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +3.949s
4       Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +5.135s
5       Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +7.125s
6       Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +8.916s
7       Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +9.415s
8       Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +14.668s
9       Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +21.105s
10     Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +25.165s
11     Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +26.205s
12     Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +26.968s
13     Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +27.199s
14     Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +29.603s
15     Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +30.274s
16     Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +32.531s
17     Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +33.342s
18     Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +33.532s
19     Paul RIVETT (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +37.581s
20     Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +40.103s
21     Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +46.232s
22     Jessica HAWKINS (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +51.869s
23     Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +55.861s
24     Ethan HAMMERTON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +1:08.252s
25     Glynn GEDDIE (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1:21.761s
26     Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +1:49.522s
27     Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1 lap

RIVETT LOOKS AHEAD TO LONG OVERDUE BTCC DEBUT

Four-time Renault Clio Cup champion Paul Rivett is about to make his long overdue debut in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, a richly deserved achievement for the 42-year-old.

The official BTCC website caught up with GKR TradePriceCars.com driver ahead of the Snetterton action...

QUALIFYING IN QUOTES: SNETTERTON

Qualifying at Snetterton yesterday saw an exciting change to proceedings as the format consisted of a 25-minute qualifying session followed by the ten-minute Snetterton Top Ten Showdown.

The official BTCC website caught up with top three by the completion of the session: pole man Colin Turkington, MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square's Jake Hill and Toyota driver Tom Ingram.

Despite initially qualifying seventh, Turkington took pole in the Showdown:

Equalling his best-ever qualifying position, Hill will start the opening contest from second spot:

Ingram will be aiming to move through the order from third on the grid:

Relive all the qualifying action now via the circuit commentary:

TURKINGTON STARS IN SNETTERTON SHOWDOWN

Reigning champion Colin Turkington signalled his intent to defend his Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship title by producing a sensational lap during the qualifying 'Top Ten Showdown' at Snetterton earlier today (24 October) to secure pole position for tomorrow's opener.

Series Organiser – TOCA – announced at the start of the season that Snetterton would host a one-off qualifying format to add yet further entertainment to what is already one of the most exciting series on the planet, and the session duly delivered as an unforgettable battle for supremacy unfolded.

Replacing the usual 30-minute run, drivers had a marginally reduced window of 25 minutes to record their lap times. The fastest ten competitors were then able to progress to a ten-minute pole position session to determine the top ten places on the grid, to which the leading sextet of championship contenders all progressed.

The main drama of the opening segment was seemingly the fate of standings leader Ash Sutton, who was hovering on the bubble towards the end of the 25 minutes, but the Laser Tools Racing star produced the goods late on to storm into third.

Rory Butcher grabbed the early bragging rights by topping the first qualifying session in his Motorbase Performance Ford Focus, at a venue where the Scot led the way during a two-day test earlier in the summer.

Adam Morgan also impressed as he blasted into second in the Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools Mercedes, but he would fail to make any ground in the 'Top Ten Showdown'.

With the tension building and the leading protagonists all challenging for the unique pole position, it was MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square's Jake Hill who looked on course to grab a maiden top spot in a BTCC qualifying session.

The Kent racer bettered Tom Ingram’s early benchmark in the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters Corolla by just 0.018s, and with the championship contenders all carrying significant success ballast, it was unclear if anyone would be able to respond.

Just when it looked as if the game was up, the Team BMW 3 Series of Turkington blitzed around the Snetterton 300 circuit in sublime fashion as the #1 machine vaulted to P1 in the closing minutes.

It was a hugely impressive effort from the four-time champion as he looks to fight back following a dismal weekend at Croft last time out. Turkington enjoyed a points advantage over the chasing pack during the first half of the season, but challenging weekends at Thruxton, Silverstone and Croft have left the Northern Irishman playing catch-up.

The 38-year-old has proved he's more than ready for the fight, however, as he produced one of the most important qualifying laps of his illustrious BTCC career.

Hill held second from Ingram at the finish with the other quartet of title contenders – Rory Butcher (Motorbase Performance), Dan Cammish (Halfords Yuasa Racing), Sutton (Laser Tools Racing) and Tom Oliphant (Team BMW) – next in the order.

Motorbase Performance's Ollie Jackson and Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat did well to advance to the showdown after solid performances in the opening segment, but could only manage eighth and ninth respectively thereafter, whilst Morgan lost his two best lap times due to track limit infringements and will line up tenth for tomorrow's opener.

Rounds 22, 23 and 24 of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Snetterton tomorrow with all the action being screened live and exclusively on ITV4 from 1005.

Colin Turkington said: "I was really happy with that– I knew I was on a really good lap. The previous lap I put together was really decent; it was faster than I did in Q1, but I could see halfway through that last lap that I was gaining more time.

"I could just feel the grip and I knew it was coming together, so I was conscious not to overdo it at the last corner. But as soon as I crossed the line and saw the time, I knew it was going to be hard to beat, so I’m chuffed with that. It’s nice to come out on top and rebound after our difficult Croft weekend.

"We took the positives from Croft as I arrived at Snetterton 6kg lighter than I might have been. A small amount of weight can be just enough to unlock the handling on the 3 Series, and we definitely got it hooked-up today.

"I really enjoyed the new qualifying format. It feels like a one-lap shootout – because of the cold conditions today, we only had a very narrow window of laps to do the time. You’ve got to be prepared to push, but the last thing you want to do is lock a brake or flat-spot a tyre so the pressure definitely ramps up."

Jake Hill said: "It’s a reminder of Knockhill – gutted! Still, it’s been a great day and great to finish second, it’s just a shame because I really thought we were on for pole this time.

"FP1 went so well; the car felt fantastic and it felt great again in qualifying, but a small error here and there in the lap and that’s enough for a multiple champion to get you!

"We have a great chance of again getting a podium or potentially even snatching a win away from Colin [Turkington]. It’s going to be tough to beat him off the line, but I’ll have a good go and, by all means, I’m not the one fighting for a championship in this bunch so I’m going for it and I need that first win.

"I’m going to just go for it tomorrow. There’s nothing else to say really. I’m in a strong position starting alongside Colin. I’ve got [Tom] Ingram there as well and Colin and Tom will be at each other – they’re fighting for a championship. If I can, I’m going to try and get Colin on the opening lap and disappear, then take my first win."

Tom Ingram said: "It’s something we’re not used to – we’ve not been here when it’s been this cold. I think last year we had nearly a 30-degree track temperature and this year it’s eight or nine so it means the car feels totally different. It also feels like you’re driving at a totally different circuit – it makes a big difference in these conditions.

"Because we won't get a chance to get anywhere near as much temperature into the tyres, that first lap tomorrow, we’re all going to be holding on. You’re going to see some front-wheel drive guys having some big slides; the rear-wheel drive guys will be locking up, struggling to get tyre temperature, but thankfully I really enjoy it like that.

"I’m actually looking forward to it. I love driving like that – the first few laps with cold tyres, the car feels alive. It feels like it’s really on the edge. So I’m actually looking forward to it. But we’ve got to be thinking now, because of where we are in the championship, it’s got to be maximum attack. Yes, we need points, but really we need big points in order to overhaul the gap that’s ahead of us!"

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Top Ten Showdown – Snetterton

1        Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 1:56.858
2        Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.192s
3        Tom INGRAM (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +0.210s
4        Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.225s
5        Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.336s
6        Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.461s
7        Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.635s
8        Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.688s
9        Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.781s
10      Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +6.882s

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying – Snetterton

1       Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance 1:57.247s
2       Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +0.183s
3       Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.284s
4       Tom INGRAM (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +0.300s
5       Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.376s
6       Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.394s
7       Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.401s
8       Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.418s
9       Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.434s
10     Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.441s
11     Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +0.609s
12     Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.812s
13     Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.142s
14     Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +1.174s
15     Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +1.178s
16     Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +1.270s
17     Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +1.482s
18     Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +1.543s
19     Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.613s
20     Paul RIVETT (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +1.739s
21     Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +2.157s
22     Jessica HAWKINS (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +2.218s
23     Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +2.254s
24     Glynn GEDDIE (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +3.357s
25     Ethan HAMMERTON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +3.499s
26     Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +3.695s
27     Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD NO TIME

HILL CLIMBS TO THE TOP DURING SNETTERTON FREE PRACTICE

MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square's Jake Hill topped this morning's only Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Free Practice session at Snetterton, with the one-off format for this weekend providing drivers with just a single 50-minute run ahead of qualifying.

Hill has regularly featured at the sharp end during the 2020 campaign – particularly in practice and qualifying trim – and the young Kent-based driver again proved himself as one of the fastest drivers in the field.

"The car’s working well, the team’s working well. We’re just doing our job and as you can see we’re in a strong place," said Hill.

"It’s a case of what could have been for this year; I’d have loved to be in the top four fight for the championship but we’re not. Sometimes that proves to our advantage for the end of the year because, to be honest, I’m not fussed.

"I’m going for wins and podiums and as we saw at Croft with certain championship contenders getting in a fight with me, it’s their choice. I’m going to stick to my guns and go out for wins and if they want to try and fight then that’s fine."

Like Hill, both Adam Morgan (Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools) and Michael Crees (The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing) left it late to set their best lap times in the session as they surged into second and third respectively.

A quartet of title contenders were next in the order as Colin Turkington (Team BMW), Rory Butcher (Motorbase Performance), Dan Cammish (Halfords Yuasa Racing) and Tom Ingram (Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters) all look to make up ground on standings leader Ash Sutton during this critical penultimate race weekend.

"We’re 29 points off so we’ve still a lot to try and get back, but we went well here last year," confirmed Ingram. "We had a pole position and won the first race so it’s a circuit I enjoy and it’s a circuit the car goes well at. But we’ve got to start looking to attack now as we need to make up the deficit.

"I can only do what I can do, I’ve no control over what anyone else is doing so I’ll just do my own thing and focus on our job."

Laser Tools Racing's Sutton had to settle for tenth in his ballast-laden Infiniti Q50, slotting in behind BTC Racing's Josh Cook and Team BMW's Tom Oliphant as the chequered flag fell.

There was only one minor stoppage during the session when series returnee Ethan Hammerton spun in the Trade Price Cars-run Audi S3, but collectively it was an extremely busy period on-track with a total of 441 laps and more than 1,300 miles of the Snetterton 300 layout completed.

Jack Goff was the only driver who failed to set a lap time with the Team HARD squad hitting mechanical problems early on, whilst debutant Paul Rivett completed 20 laps in the GKR TradePriceCars.com Audi – the most of any driver.

Rivett finished 21st overall, one place behind fellow rookie Jess Hawkins – the female driver performing well in the Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra.

The cars and stars return to action at 1415 for the new look 'Snetterton Top Ten Showdown' format, which is arguably set to become the most crucial qualifying session of the season as the title race continues to hot up.

Replacing the usual 30-minute session, drivers will have a marginally reduced window of 25 minutes to record their lap times. The fastest ten competitors will then progress to a ten-minute pole position session to determine the top ten places on the grid.

Lap times will be reset ahead of the showdown… all ten cars can be on-track together and there is no limit on the number of laps completed during the ten minutes. The final order during the ‘Top Ten Showdown’ will determine places one to ten on the grid for Sunday’s opener.

All the action will be streamed live and exclusively via www.itv.com/btcc.

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice – Snetterton

1 Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square 1.57.320s
2          Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +0.558s
3          Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +0.762s
4          Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.788s
5          Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.958s
6          Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.961s
7          Tom INGRAM (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +0.979s
8          Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +1.076s
9          Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +1.111s
10        Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.114s
11        Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.176s
12        Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.260s
13        Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +1.334s
14        Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +1.549s
15        Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +1.549s
16        Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.615s
17        Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +1.761s
18        Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +1.899s
19        Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +1.938s
20        Jessica HAWKINS (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +2.582s
21        Paul RIVETT (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +2.740s
22        Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +2.750s
23        Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +3.634s
24        Glynn GEDDIE (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +4.190s
25        Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +4.610s
26        Ethan HAMMERTON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +5.328s
27        Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport NO TIME

EXCELR8 AIMING TO EXPLOIT HOME ADVANTAGE AT SNETTERTON

EXCELR8 Motorsport has silverware in its sights at Snetterton this weekend (24/25 October), as the team bids to take full advantage of its testing experience around the Norfolk circuit – scene of its first Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship points last year.

Based just 12 miles from the track, EXCELR8 put the new Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance through its paces at Snetterton during the pre-season build-up, making it one of the few circuits at which the team has an existing bank of data with the car.

The squad then returned to the venue – alongside the rest of the BTCC grid – to contest the two-day Goodyear tyre test in July.

Chris Smiley and Senna Proctor are hoping to put that prior knowledge to good use this weekend, as EXCELR8 aims to climb the leaderboard in the Independent Teams’ standings from the fifth position it currently occupies.

The Northern Irishman achieved a top three finish at Snetterton last year, and he is targeting more trophies this time around.

“I’m excited, as it’s the only track we’ve tested the Hyundai at before racing around,” Smiley said, “so we should be up for a good run this weekend. Last year I picked up a lot of good memories at Snetterton, including a podium, and I’m determined to repeat that this weekend.”

After fighting his way through the field at Croft last time out following a ride-height failure in qualifying, Proctor is hopeful of a more straightforward run this weekend.

“It’s great to be back at Snetterton,” the Yorkshireman enthused. “It’s a place where straight-line speed is going to be key and I hope the Hyundai performs strongly. Hopefully, we can build on our performance from Croft.”

The penultimate qualifying session of 2020 can be watched at itv.com/btcc today (Saturday) at 14:10, with all three races being broadcast live tomorrow on ITV4 from 10:05.