The 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is set for its penultimate event of the campaign at Silverstone next weekend (28/29 September), as the battle for one of the most coveted prizes in world motorsport builds towards a thrilling climax.
 
The visit to Knockhill in Scotland earlier this month proved to be the most pivotal race weekend of the season so far, with myriad incidents and drama that left the overall leaderboard tighter than it has been at any point during 2019.
 
Now, with a packed timetable, open paddock policy and tantalisingly poised title race, Silverstone is a must-attend event for any motorsport fan.
 
The BTCC utilises the short National Circuit layout to maximise the action for spectators, all of whom can enjoy grandstand seating at some of the world’s most famous corners included in their entry ticket price.
 
Long straights and tight turns make for several overtaking opportunities on every lap, so action is guaranteed throughout the race. 
 
Silverstone regularly plays host to memorable touring car battles as the drivers try to eke out every last hundredth-of-a-second and set themselves up in the strongest possible position going into the unpredictable season finale at Brands Hatch just two weeks later. 
 
Chasing pack poised
Team BMW’s Colin Turkington still leads the way as he looks to defend his title, but the Northern Irishman was significantly pegged back after a tough weekend north of the border last time out.
 
A win apiece for fellow contenders Andrew Jordan and Rory Butcher, a double podium for Dan Cammish, plus a dramatic non-finish for Turkington in race two at the tight and undulating Scottish track has really fired up the chasing pack in this year’s championship race. 
 
Turkington holds a ten-point advantage over BMW Pirtek Racing’s Jordan, with Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Cammish just a further point adrift. BTC Racing’s Josh Cook and Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance’s Butcher also remain with touching distance with more than 130 points still to play for. 
 
“I’ve taken 11 podiums in 17 races,” reflected form man Cammish, who has reduced his own points deficit to the summit from more than 70 to just 11 in two race weekends.
 
“The Honda is consistently strong. It digs out results when others don’t and that’s how you win titles. We go well at Silverstone and Brands Hatch. If I’m anywhere near, the top two have got to watch out.”
 
So, Silverstone – the Home of British Motorsport – is primed to host one of the most important BTCC race meetings in many a year.
 
Tens of thousands of fans will attend the Northamptonshire circuit, whilst those not watching trackside can catch all of the action on ITV4, live and free-to-air over an eight-hour race day programme with qualifying also streamed live on Saturday.
 
Spectator experience enhanced
BTCC fans are set to enjoy a unique and ground-breaking experience when the series visits Silverstone, after a decision was made to reverse the pit boxes for the event.
 
The move will see the front of the garages now face into the paddock, rather than the pit-lane, meaning teams and drivers will carry out most of their preparation work in clear view of spectators.
 
The space and layout of the Silverstone paddock and pit-lane area has made this change both viable and safe. Teams’ transporters will be situated slightly further away from the pit garages, ensuring plenty of room is available for fans to view the cars and stars of the show in their garage environment.
 
Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “I think it’s a great idea – obviously, because it’s mine! But we’re doing this solely for the fans. It’ll give the teams and drivers more time to interact with the public and will really add to the whole BTCC experience for our spectators.
 
“Normally the garages are ‘dressed’ and set up to face the pit-lane so are really only seen by ourselves – the fans usually just get to see the back walls of the garage and all the messy bits. By effectively reversing the pit garages so that the front faces into the paddock, they will get to see everything going on inside.”
 
Local lights
Aside from the overall title picture, there are a host of drivers and teams looking to deliver on home soil next weekend.
 
Tom Ingram (Toyota), Jack Goff (VW) and Matt Simpson (Honda) can all regard Silverstone as a local track.
 
Former F1 star Mark Blundell (Audi), two-time BTCC champion Jason Plato (Vauxhall) and Nic Hamilton (Ford) – brother of multiple F1 World Champion Lewis – will also be eager to shine at their nearby racing venue.
 
One of the main hopes for a home win is High Wycombe-based Ingram, as the Team Toyota GB with Ginsters star has already tasted victory in the new Corolla this season and has won at Silverstone in each of the past three years.
 
Plato is the other big name gunning for glory at Silverstone – based in nearby Oxford for much of his career, the vastly experienced racer has an incredible affinity with the famous Northants circuit.
 
Twelve race wins there put Plato well ahead of any other current BTCC driver in the history books, so where better for the tin-top legend to open his 2019 account?
 
Timetable and tickets
All three BTCC races on Sunday, 29 September and the rest of the day’s action will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4. Those in attendance at the circuit can stay in touch with the commentary and live timing from every session, available at btcc.net/live throughout the weekend.
 
The support series on the TOCA package are also guaranteed to thrill, with a double-digit total of races set to entertain the crowds, and a number of championships on the line!
 
Tickets are still available via Silverstone. Prices start at just £18, with children under 15 able to enter free of charge with a General Admission ticket. For more information or to order tickets, head to www.silverstone.co.uk

The new BMW 3 Series returned to the top step of the podium as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship travelled north of the border for the eighth event of the 2019 season.
 
Heading into the Knockhill weekend, Team BMW driver Colin Turkington was looking to maintain his place at the top of the championship standings, but had West Surrey Racing team-mate Andrew Jordan aiming to bring the gap down at the wheel of his BMW Pirtek Racing car.
 
Tom Oliphant meanwhile, in the second Team BMW 3 Series was hoping to build on a solid weekend at Thruxton in the previous meeting, where he had been the highest scoring of the three BMW drivers.
 
With the 330i M Sport making its debut at Knockhill, the two free practice sessions on Saturday morning were spent dialing the car into the circuit and the hard work paid dividends in qualifying, with all three cars qualifying strongly inside the top eight.
 
Jordan was the best placed of the trio in third place and a strong start saw him vault into second when the lights went out in the opening contest, with the 2013 title winner keeping leader Rory Butcher honest throughout as he secured his ninth podium of the year.
 
From sixth on the grid, Turkington finished less than two-tenths of a second away from the podium in fourth, although a drive through penalty for Oliphant saw him drop down the order and restricted him to a 15^th place finish; his pace being shown by the fact he scored the fastest lap of the race.
 
Despite running on the medium compound tyre for race two, Jordan was then able to rocket to his sixth win of the season, taking the lead at the start and then remaining out front all the way to the finish. That allowed him to close to within four points of Turkington in the standings after he was tipped into a spin at McIntyres whilst running third.
 
Managing to reverse his car out of the gravel, Turkington recovered to 19^th place and whilst that meant he missed out on points, it left the Northern Irishman within striking distance of the top 15 for race three. A 14^th place for Oliphant allowed him to add two more points to his tally.
 
The reverse grid draw left Jordan as the best placed BMW on the grid for race three in P10, but it would be his turn to run into misfortune as he was forced to take avoiding action on lap one when the Subaru of Senna Proctor spun at the chicane and became stuck in the gravel.
 
A battling drive from Turkington saw him fight his way through to tenth place, with Oliphant capping his weekend with a 13^th place finish after finding himself in the heart of the midfield battles.
 
With two events and six races still to run, Turkington now holds a ten point lead over Jordan in the overall championship standings, with BMW 30 points clear of Honda in the manufacturers/constructors title race.
 
The battle will continue at Silverstone on the weekend of 28/29 September.  
 
“With three races in a day, it’s full of ups and downs, especially around Knockhill with 30 cars on such a short, tight track,” said Turkington. “I don’t know if I was unlucky or what in race two. Through no fault of my own I was put out of the race. That meant I sacrificed a huge amount of points in races two and three. This is how it goes. At least I was able to recover some points in race three but it’s so frustrating. You’re always managing risk in the BTCC. We know it’s about consistently scoring points and playing the long game. We’re still where we need to be.”  
  
 “Overall it has been disappointing as it has been one of those weekends that promised more than what we came away with,” said Oliphant. “Had it not been for the drive-through penalty in race one then I think we would have been able to run at the front all day. Unfortunately that wasn’t to be the case and we were in the thick of the action where anything can happen. We got the fastest lap in two of the races which underlines our pace, but that doesn’t ease the disappointment at what should have been.”  
  
 “I was going forward on a mission and now we fight,” said Jordan. “That is the best touring car I’ve ever driven, it was just on absolute rails. I don’t care about anyone else during the race and I’m just trying to win it. If Colin was second behind me or down in 15th, it doesn’t matter. Obviously, it’s what we needed. You couldn't write it could you. That's why it's the best championship around. I'm not going to worry about race three, we're in a fight now and I’ll take the positives. I've been edging back up to Colin (Turkington). This is what I do it for – it's going to be incredibly tense. It's time to roll the sleeves up.”

Adam Morgan continued his excellent form in the second half of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with a fourth podium finish for Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport from six races to cap off his weekend at Knockhill.

Morgan maintained the upswing in pace that began at Thruxton with a solid run in an interrupted qualifying session to bag eighth on the grid for the opening race.
 
“We’d planned to do two qualifying runs on new tyres, but then a red flag came and I thought we’d better have another go, just in case the others were able to find any extra speed, said Morgan. "It was a good job that I did do another lap as the rest went quicker, and I improved a little. I reckon that there might have been another tenth of a second in me, but eighth put us in a good position for the first race.”

An early safety car period in the opening race, for a second-lap crash, bunched up the field and Morgan attacked on the re-start. Tom Ingram’s Toyota Corolla was in equally determined form and at the Hairpin Morgan fell to ninth spot.

“We made some subtle changes to the car after qualifying and we were perhaps just one per cent too conservative,” continued Morgan. "That said, my pace was better at the end of the race than that of some of the others so we just need to get that balance of aggressive and conservative set-ups spot on. We are not far off.”

Race two saw Morgan line up ninth on the grid before fighting up to seventh place, where he would go on to cross the line, encouraged by the pace of his car once more. 

 “It is just so nice to be back at the sharp end of the grid,” beamed the Mercedes driver. "After such a difficult start to the season, I am so pleased to be racing at the front once more and away from all the midfield risks and damage. 

"The car felt strong at the start of the race, but I may have pushed a bit too hard early on which hurt the rubber a little. I struggled a little at the end of the race so I had to defend from Jason Plato, but I managed to hang on. Another top ten is good though: it shows that we’re back.”

Morgan started the final, reverse grid, race from fourth and made a demon start to battle his way into contention. An early safety car period meant that little progress could be made, but Morgan was determined to round out his weekend with a podium and he soon set about attacking Plato’s Vauxhall Astra on the restart. Morgan gained the place on lap 14 and hung on to third until the finish to round out another strong weekend.

“I had a good fight with Jason and was able to get him going down Duffus Dip,” concluded Adam. "That was a bit hairy but I got away with it! Maybe if I had got ahead sooner, I could have taken second place but although I caught Josh Cook for second, I just didn’t quite have enough in the car to mount a proper attack. Third, though, is another really good result and an indication that the Mercedes-Benz A-Class is far from a spent force. The car has been great all weekend and we have hardly needed to change a thing. It’s a real credit to everyone in the team.”

The second Ciceley Motorsport car, run under the Cataclean Racing banner for Dan Rowbottom, bagged 17^th in the opening race, but Rowbottom, racing at Knockhill for the first time in 11 years, was caught out at the chicane on lap 10 while running 14^th and spun down the order. He regrouped to secure 23^rd and moved up to 18^th in race three, illustrating his racecraft and improved pace.

Ciceley Motorsport’s Commercial Director Norman Burgess was in buoyant mood after the weekend: “Everyone in the team is delighted that the cars have run so well this weekend and that the pace shown at Thruxton wasn’t just a flash in the pan,” he said. "Knockhill and Thruxton couldn’t be more different so to have a car that worked well at both, demonstrates just how hard everyone is working and that we are still a top-line, front-running team.

"Adam had good pace and raced really well, while Dan’s car went better than ever and he showed really good speed. But for a spin, he may have been in the top 10 in race three, but there is no doubting how far he has come since the start of the season. As a team, we continue to be impressed by Dan’s determination and continual rapid improvement. We go to Silverstone next and look forward to more great results.”

Trade Price Cars Racing secured a stunning maiden victory as the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season continued at Knockhill last weekend.
 
The team made the long journey to Scotland hoping to return to form after a tough weekend for both Jake Hill and Mark Blundell in the previous meeting at Thruxton.
 
Rising star Hill qualified 17^th for the opening race of the weekend, despite the fact that his best time was just six tenths of a second away from the pole time set by Rory Butcher’s Honda.
 
Eager to avoid any dramas at the start of the opening race, Hill was able to work his way up into the points on the first lap and then maintained his progress after an early safety car period to eventually cross the line in a solid tenth place.
 
Hill then repeated the result in race two, which was enough to secure pole for the final race of the weekend when former champion Alain Menu carried out the reverse grid draw.
 
A number of changes were made to his Audi S3 ahead of the start, and he was a man on a mission when the lights went out, holding his position going into turn one from fellow front-row starter Josh Cook.
 
Despite two safety car periods backing up the field behind, Hill controlled the race from the front to secure his maiden victory, having lost a win to a post-race penalty at Oulton Park earlier in the year.
 
Team-mate Blundell was making his first appearance at Knockhill but showed encouraging speed in free practice, leaving him confident about his chances going into qualifying.
 
Blundell’s qualifying session was cut short, however, after a spin at Clarks resulting in a red flag caused him to lose his fastest time and prevented him from taking part in the remainder of the session – leaving him at the back of the grid for race one.  
 
Undeterred, the former Le Mans 24 Hours winner made solid progress forwards to cross the line in 20^th place and then followed it up with 24^th in race two after a long battle with Sam Osborne and Nicolas Hamilton.
 
Race three would prove to be arguably Blundell’s strongest of the weekend as he finished just two tenths of a second away from the top 20, leaving the ex-F1 racer optimistic about the races to come – starting with the penultimate meeting of the year at Silverstone later this month.

“In races one and two, I was hanging on to the back of the guys ahead and we deserved to be there in the top ten from where we qualified,” said Hill. “The moves early in race one set up the rest of race day, as it got us out of the trouble that you end up in further back.
 
“I have to thank Alain Menu for drawing me on pole for race three, and we made a lot of changes going into that race that worked an absolute treat. The car was fantastic and it’s a mad feeling to have led the race from start-to-finish and taken my first win.
 
“After what happened at Oulton Park, I’m delighted to get the monkey off my back and it’s relief to have secured the victory. It’s a nice feeling to be a BTCC race winner, and on a weekend where we’ve all been thinking about Sam Tordoff, Georgie and Arlo, that is for them.”
 
 “I’ve really enjoyed the circuit as Knockhill is a cracking little track,” said Blundell. “For me, it has been a weekend of progress after the penalty in qualifying.
 
“I think there was some good headway in races one and three, although there is still a lot more to do. At least there is a smile on my face as I leave here, which hasn’t been the same elsewhere!
 
“We’ve had to work through from the back this weekend and I’d like to think that we can break back into the top 15 by the end of the season; that is the target.”  

Honda driver Dan Cammish took giant strides towards his 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship bid at Knockhill in Scotland, coming away with two more podium finishes and a vastly reduced points deficit to his two major rivals. Team-mate Matt Neal again fought back from early bad luck to earn vital points for the Halfords Yuasa Racing team.

Qualifying around the tight and undulating track brought mixed fortunes for the two Honda drivers. Neal struggled to find a clear lap in his Civic Type R and took tenth on the grid, but Cammish earned the outside front-row spot, ahead of his closest championship rivals and just 24 hundredths shy of the fastest qualifier.

Race one saw Cammish overtaken off the grid by Andrew Jordan, then lose third to Tom Chilton. The Honda man quickly repassed Chilton and triumphed in a race-long battle with championship leader Colin Turkington, to hold onto his third place and earn his tenth podium finish of the year.

Neal's race, however, was short-lived. On the second lap rival Ashley Sutton tried to overtake the Honda and the two cars made contact, both suffering terminal suspension damage and relegating Neal to a back-of-the-grid start in race two.

Cammish lined up for the second race, holding off the fast-starting Turkington as the lights went out. With six laps down the Honda man dived inside race one winner Rory Butcher at the hairpin to claim second spot, thereafter keeping race leader Andrew Jordan in his sights to take yet another podium and a welcome haul of championship points.

Starting down in 26th spot after repairs to his Civic Type R, Neal staged another of the comeback drives he has become renowned for in 2019. This time he could only reach 16th place, one shy of scoring a championship point.

The reverse grid draw for the final race put Cammish in eighth on the grid, with closest championship rival Jordan just behind. In a dramatic first lap, the Honda just avoided an accident that removed Jordan from the action, and then became involved in a multi-car battle. Sixth place at the chequered flag was the reward, along with a significant gain in the championship as the Honda driver outscored both drivers ahead of him in the points.

Starting 16^th, Neal eventually made up five places to finish 11th and earn some vital extra championship points for Honda.

Cammish now heads to the next rounds at Silverstone on 29th September with the most podium finishes in the field.  More significantly while still holding third place in the championship, he is just nine points back from leader Turkington and a single point behind Jordan. With more than 120 points available from the six races left in the 2019 BTCC, the Honda team is firmly in the title chase. 

“A very positive weekend,” said Cammish. “If you had told me we were going to come to Knockhill and cut the point deficit to our rivals by two thirds I wouldn’t have believed you. 

“Qualifying second with the success weight we were carrying showed the performance we had. It was the right decision to use the medium tyre in race one and taking second in race two set us up for a strong finish. And our rivals losing points was the icing on the cake. 

“Silverstone is a power circuit and we have the performance. Hopefully we can go there and do a good job.”

“The weekend was disappointing for me but very good for Dan and for the team,” said Neal. “We thought this would be the difficult track for us so to close the points gap was really positive.

“We think we can do a good job at Silverstone and Brands. And of course our rivals have two team-mates battling for the championship, we can focus on one and that makes a big difference.”

The pendulum swung one way and then another in the race for the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, as BMW’s Colin Turkington and Andrew Jordan both found trouble on a dramatic day of racing at Knockhill.
 
Rory Butcher and Jake Hill each took a victory, with Jordan winning the other as he significantly closed the overall points gap to stablemate Turkington. 
 
Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish claimed two podiums around the tight and twisty 1.27-mile circuit – his tenth and 11th rostrums of the season – as he too strengthened his own championship chances.
 
The day began with Scotsman Butcher getting the home crowd on its collective feet as the pole-sitter reclaimed the lead on the final lap to win an exciting opener.
 
The Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance driver fended off the attentions from BMW Pirtek Racing’s Jordan for almost the entire 27-lap contest, before the Honda Civic Type R clipped the kerbs at the final hairpin on the penultimate lap.
 
Butcher, already struggling to put power down with a lost gear, was doubly sluggish out of the the hairpin as a result, compromising his momentum up the hill and across the start/finish line as Jordan stormed around the outside to briefly claim first and a potentially important championship point for leading a lap.
 
Jordan’s joy was short lived, however, as the 3 Series carried too much speed into Duffus Dip on the final tour and the 2013 champion briefly ran off track, giving Butcher the opportunity he needed to nip back by and into the lead.
 
The roar from the partizan crowd could be heard above the engine noise and Butcher held firm until the finish to claim his third victory of the season.
 
Despite the drama, Jordan would finish the race where he started, immediately reducing the points deficit to Turkington in the process, who himself had his own race long tussle with Cammish and Tom Chilton for the final place on the rostrum.
 
The title race was then blown wide open as Jordan claimed victory in race two, whilst Turkington was forced out of contention during a podium fight with home hero Butcher.
 
Butcher lost the lead off the line to the fast starting 3 Series of Jordan and he was immediately under further pressure from Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Cammish.
 
Cammish – running the Dunlop Sport Maxx soft tyre – was able to scramble by Butcher’s AmD-run Honda on lap six, seemingly bringing Turkington along with him. Team BMW’s Turkington briefly took third from Butcher across the start/finish line but the duo duelled it out through the first few corners of the next lap. 
 
Butcher nudged his Honda Civic Type R down the inside of the #1 BMW on the entry to McIntyres and inevitable contact followed as Turkington turned in. 
 
The 3 Series was tipped into a gravel-bound spin that sent Turkington tumbling down the order, whilst Butcher was able to continue relatively unscathed.
 
Jordan, Cammish and Butcher scampered off to complete the podium positions as Turkington recovered to finish 19th.
 
Butcher received a five-place grid penalty for his part in the Turkington incident, as the now seemingly increasing number of title contenders prepared for the final highland fling in Scotland.
 
That bout belonged to TradePriceCars.com’s Hill, who took his first BTCC win with a commanding lights-to-flag performance. Hill’s success was also the first for the Audi S3 in the BTCC, as the Kent driver became the tenth different race winner in the 2019 season so far.
 
Hill kept BTC Racing’s Josh Cook at arms length throughout, whilst Mac Tools with Ciceley Racing’s Adam Morgan completed the podium positions after he got the better of Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing’s Jason Plato.
 
The championship drama struck Jordan on this occasion as he was forced into retirement whilst trying to avoid the spinning Subaru Levorg of Senna Proctor.
 
Turkington recovered brilliantly from his race two woe to take tenth in the finale, leaving him with a ten point advantage in the standings over Jordan, with Cammish only a point further back.
 
BMW head the Manufacturers’ order whilst Halfords Yuasa Racing lead the Teams’ table.
 
Josh Cook and Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance hold advantages in the Independent Drivers’ and Independent Teams’ standings respectively, whilst Rory Butcher cemented top spot in the Jack Sears Trophy.
 
Rounds 25, 26 and 27 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place at Silverstone on 28/29 September, before the final event of the season commences at Brands Hatch next month.
 
Rory Butcher said: “I’m so happy to secure that win in front of my home crowd – it’s incredible. I managed to make a gap through sector two which kept me safe, until that ding-dong on the last lap. I’m at home here. Everything that’s happened behind the scenes with Sam (Tordoff) is so upsetting, so it’s fantastic to do that for them. It was a shame what happened with Turkington. I initially made the move to go up the inside. As we got close to the corner I could sense Colin (Turkington) was going to turn in and I tried to back out. I don’t like that. I’ve got a massive amount of respect for Colin and I hope he managed to recover.”
 
Andrew Jordan said: “I was going forward on a mission and now we fight. That is the best touring car I’ve ever driven. It was just on absolute rails. I don’t care about anyone else during the race and I’m just trying to win it. If Colin was second behind me or down in 15th, it doesn’t matter. Obviously, it’s what we needed. You couldn't write it could you. That's why it's the best championship around. I'm not going to worry about race three. We're in a fight now and I’ll take the positives. I've been edging back up to Colin (Turkington). Dan (Cammish) is up there doing a top job too. This is what I do it for – it's going to be incredibly tense. It's time to roll the sleeves up.”
 
Jake Hill said: “It was a pleasure to have such a quick car beneath me. It was the first time I led for a restart in the BTCC. It’s the monkey off my back now and I wanted to win so badly. On the last lap I just misjudged it by a few millimetres and hit the gravel. I kept my foot in and held it! I can’t describe how good this result is for AmD and TradePriceCars.com. I’m overwhelmed. This win is for little Arlo Tordoff. I’m thinking of you Sam and Georgie.”

Colin Turkington said: "With three races in a day, it’s full of ups and downs, especially around Knockhill with 30 cars on such a short, tight track. I don’t know if I was unlucky or what in race two. Through no fault of my own I was put out of the race. That meant I sacrificed a huge amount of points in races two and three. This is how it goes. At least I was able to recover some points in race three but it’s so frustrating. You’re always managing risk in the BTCC. We know it’s about consistently scoring points and playing the long game. That can control how you drive and you take risks when you need to and go for it when your back’s against the wall. You just have to drive accordingly. We’re still where we need to be. Every driver has their ‘ifs, buts and maybes’, you’ve just got to come out a weekend still in the game."
 
Dan Cammish said: “That was my 11th podium in 17 attempts. I’m not a serial winner but we’re maximising what we’ve got. We made changes and we could have gone further. What happened to Colin (Turkington) is obviously a shame. I don’t want to see him backwards in my mirrors but I’d be lying if I said one part of me wasn’t delighted. It’s brought me closer, and it’s certainly brought Andy (Jordan) closer. The car is consistently strong. It digs out results when others don’t and that’s how you win titles. We go well at Silverstone and Brands Hatch. If I’m anywhere near, the top two have got to watch out.”

Penalties:

Qualifying:
Matt Neal received a verbal warning for impeding progress of another car(s)

Round 22: 
Bobby Thompson received a five-place grid penalty for Round 23 and had his licence endorsed by the addition of three penalty points for an incident involving Michael Crees

Ash Sutton received a verbal warning for an incident involving Matt Neal

Round 23:
Rory Butcher received a five-place grid penalty for Round 24 and had his licence endorsed by the addition of three penalty points for an incident involving Colin Turkington

Tom Ingram was penalised by the addition of five seconds to his overall race time for an incident involving Chris Smiley

Round 24:
–

TradePriceCars.com's Jake Hill has taken his first Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship victory after producing a lights-to-flag display in the final encounter at Knockhill. Hill's success was also the first for the Audi S3 in the BTCC as the Kent driver became the tenth different race winner in the 2019 season so far.

"It was a pleasure to have such a quick car beneath me," said race winner Hill. "It was the first time I led for a restart in the BTCC. It's the monkey off my back now and I wanted to win so badly. On the last lap I just misjudged it by a few millimetres and hit the gravel. I kept my foot in and held it!

"I can't describe how good this result is for AmD and TradePriceCars.com. I'm overwhelmed. This win is for little Arlo Tordoff. I'm thinking of you Sam and Georgie."

Hill drove commandingly throughout the race as he kept BTC Racing's Josh Cook at arms length, whilst Mac Tools with Ciceley Racing's Adam Morgan completed the podium positions after he got the better of Jason Plato.

Morgan's Mercedes A Class and Plato's Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall had been inseparable for much of the day and the former eventually made his move stick through the chicane following an early restart. BTC Racing's Chris Smiley followed suit as he grabbed fourth in the stealth grey Honda Civic Type R. 

Tom Ingram (Team Toyota GB with Ginsters), Dan Cammish (Halfords Yuasa Racing) and Tom Chilton (Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher) relegated Plato further down the order, with Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat finishing behind them in ninth – the result being particularly important for championship chasing Cammish.

The title picture has been completely blown open on a dramatic day in Scotland as championship leader Colin Turkington spun out of the second contest, before BMW stablemate Andrew Jordan was forced into retirement in race three after collecting the spinning Subaru of Senna Proctor.

Turkington recovered brilliantly in the final bout to take tenth, leaving him with a ten point advantage in the standings over Jordan, with Cammish only a point further back.

 

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 24 – Knockhill

1 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com 27 laps
2 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +1.107s
3 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +2.253s
4 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +2.751s
5 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +7.601s
6 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +10.361s
7 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +10.987s
8 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +11.664s
9 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +12.588s
10 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +13.209s
11 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +14.650s
12 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +15.303s
13 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +16.004s
14 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +16.080s
15 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +17.421s
16 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +18.071s
17 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +18.554s
18 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +18.883s
19 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +20.524s
20 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +21.742s
21 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +21.962s
22 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +22.334s
23 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +23.652s
24 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +24.930s
25 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +25.770s
26 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +2 laps
27 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +12 laps
28 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +26 laps
29 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +27 laps
30 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +27 laps

The pendulum in the race for the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship may have just taken the most significant swing yet as BMW Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan claimed victory in race two at Knockhill, whilst stablemate Colin Turkington hit trouble during a podium tussle with home hero Rory Butcher.

"I didn't see anything of Colin (Turkington)," said Jordan. "I was going forward on a mission and now we fight. That is the best touring car I've ever driven. It was just on absolute rails.

"The funny thing is, that's how it rolled out of the workshop. We've not done anything to it this weekend and I could just get on with it. I don't care about anyone else during the race and I'm just trying to win it. If Colin was second behind me or 15th it doesn't matter. Obviously, it's what we needed." 

Race one winner Butcher lost the lead off the line to the fast starting 3 Series of Jordan and he was immediately under further pressure from Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish.

Cammish – running the Dunlop Sport Maxx soft tyre – was able to scramble by Butcher's AmD-run Honda on lap six, seemingly bringing Turkington along with him. Team BMW's Turkington briefly took third from Butcher across the start/finish line but the duo duelled it out through the first few corners of the next lap. 

Butcher nudged his Honda Civic Type R down the inside of the #1 BMW on the entry to McIntyres and inevitable contact followed as Turkington turned in. The 3 Series was tipped into a gravel-bound spin that sent Turkington tumbling down the order, whilst Butcher was able to continue relatively unscathed.

Jordan, Cammish and Butcher scampered off to complete the podium positions as Turkington recovered to finish 19th, but the Northern Irishman's non-score means he now holds just a four point advantage at the top of the standings.

"It was a shame what happened," reflected Butcher. "I initially made the move to go up the inside. As we got close to the corner I could sense Colin (Turkington) was going to turn in and I tried to back out. I don't like that.

"I've got a massive amount of respect for Colin and I hope he managed to recover. It was a bit of a learning curve for us there and a struggle but we bagged third and I've got to be happy."

Senna Proctor's impressive weekend continued as he took fourth for Adrian Flux Subaru Racing ahead of Tom Chilton's Ford and Tom Ingram's Toyota respectively.

Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan and Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing's Jason Plato were inseparable throughout the race with the former fending off the double champ to take seventh.

BTC Racing's Josh Cook and TradePriceCars.com's Jake Hill completed the top ten positions and were further rewarded with a front row start for today's upcoming final race when multiple champion Alain Menu picked #10 at random during the post-race reverse grid draw.

Jordan will start that contest from tenth, whilst main challenger Turkington will be back in 19th, and with just four points separating the BMW pairing it is anyone's guess as to who will be leaving Knockhill with the championship lead.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 23 – Knockhill

1 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing 24 laps
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +1.692s
3 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +4.042s
4 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +4.707s
5 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +6.421s
6 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +7.419s
7 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +13.472s
8 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +14.198s
9 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +14.383s
10 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +15.222s
11 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +15.945s
12 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +18.370s
13 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +19.053s
14 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +19.522s
15 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +20.240s
16 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +21.658s
17 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +25.319s
18 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +27.875s
19 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +31.096s
20 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +33.045s
21 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +37.210s
22 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +40.688s
23 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +41.175s
24 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +48.025s
25 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +50.154s
26 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +50.175s
27 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +50.606s
28 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +17 laps
29 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +19 laps
30 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +22 laps

Scotsman Rory Butcher had the home crowd on its collective feet as the pole-sitter reclaimed the lead on the final lap to win the opening Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship race at Knockhill.

The Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance driver had fended off the attentions from BMW Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan for almost the entire 27-lap contest, before the Honda Civic Type R clipped the kerbs at the final hairpin on the penultimate lap.

Butcher's sluggish exit at the hairpin compromised his momentum up the hill and across the start/finish line as Jordan stormed around the outside to briefly claim P1 and a potentially important championship point for leading a lap.

Jordan's joy was short lived, however, as the 3 Series carried too much speed into Duffus Dip on the final tour and the 2013 champion briefly ran off track, giving Butcher the opportunity he needed to nip back by and into the lead.

The roar from the partizan crowd could be heard above the BTCC engine noise and Butcher held firm until the finish to claim his third victory of the season.

"Andrew (Jordan) was on a mission there," said Butcher. "The BMW's working so well. I felt confident but I had second gear and lost a lot of time at the hairpin. I managed to make a gap through sector two which kept me safe, until that ding-dong on the last lap. I'm so happy to secure that win in front of my home crowd – it's incredible.

"I was really struggling to get power down and he got great drive. Because he was in the middle of the road, he ran wide and I planned ahead to send it into turn three. Andrew gave me the room to get it done.

"I'm at home here. I'm still learning about the track even during that race. Everything that's happened behind the scenes with Sam (Tordoff) is so upsetting, so it's fantastic to do that for them."

Despite the drama Jordan would finish the race where he started, closing the points gap to BMW stablemate Colin Turkington in the process, who himself had his own race long tussle with Dan Cammish and Tom Chilton.

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher's Chilton slipped by Cammish's Honda at the hairpin on lap nine to take third, before the Surrey man threw two positions away after running wide shortly after. Cammish then had Turkington's BMW all over the back of him for the remainder of the race, before the latter was forced to defend from the recovering Ford Focus of Chilton on lap 23.

Chilton blasted around the outside of Turkington's 3 Series at the hairpin but the championship leader expertly squeezed his rival wide on the exit of the turn, leaving Chilton dropping further down the order.

When the dust settled it was Cammish in third from Turkington, Senna Proctor (Adrian Flux Subaru Racing), Chris Smiley (BTC Racing) and Chilton.

The top ten positions were completed by Tom Ingram (Team Toyota GB with Ginsters), Adam Morgan (Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport) and Jake Hill (TradePriceCars.com) after the trio enjoyed their own eye catching battle.

One short safety car period interrupted proceedings when the VWs of Bobby Thompson and Michael Crees got into eachother, and the latter then collected the unfortunate Nic Hamilton in his Ford Focus.

The BTCC will be back on track for Race 2 at 14:15 before the final encounter commences at 17:05.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 22 – Knockhill

1 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance 27 laps
2 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.268s
3 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +1.444s
4 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +1.614s
5 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +2.298s
6 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +2.960s
7 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +3.406s
8 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +3.817s
9 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +4.659s
10 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +5.381s
11 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +10.156s
12 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +23.724s
13 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +23.753s
14 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +24.167s
15 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +24.296s
16 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +28.454s
17 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +29.958s
18 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +30.801s
19 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +32.237s
20 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +33.619s
21 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +37.876s
22 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +38.876s
23 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +4 laps
24 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +5 laps
25 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +10 laps
26 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +16 laps
27 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +16 laps
28 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +26 laps
29 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +26 laps
30 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +26 laps

Scotsman's local knowledge leads the way at Knockhill

Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance’s Rory Butcher has scored a first ever Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship pole position after wowing his home crowd at Knockhill earlier today (14 September).

The Scotsman topped both free practice sessions and was already quickest mid-qualifying, but with the chasing pack edging closer the Honda Civic Type R driver improved yet further to clock a new qualifying lap record of 50.451s.

Last year's pole-sitter Dan Cammish completed a fine effort to claim second as the Halfords Yuasa Racing man aims to cut the points deficit in the title race again this weekend, having previously clawed back almost 20 points on standings leader Colin Turkington over the previous three events.

That challenge may not be easy for Cammish, however, as BMW Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan – currently second in the overall standings – claimed third on the grid for tomorrow's opener after he also produced the goods in his success-ballast laden 3 Series. Jordan was on the edge throughout the 30-minute session and even had a trip through the gravel at full charge, immediately after setting his fastest lap.

Damage limitation was the target for championship leader Turkington and sixth on the grid represents a solid return for the Northern Irishman, although late flying laps from Tom Chilton and Senna Proctor ensured that two cars with line-up in-between the top two title protagonists tomorrow.

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher's Chilton won at Knockhill last season and the Ford Focus showed its speed again to take fourth, whilst Proctor grabbed his best ever qualifying result since moving to Adrian Flux Subaru Racing with fifth.

Tom Oliphant ensured that all three manufacturer-backed BMWs will start inside the top seven, whilst Adam Morgan's upturn in form continued with eighth. The Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport driver may have even been higher but for getting baulked up behind Rob Collard's Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall in the final sector.

Chris Smiley completed a topsy turvy day for BTC Racing with ninth – whilst his team-mate and championship contender Josh Cook languished down in 20th – whilst three-time BTCC champion Matt Neal rounded out the top ten.

Tom Ingram (Team Toyota GB with Ginsters) and Jason Plato (Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing) were two of the quicker drivers that ended up outside of the top ten, both having run their cars through the gravel on the exit of the chicane whilst on quick laps.

Rounds 22, 23 and 24 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Knockhill tomorrow with all the action around the 1.27-mile circuit being screened live and exclusively on ITV4 from 11:00.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying – Knockhill

1 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance 50.451s (90.40mph)
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.243s
3 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.303s
4 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.349s
5 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.399s
6 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.403s
7 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.408s
8 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.412s
9 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +0.414s
10 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.418s
11 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +0.440s
12 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.503s
13 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.521s
14 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.559s
15 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.566s
16 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.595s
17 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +0.603s
18 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.725s
19 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +0.759s
20 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.764s
21 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.822s
22 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.971s
23 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.006s
24 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.153s
25 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.169s
26 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.190s
27 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +1.428s
28 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.558s
29 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.786s
30 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +2.486s