Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher heads to Thruxton this weekend in high spirits, following a trio of top ten results and an Independents' race win last time out at Snetterton in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

The trip to Norfolk was a weekend of mixed emotions for the Motorbase-run squad, with Ollie Jackson collecting his maiden Indy victory, and a best-ever BTCC points haul as the second half of the season got underway. Sadly, it was a case of what might have been for his team-mate Tom Chilton, whose early potential was derailed by a puncture in race one.

Coming off the back of a successful two-day tyre test at on the Norfolk circuit, both Chilton and Jackson put their learnings to good use on Saturday, securing fourth and 12th spots respectively in the afternoon qualifying session.

Sunday’s opening race held much promise early on. Charging off the line, Chilton pulled off an outstanding switchback move on Sam Tordoff as the race leaders headed through the first corner, passing the Honda to steal third. Sitting in strong podium contention, a devastating puncture fired Chilton off track at high speed, ending his race after just five tours of the circuit.

Running on the prime-tyre for the weekend opener, Jackson was on career-best form at the Norfolk track. Scything the #48 Focus RS through the field, he made his way up through the order, holding off robust challenges to eventually cross the line in eighth.

A lightning start in race two saw Jackson take sixth by the first corner. Duelling with Tordoff as they raced down the straight, a bold lunge was rewarded with fifth. A challenge for the race lead on lap seven delivered the perfect opportunity for the Motorbase-man to strike, eventually taking a fourth place finish. Securing his best finish of the season so far, Jackson’s superb drive also netted him the Independents' race win and his first podium of the year.

Chilton’s weekend looked to be on the up, with the 34-year-old making his attack straight off the start line. Working his way up into the mid-pack in the early laps, the #3 Focus looked set for a points finish and possible reversed grid draw spot before getting caught up in an on-track incident, which dropped him down the order. A commendable fight-back saw him eventually cross the line in 17th, having made up an impressive 12 places.

The final race of the weekend delivered plenty of drama with tyre strategies all coming into play for the final 12 lap challenge. Jackson led the way once more with an excellent defensive drive. His tenacity was repaid with a seventh place finish, ending the day with a third top-ten berth and confirming his best-ever BTCC weekend.

Racing in heavy traffic, Chilton did well to stay out of trouble and pushed hard in the closing laps. Showing his true class once more to break into the points-scoring zone, Chilton brought the #3 Ford home unscathed in 12th.

Although a mixed bag of results for the two drivers over the weekend, the Motorbase-run team has made huge strides forward with the Ford Focus RS machines and heads to Thruxton full of confidence ahead of the BTCC’s return.
 
“I’m absolutely thrilled for Ollie and his side of the garage,” said Team Manager Oly Collins. “He put in an outstanding performance and got the results he has been promising all season. Unfortunately, Tom’s day was pretty much over from lap five. He was so unlucky to get the puncture so early in the race. He was in such control and on for a guaranteed podium which would have set the tone for a great weekend and a decent haul of points. Unfortunately a result like that in race one spoils the whole weekend. There was absolutely nothing he could do.

“On the plus side we had pace all day and Ollie got his first Independents' win – great teamwork from all involved and we go to Thruxton in a buoyant mood.

“The weekend started off great by qualifying fourth and then race one looked set to be a great race after moving up to third at turn one,” said Chilton. “I almost got Cammish for second, too. I had preserving the tyres in my mind at that point, to try to potentially get a second and then we got a slow puncture.

“So, from looking at a nice easy podium and being one of the fastest, to where we ended up was not what we wanted at all. A podium finish would have resulted in a totally different weekend for us. I would probably have been in the top five in the championship, but now we’ve dropped down to 10th and we have a big job ahead of us to close that gap now.

“Taking the positives away, our worst tyre was the hard and we were only two-tenths off the fastest time on the hard tyre in race three. I genuinely feel like we have one of the fastest cars on the grid, but definitely had the worst luck today. I’m gutted, but we’ve got three more rounds on the hard tyre, and our car is epic now so I’m excited about Thruxton.”

“It was a really successful weekend. The car was fantastic, and the team did an awesome job. I was delighted,” said Jackson. “It feels like a watershed weekend! There are still a few little bits of the puzzle that I still need to fill in, but I feel like now it’s rocking and rolling.

“I’ve finally managed to pull it all together to get us all the results that I’ve been threatening to get all year. All we need to do now is make that next step and to build from here and make that next step onto the podium. It’s definitely a huge confidence booster for me now heading to Thruxton in a couple of weeks.”

Cobra Sport AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing enjoyed a successful weekend on track as the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season resumed back at Snetterton just over a week ago.
 
Qualifying saw Leeds racer Sam Tordoff leading the team’s challenge as he secured third on the grid, with Rory Butcher just missing out on a place in the top ten. Although he lost a place to the Ford Focus of Tom Chilton at the start, Tordoff reclaimed the position when Chilton went off at Coram with a puncture and held onto it to the finish for his third podium result of the campaign.
 
Tordoff went somewhat under the radar with a solid drive to fifth place in race two, which left him on the second row of the grid for the final race of the weekend thanks to the reverse grid draw.With the hard tyre fitted for the final race, he wrapped up another solid weekend on track with sixth place, with his results across the Snetterton meeting leaving him on the fringes of the top ten in the standings.
 
Fife ace Butcher slipped back to 14^th during the hustle and bustle of lap one in the opener, but the Scottish racer was able to work his way back to eleventh by the finish for a solid points score. Contact in race two saw him lose places having battled into the top ten, with twelfth place being his end result.
 
On the soft tyre in race three, Butcher produced one of the drives of the season to battle his way through the pack into third place, where he became embroiled in a three-way battle for the lead with Jason Plato and Ash Sutton. Going three-wide with the pair into Brundle, he was able to get ahead into the lead and went on to secure his second victory of the campaign, and his first ‘on the road’.
 
The combined points across the weekend also saw Cobra Sport AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing secure the teams’ trophy for the first time, having picked up more points than any other team.
 
“Race three was what touring car racing is all about and for us to get that win is fantastic,” said Team Principal Shaun Hollamby. “It’s also brilliant to have won the teams’ trophy as it isn’t something we have ever been in contention for!

“There is a massive amount of team work that has gone into this weekend. Sam picked up two great results in the first two races and then Rory has done a brilliant job in race three.

"Credit has to go to Sam, because he let Rory through in that final race when he knew he was quicker, and it is great to have two drivers who are mature enough to work together in that way. Rory’s move for the lead was then one of the best overtaking moves I’ve seen; how exciting was that race!
 
“We made some big changes to the car this weekend and it all paid off. We’ve learned a lot about the Honda that will help us going forwards and a huge thank you to everyone involved.”
 
“I’m absolutely buzzing at the end of the weekend,” said Butcher. “It was nice to get the win at Brands Hatch at the start of the season, but that was given to us because of a penalty for someone else, and to win on the road means so much to me and the team.
 
“We had a tough time in qualifying and the opening two races didn’t quite go to plan for us. The engineers made some pretty radical changes to the car, and it really came alive in the final race. I had to take a few risks and make some hard moves, and when I got up towards Ash and Jason, I knew a podium was on.
 
“Mike [Bushell – engineer] was on the radio and told me to play it smart and when we were going down the back straight, I got a run on them both and had to go for the inside. It was a big risk to go three-wide, but it was a risk I had to take and we got the reward.
 
“It’s an incredible feeling to secure the win and to be able to stand on the top step of the podium. I’m grinning from ear-to-ear and this is the perfect way to kick off the second half of the season.”

“We’ve had another good weekend, put some good points on the board and have been able to make up more ground in the standings as a result,” said Tordoff. “The car has been tricky this weekend as the circuit was different to when we came here for the test, but we qualified well and it set up race day.
 
“It shows that if you qualify at the front, it’s easier to stay out of trouble and that is what we’ve been able to do. It’s all about being consistent and that is what we have done with our results. Three top ten finishes is a good return. Rory did a great job to secure the victory in race three, and as a team it was a brilliant weekend. To get the Teams’ trophy at the end of it is a fantastic reward for the work everyone has put in.”

Thruxton is set to host the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship for the second time in 2019 as the series once again heads to Hampshire for Rounds 19, 20 and 21 next weekend (17/18 August). 

This season has been as spectacular and unpredictable as ever, producing seven winners and 17 podium finishers with four events to come. Reigning champion Colin Turkington tops the table ahead of Andrew Jordan, with Rory Butcher and Josh Cook flying the flag for the independent teams in third and fourth respectively. 

The BMW drivers at the head of the championship have collected five wins apiece so far with Turkington scoring two further podiums to Jordan’s three. Jordan has recovered manfully since a nightmare Donington weekend - three non-scores earlier in the year - with a dominant double victory at BTCC’s first visit to Hampshire in May, but the Pirtek sponsored driver remains some 36 points behind the Northern Irishman. 

At a track where the Hondas are regularly quick, there are plenty of on-form Civic drivers who will be looking for a strong result with the marque’s UK base residing in nearby Swindon. Fresh off the back of a win at Snetterton, Rory Butcher can be hopeful of a good weekend at Thruxton, backed by a podium finish during the first visit of the year. Bath-based Josh Cook is another Type R driver to have enjoyed exceptional weekends at both Thruxton and Snetterton. Likewise, Dan Cammish scored two podiums at each of those meetings. 

Ash Sutton is sure to be fired up in his Subaru Levorg after a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle with ex-teammate Jason Plato at Snetterton, ultimately ending in disaster for the BMR driver. Sutton finished on the podium at Thruxton earlier in the year which bodes well in his bid to take to the top step in 2019. Team Toyota GB with Ginsters and Tom Ingram are another pairing to watch in the coming races after correcting a damping issue during the in-season test, followed by a lights-to-flag victory at Round 16. 

Off-track, there will be something for everyone with a variety of activities around the venue including skid pan rides for all ages, an extensive display of Thruxton’s driving experience supercars and racing cars and a fantastic trade village to explore. There’s also evening entertainment in the Thruxton Centre on Friday and Saturday.

The fast and flowing ‘Hampshire Speedbowl’ is sure to provide even more spectacular racing up and down the field, with commitment and precision required at every corner - most notably ‘Church’ - to string together the perfect lap. The championship battle is primed to intensify at Thruxton next weekend. 

“Snetterton went to plan for us,” commented championship leader Turkington. “It was always going to be a tough weekend given the official test day back in July, where everybody was able to get a feel of the circuit and get up to speed – we knew it was going to be ultra-competitive.

“It was great to win again, and win with a heavy car heading into the weekend as championship leader with the maximum complement of success ballast on-board. We were consistent over every session and we’re hoping for more of the same at Thruxton. We’ve a good knowledge of the circuit, this being our second visit of the year so it’ll make for a strong starting point.

“The BMW 330i M Sport was quick there earlier this season and looking back, we’d come out of the blocks fast. Now, as the season’s played out, people have closed that gap. The front-wheel drive cars went well at Snetterton last weekend and it’ll be even more difficult, for sure, this time around at Thruxton.

“The focus is firmly on myself at this stage of the season and maximising opportunities wherever I can. There’s a lot of competition from any number of drivers - not just the guys directly behind me. We’ve completed six of ten race weekends and there’s still a huge amount of racing left.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome BTCC for a second time in 2019,” enthused Pat Blakeney, Thruxton Group Operations Manager. “After such a successful event in May, we can’t wait for the return of the championship to the UK’s fastest circuit.

“As always, Thruxton produced some great racing earlier in the year and we’re hoping for more of the same next weekend, the nature of our track requires a lot of nerve from the drivers and I think the fans enjoy that. There’s also plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy away from the track!” 

Tickets for the BTCC’s visit on 17/18 August can be purchased on the gate, starting at £17 for Saturday (qualifying) and £34 for Sunday (race day). Children aged 13-15 get in for £5 on Saturday and £10 on Sunday; accompanied children aged 12 and under will be admitted free of charge.

Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing headed back to Snetterton in Norfolk for rounds 16, 17 and 18 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Jason Plato missed the chance to get on the front row during qualifying with a slight error at the final corner but still ended up in an impressive P6. Collard also improved following his first run but was hampered on his fast lap to finish in P10.

Both drivers made solid starts in race one, holding positions through the first corner with Collard slipping through into P8 as the field headed around lap 1.

Plato and Collard eventually found themselves line astern, Collard eager to get past, Plato eager to retain P6 as the Astras crossed the line.

Race two saw Plato start from P6, with Collard hoping to minimise his losses from P7.

Again, both Astras made good getaways, running side by side into turns 1 and 2, making it a challenging four abreast. Contact between the team-mates caused both to drop back, Plato in P8, Collard in P12. The next laps saw a frustrated Plato lose time, before making an opportunistic lunge to move the Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Astra back into P6 and closing onto BMW’s Colin Turkington before running out of laps.

Further back, Collard managed to haul his Astra back into the points with a P14 finish after dropping places at the last corner.

A favourable reverse grid draw saw Plato start P3 for race 3, albeit on the hard tyre. Back in P14 Collard was on the soft Dunlop, looking to exploit the handling of his Vauxhall Astra.

At the front, Plato made a move into the hairpin for the lead. This was followed by a thrilling game of cat and mouse with the Subaru of Ashley Sutton. Momentarily losing the lead, Plato immediately fought back, fighting fire with fire in a no holds barred contest.

Meanwhile, Collard’s attempts to take advantage of the soft tyre were hampered in the early stages as the Hampshire driver dropped down to P14 with a lot of work to do.

As the race entered its final stages, Plato found himself in a three-car standoff before contact with Sutton would drop Plato back to P4.
 
Collard gritted his teeth to attack the final podium place from P7 and, despite a big slide in order to avoid contact, closed up again before finishing in P4 with Plato rolling through in an eventual P5.

Subsequent Stewards enquiries adjudged Plato to have been culpable for moves on Smiley and Sutton and the Oxford-born driver was penalised by the addition of a cumulative 15 seconds to his overall race time.

“Overall it’s been a good weekend,” said Collard. “Being in the Top 10 Saturday proved that I’m still on the pace and that the car is there. That last race is a lot more like the racing that I like! Starting on the Soft Tyre, after five laps or so I was thinking that I was never going to catch the front runners, but a few spots of rain gave us the chance to catch those on Hard Tyres, so we just had a that edge. I’m looking forward to Thruxton.”

“That was good fun, I was enjoying myself,” said Plato. “I was on the wrong tyre, obviously, compared to Ash, but the car went well and we held our own. Unfortunately, 3 into 1 doesn’t go, so I had to give Rory a bit of space on my left, understeered a bit, and the rest is history.”

“JP drove with pure class; it was great to see a proper driver use his talent and experience to full effect,” said Team Principal Adam Weaver. “This is exactly what the fans pay to see; close racing between proper drivers. The outcome wasn’t what we wanted, but we’ll be back in just a couple of weeks to bag some more points. Rob also had a strong meeting and it’s great to see him getting stronger as the season goes on.”

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is set for a second visit of the season to Hampshire's Thruxton Circuit next weekend (17/18 August), with Colin Turkington the man with the target on his back as Rounds 19, 20 and 21 approach.

West Surrey Racing's trio of BMW 330i M Sports have so far proven to be the car to beat this year, as the Bavarian marque has claimed ten victories out of 18 races. 

Reigning champion Colin Turkington notched up another consistent performance at Snetterton to pull a further three points clear of nearest rival and stablemate Andrew Jordan, though the chasing pack - spearheaded by Josh Cook in the BTC Racing Honda - is far from out of the equation. The standings' top six drivers sit within 70 points of one-another. With 67 points on offer at each of the four events to come, there's plenty of scope for it all to change - and quickly.

Honda machinery has arguably proven to be the most suited to the high-speed sweepers at Britain's fastest race track having taken victory in 13 of the last 27 rounds there – including via Cook himself back in May.

That said, the BMWs were strong first time around. Jordan capitalised with a pair of victories as the outfit caught everyone on the hop out of the blocks with its trio of new-build 3 Series' fresh out of the workshop just a week before the curtain-raising event of 2019 at Brands Hatch. 

Thruxton's a favourite of both fans and drivers alike, and a massive crowd descended on the circuit earlier this year. Another huge attendance is expected to bask in the August sunshine, and soak in the thrilling action served up by Britain's premier motorsport series.

Those unable to make the trip will be able to catch the action on qualifying and race-day, live and exclusively via the championship's long-term broadcast partners, ITV Sport, with an eight-hour programme of the best motor racing action in the country to be screened live on ITV4 next Sunday. The BTCC is in rude health, illustrated by ITV's year-on-year live broadcast figures for the championship seeing an 18 percent rise.

Toyota tweaks

One of the stories to emerge at Snetterton, after a summer break which saw teams striving to find every thousandth-of-a-second from their cars and drivers, was the pace of Tom Ingram and his Team Toyota GB with Ginsters Corolla.

The car is new-for-2019, and the first that Speedworks Motorsport has constructed from the ground up to compete in the series. While he had been there-or-thereabouts throughout the first half of the campaign, Ingram had yet to hit the heights he reached in the outgoing Avensis last year on the way to taking the Independent Drivers' and Teams' titles.

At Snetterton, though, the team made a major breakthrough. The in-season two-day test at the Norfolk circuit was spent hunting down a cure for a troublesome damping issue which had prevented their Corolla from operating as expected. It was immediately evident at Snetterton that Speedworks' efforts had borne fruit.

Ingram flew to pole position and followed up with a lights-to-flag win in race one – managing a three-second gap to next-best Dan Cammish.

“I couldn’t keep up and we didn’t have enough in the car," said Honda's Cammish, himself a man in good nick. “He had a bit of a quicker package and I could see where he was good – we couldn’t match it. They’ve worked hard, so all credit to them. We're all working hard, though. That's just how competitive it is in this championship."

“We made a massive step forward at the test," confirmed Ingram post-race. “It was so important for us. The way that the BTCC works over a race weekend, time is so tight and you can’t try the things you’d like to.

“The team have been none-stop trying to get every single last bit out of it. It was better there than the Avensis ever was, and if we’re there already – it’s a real good sign going forward."

Form men

Over the last three race weekends, at Croft, Oulton Park and Snetterton, Andrew Jordan has edged Colin Turkington in points scored by four points. The BMW Pirtek Racing man is striving to overcome an early-season deficit after a disastrous non-score back at Donington Park. He's keeping parity but the reigning champion has so far been able to keep Jordan at arms' length. 

Jordan sealed a win-double at Thruxton earlier in the year, to bounce back immediately from that Midlands misfortune. Despite reaching the top step twice, he was only able to nibble away at Turkington's advantage. He will be hoping the dice rolls his way next weekend.

"It’s nip and tuck in the championship between myself and Colin," said Jordan. "To gain 30 points over four weekends isn’t going to happen easily. If he gets some bad luck somewhere, I need to be there to pick up the points."

The next in the form-book is Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish. The Honda man has outshone his legendary team-mate, Matt Neal, in his second BTCC campaign and has constructed a title challenge from a string of podium finishes over the last three weekends. The top step has eluded him in 2019 to this point, but the Honda Civic Type R (FK8) is well suited to the pace and poise required at Thruxton. He'll look to take a bite out of the BMWs over Rounds 19, 20 and 21 on 'home turf' for Honda, based just up the road at Swindon.

Rory Butcher is another man looking to fire himself into championship contention. The AmD driver was instrumental in the outfit securing its maiden BTCC Independent Teams' trophy at Snetterton. He's also top of the tree in the Independent Drivers' championship and the Jack Sears Trophy.

Alongside with team-mate Sam Tordoff, the Essex outfit are enjoying their best streak in the BTCC to-date. Its first two victories came via Butcher but both he and Tordoff have combined to propel the AmD Honda squad to the top of the Independent Teams' running – albeit tied with BTC Racing on points.

Bath-based Josh Cook and team-mate Chris Smiley are the guys steering BTC Racing's Honda Civic Type Rs into Indy title contention, and following a podium-double at Snetterton, they'll be looking to follow up with more silverware in Hampshire – especially given Cook took to the top step there just a couple of months ago.

Timetable and tickets 
 
All three BTCC races on Sunday, 18 August alongside the rest of the day’s action will be broadcast live, free-to-air and in high-definition by the series’ longstanding partner ITV, on ITV4, via the ITV Hub and streamed live online at itv.com/btcc. Those in attendance at the circuit can stay in touch with the commentary and live timing from every session, available at btcc.net/live and via the Official BTCC App throughout the weekend.
 
Advance tickets are available from just £13, with weekend passes with paddock access running to just £42. Saturday grandstand seats are an additional £5. Accompanied children aged 12 and under will be admitted free of charge. 
 
For further information or to buy tickets, see https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc or call 01264 882200 and select Option 1.

BTC Racing fought back from a challenging qualifying session to secure a double podium in the latest rounds of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton. 
 
Qualifying saw Northern Irish racer Chris Smiley settle for the 13^th quickest time, with the tight nature of the times being reflected by the fact that he was less than a tenth-of-a-second away from ninth. Bath-based team-mate Josh Cook meanwhile had the added penalty of success ballast on his car as he qualified in 19^th.
 
The opening encounter saw Smiley lose places on the opening lap, before fighting back to 14^th place by the finish to secure a points finish although Cook would be left with a 20^th place finish to his name.
 
In race two’s opening lap, Smiley slipped back to 15^th. From there however, the Northern Irish racer battled his way through the pack to take the flag in eighth place. As an additional reward, Smiley was then drawn on pole for the final race of the weekend.
 
Cook found himself in the heart of the midfield action, but fought his way into the points in 15^th place.
  
Smiley would end his weekend with a strong run to third place, fighting at the sharp end throughout as he became the only driver to secure a podium finish on the hard compound.
 
Cook meanwhile made the most of the soft tyre with his best race of the weekend, scything his way through the field with a number of impressive overtaking moves to finish the race in second spot – giving BTC Racing a stunning double podium.
 
“Qualifying didn’t show where we were as I got held up in traffic,” said Smiley. “I knew we would have a quick car for race day and the balance was good. We had a few things to work on but we were strong on all three tyres and that was reflected in the results.
 
“I knew the hard tyre would be slower in race three but I just took a steady approach and made sure I stayed out of trouble. To be rewarded with a podium is great, especially when Josh was there too.
 
“I’ve had some bad luck so far this season but hopefully this weekend will be the one where that luck changes. We’ve been quick at every race but you can’t control what other drivers do. I’m looking forward to going back to Thruxton as I think we can be strong when we return.”
 
“Saturday was tough and the car wasn’t quite doing what we wanted,” said Cook. “We had a few issues and the balance wasn’t quite there in qualifying, and we did what we could.
 
“We were out of position a bit but race one was always going to be tough with the weight so we took the double hit with the tyres, which was quite demoralising as a driver because I knew we couldn’t do anything.
 
“We moved up in race two despite some damage to the exhaust and then on the soft tyre in race three, I just got my head down and pushed on. I knew there were guys ahead on the hard tyre so I picked them off, but I didn’t expect to get a podium.
 
“The team did a mega job for us to come from 13^th and 18^th on the grid to finish with both cars in the top three.”
 
“It’s ended up being a fantastic way for us to kick off the second half of the year,” said Bert Taylor, BTC Racing Team Principal. “The whole team has knuckled down to fight back from a qualifying session where circumstances went against us, and Chris and Josh have delivered the goods on race day.
 
“For Chris to get onto the podium on the hard tyre was fantastic, and Josh did a great job to come through the pack from where he was starting race three. We can now go to Thruxton looking to build on these results and try to fight at the front at a circuit where we know the Honda will be strong.”

Ashley Sutton produced a strong performance in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton this past weekend (August 3/4) but was left to wonder what might have been after just two points finishes.

Qualifying around the 2.97-mile circuit proved challenging for the Subaru Levorg driver, who would ultimately find himself in 18^th place to start the opening encounter.

Staying out of trouble and capitalising on the troubles that those ahead of him encountered in race one, Sutton progressed up the order and took the chequered flag in 12th.

Starting on the sixth row for race two, the 25-year-old continued his charge through the field as he produced a string of overtakes to move inside the top ten and finish seventh.

Virtue of the reverse grid draw Sutton lined up in second place and, as the lights went out, the 2017 champion made a strong start and slotted into second place. From there, a titanic battle for the lead took place which saw Sutton fight tooth and nail to claim his first win of the season. 

Sutton made a daring move for the lead in lap seven, which sadly didn’t last long as contact from Plato heading into Agostini just one corner later dropped him back a spot.

Continuing to hound Plato, the crucial moment in the race came on lap nine as both Sutton and Rory Butcher flanked Plato. During the fierce fight for the lead, contact between Sutton and Plato caused the Subaru to spin across the track, dropping down the order to 20^th.

Leaving Snetterton, Sutton sits sixth in the BTCC Drivers’ Championship whilst Adrian Flux Subaru Racing are third and seventh in the BTCC Manufacturer/Constructors Championship and BTCC Teams’ Championship respectively.

“After qualifying down the field we came up with a strategy that would hopefully mean we would be in the mix and on the right tyre for race three, which paid off," said Sutton. "Races one and two were tough but I managed to stay out of trouble and utilise the cars strengths to make progress.

“Getting drawn on front row of the reverse grid and with the soft tyre, whilst those around us were on the hard compound, couldn’t have been better. I gave it absolutely everything in race three but that still wasn’t enough as it came to an end.

“I can’t thank the team enough, they’ve worked their socks off all weekend and deserved a result in that last one. We go back to Thruxton in a few weeks and that will likely be tough for us given the characteristics of that circuit but we’ll do our best to bounce back from this weekend and keep fighting.”

Next on the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship calendar is a second visit to the fastest circuit in the country, Thruxton, for Rounds 19, 20 & 21 on August 17/18.

EXCELR8 Motorsport’s preparations for the 2020 British Touring Car Championship season have been handed a substantial boost after the team confirmed a fresh title sponsorship agreement with Draper Tools, the family owned hand and power tool distributor.

EXCELR8 made its debut in the BTCC this year with a pair of MG6 GT machines, driven by Rob Smith and Sam Osborne. Draper Tools has already been a key partner for the team, with Smith’s car running with support from the major UK tool brand.

That partnership will now be taken to the next level with the announcement that Draper Tools will become a title sponsor for EXCELR8 Motorsport for the 2020 season. The early confirmation of the deal will allow both parties valuable time to make vital preparations ahead of the 2020 BTCC campaign.

Draper Tools is a leading industry name, and is celebrating its centenary year in 2019, having been founded by Bert Draper as B. Draper & Son Limited back in 1919 at its then Kingston upon Thames base.

Since then, Draper has developed to supply a range of over 10,000 tooling and hardware products around the world and has previously been headline sponsor to organisations like Southampton Football Club.

Justina Williams, Team Owner of EXCELR8 Motorsport, says she is excited to extend the partnership with Draper Tools, emphasising that the company’s support would bring multiple benefits to the team’s BTCC preparations for 2020.

"We are extremely excited and proud to continue our relationship with our partner and great British business, Draper Tools,” said Williams. “With this early decision and with their help, we plan to undertake a more robust testing programme over the winter, to ensure more of a head start for 2020 compared with our maiden 2019 season. Between us, we will continue to develop and promote the Draper Tools brand to millions of people via our BTCC race programme, along with working together to develop key client and supplier relationships. To be chosen by Draper Tools as their brand partner in BTCC for 2020 is an absolute privilege and we are truly grateful to them for being such a very big part of the EXCELR8 family."

Clive Richardson, Marketing Director at Draper Tools said: “We are delighted to announce our ongoing partnership with EXCELR8. They’ve impressed us with their dedication across 2019 and we know this drive and focus will continue into the 2020 season. Like us, they’re committed to working hard to strengthen what they do. We’re pleased to say that partnering with EXCELR8 in our centenary year has not only been enjoyable, but also incredibly valuable to us as business. We’ve had plenty of positive feedback from our customers and the BTCC fans as well as some fantastic exposure for the Draper Tools brand. We can’t wait to see what opportunities the new season brings.”

A tenth victory of the season was the highlight of another strong weekend on track for the new BMW 3 Series as the British Touring Car Championship season resumed at Snetterton.
 
Team BMW pair Colin Turkington and Tom Oliphant, as well as BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan, headed into the sixth event of the season looking to add to an ever-growing collection of silverware ­– the trio having enjoyed a solid two-day test at the Norfolk circuit over the summer break.
 
The team utilised the two Saturday practice sessions to work on set-up at a circuit that has traditionally favoured front-wheel drive cars. Defending champion Turkington headed the BMW challenge in qualifying despite the additional 55 kilograms of success ballast in his car thanks to his position as championship leader.

Colin secured a fine fifth place on the grid with Andrew directly behind in seventh place, although a track limits penalty for Tom meant he lost his fastest lap in the session and was left in an unrepresentative 20th place on the grid.
 
A regulation change for the Snetterton weekend required drivers to run all three compounds of tyre – soft, medium and hard. Colin and Andrew both elected to run the medium tyre for the opener.
 
Colin enjoyed a trouble-free run to fourth place as the best placed driver on the medium-compound tyre, with Andrew following him home in fifth after battling his way ahead of Jason Plato in the closing stages. Given his starting position, Tom elected to run the least suited hard-compound tyre, but was still able to progress to 16th place, just missing out on the points.
 
Both Colin and Andrew elected to then run the preferred soft-compound in race two, and both made up places on the opening lap. Colin jumped into second and Andrew into fourth. The latter then fought his way ahead of the Honda of Dan Cammish, with the two BMWs chasing down the race-leading Toyota of Tom Ingram.
 
Colin made his move at Wilson on lap seven and was able to get ahead into the lead, easing away from the pack behind to secure his fifth victory of the season. Andrew joined him on the podium in third, whilst Tom – who also selected the soft – was able to work his way up to 11th place, missing out on the top ten by just a tenth of a second.
 
The reverse grid draw left Andrew as the best placed BMW on the grid for race three and he capped the weekend with a solid fifth place finish. Colin sealed ninth as the pair produced solid drives on the hard tyre.
 
It would prove to be a tough end to the weekend for Tom however, as he was forced to retire with damaged suspension after multiple bouts of contact.

At the conclusion of the action Turkington had extended his advantage at the top of the Drivers’ standings with Jordan maintaining second overall. Oliphant is 12th. BMW and Team BMW top both the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ tables.

Colin Turkington said: "That was the plan. I wasn't particularly confident beforehand as in the BTCC you never know. You should be faster on the softs but you can never be sure. I knew it was switched on from turn one and I had to be patient to make the right move and get the traction on exit from the 3 Series BMW. I don't think it's any more than I did in 2014. The 1 Series was very strong back then too. The guys made a decision to up the game still for this year. We wanted to be better and we built a faster car - we're reaping the rewards. The points lead is slightly larger than it was before so we move on to Thruxton aiming to keep this momentum going.”

Tom Oliphant, Driver said: “Qualifying killed my weekend. I should have been top-10, or even top-five, but I lost the lap because of track limits and that put me on the back foot. It was the right choice to take the hard tyres for Race One and I was quite pleased with the progress I made on the hard and the soft. Race Three was tough, because although I was on the medium tyre, everyone around me was on soft and that meant they were faster. It still should have given me decent points, but I was hit by Matt Neal and spun off the track at The Esses, and then had broken suspension when Mark Blundell came into Aiden Moffat and me at the hairpin. Thruxton’s next and we’ll all be hoping for a better weekend.”

Andrew Jordan, Driver said: “It’s been a strong weekend given that we came here with a lot of success ballast and with some of the other things beyond our control coming into this event. But we’ve come out in more or less exactly the same place we started in relation to Colin Turkington, and further ahead of the rest. I’d say we went cautious on the tyre strategy, but that this was the right decision because there’s no point trying to be a hero at this point of the season; we just needed to match what Colin did and try and get ahead of him on the track. I’m a bit frustrated about Race Two because I thought the move for the lead on Tom Ingram was on, and it just didn’t quite work out, but I’d try that move around the outside again. Back to Thruxton next, where we won twice last time. I’d expect us to be strong again.”

Tom Ingram, Colin Turkington and Rory Butcher claimed a win apiece as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship blasted back into action at Snetterton today (4 August).
 
Team Toyota GB with Ginsters’ Ingram sealed a first pole position for the new Corolla during yesterday’s qualifying session, and he duly converted that success into a second race win of the season.
 
Turkington started his race day with a steady fourth place finish, before nipping by race one winner Ingram to take victory in the second encounter.
 
Having provided sensational entertainment throughout the weekend, the UK’s premier motorsport series saved the best until last with a final race that will live long in the memory.
 
Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance’s Butcher eventually won the barnstormer as he benefitted from a breathtaking battle between Jason Plato and Ash Sutton.
 
A further layer of intrigue was added to the triple-header with the inclusion of all three Dunlop Sport Maxx tyre compounds – hard, medium and soft. Each compound had to be used on race day for the first time in BTCC history, which created exciting racing throughout the field.
 
The day began with Ingram kicking off the second half of the BTCC season in the best way possible as he produced a dominant display in the opening race.
 
While Ingram’s first victory of 2019 came in the reversed-grid race at Donington Park, this was the first time the car had been the pace-setter from the outset. The Bucks ace fended off Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish in the early running but last year’s Championship runner-up gradually stretched his legs to win by more than three seconds.
 
Cammish claimed a lonely second whilst Sam Tordoff completed the podium positions in his Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Honda Civic Type R.
 
Title-chasing Turkington then came out on top of a five-car battle to win the next race.
 
It was the tenth victory so far in 2019 for the WSR-run BMWs – a record number achieved by the Surrey outfit in a single season – while a rostrum for stablemate Andrew Jordan meant the team also secured a 200^th podium for the WSR/BMW partnership.
 
Cammish made it two successive second place finishes as he showed stellar pace in the manufacturer-backed Honda Civic Type R (FK8).
 
Scotsman Butcher then won arguably the race of the season so far as the curtain came down in enthralling style at Snetterton.
 
BTC Racing’s Chris Smiley held the initial lead from pole position before Plato sneaked through in the Sterling Insurance Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall.
 
Sutton was soon into second and the Adrian Flux Subaru Racing star then immediately closed in on his old team-mate Plato. The pair battled for what seemed like forever, swapping paint several times as the crowd collectively held its breath. 
 
Plato and Sutton went side-by-side on lap five before the latter eventually slipped through two tours later. Further contact followed and Plato’s Astra recaptured the lead at Agostini. 
 
The chasing pack was closing in with myriad changes taking place as the likes of Butcher and Josh Cook had scythed their way through from 12th and 15th on the grid respectively.
 
The race was building towards an exciting climax when Plato, Sutton and Butcher went three-wide down the back straight and that simply wouldn’t work going into Brundle’s. A heart-stopping moment followed as Butcher carved his way down the inside of both, as Plato ran wide and slid into Sutton’s Subaru. The Levorg was tipped into a spin while Plato also lost ground, and suddenly it was Butcher’s Honda sailing away to take his second win of the season.
 
BTC Racing duo of Cook and Smiley took a comfortable second and third respectively, with the latter being the only driver to score a podium on the Dunlop Sport Maxx hard tyre today.
 
At the conclusion of the action, Turkington had extended his advantage at the top of the Drivers’ standings with BMW stable-mate Jordan now 36 points in arrears.
 
BMW and Team BMW top the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ order, whilst Rory Butcher and his Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance squad leads both Independents’ tables, as well as the Jack Sears Trophy.
 
The 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returns at Thruxton in two weeks’ time (17/18 August).
 
Tom Ingram said: “That was just how I wanted it to go (in race one). I was happy to try and get a gap at the start and manage it from there. I was more than happy to make it a boring race for me! We’ve made a massive step forward at the test. It was so important for us. The way that the BTCC works over a race weekend, time is so tight and you can’t try the things you’d like to. The team have worked so hard to get every single last bit out of it. It was better there than the Avensis ever was, and if we’re there already – it’s a real good sign.”
 
Colin Turkington said: “That was the plan. I wasn't confident beforehand as in the BTCC you never know. You should be faster on the softs but you can never be sure. I knew it was switched on from turn one and I had to be patient to make the right move and get the traction on exit from the 3 Series BMW. I don't think it's any more than I did in 2014. The 1 Series was very strong back then too. The guys made a decision to up the game still for this year. We wanted to be better and we built a faster car - we're reaping the rewards.”
 
Rory Butcher said: “Once I took the lead I thought ‘this is going to happen on the road’. I wasn’t going to lose that one there. I’ve struggled this weekend with the car and the track. We flipped it on its head in terms of set-up for race three and it worked! There were so many opportunities where Ash (Sutton) almost got by Jason (Plato). I wondered how long I could do it for and I held my breath under the bridge! It was a massive relief when I came out in front. I’m so happy for the team. I’ve kept my championship alive with that win.”

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 16 – Snetterton

1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters 12 laps
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +3.o71s
3 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +7.199s
4 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +12.499s
5 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +16.918s
6 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +19.783s
7 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +20.333s
8 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +20.492s
9 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +21.090s
10 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +28.584s

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 17 – Snetterton

1 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 12 laps
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +4.386s
3 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +4.777s
4 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +6.110s
5 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +7.123s
6 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +7.574s
7 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +7.997s
8 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +10.681s
9 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +12.342s
10 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +13.324s

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 18 – Snetterton

1 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance 12 laps
2 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +1.450s
3 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +8.275s
4 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +8.748s
5 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +9.873s
6 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +7.123s
7 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +16.985s
8 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +17.165s
9 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +17.385s
10 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +17.517s

Penalties

Race 1

Ollie Jackson was officially reprimanded and had his licence endorsed with two penalty points for an incident involving Matt Neal

Race 2 

Michael Crees was officially reprimanded and had his licence endorsed with two penalty points for an incident involving Matt Neal

Race 3

Jason Plato was penalised by the addition of a cumulative 15-seconds to his overall race time for incidents involving Chris Smiley and Ash Sutton

Tom Ingram was penalised by the addition of 6.7-seconds to his overall race time and received three penalty points