Team Parker Racing’s Stephen Jelley endured a frustrating weekend at Brands Hatch during the final rounds of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, as he struggled to convert qualifying pace into race results.

Having sealed 11th during Saturday’s qualifying session, his best of the season, Jelley headed into Sunday conscious that the deteriorating weather conditions would present some challenges for his BMW 125i M Sport.

Despite running as high as ninth in the opening laps, Jelley would struggle for grip on the damp 1.2-mile Indy circuit during Sunday’s first race, eventually crossing the line just outside of the points, in 16th.

Race two began as another tricky encounter for the Team Parker Racing man, who initially dropped back to 21st. An impressive recovery drive saw the 38-year-old pick off the pack as his slick tyres came into play, taking 17th spot at the chequered flag.

Jelley’s 2020 campaign came to an unfortunate end in race three as, following a heavy downpour prior to the contest, a spin at Druids and contact would result in significant damage and subsequent retirement for the #12 machine.

The Team Parker Racing squad now turns its attention to the forthcoming campaign, with a shorter-than-usual off season, before the BTCC returns to Brands Hatch’s Indy circuit on 3/4 April.

“It was disappointing,” reflected Jelley. “It was a good effort in qualifying in the wet as this car has never been that strong in those sorts of conditions and the huge amount of standing water did not suit our car at all. Unfortunately, a rear-wheel-drive car isn’t the best in mixed conditions, and I had several taps, was pushed sideways, and had potential for really big moments and just about got away with it.
 
“In race three I was tapped into a spin for no fault of our own and collected by another car. I didn’t do anything wrong: somebody put us into that spin and someone else has rear-ended a stationary object. That’s just how the season was going to end for us, though there were some bright spots early on, with a podium at Brands Hatch on the Grand Prix circuit.”

The 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship reached its exciting climax around the Brands Hatch Indy circuit last weekend, and you can catch up with all the action via ITV4, ITV and the ITV Hub.

The first showing of the 90-minute highlights package from the famous Kent circuit gets underway at 1130 tomorrow on ITV4, with the repeat following on the same channel at 0755 on Sunday.

ITV joins in next Wednesday (25 November) with its airing taking place at 2345, but if that isn’t enough then you can find all the action on the ITV Hub...

The entire penultimate race day from Snetterton is still available here for the next four days, whilst the Brands Hatch finale will be online for 25 days here.

Finally, there will be a full two-hour season review show in December, so keep an eye on the BTCC's official social media channels with the time/date still to be confirmed.

The 2020 BTCC season may well be over, but the action keeps on coming!

For the second time in his career, 26-year-old Ash Sutton has been crowned Kwik Fit British Touring Car Champion this past weekend (14/15 November) to end a sensational 2020 campaign.

Heading into the season finale sitting second in the standings and needing to overturn a nine-point deficit to Colin Turkington, the Infiniti Q50 driver produced a superlative final day performance to become a two-time champion by 14 points.

In addition to clinching the biggest prize in UK motorsport, Sutton also wrapped up the BTCC Independent Drivers’ Championship and helped guide Laser Tools Racing to a maiden BTCC Independent Teams’ Championship title as well. 

The BRDC Superstar kicked off his weekend on the right foot with a stunning qualifying display, mastering the favourable wet conditions to set the third fastest time, despite being ladened with 54kgs of success ballast. 

With conditions having worsened come Sunday morning, the rear-wheel drive ace began his pursuit of a second crown with a brilliant podium in race one. In the thick of the action at the front of the field from start-to-finish, the 2017 champion scythed into second place in the latter stages and soon set off in pursuit of leader Dan Cammish. 

Setting a string of fastest laps, Sutton closed in on Cammish in the remaining laps but was unable to find a way past, ultimately settling for second place.

Sutton edged closer in his quest to win a second Drivers’ title by storming to victory in a pulsating wet-dry penultimate race of the season. Opting to run slick tyres and starting second, the 26-year-old held position during the early stages whilst those on wets came to the fore.

A handful of laps later, however, the slick-shod cars were in the ascendancy and Sutton wasted no time in moving into the lead. Once out front, he powered his way to a commanding fifth win of the season and also the fastest lap of the race.

Starting the final contest of the campaign in 12th by virtue of the reverse grid draw and holding an 11-point lead over Turkington, Sutton starred in treacherous conditions once again to wrap up the title. 

Battling for position during a frenetic opening few tours, the five-time race winner was soon on the tail of Turkington and sat comfortably behind the BMW driver for several laps. 

In the closing stages, Sutton finally made his move at Paddock Hill Bend and, following a late pass on Josh Cook as well, he crossed the line in sixth to clinch the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship title. 

“Two-time British Touring Car Champion - what a feeling!” exclaimed Sutton. “This one feels even sweeter than back in 2017 and it's an absolute dream; it's been a while since an Independent team won the overall championship and huge credit has to go to everyone at Laser Tools Racing, BMR Engineering, all of the team sponsors, my own personal sponsors, my family and friends – none of this would have been possible without them.

"They say that the second title is easier to win than the first but I can tell you that isn’t the case at all. We came into the weekend as prepared as we could have been and I was feeling confident we would be strong in those wet conditions – I love them.

"I said I was going to come in all guns blazing and I did that to a point, however I've learnt the lesson at Croft and knew that we had to be smart. Scoring a podium in the first race was a great start and then the car came alive in race two, it surprised me a bit. In race three I wasn’t willing to make a move on Colin until he made a mistake or left the door open, which he did, and I made the most of it. I’d like to think that we won the championship in that last race with the inner racer showing.

“Back in March at Media Day we rolled out this brand new car but because of the pandemic, we basically had to put it back on the shelf. We’ve had our ups and downs but everyone has pulled together to achieve three titles is phenomenal; not bad at all for a first year.

“Standing on that podium wasn’t the same without the fans, they really make the BTCC what it is. We’ve been able to put on a show for everyone this season during what has been a difficult year and fingers crossed we will be able to welcome them back trackside in 2021. 

“We’ll savour this moment but I’m really looking forward to what lies ahead. I want to make my mark in the BTCC, keep racking up the wins, podiums, championships and achieve the sort of things like Lewis [Hamilton] has done in F1.”

ICYMI - All calendar pages updated on Official BTCC website

Following the conclusion of the 2020 season this past weekend (14/15 November), the series is riding the momentum of another season finale bursting with action, tension and drama, and looking ahead to its next big thing: the 2021 campaign.

Returning to the scene of Ash Sutton's 2020 championship victory – Brands Hatch’s Indy circuit – for the first event of the season, the Kent circuit will bookend the year, while the BTCC will head to Hampshire’s Thruxton circuit twice, in both May and August.

Ticket sales for certain venues are currently underway, while specific timetables for the events will be released closer to the time.

2021 British Touring Car Championship Calendar

Rounds	Date	Venue/Circuit
1,2,3	3/4 April	Brands Hatch (Indy)
4,5,6	17/18 April	Donington Park (National)
7,8,9	8/9 May	Thruxton
10,11,12	15/16 May	Oulton Park (Island)
13,14,15	12/13 June	Croft
16,17,18	31 July/1 August	Snetterton (300)
19,20,21	14/15 August	Knockhill
22,23,24	28/29 August	Thruxton
25,26,27	25/26 September	Silverstone (National)
28,29,30	9/10 October	Brands Hatch (Grand Prix)

Halfords Yuasa Racing man Dan Cammish pulled out all the stops in his Drivers' title bid as the delayed 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship reached its finale at Brands Hatch on Sunday (15th November). 

Cammish started the weekend aiming to overcome a 25-point deficit to championship leader Colin Turkington, with Ash Sutton holding second in the table, but a race one victory followed by a podium finish fell short of what was required to overtake his rivals in the points, with the Honda man finishing third in the standings.

Qualifying in changeable weather proved highly challenging and both Cammish and team-mate Matt Neal were caught out by the slippery track, spinning their Honda Civic Type Rs though thankfully not obtaining any damage. Both rose to the conditions, with Cammish securing fourth and Neal seventh spot on the 27-car grid for race one.

On a soaking wet track, Cammish made a good start to immediately move up to third, and within four laps the Honda dived inside the car of title rival Sutton to take second. A safety car period failed to arrest the Honda's momentum as it closed on race leader Tom Ingram, and on lap 13 Cammish made a brave move up the hill to Druids hairpin, the Honda putting a wheel on the grass as its driver skilfully arrested a slide to assume the lead.

Cammish duly took his fourth victory of the season, halving his points deficit to just 13 behind Sutton who moved to the top of the table, two points ahead of Turkington. And with Matt Neal holding onto his seventh spot from lights to flag, Honda took the race one Manufacturers' award.

A rapidly drying track saw virtually the entire field making last-minute tyre changes on the race two grid. With his Honda Civic Type R laden with success ballast and on the tricky Brands Hatch pole position, Cammish was beaten away by Sutton at the start, and the Honda was then one of several cars to snap sideways at the still damp first corner.

A frenetic race followed, as the few drivers still on grooved wet tyres made the most of them in the early laps to move to the front, but then fell back again as the track dried. Cammish withstood great pressure to retain third for almost the entire race, but was then undone when the car of Paul Rivett spun with a lap to go. As the approaching pack took action to avoid the stranded Audi, Turkington’s evasive move saw him nip ahead of the #27 Honda, a manoeuvre which was deemed by stewards to have unfairly gained him the spot.

Despite regaining the final podium spot, the result still left the Honda man 20 points in arrears of Sutton, with only 22 available from the final race. With Neal's car suffering following its tyre change and slipping back to 16th, Honda's title challenges appeared effectively at an end for 2020. 

The reverse grid draw for the final race put Cammish's Honda back in ninth grid spot, for a race he needed to win to have any hope of snatching the title. Then the weather threw one last twist, a torrential downpour soaking the circuit and putting everyone back on wet rubber.

Cammish again made the most of the conditions, fighting his way up the field and eventually only just failing to secure his 11th podium finish of the 2020 season. And Neal forced his way up to 14th in the final race, scoring two vital points to secure Honda a clean sweep of the day's manufacturer awards. But with Sutton finishing sixth and Turkington ninth, they took the top two places in the championship, relegating Cammish to third in the final standings.

At the end of a challenging BTCC season, Cammish had once again taken his title chase to the final race. While he missed out, a record of 13 podium finishes, including four race wins, for the two Halfords Yuasa Racing drivers ended another successful season for Honda in the BTCC.

The squad now looks ahead to the rapidly approaching season, which kicks off back on Brands Hatch’s Indy circuit, on 3/4 April 2021.
 
"A win, a third and a fourth is a really strong day,” reflected Cammish. “On the whole, we’ve been really great this season. We’ve had more race wins, two pole positions, we've come so close to the title and to be best front-wheel drive car in the championship for the second successive year is some accolade.

“The team has given me a car that was always on the money – I’m proud of the whole team and going home with my head held high, just happy to be involved in this success."

"Little bit of a frustrating day for me,” admitted Neal. “The weather delivered the curve balls we needed to upset the hierarchy, but I wish I could have supported Dan a bit better. It was what might have been – we were still the best front-wheel drive car in the championship, and we couldn’t have asked any more of Dan."

MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square enjoyed a strong end to its maiden campaign in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, with a sixth podium of the year during Brands Hatch’s frenetic finale.

The team headed into the weekend looking to maintain a fine run of form that had seen Jake Hill score three rostrum results in six races, and with team-mate Sam Osborne one of the drivers in contention for the Jack Sears Trophy title.

A challenging qualifying session in wet conditions saw Hill maintain his record of lining up inside the top ten at every event of the year, as he secured sixth on the grid despite an ‘off’ at Paddock Hill Bend, with Osborne ending up 21st – well-placed amongst his Jack Sears Trophy rivals.

Heavy overnight rain and further morning showers meant track conditions were far from easy for the opening race on Sunday, but Hill enjoyed a solid start to race day, staying out of trouble to bring the #24 Honda home in sixth place, having held off the challenge of former champion Matt Neal.

Osborne moved himself up into the top 20 in the early laps, but his race would come to a premature end when he got out of shape at Paddock Hill Bend on lap seven. Subsequent contact from the Volkswagen of Glynn Geddie resulted in him going off into the gravel trap at Druids, ending his Jack Sears Trophy hopes.

Race two was held on a drying circuit and provided the chance for drivers to run on slick tyres, albeit on a track surface that was particularly greasy to begin with and which played to the strengths of some runners who gambled on sticking with wet rubber.
Hill lost places on the first lap following a trip through the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend after contact in the pack, which left him down in 19th place and with work to do in order to add to his points tally. However, he went on to excel in the tricky conditions and battled his way back up to seventh place at the finish.

Osborne was similarly on fine form in the #4 Honda as he recovered well from the disappointment of race one with a strong drive through the pack from 26th on the grid. Into the top 20 by the end of the third lap, the 27-year-old continued to make gradual progress up the order and, having moved into the points-paying positions by two-thirds distance, he crossed the line in a solid 14th place.

The reversed grid left Hill starting sixth for race three, which would be held in wet conditions after the onset of heavy rain.

Making up one place on the opening lap, Hill then took fourth on lap two when Chris Smiley ran off-track and continued to run at the sharp end throughout as he diced for the podium positions with Josh Cook, Tom Ingram and Dan Cammish.

The end result for Hill was a strong third place, which made it six rostrum finishes for the season and allowed him to conclude the campaign seventh overall, and fifth in the Independents’ Trophy.

Osborne ran inside the points early on before being forced off-track at Graham Hill Bend, which left him with dirty tyres and resulted in a spin as he headed into Surtees, forcing him to retire to the pits with damage to the radiator.

Despite that disappointment, he wound up inside the top 20 in the overall standings, 14th in the Independents’ Trophy and fourth in the Jack Sears Trophy.

“It was great for us to end the season with another podium,” acknowledged Team Principal Shaun Hollamby. “Jake did a really good job again to take three solid points finishes in difficult conditions. Sam also did a fantastic job in race two to come through the pack in the way he did, and it is unfortunate that he wasn’t able to stay in contention for the Jack Sears Trophy as it would have been just reward for the progress he has made as a driver this season.

“Of course it would have been nice for us to get a win this year, but I feel we can be happy with the way our season has gone in very difficult circumstances with everything that is going on in the world. Everyone involved in the series deserves credit for going out and putting on a good show for our fans, sponsors and partners in recent months, and we look forward to welcoming them all back trackside in the future.”
“This has been a positive first season for MB Motorsport in the BTCC, and it is nice to end it with another podium finish,” added Mark Blundell, MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square’s Sporting Director. “Jake did a really good job again at the weekend in the same way he has done all season, and to get a sixth podium of the year against such competition in those conditions is very pleasing. A top seven championship finish is also a job well done, and something to build on in 2021 as our partnership continues.

“Although it’s a shame that Sam wasn’t able to take the Jack Sears Trophy, he has come on in leaps and bounds this season and is a totally different driver to the one who first got in the car when he joined us. He has worked well with Jake and has been eager to learn and improve, and I think that was shown by his performance in race two.”

“When we left Brands Hatch earlier in the year, I felt terrible as we’d had an awful weekend and it was the lowest I’d felt after a touring car meeting,” reflected Hill. “Now, six podiums later after a fantastic turnaround, we can celebrate what has been a really good weekend to end the season.

“Brands is my home circuit and one that I absolutely love, and we enjoyed a strong race day to be right up there in the top eight, scoring good points and picking up some more silverware. I have to say a massive thank you to the team for doing a fantastic job and I’m hugely excited for next year to see what we can achieve together.”

“It was an interesting weekend with the weather being the way it was, as I’d not driven the car much in those conditions,” revealed Osborne. “In the opening race, things were going okay but then I made a small error and, as I recovered, Glynn [Geddie] just seemed to move over into my car and we ended up in the gravel which was a shame, as it ended my Jack Sears Trophy hopes. Race two, however, was mega. We made a good call on the tyres and made up loads of places from the back and scored more points, which I didn’t expect at the start.

“It’s unfortunate that we didn’t finish race three, but I’m delighted with the season as a whole. When you look at the progress I’ve made from the end of last year to now, it’s been huge and there are so many positives for me to take away from 2020. Huge thanks to the team and to Jake for helping to push me along – this season is something for me to now build on going forwards.”

Tom Ingram proved that his Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters Corolla is more than a match for any of its rivals in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch last weekend (14/15 November), splashing through the spray to pole position and a full house of podium finishes that have left him feeling bullish indeed about his prospects going into 2021.
 
Ingram has been a contender season-long in the country’s premier motor racing series, but a variety of misfortunes meant he entered the final weekend as an outsider in the chase for the coveted crown, at 34 points adrift of the summit of the standings. Be that as it may, he headed to Brands’ short Indy circuit vowing to push right to the end and have some fun along the way – and he was every bit as good as his word.
 
In a tense and eventful qualifying session – punctuated by three red flag stoppages for accidents – the Bucks-born ace mastered inclement conditions to secure his fourth career BTCC pole amongst the 27 high-calibre protagonists. On a wet track surface, he then went on to lead the opening 12 laps of the curtain-raiser in front of the live ITV4 television cameras, before ultimately having to give best to Dan Cammish and Ash Sutton following energetic wheel-to-wheel duels as the trio sped clear of the chasing pack.
 
The sun emerged before race two, leaving a drying circuit, but the early laps on slick tyres were still something of an adventure and Ingram was one of five drivers to slide sideways through Paddock Hill Bend for the first time, skating through the gravel and rejoining down in 13th. That served as the catalyst for a stirring recovery charge as the 27-year-old fairly scythed his way back past his adversaries, posting a flurry of fastest laps and pulling off some sensational overtakes to move into second place by lap 13.
 
He proceeded to practically halve the 8.7-second deficit separating him from leader Sutton by the chequered flag, and then – from 11th on the partially-reversed grid – produced an almost carbon copy performance in race three. In fully wet conditions again, Ingram belied the 54kg of success ballast aboard his Corolla to advance to seventh by the end of lap two and climb to second by mid-distance.
 
Thereafter, he slashed Rory Butcher’s advantage from six seconds to just 1.5 seconds by the close to seal his 11th rostrum finish of 2020 – the second-highest tally in the field and a personal career-best – and cement his status as the weekend’s top scorer.
 
Ultimately missing out on the title by only 24 points – having conceded at least 20 at Silverstone due to a puncture and a further six when he was taken out at the last corner at Snetterton – the two-time BTCC Independents’ Champion concluded the campaign with the best average score of the top five based on races finished without any major issues. Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters secured sixth in the final Teams’ table – and leading single-car outfit.
 
“We said going to Brands Hatch that to be in with a shot, we would need to throw absolutely everything at it and that’s exactly what we did,” reflected Team Principal Christian Dick. “It was maximum attack throughout. To take pole position and then come away with three podium finishes, I really don’t think we could have done very much more. Tom drove superbly in all conditions, and his recovery in race two was particularly special. It was probably the best weekend we’ve had with the Corolla to-date.
 
“It was the first time we’ve achieved a podium in every race, which is no mean feat in the BTCC with the reversed grid format and ballast to factor into account – not to mention the unpredictable weather that we had to contend with at Brands. I think it’s fair to say we have shouldered more than our fair share of misfortune this year, and we always knew we would need the other guys to have some bad luck too if we were to take the title. Whilst that didn’t happen, we can all hold our heads very high.
 
“It’s been an absolutely astonishing team effort all season. With such a condensed calendar and a number of back-to-back weekends and tight turnarounds, the work rate has been nothing short of relentless. The whole Speedworks crew have been outstanding, leaving no stone unturned, and I want to pay tribute to each and every one of them.
 
“Disregarding the penalty at Croft, Tom qualified inside the top three at each of the last five events – with significant weight on-board – and we would have finished the season with six consecutive podiums if it hadn’t been for what happened at Snetterton. We are gaining momentum every time out, and it’s just a shame we don’t have a tenth race weekend as we normally do, because I would really fancy our chances if we did.
 
“Still, we go into the winter feeling very positive for next year. We’ve shown repeatedly just what the Corolla is capable of now – it’s been the strongest front-wheel drive car in recent weeks, and arguably the strongest car outright. We’ve been consistently in the hunt at every circuit, and have really got on top of what makes it tick. The start of next season truly can’t come soon enough!”

“What a fantastic weekend!” beamed Ingram. “To come away with a podium in every race was amazing – without the little squabble at Snetterton, it would have been six on the bounce. With no direct pressure on us, I felt very relaxed going to Brands – probably the most relaxed I’ve felt all season, in fact, and I really enjoyed every single lap.
 
“It was incredibly slippery in qualifying – the circuit felt very different to how it had in free practice, and it took quite a while to settle into a rhythm. You only get a narrow window with the wet tyre at its absolute peak performance, especially around such a short lap as Brands Hatch Indy with so much traffic and people going off and bringing out red and yellow flags. We were chasing the set-up for quite a lot of the session, but then my engineer ‘Spenny’ made a couple of inspired calls that transformed the Corolla.
 
“The conditions were really tricky again in race one, and it seemed like they were changing every lap. We struggled with the front tyres and I didn’t really have an answer for Dan [Cammish] or Ash [Sutton] towards the end, but it was pleasing to get a podium nonetheless.
 
“I got a really good launch off the line in race two and I knew I had to try to make up as many places as I could, so I gave it a go – it was a case of ‘lick the stamp and send it’ and see what happens. I went to the outside through Paddock Hill Bend, but lost the rear and ended up doing a bit of rallycross! They’re conditions I absolutely love, though, and it was brilliant fun fighting my way through. It took me back to being about six-years-old, when my dad was too tight to buy me wet tyres for my go-kart! It was a similar story in race three – the Corolla felt superb again and we were able to pull off a lot of very satisfying moves.
 
“There are always ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’, aren’t there, but we’ve shown in recent weeks that we’ve got some serious pace in this car. We’ve been right up there in qualifying and have scored at least one top three finish every weekend since Knockhill, but we’ve just lacked a bit of luck, with the puncture at Silverstone, the driveshaft failure at Oulton Park and being taken out at Brands GP, Silverstone and Snetterton.
 
“We’ve performed so well as a team all season, and the results we’ve achieved over the second half in particular – with five podiums from the last six races – quite frankly speak for themselves. In a championship as ultra-competitive and fiercely-fought as the BTCC, that’s a hell of an achievement and extremely encouraging. It puts us in a very good place heading into the winter now, and we fully intend to carry this momentum forward into next year.”

BMW swept aside the spray at a wet and windy Brands Hatch last weekend to secure a fifth consecutive Manufacturers’ title in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, as Team BMW similarly snared the Teams’ spoils at the end of another hugely successful campaign.

For the sixth time in his stellar career in the country’s premier motor racing series, Colin Turkington finished inside the top two in the Drivers’ standings, tallying a season-high 13 podium finishes – including five commanding victories behind the wheel of his BMW 330i M Sport.

The changeable conditions unfortunately conspired against the Northern Irishman at Brands Hatch, although as the track dried in race two, he demonstrated his BMW’s dry weather pace by scything through the pack from ninth to fourth, seeing him enter the final round of the campaign still in the hunt for the biggest prize in UK motorsport.

A battling performance that yielded ninth place at the chequered flag was ultimately not quite enough but nonetheless sealed second position in the Drivers’ classification, with team-mate Tom Oliphant concluding an excellent sophomore season with Team BMW in sixth.

Contesting only his third campaign in the BTCC, the 30-year-old similarly struggled to find grip around Brands Hatch’s short Indy circuit, posting a top ten finish in race one before fighting his way back into the points in race two after being spun down the order by a rival. That did not, however, take the sheen off a strong season, with his maiden race win and three further rostrum results firing Oliphant five places further up the Drivers’ table than in 2019.

The pair’s combined performances were sufficient to cement BMW’s seventh BTCC Manufacturers’ crown, as Team BMW successfully recaptured the Teams’ title. The hard work now begins in earnest ahead of the resumption of racing next April, when the 2021 season fires into life – back at Brands Hatch Indy – on 3/4 April.

“It’s been another great season for Team BMW, and it’s nice to come away with two pieces of silverware in the shape of the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ Championship trophies,” said BMW UK CEO, Graeme Grieve. “For us as a brand, the Manufacturers’ is the big one, and to secure it for the fifth year in a row is a quite remarkable achievement for which everybody involved should be congratulated.

“Obviously it was a great shame for Colin to miss out on the Drivers’ title – that would have been the icing on the cake – but Ash [Sutton] is a very deserving winner. The BTCC is such a competitive series in which the level seems to go up each year and the margins are always so small. Both Colin and Tom have driven brilliantly all season, and we go away happy and very much looking forward to 2021.”

“To win five consecutive Manufacturers’ titles in the BTCC is testament to a tremendous team effort from all the guys and girls here at WSR,” reflected Team Principal Dick Bennetts. “It’s an incredible achievement. This is always a hard championship, and starting in August and finishing in mid-November made it even tougher this year, but Colin did a brilliant job once again to finish second in the Drivers’ Championship and win the first Goodyear Wingfoot Award for qualifying, while Tom had a very positive season and took a real step forward.

“Reliability has been first-rate and we’ve got a fantastic car in the dry. The weather clearly didn’t help us at Brands, but the conditions were the same for everybody and we’ll make sure we go away and do some more homework on our wet set-up over the winter to come back even stronger in 2021.”

“It’s been a very positive season overall, and it’s great for all of us to win the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ championships, both of which are clearly very important titles,” added Turkington. “I gave it my very best shot at defending my Drivers’ championship, but there’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed of finishing second in a series as competitive as the BTCC – it genuinely is one of the toughest championships in the world to win, and it ultimately wasn’t quite to be for me this year.

“I tried to be as consistent as I could and we came very close, but the low-grip conditions didn’t favour us at Brands. We showed the pace we had in the dry over the second half of race two, and at the end of the day, we can hold our heads high. We’ve had some great results this season and the Team BMW guys have done a fantastic job to provide me with a great car throughout. Everybody gave 100 per cent in the pursuit of victory, and they should all be very proud of what we have achieved.”

“This has been my best BTCC season to-date, and I’ve got to be happy to finish sixth overall against a whole host of more experienced drivers,” proclaimed Oliphant. “It was a bit of a shame that we dropped off towards the end – in the last couple of race meetings, we didn’t really have any luck – but I’ve shown my speed and my overtaking abilities and I’ve always raced fair. I’ve had some good battles along the way, learnt a lot and scored some great results, and the guys on my side of the garage have worked tirelessly to get the car where I want it.

“A big thank you to BMW and WSR – they’re a great bunch of guys and girls and just phenomenal to work with, and they’ve done a cracking job. I’m really proud to race for such an iconic brand, and hopefully I’ll be back here again next year.”

The 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season finale marked the swansong of Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools’ pair of Mercedes-Benz A-Classes.

Having announced the move to the German manufacturer while running a Toyota Avensis in 2013, the new machine would join the grid the following season, with the squad’s single-car entry manned by Lancashire-driver Adam Morgan.

Bringing a second into the mix from 2018, the pair of NGTC Mercedes’ have contested 286 rounds over the years and have amassed 1,517 BTCC points.

Furthermore, the Ciceley Motorsport-run machines have achieved eight victories, most recently at the squad’s local circuit of Oulton Park with Morgan’s emotional race three win, as well as a total of 30 podiums.

Morgan’s win and a further pair of podiums in the latest campaign reflect a strong reputation for the #33 car, as the 32-year-old has finished in the points in every round he has completed this year.

The 32-year-old secured fifth place at flagfall at Brands Hatch to send the Mercedes off on a high note. 

"It’s been a great car and even in its last race the Mercedes-Benz A-Class is still competitive," he said. "You could come and buy these two cars with a comprehensive spares package, be on the BTCC grid next season and be competitive, that is how good the car has proved to be. I’ve had a win this season and been regularly up at the front, so the car still has pace.

"It’s the end of an era after seven years but we’ve had some great days and the first outright win for a Mercedes in the BTCC, so we can be proud of what we have achieved."

Team-mate Jack Butel has manned the second Mercedes for 2020, recording an impressive near-perfect finish rate, with only one retirement throughout his rookie season in the championship.

The squad’s announcement marks the third team to reveal a change of machine for 2021, with Team HARD’s Cupra Leon announcement in September and the latest news of Trade Price Cars Racing merging with Excelr8 Motorsport to run a quartet of Hyundais next year.

Claiming two of the three class victories available from the final three rounds of the year, local-racer and fan favourite Michael Crees delivered an unassailable performance to claim Jack Sears Trophy honours during an action-packed 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season finale on the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit (14/15 November).

With the weather playing a big part in proceedings over the final meeting, the season finale delivered plenty of drama from the start. A much-interrupted qualifying session in tricky conditions left the BTC Racing drivers struggling to unlock the best of the Honda Civic Type R FK8s, as they grappled with rear-end grip on the slippery circuit. Josh Cook rounded out the top ten, with Tom Chilton securing 16th and Crees ending the session in 22nd.

A strong start from the trio in the opening contest saw all three drivers move their way up the grid in the tricky racing conditions. Cook led the pack home, crossing the line in eighth, with Chilton picking up points in 12th. Crossing the line in 20th, Crees extended his lead atop the Jack Sears Trophy standings finishing ahead of his main rival Carl Boardley.

With different track conditions presenting themselves for race two on a drying but greasy track, Chilton opted to take a risk on wets, with Cook and Crees choosing to run on slicks. A frenetic opening lap kicked off the drama with the front-runners tangling at Paddock Hill as Chilton powered off the line to take the lead. Despite initially heading off into the distance in the #3 Civic Type R, he was unable to hold onto the lead as the slick runners came into play on the now dry track, and he plummeted down the field in the closing laps, eventually crossing the line in 18th.

Running as high as third in the opening laps, Cook was on track for a podium challenge as he scrapped with Ingram and Cammish before a big sideways moment at Druids dropped him down the order to take ninth at the flag.

An epic drive from Crees saw the Broadstairs-racer pick his way up through the pack to collect another strong points-finish, bringing the #777 home in 13th overall to collect his 11th class victory of the year and secure the 2020 Jack Sears Trophy title at his home circuit.

Another torrential downpour just before the season closer saw the return of the perilous conditions out on track. Starting from the second row by virtue of the reversed grid draw, Cook made a strong start off the line and followed through with a brave inside lunge at Paddock Hill Bend to steal into second place. With another podium spot on the cards, Cook was squeezed wide whilst duelling with Hill on lap 11. Although he managed to keep the #66 Civic from running too deep into the gravel trap, he lost position and ended the final race in ninth.

Chilton made good progress in the challenging conditions, managing to make up seven spots over the 24 lap race to take 11th as the final flag dropped. Picking up his second points-score of the day, Crees brought his #777 FK8 home in P15, claiming his 12th Jack Sears victory of the year and extending his title-winning championship lead to 48 points.

The season finale signed-off a rollercoaster season for the BTC Racing Team. Having amassed a total of three outright victories and four further podium finishes, the squad ended the season placed fifth in the Teams’ Championship and third in the Independents' standings, collecting four Independent wins and ten podiums along the way.

“We’re all absolutely over the moon for Michael winning the Jack Sears Trophy,” remarked Joint Team Principal Bert Taylor. “He’s had a phenomenal year competing against a lot of drivers for the title and we couldn’t be happier for him.

“It’s been a fantastic season. We’ve had our highs and lows. As a team we’ve worked incredibly hard for little reward. The positions we’ve finished the year in reflects the pace that we’ve had all season. Although we’ve won as many races and podiums as anyone else, we just haven’t been able to string it all together for some reason.

“We need to go away and sit down, look to the future and work out a plan for next season.”

“I’d just like to say thank you to everyone at BTC Racing,” said Chilton. “Thank you to all of the sponsors for making it happen, and to Steve [Dudman] and Bert [Taylor].

“It hasn’t been as successful as we’d hoped. We thought we’d win all five championships, but the only one who upheld his deal was Creesy – winning the Jack Sears. I’m really happy for Michael. I’m pleased that I made it onto the podium a few times this year, and it was great to lead some laps in the last round of the year and end on a bit of high. Lots of highs and lows in motorsport, but it’s been good fun.”

“I’m really happy for Creesy winning the Jack Sears Trophy,” added Cook. “He drove really well, did everything he needed to do and didn’t try and be a hero!

“We’ve not had an easy year at all, but I’ve had a decent amount of wins and more podiums. We’ve just not unlocked the best out of the car this year. When you’re struggling for pace you can only benchmark against your team-mates in the same machinery, and I achieved the best results with what we had. Hopefully that doesn’t go unnoticed.”

“The team have worked incredibly hard all year, under really tough circumstances. It’s just a shame that we didn’t quite get the rewards that hard work deserves.”

“I’m absolutely buzzing,” buoyed Crees. “That’s another one ticked off the bucket list! I want to thank everyone who supported me through this and helped me to realise my dream. I had my doubts if we could pull it off after a bit of a wobble, but we’ve shown that you can achieve your dreams if you keep pushing, and never give up.

“Thanks to the whole BTC Racing team for their efforts, and also to Bert and Steve for giving me the opportunity to show what I’m capable of. It’s been an unbelievable season, and one I’ll never forget.”