Ciceley Motorsport's Tom Oliphant heads to home soil for Rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park next weekend (9-10 June) with the aim of pushing on as he gathers more top-tier tin-top experience.

Oliphant joined the BTCC for 2018 after four years on the support package – two in Ginetta GT4 Supercup, where he became the 2015 champion, followed by two in Porsche Carrera Cup GB. 

The Cheshire racer challenged for points on debut at Brands Hatch Indy earlier this year, before breakthrough top ten qualifying and race results back at Donington Park.

Oliphant was once again in the mix for points at Thruxton but found himself 17th and 19th with a non-finish. He sees it all as a learning process, though, and is buoyed by the quality of the machinery beneath him.

“I’m loving the BTCC," he said. "The racing is close, fast and exciting, and I’m out there battling wheel-to-wheel with some of the best touring car drivers in the world. I couldn’t be enjoying it more.

“I knew it was going to be a huge challenge but I feel like I’ve adapted well to the series considering it’s the first time I’ve competed in front-wheel drive machinery and the style of racing is completely different to what I was used to.

"I’m pleased with my progress so far, especially breaking into the top ten in only my second meeting.

“I certainly believe there’s much more to come as I gain more experience with the car and the championship.

"As my team-mates are proving, the Mercedes is a fantastic package and I’m confident that as we progress through the season, my time to get up on the podium will come.”

Raised in Tarporley, just down the road from Oulton Park, Oliphant used to marshal at the circuit and work there on experience days. Next weekend, he'll be racing in support of the George Heath Foundation which supports local causes.

“It’s always brilliant to go back to my home circuit, and for me, the Oulton Park weekend is one of the best BTCC events of the year," Oliphant continued.

“The crowds are always huge and really passionate. Driving round, you can barely see the green grass as the banks are packed and that’s a great feeling for a driver.

“I’m confident that I can build on everything I’ve learned so far this season and make Oulton Park a successful weekend for me and the Ciceley Motorsport team.”

Alongside AmD Tuning, we’re giving you the chance to win weekend VIP passes for Rounds 10, 11 and 12 from Cheshire’s Oulton Park plus a premium overnight stay on the Saturday with Holiday Inn! 

There’s a bumper selection of additional prizes included too, including a fully-fitted Cobra Performance exhaust system and a remap from the Essex-based tuning experts.

The prize includes: 

• A pair of VIP tickets to Oulton Park with the team on Saturday/Sunday 9/10 June
• An overnight stay in an Executive Suite on Saturday 9 June at Holiday Inn Chester South
• Meet the team and all of its drivers 
• Walk the grid to see all 32 BTCC cars line up before a race
• A fitted Cobra Performance exhaust system
• A remap
• A garage tour
• Liqui Moly goodies and a signed limited edition Liqui Moly cap
• A pair of tickets for a runner-up

To be in with a chance of winning, simply like the AmD Tuning Facebook page, share our competition post and comment on our Official BTCC Facebook Page to let us know you’ve entered! You may also enter on Twitter by following @amdessex, RT’ing our competition post and commenting to let us know you've entered.

The competition closes at 4pm on Tuesday 5 June. For full terms and conditions see below!

Good luck!

For more information about Holiday Inn Chester South, and if you'd like to make a booking, head to Holiday Inn Chester South's website.

Terms and conditions:

1x Like + Comment on Facebook = 1 entry or 1x RT + tag @amdessex on Twitter = 1 entry. 1 entry per person per platform. A winner picked at random. The competition will close 4pm on Tuesday 5 June. The winner will be announced on Facebook and Twitter the following morning. The winner will have 24 hours from the announcement to come forward. If this does not happen another winner will be selected. The winner must be available over the Oulton Park race weekend, transport to and from the circuit is not included. The prize is non-transferrable. Children under 16 will not be able to take part in the grid walk.

Halfords Yuasa Racing celebrated a triumphant return to winning ways in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship last weekend at Thruxton after Matt Neal steered the new Honda Civic Type R (FK8) to a dominant first victory.

On a breakthrough weekend that successfully demonstrated the full potential of the ever-improving latest-generation Civic Type R, Neal was in impeccable form in qualifying to smash his own lap record around the UK’s fastest circuit and pick up the team’s first BTCC pole position of 2018 before translating it into a dominant lights-to-flag win. 

Taking full advantage of his opportunity in race one, Neal held his ground off the line and through the opening turns to get out in front and lead the pack. From there he controlled the pace, the three-time champion pulling out a comfortable margin to take the chequered flag and score a hugely popular win at Honda’s home event – the perfect result to celebrate Yuasa's 100th anniversary.

Neal started from pole again for race two but now had a full complement of 75kg success ballast to haul around Thruxton’s high-speed turns. The Midlander produced a mighty effort, ceding only two positions to finish third and pick up another podium. In a hard-fought finale, Neal brought the car home eighth.

“It has been an incredibly special weekend and I am delighted to have given the Civic Type R (FK8) its first BTCC victory on ‘home soil’ at Thruxton," said Neal. "That pole lap is one I am especially proud of – I was hanging everything out there – so I am really chuffed to turn it into a win.

"I had a fantastic start to grab the lead through the opening bends and from there the Civic Type R’s strengths through the quick corners meant no-one could get close to me. To get another podium in race two with that much ballast demonstrates just how good the package is and shows we are very much in the title battle this year. I really think the tide is changing for us and this is the start of good things to come.”

Team-mate Dan Cammish complemented Honda’s joy in race one with a superb run to third position from fourth on the grid, his second podium result in what is already proving to be an impressive rookie campaign. When an early off amidst the thick of the action in race two left him consigned to a finish down the order, the Yorkshireman responded in race three with a marvellous fightback into the points in 13th from a lowly 25th.

“Race one was a brilliant result for the entire team. To get a double podium is a huge reward for everybody’s efforts in making the Honda Civic Type R such a competitive machine. It was a great qualifying for me and to turn that into my second podium finish of the season is very satisfying. Race two didn’t go entirely to plan for me.

"I had a bad start and ran off-track which put me down the order. I did the best in race three and I’m happy to have scored points. All in all, it’s been a good weekend and our pace at various points proves how much potential there is from both myself and the Civic Type R. Well done to Matt for his brilliant pole position and victory in race one – he has had an absolutely mega weekend.”

In the overall standings, Neal’s return to the winners’ circle has catapulted him to sixth, which together with Cammish in eighth puts the Honda pair firmly in the title hunt. 

Similarly, Honda’s huge points haul sees it ascend to joint-second in the Manufacturers’ Championship, while Halfords Yuasa Racing rises to second in the Teams’ Championship heading next to Oulton Park on 9-10 June.

WIX Racing with Eurotech headed to Hampshire's Thruxton circuit off the back of a strong start to the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, with victory and a podium to its name from the opening two race weekends of the campaign.

Brett Smith's qualifying performance, with third spot and his best grid slot to date, looked to have signalled the team's intent for the weekend but from there on in, things didn't quite go to plan. Jack Goff's Honda Civic Type R was proving a source of frustration as it struggled to supply the pace he'd been expecting around a circuit at which it traditionally thrives. He lined up 14th for the opener.

Smith, unfortunately, was unable to capitalise on his second-row slot in race one as, in track temperatures topping the 35 celsius mark, his car bogged down off the line – easily done with stickier than anticipated tyres due to the heat, said Tim Harvey at the time from the ITV Sport commentary box. Still, he rounded in eighth for a solid points haul.

Matt Simpson, in the Eurotech-run sister Type R baring Simpson Racing colours, was in the thick of it in the opener and would be pleased with a points finish and 12th. Goff, with 48kg of success ballast on-board, came home just behind his stablemate in 13th spot – a points score for each of the trio.

With success ballast now by the wayside, Goff capitalised to move through the pack to eighth. Smith made a much better start this time around and was making good progress until an off caused irreparable damage, forcing a frustrating retirement while Simpson held his own, battling to score points once again with 14th.

In the final race, Goff put in one of the standout performances of the day to fire his Honda from eighth to second spot. Simpson battled hard to 12th and with a triple-points score, elevated himself into the Independent Drivers' standings top ten. Smith once again suffered race-ending damage and harbours 12th position in the same tally as a result. The team find themselves just three points off of the Independents' summit heading to Oulton Park.

Eurotech Racing Team Principal Jeff Smith said: "All in all, it was a very successful Sunday. It looked at times like it might be a disappointing one but on the whole the team and drivers did a fantastic job. Jack's drive to the podium in the third race was just phenomenal, Brett's qualifying performance was incredible and Matt showed brilliant pace in quali and all three races – and was good value for three consistent points finishes as a result. So, a great job all round."

"We’ve been struggling and we were scratching our heads a little bit," added Goff, who's sitting pretty in fourth in the overall Drivers' standings. "We knew we should have been fast around here. Last year the car was quick and there was no reason why the car shouldn’t have been even faster this year.

"When we qualified down in 14^th we realised we had some real problems going on. The lads worked hard overnight trying to figure out the issues and we think we found it heading into race one. We played a bit conservatively and then into race two we tried a bit more and it was good.

"The car felt strong towards the end of that race then we honed it slightly again heading into race three and with a couple more laps it could have been a different story. I’m glad we’ve got the issue behind us and certainly in the last race the car was so much stronger and it allowed us to race.

"At Donington Park and early on at Thruxton we just didn’t have the pace to race. It was clear for all to see that in certain areas of the track that we were struggling.

"We go to Oulton Park carrying a little bit of success ballast which will hurt us but there are a lot of people around us carrying weight too. The guys and girls at WIX Racing with Eurotech did an all nighter and they’re as determined as I am to find the issues and get some nice points finishes at Oulton Park and continue it on throughout the rest of the year."

Team BMW enjoyed a profitable weekend in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton, with Colin Turkington producing two storming second-place finishes in the first and second races of day.

That double podium provided Turkington with his 125th and 126th visits to the rostrum in the BTCC and he followed those up with fifth spot later on in his WSR-run BMW 125i M Sport. This represented a 47-point haul – the highest total achieved by any driver on the day and enough to vault the two-time champion up to fifth in the Drivers’ standings.

The Northern Irishman made a brilliant start from the front row in race one and battled for the lead for much of the opening lap. After that, he chased the leader all the way to the flag, claiming his 50th fastest lap in the BTCC and breaking the 16-year-old lap record around Thruxton in the process.

Laden with 66kg success ballast in the second race, Turkington this time took the lead into Allard. He led for 10 laps before being caught by Josh Cook's lighter Power Maxed TAG Racing Vauxhall, which he was unable to keep behind despite a valiant defence.

Turkington started race three from fifth – again carrying a hefty 66kg of success ballast. Whilst a third podium of the day proved elusive, he was delighted with his day’s work all things considered.

"My job at the moment is to score as many points as I can and we definitely got the maximum from the BMW," said Turkington. "It was a really good day, so it's job done and on to the next one. My car has been strong even with weight on-board and it's a nice feeling to have led for the first time this year in race two.

"When somebody is coming with a significantly quicker car at that stage of the race, then you have to assess whether it is better to defend like your life depends on it or be clever and not get dragged into the pack. I decided to be sensible. The points difference between winning and second is not so much, and I had already led a lap so that's a point and I was trying to use my head.

“I knew what I had to do at Thruxton and this was the event that could either make or break my 2018 championship attack. It was important to focus on my performance behind the wheel and deliver the maximum from my car. Team BMW did a fantastic job in preparing a car that gave me confidence to really attack the high speed corners.

"I was able to test the limits from the beginning on Saturday and the balance by the end of race three was as close to perfect as I think we’ll ever get at Thruxton!

"We came, we saw and we conquered! It’s been a special weekend but it didn’t just happen by chance. It was the result of extreme hard work, dedication and expertise. To finally get a reward for our efforts is a great feeling. We needed that!"

Team-mate Rob Collard had a tougher day. Once he got in to his stride, he was able to fight up to 10th position in the last race of the day. This, added to his 11th spot in race one, contributed 11 vital points to his tally.

"We changed the set-up of the car for the last race and stiffened it up a little bit, and that suited me better," said Collard. "Race three was good, but it just wasn’t my day. It was a bit of a frustrating weekend for us and we haven't done as well as we hoped in the championship.

"Next we have Oulton Park, where we are back on what I would call a conventional racing circuit. The BMW goes very well there and I've always gone well there, so I am looking forward to it a lot."

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, added: "Colin has done an excellent job with two second places. I'm very pleased. To get two podiums, especially in race two with 66kg on-board, he did a great job.  Rob didn’t have such a good day, but we've had completely reliable cars and no issues this weekend, so well done to everyone. It feels as if we have got our momentum back and we are looking forward to Oulton Park."

Power Maxed TAG Racing is riding on the crest of a wave at the moment, heading the way in both the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Teams' and Manufacturers' standings.

Having scored its first victory in the BTCC back at Brands Hatch at the hands of Senna Proctor, Josh Cook followed up at Donington Park with his maiden win and the team's second just three weeks later. The outfit could scarcely have hoped to be heading into the third weekend of 2018 in better shape.

As it transpired, Thruxton marked the first time that both of the outfit's drivers made the podium over the course of a race weekend. Cook took the chequered flag victory number two of his career in the BTCC in race two after valiantly battling through the pack and lapping some half-a-second quicker than the next quickest man on track.

“I think it’s testament to the work by Martin (Broadhurst, Team Manager) and the Power Maxed TAG Racing team that in just three rounds I’ve had a pole, two wins, two fastest laps and a podium,” said Josh Cook. “There won’t always be weekend where we’re winning, but when there’s a sniff of an opportunity, I’ll take it.

"The car was absolutely on fire, as the times showed, and I’m so glad I’ve been able to do Euro Repar, Glide Parking, Helix Clutches and AST Suspension proud so far this season and winning at my local circuit makes it even more special. We’ve got our eyes firmly set on the championship, and this just strengthens my resolve for consistent points."

Proctor produced a consistent weekend's racing and didn't drop below seventh from the outset and rounded off a superb day with another visit to the podium – third in race three and another trophy for his growing collection.

“After the unfortunate early retirement from race three at Donington Park, I’m over the moon to have come away from Thruxton with some more silverware," said Proctor. "Sitting seventh in the biggest championship in the UK and one of the most competitive series around is just an amazing feeling. 

"I’m really chuffed with both my own and the team’s consistency over the weekend. The car handled amazingly considering the conditions, and the many bottles of water that I had to drink because 0f the scorching weather didn’t seem to slow us down too much!"

Power Maxed TAG Racing Team Principal, Adam Weaver added: “I can’t be anything but delighted with the performance both the drivers and the team have put in over the weekend. We’ve proved beyond a doubt that our previous results were far from a fluke, and seeing the lead we’re pulling out in both the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ standings is a real boost for all of us.

"It’s a shame we couldn’t go away leading the Drivers’ standings and take the hat-trick, but with Josh only being one point off the top, I’m confident we can make that up at Oulton Park in three weeks’ time.”

“Josh’s second win in as many rounds just goes to show that the hard work the team have consistently put into the car has paid off," said Power Maxed TAG Racing Technical Director, Martin Broadhurst.

"Despite the 75kg ballast he was carrying in race three, he drove his absolute socks off, and he fought well to hold his position consistently against the drivers carrying considerably less weight. From the start of Free Practice 1, Senna was fast and put together a solid race weekend, culminating in a well-deserved podium in race three.

"Having both drivers on the podium within two races is something that shows both our intent and strength, and puts us in a great position moving forward through the season.”

 

Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram gained 24 positions on his way to Dunlop #ForeverForward honours at Thruxton – ten more than his nearest competition.

Qualifying saw Matt Neal smash the BTCC’s longest-standing lap record, set by Yvan Muller in 2002, in Saturday’s qualifying on Dunlop’s specialist Thruxton Sport Maxx hard compound tyre. The Halfords Yuasa Racing racer was in a class of his own in the opening race too, taking his first win of the year and a maiden victory for the new FK8 Honda Civic Type R.

Matt Neal: “With the ambient temperature in qualifying I knew it was going to be tough, but the tyres really held on. I just avoided the kerbs.” It looks as if Matt saw Dunlop's Thruxton circuit tour with Mickey Butler on Saturday:

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBTCC/videos/1974412935933480/

 
Power Maxed TAG Racing's Josh Cook took #ForeverForward honours in race one, making up six positions. He was followed by Jake Hill, who furthered his claim in this year’s #ForeverForward standings with a five-place improvement. Fans voted Tom Chilton's manoeuvre on Andrew Jordan on lap 10 as their #ForeverForward overtake of the race.

It was deja-vu in race two with the front-row unchanged. Team BMW man Colin Turkington produced a blistering start and held on to the lead. It was the PMR Vauxhall of Josh Cook making waves, storming through the pack to the tune of nine positions gained on his way to the eventual race win.

Tom Ingram pulled off the spectacular as he looked to make amends for a race one DNF. He gained a massive 20 positions after starting at the very back of the grid for race two. Additionally, AmD's Ollie Jackson quietly made progress, equalling Cook’s eight positions gained. Fans voted Cook’s decisive lap twelve overtake on Turkington as their favourite of the encounter.

As always, the race three reverse grid fuelled an action-packed BTCC finale. Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan produced a stellar lights-to-flag performance, securing his second win of the season and a one-point championship lead. WIX Racing with Eurotech's Jack Goff charged past five cars on his way to a well-earned second place.

Again, there was plenty of action throughout the pack. Dan Cammish gained 12 places, while the sister Mercedes of Tom Oliphant made up 11. However, nobody could top Ingram’s impressive 20 positions in race two – propelling him to second in the #ForeverForward table with a weekend-high score of 24 FF points.

"We were very pleased with the performance of the hard compound tyre at the weekend," said Mickey Butler, Manager, UK and One Brand Motorsport Events. "Teams were able to complete multiple race runs without any issues. The few occasions we had any issues crop up were when drivers hit the kerbs too aggressively. Overall, we're very pleased with the weekend all-round."

 #ForeverForward – Thruxton

1.   Tom INGRAM, 24
2.   Josh COOK, 14
3.   Dan CAMMISH, 13
4.   Tom BOARDMAN, 12
5.   Ollie JACKSON, 12
6.   Rory BUTCHER, 11
7.   Tom OLIPHANT, 11
8.   Jack GOFF, 11
9.   Bobby THOMPSON, 10
10. Sam SMELT, 8

#ForeverForward – Overall Standings

1.   Jake HILL, 58
2.   Tom INGRAM, 54
3.   Ollie JACKSON, 53
4.   Tom BOARDMAN, 49
5.   Adam MORGAN, 46
6.   Senna PROCTOR, 44
7.   Rob AUSTIN, 42
8.   Mike BUSHELL, 42
9.   Matt SIMPSON, 41
10.  Ash SUTTON, 39

Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan enjoyed a stellar weekend at Thruxton, notching a second win of the season in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship which moved him into the lead of the ultra-competitive series.

Morgan's Mercedes-Benz A-Class headed into the weekend second in the title race and as a result had to carry the regulation 66 kilograms of success ballast for qualifying and the opening race. The extra weight certainly made its presence felt as Morgan battled to the 12th fastest time around the ultra-fast Hampshire speedbowl in qualifying.

“The weight certainly hurt us, but we were happy,” said Morgan. “I was aiming for the top 15 so the outcome was good and the lap I did was a committed one – I was hanging on for dear life through the fast bits!”

In sweltering temperatures, Morgan's car bogged down off the line and lost ground to the pack but he soon battled his way back into contention, diving past the sister Fuchs Lubricants-backed Mercedes-Benz A-Class of Tom Oliphant at the ultra-fast Church Corner before setting off in pursuit of the pack ahead.

“I completely messed up the start,” said the Lancashireman. “By the time I had worked through the traffic, the gaps had opened up ahead of me and with the weight I was carrying, I just couldn’t catch them.” He finished a frustrated 14th but would run without success ballast as a result in race two.

Morgan charged his way up to seventh in the second bout. That result put him in contention with the reverse grid draw and when the magic number was revealed, the Ciceley man's ball was drawn, meaning he'd start the final race from pole position.

Now carrying 27kgs of success ballast after taking seventh place in race two, Morgan drove the race of his life – building a gap on the opening lap then preserving his advantage while protecting his tyres on the unique, abrasive track surface. Behind him, a charging Jack Goff brought his Honda Civic Type R into second place with a couple of laps to go, but Morgan stretched the margin to score a sixth career win and his second of the 2018 campaign. With that, he also assumed the championship lead by a point heading into his home event at Oulton Park in three weeks' time.

“I’d gone through the race in my head,” said a delighted standings leader post-race. “My plan was to get a good start and try to lead to the Complex and then just go! I pushed hard for the first six or seven laps but I had Senna Proctor pushing hard behind me. I panicked a bit when I saw Jack Goff closing after he got past Proctor but when I realised he wasn’t going to catch me, I actually enjoyed the last lap and I'm really chuffed for the team.

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBTCC/videos/1978251568882950/

“We made some adjustments for race three with the hotter temperatures and although Thruxton has never been our best track we were good for straight-line speed today. Now we go to Oulton Park, which has never been that kind to us, with the full 75 kilograms of success ballast on-board as championship leaders, so that will be a challenge…”

Ciceley Motorsports Tom Oliphant endured a frustrating raceday in Hampshire. After qualifying a creditable 16th, Oliphants’s race pace looked in good shape after he finished 17th in race one on his first visit to the fastest circuit in the country in a front-wheel drive car.

Oliphant was looking forward to moving up the order in race two but unfortunate contact broke the suspension on his Phillips-backed Mercedes and he was forced to retire and start the final round of the day from the back of the grid. Oliphant’s pace saw him move from 32nd to finish a fantastic 19th and although disappointed with his race two incident, he was left optimistic and looking forward to the opportunity to show his ability on home turf at Oulton Park.

Ciceley Motorsport Commercial Director Norman Burgess added: "To be the championship leader in a series as competitive as this is just awesome. Adam’s performance in that last race was exemplary – he never looked under pressure and never put a wheel out of line.

"It was a brilliant drive and one richly enjoyed by our Mac Tools, Lunar Caravans and Pallex guests who enjoyed the sweltering conditions and the perfect finale to their BTCC experience at Thruxton. Oulton Park will be a challenge for us but we go there more optimistic than ever and hope to avenge last year’s bad luck.

“Tom Oliphant has had some terrible luck so far this year. He has immediately taken to the Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes and his lap times are right up there. Once he gets the rub of the green he will be fighting at the front, of that we have no doubt.

"Hopefully, Oulton will be the end of his wretched luck and he can show his supporters exactly what he is capable of! Tom has still had a great start to the season and is more than holding his own with the championship's established drivers. Watch this space!”

Morgan’s results move him in the lead of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship a point and into the lead of the Independents’ Trophy by five points. Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport now lead the Independent Teams’ running.

Sam Tordoff celebrated a return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rostrum this weekend with two Independent race wins and three top four finishes in the Team GardX Racing with Motorbase Ford Focus RS at Thruxton.

The Yorkshireman’s consistent pace and race-craft was finally rewarded, launching the Leeds-based driver into the top half of the championship standings and kick-starting his 2018 campaign.

Setting the sixth fastest time in qualifying on Saturday, Tordoff stated his intent early on with a flying start in the opening race. A brave lunge up the inside on the first corner fired the #600 Focus RS up into fifth on the opening lap before setting his sights on former BTCC champion Andrew Jordan in fourth. Tordoff skipped past the BMW on lap three as the duo headed down the start-finish straight on his way to fourth come the chequered flag and his first Independents' race win of the season.

Carrying 48kg of success ballast on-board the RS, Tordoff made his way beyond Cammish’s Honda on the opening lap of race two to pinch third. Defending hard against his lighter counterparts, Tordoff’s steadfast efforts yielded just one further overtaking manoeuvre as the laps unfolded, crossing the line in fourth and collecting his second Independents' victory of the weekend.

Continuing his fine form into the final race of the day, the GardX-sponsored racer’s controlled run was repaid with a third top four finish of the weekend, helping to ignite Tordoff’s championship challenge, pushing him into 14^th in the Drivers' standings and seventh in the Independents’.

“It’s been a really good weekend, which is exactly what we needed to kick-start our championship and overcome the disaster that we’ve had at the start," said Tordoff.

“I was really pleased with qualifying and we’ve backed it up with three solid races; I can’t ask for any more than that really. The temperature has certainly made it more difficult for us this weekend, I didn’t really think that at any point we had the car to fight for the lead but overall I’m really happy.

“We’ve had three fourth place finishes and that’s a great points haul, and one that I’ve not had in a long time. It’s propelled us right up there in the championship but still outside the top ten which means we’ll go to Oulton Park again with no ballast, and that’s where we really need to make it count to get back into the fight for the championship.”

The weekend’s points haul also saw Team GardX Racing with Motorbase move up into 10^th place in the overall Teams’ standings and seventh in the Independent Teams' running.

David Bartrum, Team Principal, added: “It was a great weekend for Sam. He’s had three really great qualifying sessions so far this season but this is the first weekend that he’s been able to convert that into points. He has been very consistent this weekend and I’m really pleased with the way that the team has worked and that they’ve finally been rewarded with some points and silverware!

“Sam’s got some new trophies to polish now – he’s worked hard for those. He came here to get points this weekend to kick start his championship and he’s achieved that. We have two northern rounds coming up next, either one of which really could be classed as Sam’s home circuits and I look forward to seeing what he can do there.”

BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan is on the mend after producing a battling performance on track at Thruxton, securing a brace of top six finishes from the third meeting of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.
 
Andrew went into the weekend looking to rebound from a tough weekend on track at Donington Park, where the undoubted pace in his West Surrey Racing-run BMW 125i M Sport wasn’t reflected in the end results – with a mechanical issue in qualifying preventing him from fighting at the sharp end of the grid.
 
At one of his favourite circuits on the calendar, Andrew was on the pace from the moment that the cars hit the track and was well inside the top ten in both free practice sessions.
 
Shortly ahead of the start of qualifying however, the 2013 champion started to feel unwell but battled bravely on track to secure ninth place on the grid for the opening race of the weekend.
 
Despite still feeling the effects of a virus on Sunday morning, Andrew was able to take his place on the grid for the opening race and a storming start when the lights went out saw him rocket up to fourth place on the first lap – despite being forced to take action to avoid a slow starting car ahead off the line.
 
Andrew would battle hard throughout the race and although he would lose out to two of the front-wheel drive cars behind, a sixth place finish was a good way to kick-start his day.
 
Another solid start in the second race saw Andrew again make up two places on the opening lap before he eventually settled into fifth spot, and it was a place he would maintain through to the finish to add more solid points to his tally.
 
The reverse grid draw put Andrew third on the grid for the final race of the weekend but the ongoing effects of the virus left him with no option but to take the difficult decision to withdraw from the race.
 
Andrew would be taken to a local hospital for treatment before being released later on Sunday evening to return home.
 
Despite the disappointment of missing race three, the strong results earlier in the day mean Andrew has now moved up to eleventh in the championship standings ahead of events at Oulton Park and Croft that have traditionally favoured his rear-wheel drive car.
 
“It turned out to be an interesting weekend at Thruxton – and not in the way I expected!” he said. “We were confident that we could pick up some good points and after two decent practice sessions, it was all going to plan heading into qualifying.
 
“Shortly before the session I started to feel unwell but once I got in the car and hit the track, I just focused on the job at hand and P9 was okay considering we didn’t quite have the car right for the conditions.
 
“I did my best to rest overnight and I was determined to try and make sure we got as much as we could from race day despite not feeling 100 per cent. I really gave it everything that I had in the first two races and to bring home a pair of top six finishes in those circumstances is something I’m really pleased with.
 
“It’s a shame that I couldn’t take part in the final race considering where we were on the grid, but I had nothing left to give and there was no option but to withdraw from the event.
 
“I want to say a huge thank you to the medical staff at the circuit and in hospital for keeping an eye on me, and also to everyone who sent messages asking how I was. When we get to the end of the season, the points I managed to score this weekend could prove to be vital and I’m looking forward to the events to come, which I know will play to our strengths.”