Qualifying for Round 7 of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship came down to the closing moments of an exciting session at Thruxton as Sam Tordoff snatched pole position from Dan Cammish.

Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance's Tordoff has managed a best race finish of 13th so far this season and the Yorkshireman is keen to put an end to his 'terrible start' to the 2019 campaign. His pace has never been in doubt, however, as was proven with a last gasp 1m15.511s flying lap around the UK's fastest circuit – enough to secure pole position and a new lap record.

A red flag brought a late halt to proceedings, when a collision between Mark Blundell's Audi and Tom Chilton's Ford sent the latter's car heavily into the barrier at the final chicane. With a little over four minutes on the clock remaining, the session in effect came down to a two-lap shootout when the action eventually got back underway.

Cammish was the first to improve in the Halfords Yuasa Racing's Honda Civic Type R, but Tordoff responded seemingly out of nowhere to ensure an all-Honda front row for tomorrow's opener.

The BMW duo of Andrew Jordan and Colin Turkington had been squabbling over provisional pole prior to the late stoppage, but eventually had to settle for third and fourth respectively. A second-row start for Jordan still represented an impressive result, particularly considering that his West Surrey Racing squad have had to rebuild the new 3 Series following his sizeable accident at Donington Park last month.

Rory Butcher was a front-runner all day and he duly backed up the pace of the previous-generation Civic Type R (FK2) with fifth in the AmD-run machine, completing a hugely successful afternoon for the Essex-based squad. 

Jason Plato's return to the sharp end of the grid has been one of the stories of the 2019 season so far and the BTCC legend was at it again around the 2.36-mile Thruxton Circuit. When the dust eventually settled, Plato had fired his Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall into sixth.

Current championship leader – Ash Sutton – secured seventh for Adrian Flux Subaru Racing. The talented young racer never seemed likely to trouble the ultimate pace, but Sutton ensured he ended up with an extremely credible qualifying result in his success ballast-laden Levorg.

Matt Neal – pole-sitter at Thruxton in each of the last two seasons – endured a wild ride across the grass at Church in the opening ten minutes as he pushed too hard on his first run, but the three-time champion kept his cool to claim eighth with a solid lap on a fresh set of Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres.

Rob Collard (Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing) and Tom Oliphant (Team BMW) rounded out the top ten positions.

Sam Tordoff said: "It feels like a dream to be honest. The lap didn't feel particularly special but it all just came together. It's been a tricky day. I'm not a fan of this circuit in terms of how it suits my style. It’s one of those where you have to just take your brain out and go for it, which isn't really me. Rory (Butcher) has pushed me so hard today. It was important to do this and stick it right up there on the grid. We've had a terrible start to the season, we've barely scored any points and we should be up where Rory is in the standings. We've got to score big this weekend but I am delighted with that."

Dan Cammish said: "When you think mid-session we had power steering failure, it was a great result. The team showed their class again to get us back out. I don't know where my luck's gone. I found traffic on two laps and saw my team-mate backwards at Church and had to back out of it. I was thinking 'what more do I have to do?'. I under-drove the last lap as I didn't want to get pinged for track limits. On another day, I could have been on pole. I want to score a lot of points tomorrow and I won't be hanging about, put it that way. Even when I do well, I wonder how I can do better. We've got the speed, I've been racing a long time and when the luck comes back we'll be looking good."

Andrew Jordan said: "I thought it was a good session and I'm very happy for us to be up where we are after Donington Park and the work everybody's done on the car. We need to make sure we know what we're doing for the race. We'll be in the ball park tomorrow. It was about stringing it all together today, rather than being greedy. Our starts are very good and if we could come away with three top sixes tomorrow, I'd be very happy. We need to remember we want to be walking away with a big haul of points."

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying – Thruxton Circuit

1 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +1m15.511s (112.32mph)
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.030s
3 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.137s
4 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.143s
5 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.213s
6 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.432s
7 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.475s
8 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.478s
9 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.528s
10 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.532s
11 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.587s
12 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +0.670s
13 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.688s
14 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +0.695s
15 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +0.775s
16 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.917s
17 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.945s
18 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.974s
19 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.982s
20 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.992s
21 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +1.268s
22 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +1.489s
23 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.657s
24 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +1.799s
25 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.868s
26 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +2.286s
27 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +3.239s
28 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +3.336s
29 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +3.796s
30 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +7.045s

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish fired out a pre-qualifying warning to his BTCC rivals by dipping under the existing lap record during Free Practice 2 at Thruxton.

The manufacturer-backed Honda driver produced his 1:15.589s lap time early in the session, which immediately bettered Matt Neal's 1:15.612s pole position effort from last season.

Neal had to make do with tenth in this particular session, but considering that both Hondas pretty much sat out most of FP1 it would seem that the Team Dynamics-run squad is confident of its pace. Cammish will be further buoyed by the fact that he was also fastest during the test day at the Hampshire Circuit last month.

Rory Butcher was second fastest in practice today in the older-shaped Honda Civic Type R, whilst Andrew Jordan and Colin Turkington continued to show the prowess of the new BMW 3 Series by taking third and fourth on the timesheets.

Adam Morgan is somewhat of a Thruxton specialist, having taken three wins previously at the UK's fastest track, and the Mercedes driver has been inside the top five for much of the day so far. Morgan had to recover from a minor off-track excursion after he followed Nic Hamilton's Ford onto the grass, but the former will be hoping to again contend towards the sharp end during qualifying.

Matt Simpson (Simpson Racing) and Jake Hill (TradePriceCars.com) were next up in the order, whilst Tom Oliphant ensured that all three works' BMWs were in the top eight. 

BTCC legends Jason Plato and Neal completed the top ten positions, with the first 18 drivers covered by less than a second around the 2.36-mile track.

Qualifying for Round 7 of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship takes place at 15:05 with the live streaming getting underway via www.itv.com/btcc at 15:00.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 2 – Thruxton Circuit

1 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 1m15.589s
2 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.069s
3 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.277s
4 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.425s
5 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.437s
6 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.469s
7 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +0.472s
8 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.489s
9 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.479s
10 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.640s
11 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +0.658s
12 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.661s
13 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.729s
14 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.742s
15 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.750s
16 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.765s
17 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +0.809s
18 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.914s
19 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.068s
20 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.269s
21 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +1.424s
22 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.691s
23 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +1.793s
24 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +1.919s
25 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +2.265s
26 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +2.282s
27 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +2.690s
28 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +3.117s
29 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +3.501s
30 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +4.219s

Current championship leader Ash Sutton has topped the opening Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Free Practice session at Thruxton, as he edged out the BMW of Andrew Jordan by just 0.071s.

The drivers were greeted by damp conditions in Hampshire and the action was stopped briefly when the Audi of Mark Blundell went off mid-session. With little to be learned, particularly with most of the drivers having enjoyed a recent test day at the UK's fastest track, the likes of Matt Neal, Tom Ingram and Josh Cook failed to set a representative time in FP1.

Times tumbled late on and it was Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's Sutton that eventually set the pace, particularly impressive when you consider his Levorg is carrying maximum success ballast into the weekend.

The BMW Pirtek Racing BMW 3 Series of Jordan has an equally positive story behind it, with his WSR team having had to completely rebuild the car after his sizeable shunt at Donington Park last time out.

Reigning champion Colin Turkington was third for Team BMW with Jake Hill following closely behind. It has been a strong start to the season for Kent driver Hill and he continues to look more and more at home in the AmD-run Audi S3.

Three of Adam Morgan's seven career BTCC victories have come at Thruxton and the Mercedes man looks like he's ready to challenge here again after clocking the fifth fastest time in his Mac Tools-backed Ciceley Mercedes.

Stephen Jelley and Rory Butcher have both made headlines already this season – standing on the podium together for race three at Brands Hatch – and the two talented racers were comfortably inside the top ten in the opening practice session at Thruxton.

Sam Tordoff, Senna Proctor and Rob Collard rounded out the top ten positions.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will be back on track at 12:20 before qualifying commences at 15:05, the latter session being streamed live and exclusively at www.itv.com/btcc.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 1 – Thruxton Circuit

1 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing 1m16.531s
2 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.071s
3 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.286s
4 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +0.367s
5 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.372s
6 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.439s
7 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.474s
8 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.682s
9 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.692s
10 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.841s
11 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.884s
12 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +0.996s
13 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +1.063s
14 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +1.805s
15 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.824s
16 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +1.852s
17 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +1.986s
18 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +2.238s
19 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +2.963s
20 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +3.264s
21 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +3.492s
22 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +5.190s
23 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +5.441s
24 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +10.503s
25 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +11.723s
26 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing NO TIME
27 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters NO TIME
28 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing NO TIME
29 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing NO TIME
30 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing NO TIME

• Hampshire circuit plays host to D2BD event 
• Over 100 schoolgirls enjoy action-packed day of activities
• BTCC stars and cars help to inspire girls into motorsport

Thruxton Circuit played host to a hugely successful Dare To Be Different (D2BD) event earlier today, as over 100 schoolgirls got a first-hand experience of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

The Hampshire circuit teamed up with the pioneering charity to put on an action-packed day of activities designed to inspire more girls to get into motorsport.

Pupils from local primary schools were invited to Britain’s fastest racetrack ahead of this weekend’s BTCC event, taking part in garage tours and meeting star drivers such as Jason Plato, Tom Ingram, Josh Cook and Michael Crees.

D2BD, founded by former Williams F1 test driver Susie Wolff and Motorsport UK, is an initiative designed to inspire female participation and challenge preconceptions in a traditionally male-orientated environment.

And today’s event gave attendees a chance to get up close and personal with the BTCC through exclusive access to the Thruxton paddock, as well as developing their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills with a number of tricky engineering challenges.

The schoolgirls then tried a spot of presenting with ITV Sport journalist and D2BD Ambassador Louise Goodman, taking the place of the host, interviewer and interview subject to get an insight into motorsport media.

The group also tested their reactions and questioned engineers about their roles within the teams before getting their hands dirty with the Pirelli Pit-Stop Challenge.

Meanwhile, the F1 in Schools Programme was present to showcase its inspirational learning resources with D2BD aiming to ‘Drive Female Talent’ and highlight potential career paths within motorsport.

The day was rounded off with a prize giving ceremony in the stunning Thruxton Centre for the fastest pit-stop team and best media presentation.

Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing’s Jason Plato said: “They've had a fantastic time and hopefully it will light a candle in a few of their minds that motorsport is a great opportunity. Not just for driving the car, because there are many more things in motorsport than driving the car.

“I’ve been in this game a long time, and it was a male-dominated place when I started. It’s not now, and it’s a better paddock for it. It has changed massively, and I think the way the world is at the moment motorsport needs to be more inclusive.

“It’s a great initiative and it opens their mind up to all sorts of opportunities, whether they be science-based, sports-based, nutrition… there’s a million and one different offshoots in motorsport.”

ITV Motorsport presenter and D2BD Ambassador Louise Goodman said: “What a great event! I’ve been working with Dare To Be Different since it was set up and I just think it’s a brilliant initiative. I’ve spent pretty much my entire working life in motorsport and I have seen the numbers of women involved change, but if you look at the numbers its still not gone far enough.

“What Dare To Be Different is all about is working on the premise that you’ve got to see it to be it. It’s showing girls and importantly their parents and teachers that there are a whole range of career opportunities in motorsport. In F1 they don’t care if you’re male or female, they just want the best of everything. We’ve got to get more girls engaged in engineering and STEM activities with motorsport-orientated career options and subjects at the bottom level. It’s all about changing those perceptions."

Thruxton Circuit Director Bill Coombs said: “It came about after a chance conversation with Alan Gow and we were fortunate to have Friday free of any testing but still had all the teams here, so it was an ideal opportunity for Dare To Be Different to come down and take advantage of everything else that is going on, and be hosted in our Thruxton Centre.

“We’re very pleased to be able to help out, and the initiative has been very well supported by all of the teams. We’ve had about 100 children here from different schools and they’re been around to all the teams, having a very full day of activity.”

The D2BD event took place on the eve of Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, which commences tomorrow at the Hampshire venue.

Tickets for the BTCC’s visit on 18/19 May 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.

For further information, see https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc or call 01264 882222.

For more information on Thruxton’s race meetings and driving experiences, visit: www.thruxtonracing.co.uk/

The 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has commenced in exhilarating and unpredictable fashion with five different race winners from the opening six races, and now Britain’s premier motor sport series heads to the UK’s fastest circuit. 
 
The thrill ride that is Thruxton will be the scene of the next BTCC instalment as Rounds 7, 8 and 9 take place at the hugely popular Hampshire venue next weekend (18/19 May).
 
Josh Cook, Andrew Jordan, Rory Butcher and Tom Ingram have all claimed a win apiece so far as the early title picture continues to take shape, whilst reigning champion Colin Turkington is the only man to score two victories after his Donington Park double last time out.

The BTCC enjoys exclusive television bragging rights in 2019, as the only major motorsport series to be broadcast on a leading UK free-to-air television network. All ten race weekends are screened live on ITV4, the ITV Hub and streamed via itv.com/BTCC with six hours of programming at every race-day this season.

THRUXTON: 18-19 May

Qualifying LIVE: Saturday 18 May
ITV.com/BTCC from 1500

Raceday LIVE: Sunday 19 May
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1115-1800
ITV4+1 1215-1900
ITV Hub 1115–1800
ITV.com/BTCC 1215-1900

Highlights: Saturday 25 May
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1615-1750
ITV4 +1 11715-1850
ITV Hub Available anytime for the next 30 days

Highlights: Sunday 26 May
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 0700-0830
ITV4 +1 0800-0930

Highlights: Wednesday 29 May
ITV & ITV HD 2340-0110

Ahead of this weekend's trip to Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire for the third race weekend of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, btcc.net spoke to a host of drivers on what makes Thruxton quite so special...

Adam Morgan

Dan Cammish

Tom Oliphant

Josh Cook

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship arrives at Thruxton this weekend (18/19 May) for the first of its 2019 appearances at the high-speed Hampshire track, with the series returning in the summer (17/18 August) for another bite of the cherry.

Thirty top-tier drivers have battled it out in the opening six rounds, producing five different winners from the Brands Hatch Indy and Donington Park race weekends. Reigning champion Colin Turkington is the only driver to win more than a single race so far in 2019, and his victories last time out were enough to propel him to third in the overall Drivers’ standings behind BTC Racing’s Josh Cook and Subaru’s Ashley Sutton. The latter currently leads the championship having not yet taken to the top step, though he has notched three podium finishes.

Closer than ever

The 2019 BTCC is as close as ever with the top eight drivers in the standings separated by fewer than 25 points, while a total of 13 different drivers have already visited the podium. The first two meetings have been full of surprises, with Cook taking the honours in the season opener, followed by victory for BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan in the second encounter of the year – just days after the new 3 Series’ build had been completed by West Surrey Racing. Donington Park wasn’t so kind to Jordan, though, with his participation in the weekend curtailed following a spectacular collision.

Rory Butcher and Tom Ingram took popular victories in the final races at Brands Hatch and Donington Park respectively, the latter in front of 4,500 Toyota employees and their families all there to cheer on Ingram in the new Corolla with the Japanese marque making its BTCC manufacturer return this season. This fantastic result for the Cheshire-based team, coupled with consistent top-ten results in the previous five races, catapulted the reigning Independents’ champion to sixth in the overall standings, just 12 points shy of the summit.

A whole host of other drivers have shown the pace and potential to win so far this season, and as is the norm in BTCC, they are queueing up to take to the top step at Thruxton. The most noteworthy has been championship leader Ash Sutton, who is yet to win a race despite his pole position at Brands Hatch and a flurry of podium finishes. Another driver to have reached the rostrum already this year is Hampshire’s own Rob Collard. Tom Oliphant is also one to watch after his third place at Donington Park, while a win-double for Turkington highlighted the BMW’s prowess throughout that weekend.

Testing, testing

A host of Honda Civic Type Rs showed their intent at Thruxton’s official BTCC Test Day back in April. As the grid looked to prepare for two 2019 visits to Hampshire, the top three positions were locked out by Hondas. Dan Cammish – who is yet to find himself at the sharp end so far this season – led the way for the Halfords Yuasa Racing works team, two tenths clear of anyone else. Chris Smiley (second) and Rory Butcher (third) joined Cammish at the top of timesheets closely followed by Sutton’s Subaru Levorg.

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class runners seemed to be there or thereabouts with Aiden Moffat in fifth and Adam Morgan in eighth. Turkington and Jordan in the BMWs also showed strong pace after posting the sixth and 11th fastest times respectively.

The top 11 drivers were less than a second apart, giving high hopes of some close racing and plenty of opportunities to capitalise at the Hampshire speedbowl for Rounds 7, 8 and 9.

“It's a huge deal that we have two BTCC meetings at Thruxton this year,” enthused Thruxton Group Director, Bill Coombs. “It's the biggest event of the year for us and to be able to have two of those over the course of the year is just fantastic.

“It's a stunning weekend out, a real family event. There are plenty of trade shows and children’s activities to keep everyone entertained throughout the weekend. Due to the high-speed nature of Thruxton, the racing is probably the closest you will see in the UK, there's always plenty of slipstreaming and overtaking so it's very hard to pick a winner.”

“Thruxton is a very unique circuit, it's not like any other on the calendar,” said Bath-based racer Josh Cook, who regards the Hampshire track as his home circuit. “We are coming here twice this season so that means it's even more important to get the right setup during testing and practice, anything we can learn will benefit us at two race meetings.

“There’s really only two braking points on the whole circuit and then around the back section you’re at full power for the majority of the time. It is tricky – Church Corner is famed for its high-speed nature. It's certainly a circuit that I love coming to.”

Tickets for the BTCC’s visit on 18/19 May 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.

For further information, see https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc or call 01264 882222.

For more information on Thruxton’s race meetings and driving experiences, visit: www.thruxtonracing.co.uk/

For season or individual race meeting accreditation, please e-mail: press@barc.net

The BTCC speeds into Thruxton this weekend (18/19 May), with BMW trio Colin Turkington, Tom Oliphant and Andrew Jordan all hopeful of maintaining recent momentum around the fastest circuit in the country.
 
Turkington heads there sitting third in the title chase in Britain’s premier motorsport series. Behind the wheel of the new BMW 3 Series, the Northern Irishman raced to a commanding double victory last time out at Donington Park that vaulted him ten places up the championship table and to within just five points of the summit of the standings. The defending champion is four times a previous winner in Hampshire, and twice ascended the podium there this time last year.

"I’m really looking forward to Thruxton," said Turkington. "It’s a track I enjoy, and it certainly rewards bravery. We think it should suit the characteristics of the 3 Series better than the 1 Series, particularly in terms of stability through the high-speed corners.

"The test there last month was very productive from my perspective, and it gave me the opportunity to tailor the new car a lot more to my liking. With so few opportunities to run at Thruxton, it was important to make the most of the time we had and I think we did just that.

"The aim is simply to keep on scoring good points and convert opportunities into results. I’ll carry 36kg of success ballast into the weekend, but we coped well with the weight in race two at Donington so I think we’re in good shape. 

"It’s been a superb start to the season, which is no less than everybody at BMW and WSR deserves for their efforts. Hopefully we can keep the momentum of development going and continue that form this weekend."
 
Team BMW stablemate Tom Oliphant achieved his own milestone at Donington, with an impressive drive to reach the rostrum for the first time in his fledgling BTCC career in the weekend’s opening race. The BMW new boy might not have much recent experience at Thruxton – until last year, he had not competed there since 2015 – but judging by his confident start to the season, that is unlikely to hold him back.

"I’m really excited for Thruxton, and it’s great to be going there off the back of my first podium finish with Team BMW," added Oliphant. "It was extremely rewarding to tick that one off so early on in the season, and I already feel very much at home in the 3 Series and inside the team.

"I cannot stress enough what an amazing job the WSR guys have done to get this car to the level it is at, and it should work well at Thruxton. The 3 Series is naturally a very aerodynamic car, which will play to our strengths, so I think we can be quietly confident ahead of the race weekend.

"We covered all bases by trying out three radically different directions at the test last month and came away feeling pretty happy. It’s the high-speed nature of the circuit that makes it so unique. It’s like nowhere else in the country, and when you factor in the slower Chicane and Complex, it’s difficult to ever get the set-up completely spot-on – it’s always a compromise and always a challenge."
 
Running under the BMW Pirtek Racing banner in a third BMW 330i M Sport, 2013 BTCC title-winner Andrew Jordan found himself completely out-of-luck on home soil at Donington. He was tagged into a spin on the opening lap of race one and then hit broadside by a rival, leaving the Midlander feeling battered and bruised – and the West Surrey Racing crew with a sizeable repair job to add to their workload.
 
Car and driver are both back and fighting fit this weekend – and having slipped down the classification due to his non-score, the 29-year-old is determined to bounce back in style at a track where he has won twice over the past five seasons and was for a long time the qualifying lap record-holder.

"I can still feel the effects of the accident at Donington, but I’m taking big steps forward each day and when the lights go out, the adrenaline takes over – that’s always the best medicine," said Jordan. "I was keen to begin building some momentum after the win at Brands Hatch, and it was so frustrating to be abruptly stopped in our tracks through no fault of our own.

"The WSR guys have done a stellar job to put the car back together again, and drawing a complete blank there has given me even more motivation to take a big points haul at Thruxton. We’ve already proved that we’ve got some really good pace in the 3 Series, and I loved Thruxton from the very first time I drove there. It’s bumpy and abrasive with big kerbs, and there’s no time to relax – the car gets a hard time, as does the driver, but it’s immensely rewarding.

"To be 47 points off the championship lead doesn’t mean much at this stage of the season – it actually comes with a few benefits, because we’ll carry no weight into qualifying and race one. My plan is to take every race as it comes and just enjoy the weekend, because ultimately, I didn’t enjoy Donington very much!"
 
All three drivers participated in April’s pre-event TOCA test day at Thruxton, placing sixth (Turkington), 11^th (Jordan) and 14^th (Oliphant) on the timesheets amongst the 29 competitors. This weekend’s action will all be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4, beginning at 1115.

Thruxton Circuit is offering you the chance to be at the exciting Hampshire venue this weekend (18/19 May) with 2x pairs of weekend entry tickets to giveaway.

Winners will have full access to the Paddock throughout the weekend to enjoy Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, as well as the packed bill of support races.

To enter this '24 Hour Flash Ticket Competition' simply like Thruxton Circuit on Facebook and share our competition post. There's another chance to enter on Twitter too.

Two winners will be chosen at random after 4pm on Wednesday 15 May.

Fans can still buy advance tickets for this weekend's event for as little as £13 by visiting here.

Terms and conditions:

1x Like +share on Facebook = 1 entry or 1x RT on Twitter = 1 entry. 1 entry per person per platform. A winner picked at random. The competition will close 4pm on Wednesday 15 May. 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 Thruxton race weekend, transport to and from the circuit is not included. The prize is non-transferrable. 

 

UK’s fastest track set to welcome Britain’s biggest motorsport series

The 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has commenced in exhilarating and unpredictable fashion with five different race winners from the opening six races, and now Britain’s premier motor sport series heads to the UK’s fastest circuit. 
 
The thrill ride that is Thruxton will be the scene of the next BTCC instalment as Rounds 7, 8 and 9 take place at the hugely popular Hampshire venue next weekend (18/19 May).
 
Josh Cook, Andrew Jordan, Rory Butcher and Tom Ingram have all claimed a win apiece so far as the early title picture continues to take shape, whilst reigning champion Colin Turkington is the only man to score two victories after his Donington Park double last time out.
 
A big crowd is expected to descend on Thruxton for its packed bill of racing in the middle of May with advanced tickets still on sale, whilst many more will watch the exciting action unfold live on ITV4.
 
Sutton sits atop early standings
Despite the aforementioned race winners, it is Adrian Flux Subaru Racing’s Ash Sutton who is currently leading the overall standings.
 
The championship order will make for further encouraging reading for the 2017 champion when you consider his BMR-run Subaru squad usually makes a slower start to proceedings in the BTCC. The talented young gun was outside the top ten at this early stage of his title winning campaign, with the attributes of the Subaru Levorg often suiting certain circuits later in the calendar.
 
“It’s great to be leading the standings and quite unexpected to be honest," said Sutton. "I am sure it’s going to be challenging with maximum success ballast on board. One slight error at Thruxton can lose you momentum, and before you know it you’ve got three cars steaming up behind you. 
 
“The track is fantastic! It’s the fastest circuit in the UK and as a driver it is a roller-coaster ride, you are white knuckled. It’s one of those tracks where you do a lap and think ‘right, now breathe’, and then you are straight back into another one.
 
"You are just constantly on edge and the heart rate is racing, so it great for fans and drivers alike.”
 
Three podiums for Sutton tells only part of the story in what has been a dramatic start to the 2019 BTCC season.

Josh Cook (BTC Racing), Andrew Jordan (BMW Pirtek Racing) and Rory Butcher (Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance) shared the spoils in changing conditions at Brands Hatch, before Team BMW's Colin Turkington claimed a double success and Tom Ingram – last year's runner-up – took the first win for the new manufacturer-backed Toyota Corolla at Donington Park.
 
Just six points separates the top five drivers in the current standings, but many more still harbour hopes of winning the most coveted prize in British motorsport in 2019. 
 
Local Lights
Hampshire man Rob Collard will be banking on home support when the series roars into Thruxton next weekend and the BTCC veteran arrives at his local track in good form.
 
Collard has switched to the Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall for 2019 after several seasons driving a rear-wheel-drive BMW. The multiple race winner has adapted well, scoring a second place finish during the final race at Donington Park last month.
 
“I was very, very pleased to get my first podium for Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing and Vauxhall,” said Collard. “A lot of people wrote me off over the winter, and I was pleased to prove to the team and everybody that I’m still here and in-amongst it! It’s all looking very positive going in to Thruxton.”  
 
Bath racer Josh Cook also regards Thruxton as his home patch and the BTC Racing driver has made his best ever start to a BTCC season with a victory and further podium from the first two events. Cook currently sits second in the overall standings, just three points off the championship summit.
 
“Thruxton is my home circuit and I love the place,” he said. “Obviously I had a good meeting there last year, so as always I’m hoping for good things. We will be looking at the championship, however, and we are after another solid points haul like we had at Donington.
 
“You can’t go into a weekend with any preconceived ideas. If you go there hoping to get what you had the year before then it never goes that way. 
 
“Last year was good for me – to take a win there – but like I said we are here for the long game and I just need to make sure that we keep working on the car. It’s a long season, we are getting to grips with the car but there is an awful lot to learn.”
 
“It should be a great weekend. I think the first complex is a really good place to watch for fans, it’s an enjoyable part of the circuit. But my favourite corner is probably between Noble and Goodwood, which are really really fast corners. Church is great fun too but I actulally think you need to be braver at Noble and Goodwood.”
 
Timetable and tickets 
Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship takes place at Thruxton on Sunday 19 May, with all three BTCC contests – as well as the huge list of support races – to be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4. Those in attendance at the circuit can stay in touch with the commentary and live timing from every session, available at btcc.net/live throughout the weekend.
 
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.