The pendulum in the race for the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship may have just taken the most significant swing yet as BMW Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan claimed victory in race two at Knockhill, whilst stablemate Colin Turkington hit trouble during a podium tussle with home hero Rory Butcher.
"I didn't see anything of Colin (Turkington)," said Jordan. "I was going forward on a mission and now we fight. That is the best touring car I've ever driven. It was just on absolute rails.
"The funny thing is, that's how it rolled out of the workshop. We've not done anything to it this weekend and I could just get on with it. I don't care about anyone else during the race and I'm just trying to win it. If Colin was second behind me or 15th it doesn't matter. Obviously, it's what we needed."
Race one winner Butcher lost the lead off the line to the fast starting 3 Series of Jordan and he was immediately under further pressure from Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish.
Cammish – running the Dunlop Sport Maxx soft tyre – was able to scramble by Butcher's AmD-run Honda on lap six, seemingly bringing Turkington along with him. Team BMW's Turkington briefly took third from Butcher across the start/finish line but the duo duelled it out through the first few corners of the next lap.
Butcher nudged his Honda Civic Type R down the inside of the #1 BMW on the entry to McIntyres and inevitable contact followed as Turkington turned in. The 3 Series was tipped into a gravel-bound spin that sent Turkington tumbling down the order, whilst Butcher was able to continue relatively unscathed.
Jordan, Cammish and Butcher scampered off to complete the podium positions as Turkington recovered to finish 19th, but the Northern Irishman's non-score means he now holds just a four point advantage at the top of the standings.
"It was a shame what happened," reflected Butcher. "I initially made the move to go up the inside. As we got close to the corner I could sense Colin (Turkington) was going to turn in and I tried to back out. I don't like that.
"I've got a massive amount of respect for Colin and I hope he managed to recover. It was a bit of a learning curve for us there and a struggle but we bagged third and I've got to be happy."
Senna Proctor's impressive weekend continued as he took fourth for Adrian Flux Subaru Racing ahead of Tom Chilton's Ford and Tom Ingram's Toyota respectively.
Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan and Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing's Jason Plato were inseparable throughout the race with the former fending off the double champ to take seventh.
BTC Racing's Josh Cook and TradePriceCars.com's Jake Hill completed the top ten positions and were further rewarded with a front row start for today's upcoming final race when multiple champion Alain Menu picked #10 at random during the post-race reverse grid draw.
Jordan will start that contest from tenth, whilst main challenger Turkington will be back in 19th, and with just four points separating the BMW pairing it is anyone's guess as to who will be leaving Knockhill with the championship lead.
2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 23 – Knockhill
1 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing 24 laps
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +1.692s
3 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +4.042s
4 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +4.707s
5 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +6.421s
6 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +7.419s
7 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +13.472s
8 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +14.198s
9 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +14.383s
10 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +15.222s
11 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +15.945s
12 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +18.370s
13 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +19.053s
14 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +19.522s
15 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +20.240s
16 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +21.658s
17 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +25.319s
18 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +27.875s
19 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +31.096s
20 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +33.045s
21 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +37.210s
22 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +40.688s
23 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +41.175s
24 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +48.025s
25 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +50.154s
26 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +50.175s
27 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +50.606s
28 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +17 laps
29 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +19 laps
30 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +22 laps
