Double BTCC champion Colin Turkington left it late to claim the quickest time of the day so far, as the Team BMW star set the pace in Free Practice Two at Knockhill.

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing driver Ash Sutton had been on top for the majority of the session, but the young championship challenger eventually had to settle for second place. James Cole confirmed Subaru's pace by claiming third, as the former Formula Ford UK champion continues his recent upturn in form. 

Honda machinery filled the next two positions in the shape of Matt Neal's Halfords Yuasa Racing car and the independently run Eurotech Civic Type R of Jack Goff. Both drivers have performed well in qualifying this term with Neal having taken two pole positions and Goff claiming his own maiden pole at Snetterton last time out.

Andrew Jordan, Jason Plato and Rob Collard further highlighted the advantages seemingly enjoyed by rear-wheel drive cars around the tight and undulating 1.3-mile circuit as the experienced trio took sixth, seventh and ninth places respectively.

Two young drivers filled the other top ten positions with Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat in eighth and AmDTuning.com's Ant Whorton-Eales in tenth.

The fast and frenetic session saw all 32 drivers recording representative lap times with the top 26 being blanketed by an incredible 0.896s. MG Racing RCIB Insurance's Josh Cook brought up the rear of the field although his MG6 did suffer with a suspected oil leak.

Qualifying for Round 19 of the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship takes places at 16:10 later today with the action being streamed live and exclusively at www.itv.com/btcc.

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 2 – Knockhill

1 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 52.336s (87.15mph)
2 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.046s
3 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.139s
4 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.143s
5 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +0.176s
6 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.227s
7 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.238s
8 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.277s
9 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +0.327s
10 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +0.335s
11 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.349s
12 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +0.411s
13 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +0.422s
14 Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.426s
15 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.449s
16 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +0.461s
17 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +0.487s
18 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +0.489s
19 Aron TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +0.533s
20 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.536s
21 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +0.543s
22 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +0.564s
23 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.645s
24 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +0.776s
25 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +0.874s
26 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.896s
27 Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1.019s
28 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +1.032s
29 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +1.125s
30 Brett SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +1.354s
31 Stewart LINES (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +1.547s
32 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +2.042s

Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram topped the times in the opening Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Free Practice session at Knockhill.

On a damp yet drying circuit it was clear that lap times would tumble in the closing moments, and it was former championship leader Ingram that timed his flyer to perfection. With conditions improving all the time the Toyota Avensis circled the 1.3-mile track in 53.425s – albeit nearly two seconds off the qualifying lap record.

Such was the rate of improvement late on that one-time pace-setter Jason Plato eventually finished down in 18th as he was relegated down the order in the final minutes.

Eurotech's Jack Goff slipped into second at the finish, as he looks to back-up his pole position at Snetterton last time out, whilst Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo's Mat Jackson was third.

Rob Collard provided some respite for BMW as the title contender claimed fourth, although his stablemates Colin Turkington and Andrew Jordan were left languishing down the order.

BTC Norlin driver Dave Newsham delivered for the rookie squad by taking fifth overall, after briefly sitting atop of the order, whilst his team-mate Chris Smiley confirmed the pace of the Chevrolet by rising to eighth. In between the two grey BTC Norlin cars was Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan and home hero Gordon Shedden.

Tom Chilton and James Cole rounded out the top ten in what was a relatively trouble free session. All 32 cars completed laps around the Scottish circuit and they will be back to do it all again at 12:50 for Free Practice Two.

Ingram said: "We called it earlier to switch to slicks just because we wanted to generate as much tyre temperature as possible. When you're on a circuit that's gone from wet to dry it's just about temperature really – whoever can generate the most will be quickest. I'm pleased we were quickest but it's not going indicative of true pace, just with how the session was and the track conditions were."

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 1 – Knockhill

1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport 53.425s (85.37mph)
2 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +0.642s
3 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +0.681s
4 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +0.898s
5 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1.051s
6 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +1.112s
7 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +1.143s
8 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1.149s
9 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +1.167s
10 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.301s
11 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +1.427s
12 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +1.570s
13 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.594s
14 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +1.772s
15 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +2.000s
16 Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +3.301s
17 Aron TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +3.321s
18 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +3.346s
19 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +3.611s
20 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +3.685s
21 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +3.734s
22 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +4.107s
23 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +4.231s
24 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +4.480s
25 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +4.451s
26 Stewart LINES (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +4.565s
27 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +4.631s
28 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +4.649s
29 Brett SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +4.732s
30 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +4.923s
31 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +4.986s
32 Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +5.121s

Podium Predictor powered by IHG® Rewards Club returns this weekend ahead of Rounds 19, 20 and 21 at the home of Scottish motorsport Knockhill Circuit – be sure to get your entries in over at podiumpredictor.com now!

The BTCC Podium Predictor is new for 2017 and gives fans the chance to score bragging rights and a bundle of top-drawer prizes courtesy of longstanding championship partners IHG® Rewards Club.

If you beat the pundit you’ll be in line for a massive 50,000 IHG® Rewards Club points to spend as you wish plus signed motor sport artwork from Graham and Leigh and more special gifts. Of course, you’ll get tickets to a race weekend of your choosing, too.

In order to qualify for the ultimate prize as Ultimate Predictor – with 1,000,000 IHG® Rewards Club points up for grabs, you’ll need to predict every podium finish and all race and class fastest laps correctly, scoring the maximum 120 points.

BTCC champion Tim Harvey is the man in the Pundit's hot-seat this weekend and is thus the man to beat!

Entries are open until 2359 on Saturday evening – so you get the chance to analyse Free Practice and Qualifying before you make your predictions. Head to podiumpredictor.com to enter!

Scotsman Rory Butcher will make his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship debut on home soil at Knockhill this coming weekend, with the 30-year-old confirmed as part of the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with DUO line-up for the remainder of the Motorbase-run squad’s 2017 campaign.

Butcher re-joins the Motorbase fold having previously raced as part of David Bartrum’s British GT and Blancpain Endurance Cup crew in 2014 and 2015. Although new to touring cars, the Fife-based driver has extensive international sports-car experience with numerous wins and podiums to his name; and also has first-hand knowledge of the TOCA package from his time competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup where he secured 5 race wins and 19 podiums on his way to claiming 3^rd in the Championship in 2013.

“As soon as we knew that we had to get the third car back out for Knockhill onwards, Rory became our natural choice for the seat;” said Team Principal David Bartrum. “Rory is a Motorbase driver through and through; he’s done a lot with us in GT racing, we know him very well and he knows Knockhill very well which was a huge plus as it’s the first test for the new car.

Following Luke Davenport’s catastrophic crash at Croft at the end of June, Motorbase were forced to complete the build of a replacement car in time for this weekend’s upcoming meeting at Knockhill in order to keep hold of all its TBLs (touring car licence). Incredibly, the sixth Ford Focus ST chassis has been completed from start to finish in just over 4 weeks and Butcher is expected to make the shakedown at Ford’s test track in Dunton, Essex on Wednesday (August 9) where the #6 machine will turn a wheel for the first time before the team makes its way North.

“Considering the size of the accident at Croft, we were hoping that TOCA would be a bit more respectful of Luke’s condition regarding the third car whilst he was still recovering in hospital and also of our position with the timescales involved;” Bartrum explained. “However, it was made very clear that there was no leeway at all in regards to losing our third licence so we had no choice. Ideally, we would have liked to have been given until Rockingham to ready the car, but luckily - thanks in no small part to Alex at DUO - we’ve managed to hit the deadline set by Alan Gow.”

“The boys in the workshop have done a monumental job to get the new car built and ready in time for this weekend. I owe a big thank you to Richard Townsend and Willie Poole for their efforts on this because without them pulling out all of the stops to get the metalwork ready for us we wouldn’t have had a chance of making Scotland.

“Antony, Jason, Tim and Tom and a friend of mine Mark Lawrenson have turned that car around in an unbelievable amount of time;” remarked Bartrum. “They got the car off the truck at 8am on Wednesday morning as bare metalwork and it was fully painted and prepped by the following evening, they then took on the build of the car and at 9am on Monday morning she was running.”

“It is an amazing achievement when you see the amount of work that goes into the build of a completely new car from scratch.”

Butcher’s debut is expected to attract a good deal of local support for the Kirkcaldy driver. As well as racing in front of his home crowd on the notoriously tricky Knockhill circuit, the weekend will also be a family affair for the Scotsman lining up on the grid against his brother-in-law and reigning BTCC Champion, Gordon Shedden.

“The car has only just been built and it’s my first time in touring cars so it’s a kind of shakedown for the car and me;” said Butcher. “I’m absolutely buzzing though! When I first started racing, I looked up to the touring cars and it was my ambition to reach the BTCC grid. Although my racing career has ended up going across to sports car racing and the GT world, switching over to the BTCC is a dream come-true. Obviously it’s got close relations to the family with Gordon [Shedden] being my brother-in-law and it’s exciting to have the chance to join him on the grid for the rest of this season.”

Team Boss David Bartrum added; “Rory will be under the spotlight at Knockhill as a local lad, coupled with the fact that we’ve got a car that will race in anger for the first time on Scottish soil. He’s had very limited testing so I hope people give him some space and don’t put him under too much pressure. Knockhill will be a glorified test for Rory and the new car and I’d like us to get a weekend under our belt and then go well from Rockingham onwards.”

Scotland's epic Knockhill Circuit the setting for Rounds 19, 20 and 21

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heads north of the border for its annual pilgrimage to Scotland and Fife's Knockhill Circuit next weekend (12-13 August), with reigning champion Gordon Shedden set to be backed by a passionate home support.

A tumultuous return to action for Halfords Yuasa Racing's triple champion last time out at Snetterton forced the Scot into a three-round recovery drive, which was duly topped off with a victory in the finale in Norfolk, and with it the Championship lead.

He may have retained his position at the top of the Drivers' standings, but the margin has been squeezed with Adrian Flux Subaru Racing star Ash Sutton piling on the pressure with a win double last weekend to bring himself right into the fold, while Team BMW duo Colin Turkington and Rob Collard continued their points push to draw within two and four points respectively of Shedden at the head of the pack.

These drivers are merely the first clutch vying for the crown, and with the BTCC's notorious unpredictability and fierce levels of competition, a host more are waiting in the wings for their chance to close in on top spot and the whole picture can change in just a single race.

"That race three victory just seemed so unlikely after the way the weekend started for us," said Shedden, on his Snetterton performance. "We'd had our dramas and we were just trying to plug away on Sunday – to get the result was really unexpected. It sets us up nicely and we're off up to God's country in a week's time and my back-yard in Knockhill.

"The circuit's a blast. You really have to hang on there and it's a bit of a rollercoaster ride. It's a proper touring car track and it always throws up some real, feisty racing."

Aiden Moffat also counts the seventh weekend on the calendar as his home event. The proud young Scotsman sealed the maiden victory of his BTCC career back at Donington Park and will be looking to return to the fore at the sight of his first podium in the series next weekend.

BTC Norlin Racing's Dave Newsham is another who will receive strong support, having been based in Inverness for a number of years, and the Chevrolet driver has lots to cheer about as he currently tops Dunlop's #ForeverForward standings – awarded to the driver with the most overtakes during the season.

Knockhill 2016: Vintage BTCC
Last year, Knockhill produced three classics and three prime examples of the ingredients that combine to make the BTCC such a special championship.

Plato delivered peak performance on the weekend of his 500th BTCC race as he sealed a commanding victory in the opener last year. The Subaru man built an ominous gap over the first half of the race, before Jack Goff, then of BMW began reeling him in.

Plato’s advantage was then completely eradicated by a safety car period and the outlook of the race turned on its head. However, unfazed, he managed the remaining racing laps with consummate ease – in typically-Plato style – to claim a staggering 95th career victory – the wily racer knew exactly where best to place his Levorg GT in a fine display of defensive driving.

Race two was a barnstorming affair – touring cars at its finest. Triple champion Matt Neal in the Honda Civic Type R clinched a classic, storming through from eighth on the grid to take the chequered flag first. Neal bided his time early on, craftily picking off one victim after another while Plato fought for supremacy with the BMW of Sam Tordoff out front.

The lead Subaru began to fade, bunching the chasing pack behind, and no matter how hard Tordoff or Colin Turkington, then driving the sister Levorg, tried, they could not find a way beyond the defending Plato.

All the while, Neal gained ground, until he was in range of Turkington and Goff, squabbling for fourth spot. The Honda mainstay wasted little time and pounced when he saw his opening as the pair ahead clashed on the way out of the hairpin and lost enough momentum to see Neal slip through.

His charge wouldn't end there, though, as when Plato strategically held up Tordoff on the penultimate lap, Neal eyed his opportunity to blast into the lead and grasped it with both hands. A blanket could have been thrown over all three of them as they shot across the line to begin the final tour, and when the dust settled it was Neal from Tordoff and Plato after a breathless battle. 

Mat Jackson then produced his own memorable defensive drive in the finale, fending off a gaggle of cars to top the pile.

Status quo prevailed over the course of the opening laps as Jackson led from Collard and Turkington. Come lap eight, that scrap had spilled over as the latter pair came into contact, tipping Collard into a slide. Further contact ensued as the duo struggled to disentangle themselves and both were fired onto the grass and out of contention. 

Ford then battled BMW, Subaru and Honda as Tordoff, Plato, and home hero Shedden remained inseperable throughout the remainder of the race.

Jackson placed his Focus perfectly to thrwart each and every advance coming from those behind. When the chequer fell, the leaders were seperated by just 1.2 seconds with Jackson the victor.

The short, scenic, undulating and characteristic Knockhill Circuit is the perfect track to tee up three typically all-action rounds and will undoubtedly provide another trio of tin-top tussles that will not be forgotten in a hurry.

Timetable and Tickets
All three BTCC races on Sunday, 13 August – and the day’s other races – will 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.

The support series on the TOCA package are also guaranteed to thrill, with a double-digit total of races set to entertain the crowds. Porsche Carrera Cup GB, F4 British Championship and the Ginettas will all be appearing, making for a jam-packed weekend of truly unmissable racing.
 
Tickets are still available for the champion’s homecoming at Scotland’s Knockhill circuit (12/13 August), the BTCC’s only venture north of the border. Prices start at just £39 for adult weekend tickets, with discounts available for family bookings and children under 12 able to enter free of charge. For more information and to order tickets, head to www.knockhill.co.uk or call 01383 723337.

Power Maxed Racing's Senna Proctor took maiden Dunlop #ForeverForward honours of the season at Snetterton, gaining 24 positions over the course of the weekend.

Proctor qualified in 27th but immediately set about showing his true pace with a fightback to 17th in the opening round – a ten place gain. Race two saw some of those early gains eroded as the Vauxhall rookie found himself 23rd come the chequered flag.

Another battle back through the pack ensued – this time all the way up to a top ten finish and strong points with an impressive drive to 9th to seal by far and away the best result of his inaugural BTCC campaign so far.

Next in the weekends' running came Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's James Cole and Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport man Stephen Jelley – each gaining 18 spots over Rounds 16, 17 and 18.

The former improved from 26th on the grid for the opener to fifth come the final race of the day while the latter jumped in steps from 29th to 15th, gaining back ground lost in race two in the finale.

A special mention in #ForeverForward this weekend must go to debutant Brett Smith, in for father Jeff at Eurotech Racing. Smith gained the most positions in a single race in the finale, tied with Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat, on the way to a tally of 17 places gained over the three rounds – enough for third spot in the weekend's running.

Despite never sealing overall weekend honours, Dave Newsham’s consistency across the season is playing dividends as he now leads the #ForeverForward standings with 80 points, Colin Turkington is second with 78, while Jake Hill third with 76

#ForeverForward – Snetterton:

1) Senna Proctor 24
2) Stephen Jelley 18, James Cole 18
3) Brett Smith 17

#ForeverForward – Overall Standings:

1) Dave Newsham 80
2) Colin Turkington 78
3) Jake Hill 76

Will Burns saw impressive pace and racecraft rewarded with a first visit to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship podium at Snetterton this past weekend after taking a maiden victory in the Jack Sears Trophy.

The Weston-Super-Mare racer enjoyed his most competitive outing in the BTCC so far in Norfolk as he battled to a hat-trick of top twenty finishes in his Auto Aid/RCIB Insurance Racing Volkswagen CC, narrowly missing out on a first ever overall points finish.

After picking up season's best qualifying and race finishes at Croft before the summer break, Burns returned to action in buoyant mood that he could improve upon those results around a circuit he’d previously finished on the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup podium at in 2014 and 2016.

Luck wouldn’t be in his favour on Saturday however, as after two productive free practice sessions, his hopes of challenging for the top twenty in qualifying were ended by a gearbox failure just as he was about to start his flying laps on new tyres.

Not only did it end his session immediately before he’d set a representative time, leaving him 28th on the grid, but the problem also led to a late night for the Team HARD mechanics as they changed his gearbox, with a fantastic effort ensuring the car was ready to go for the opening race.

Burns rewarded their efforts with one of his most impressive drives of the season so far. Calmly moving his way up the order during a frenetic race, he climbed into the top twenty by the end of lap six, before eventually working his way into a superb sixteenth place at the finish.

A strong performance in race two would yield the same result, with Burns recovering well after losing ground early on to pass former double BTCC champion Jason Plato for sixteenth, before then closing down a three second gap to Rob Austin, who occupied the final points position.

The Cases Ltd, Eurocams and Weston College supported driver had finished both those races as the leading Jack Sears Trophy entrant, meaning he headed into the final encounter knowing a top four class finish would be enough to earn him a first piece of BTCC silverware.

As it was, Burns briefly had loftier ambitions as he emerged from a brilliant opening lap in eleventh position overall, however on the next tour a piece of robust driving from Tom Chilton sent him off circuit and down to 22nd place – though crucially still fourth in class.

From there, a composed and mature drive saw Burns keep his nose clean and soak up some late pressure from class rival Josh Price to bring the car home in eighteenth position, a result that was enough to see him take the JST victory.

That meant Burns, who turned 27 years of age during the summer break, would take to the podium alongside BTCC champions Colin Turkington and Gordon Shedden, much to the delight of his team, friends, family and sponsors.

“I couldn’t be happier with how the weekend panned out," said Burns. "The team worked overnight to repair the gearbox after qualifying and despite starting so far back, I was still feeling confident of some strong results heading into the three races.

“I was starting to feel like some of the other drivers were just looking at me as a backmarker getting in the way, but now I’ve shown that I can battle with many of the regular podium finishers and showed some good racecraft

“I really feel like I deserve to be in that midfield action now and I’ve proven that by taking three top twenty finishes, narrowly missing out on my first points finish twice, and picking up my first Jack Sears Trophy victory.

“It’s a dream come true to step onto the BTCC podium alongside the likes of Gordon Shedden and Colin Turkington. It’s a dream that was starting to feel like it would never come, but we kept pushing, luck came our way and now hopefully we can win it again.”

Gordon Shedden regains top spot after winning final thriller

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing star Ash Sutton secured a memorable double BTCC victory at Snetterton on Sunday (30 July), before Gordon Shedden fought back with a victory of his own in the final encounter.
 
Two imperious drives from Sutton included a fight from third on the grid to win the opener, whilst his second success was a dominant lights-to-flag performance.
 
The first race commenced with Colin Turkington’s front-row-starting BMW 125i M Sport making its customary quick getaway, and the Northern Irishman was immediately by pole-sitter Jack Goff on the run down to Riches.
 
An uncharacteristic mistake from Turkington, however, saw him spinning out of race-winning contention, which had seemingly handed Goff his chance to claim victory.
 
Sutton eyed his opportunity when the pace of Goff’s Honda began to fade late on, and the pair eventually ran side-by-side on the drive down to Oggies corner with only two laps remaining. Sutton completed the move and he went on to take his third win of the season – further building his championship challenging momentum.
 
Eurotech Racing’s Goff held second, whilst Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal took an extremely hard-earned podium position, as he fended off Andrew Jordan’s BMW and Jason Plato’s Subaru.
 
Sutton produced another dominant drive in the second bout as he secured a lights-to-flag victory.
 
The race one winner defended from Goff’s Honda and Jordan’s BMW on the opening lap, but from there it was all Sutton. The Subaru Levorg gradually pulled away from the chasing pack and was more than six seconds clear in the latter stages. The 23-year-old cruised through the final laps to take the chequered flag and with it, the championship lead.
 
Goff and Jordan couldn’t hang on in their pursuit for a spot on the rostrum, as Team BMW duo, Turkington and Rob Collard , sealed podium finishes following an eye-catching intra-team battle.
 
Shedden then snatched victory in the finale after long-time leader Jordan endured late heartache when an electrical problem struck his BMW.
 
The BMW Pirtek Racing driver had taken the lead from pole-sitter James Cole off the line, but soon had to contend with the fellow BMWs of Turkington and Collard, as well as reigning champion Shedden.
 
When the dust settled behind Jordan, it was Shedden’s Honda Civic Type R in second, after he had swapped positions with Collard’s BMW 125i M Sport.
 
The hugely experienced trio then kept Jordan honest throughout the contest, but the 2013 champion seemed certain to claim victory and reignite his title challenge. It wasn’t to be, however, as his car slowed without warning on lap 11. Shedden and the other BMWs flew past and a desolate Jordan limped home to finish a cruel and lowly 21^st.
 
In the final two laps it was more of a question as to who would finish second, with Collard and Turkington squabbling in their Bavarian machines allowing Shedden to take the chequered flag in relative comfort. Despite this having been a challenging weekend for the Scotsman, the victory saw him return to the championship summit.
 
Shedden now leads Turkington by two points in the overall Drivers’ standings with Collard a further two points in arrears. Sutton’s day ended in slight disappointment when a collision forced him out of the final race, but his stellar display overall leaves him just 11 points off the top of the table.
 
BMW and Team BMW lead the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ tables respectively. Tom Ingram tops the Independent Drivers’ order, whilst Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo holds an advantage in the Independent Teams’ championship.
 
Will Burns won the Jack Sears Trophy at Snetterton, although Senna Proctor maintained his position as the top rookie overall.
 
The series returns in two weeks’ time (12-13 August) for its annual visit to Scotland at the tight and twisty Knockhill circuit.
 
Ashley Sutton said: “We’re in a real rhythm at the minute and I’m really enjoying it. The car is phenomenal. We made some changes between races one and two and if anything, we made the car even better! Considering where we were at the end of the opening race weekend back in April I’ll take where we are at this stage! It’s just about being consistent now as it’ll only get harder from here on in.”
 
Gordon Shedden said: “This just seemed so unlikely after yesterday. We’ve had our dramas this weekend and we’ve just been trying to plug away. It was really unexpected and doubly so with the pressure from the BMWs. It didn’t do me any harm when they started battling each other. The car felt a bit lively at the end there, but it did the job and gave us what we needed this weekend!”
 
Colin Turkington said: “It’s always a lot more difficult trying to pass your team-mate! Side-by-side through the Esses is probably not advised but as a driver you’re just hungry to get as high up as you can. I didn’t quite have the pace in the car in the final race that I had in the second race but regardless, it was enough to hold station and pick up the pieces from what was happening up front. It’s been a good haul of points and podiums for BMW and it’s been a great weekend for us.”
 
Rob Collard said: “We’ve made the podium again for the sixth meeting on the trot! We’re pleased to have gone from ninth to third in the second race. We had a misfire with three laps to go, which isn’t ideal when you’re trying to defend, but we got the result we needed. Second in the final race was even better – we’ve done really well all weekend and I’m so pleased for BMW.”

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 16 – Snetterton

1 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing 12 laps
2 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +2.332s
3 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +6.707s
4 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +6.916s
5 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +7.743s
6 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +12.145s
7 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +12.378s
8 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +19.459s
9 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +22.446s
10 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +22.762s

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 17 – Snetterton

1 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing 14 laps
2 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +2.955s
3 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +3.657s
4 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +5.494s
5 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +8.166s
6 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +8.419s
7 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +8.901s
8 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +9.388s
9 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +10.792s
10 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +11.765s

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 18 – Snetterton

1 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 12 laps
2 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +0.712s
3 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +1.007s
4 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +7.260s
5 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +7.743s
6 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +7.953s
7 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +10.260s
8 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +10.559s
9 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +11.424s
10 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +11.763s

Penalties:

Race one:
Dave Newsham was officially reprimanded and received two penalty points for an incident involving Mat Jackson.

Race two:
Stewart Lines received three penalty points and a £500 fine for an incident involving Josh Cook.

Gordon Shedden held off the title chasing Team BMW duo of Rob Collard and Colin Turkington to take victory in the final Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Snetterton. There was heartache for long-time leader Andrew Jordan when his BMW slowed dramatically with a mechanical problem with just two laps to go.

BMW Pirtek Racing driver Jordan had taken the lead from pole-sitter James Cole off the line, but quickly had to contend with the fellow BMWs of Turkington and Collard, as well as reigning champion Shedden.

When the dust settled behind Jordan it was Shedden’s Honda Civic Type R in second, after he had swapped positions with Collard’s BMW 125i M Sport.

The hugely experienced trio then kept Jordan honest throughout the contest, but the 2013 champion seemed certain to claim victory and reignite his title challenge. It wasn't to be, however, as his car slowed without warning on lap ten. Shedden and the other BMWs immediately flew past and a desolate Jordan limped around to finish a cruel and lowly 22nd.

In the final two laps it was more of a question as to who would finish second with Collard and Turkington squabbling in their Bavarian machines, which allowed Shedden to cruise home in relative comfort. Despite this being a tough weekend for the Scotsman, the victory has helped him to return to the championship summit as earlier standings leader – Ash Sutton – retired due to a lap one collision.

"This just seemed so unlikely after yesterday," said Shedden. "We’ve had our dramas this weekend and we’ve just been trying to plug away. It was really unexpected and doubly so with the pressure from the BMWs. It didn’t do me any harm when they started battling each other. The car felt a bit lively at the end there but it did the job and gave us what we needed this weekend.

"It felt a million miles away yesterday in qualifying so I’m ecstatic. Andy (Jordan) was driving a really good race, he was quick and was looking after the tyres so obviously when he stopped I just thought ‘get going and get your head down’. We’re off up to God’s country in two weeks’ time and home turf at Knockhill!"

Despite falling short of the top step of the rostrum both Collard and Turkington were pleased with their results. "Second is great – we’ve done really well all weekend and I’m so pleased for BMW," confirmed Collard, whilst Turkington responded, "It’s been a good haul of points and podiums for BMW and it’s been a great weekend for us."

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo's Mat Jackson grabbed fourth ahead of Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's Cole, although the latter will be pleased to have scored his first top five finish of the season.

Toyota man Tom Ingram was next in the order, whilst Jake Hill and Jack Goff completed a solid day's work in seventh and eighth respectively. Power Maxed Racing rounded out the top ten positions with rookie Senna Proctor getting the better of his team-mate Tom Chilton.

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 18 – Snetterton

1 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 12 laps
2 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +0.712s
3 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +1.007s
4 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +7.260s
5 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +7.743s
6 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +7.953s
7 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +10.260s
8 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +10.559s
9 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +11.424s
10 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +11.763s
11 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +14.639s
12 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +15.345s
13 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +15.588s
14 Brett SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +21.982s
15 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +22.679s
16 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +23.101s
17 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +23.817s
18 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +24.428s
19 Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +24.788s
20 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +30.052s
21 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +1m02.644s
DNF Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +8 laps
DNF Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +8 laps
DNF Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +8 laps
DNF Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +8 laps
DNF Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +9 laps
DNF Aron TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +10 laps
DNF Stewart LINES (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +11 laps
DNF Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +12 laps
DNF Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +12 laps
DNF Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +12 laps

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing driver Ash Sutton has secured a double victory at Snetterton after producing another imperious drive around the 2.99-mile Norfolk circuit.

The race one winner made a good getaway in the second bout and was able to fend off Jack Goff's Honda and the fast starting BMW of Andrew Jordan into Riches. From there, Sutton gradually pulled away from the chasing back squabbling behind and he was more than six seconds clear in the latter stages. The Subaru Levorg cruised through the final laps as Sutton took the chequered flag and with it, the championship lead.

"We’re in some real rhythm at the minute and I’m really enjoying it," enthused Sutton. "The car’s phenomenal. We made some changes between races and if anything, it was better than it was in race one. It always helps when there’s a lot of squabbling going on behind but I’m so focused on what’s going on ahead – forget the mirrors and crack on!

"It’d be a push to do it again in race three. The soft tyre isn’t as strong as everyone was expecting it to be here, and with full ballast it’ll be a real challenge but I’m up for it. Considering where we were at the end of Brands (and the opening three rounds) I’ll take where we are now! It’s just about being consistent now and it’ll only get harder from here on in."

Goff and Jordan couldn't hang on in their pursuit for podium positions, as they were eventually muscled down the order. Contact between Jordan and Jason Plato on the opening lap sent the Subaru man tumbling out of contention, but there was worse to follow for Josh Cook and Stewart Lines towards the back of the field as both cars were fired off into the barrier. Cook's MG continued but the safety car was called in order to retrieve Lines' stricken Ford.

Team BMW duo of Rob Collard and Colin Turkington made their way past Jordan and Goff after the restart as they began their own intra-team battle for second. Jordan and Goff were further demoted when Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo's Mat Jackson also got by.

Turkington got the run on team-mate Collard along the Bentley Straight on lap 12, before the double champion completed the move around the outside at Brundle's. Collard had to be alert to tuck back in and defend from Jackson and that's how the top four positions would remain until the finish, whilst Goff and Jordan came home behind the lead quartet.

"It’s always a lot more difficult trying to pass your team-mate!" said Turkington. "Both Andy (Jordan) and Rob (Collard) were quick at the start but I got the sense later on that they were starting to struggle – I was getting it turned in a little better. Side-by-side through the Esses is probably not advised but as a driver you’re just hungry to get as high up as you can."

Reigning champion Gordon Shedden enjoyed another thrilling race as he came from 13th on the grid to finish seventh - and with it a front row start for race three.

Arguably the performance of the race, however, went to Subaru's James Cole, who has been showing solid progress in recent rounds. The Liverpool man eventually finished eighth after a last gasp pass on Honda's Matt Neal, and he would be further rewarded with pole position for today's final showdown. Neal took ninth ahead of Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram.

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 17 – Snetterton

1 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing 14 laps
2 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +2.955s
3 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +3.657s
4 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +5.494s
5 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +8.166s
6 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +8.419s
7 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +8.901s
8 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +9.388s
9 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +10.792s
10 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +11.765s
11 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +12.176s
12 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +12.582s
13 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +14.196s
14 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +14.501s
15 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +14.973s
16 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +15.297s
17 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +15.708s
18 Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +16.136s
19 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +19.505s
20 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +22.651s
21 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +22.981s
22 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +26.022s
23 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +26.354s
24 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +26.820s
25 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +27.230s
26 Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +29.882s
27 Aron TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +32.587s
28 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +1m25.152s
29 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1m27.008s
DNF Brett SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +10 laps
DNF Stewart LINES (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +14 laps