Britain's premier motorsport series is firmly back on the menu... following the opening weekend’s action at Thruxton’s Hampshire circuit, four-time champion Colin Turkington discussed the preliminary rounds of the BTCC campaign in the Q&A below.

THREE TOP TEN FINISHES IS AN IMPRESSIVE START TO THE CAMPAIGN, WERE YOU HAPPY WITH THOSE RESULTS?

“When you weigh up the weekend with the number of incidents, penalties, and challenging weather, three top ten scores is a good result. Given the level of competition, increased success ballast and the return of option tyres, it will be very difficult to secure big point hauls like we saw in 2020.

“More than that, I'm so happy with the people around me and the passion we all have to achieve success. This counts for a lot.”

YOU KICKED OFF THE WEEKEND WITH THIRD IN QUALIFYING, DESPITE BATTLING WITH BACK ISSUES, WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED ON SATURDAY?

"I tweaked my back out running in the week previous so I arrived a bit tender on the Friday but nothing serious. After the first few laps of practice though, I knew I was in trouble. Qualifying was a real challenge but with the help of a chiropractor and the BTCC doctor, I was straightened out and ready to go on Sunday.

"It's just another episode in the world of BTCC! Everyone will face their own personal challenges throughout the year; it's how you get through them that matters."

DOES IT FEEL GOOD TO HAVE THE FIRST WEEKEND UNDER YOUR BELT? WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT THE RESULTS OF THE WEEKEND?

"It feels great to be back racing! The season opener always throws out a few curveballs, and I was expecting a fierce challenge this year. You can never predict who is going to be at the sharp end and without the time penalty in race one, I think we had the pace.

"I try to just keep on looking at the bigger picture and where we can improve. We have a few weeks up our sleeve ahead of Snetterton, one of our stronger tracks last year, so I'm looking forward to hunting out some podiums."

Having bagged pole position, two fastest laps and a pair of victories at Snetterton last year, Turkington's confidence for the next event (12/13 June) is warranted, as the weekend also marks the first of three Top Ten qualifying Shootouts this season and the BTCC legend will arrive without significant success ballast aboard his BMW 330i M Sport.

Ash Sutton began the defence of his Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship title in style at Thruxton, scoring a victory in race three following two sensational comeback performances.

Lifting the curtain on a brand new season for Britain's premier motorsport series around the high-speed Hampshire venue, the Laser Tools Racing driver underlined his status as reigning champion with a trio of standout drives in his Infiniti Q50.

Lighting up the timesheets across both free practice sessions in difficult conditions, the rear-wheel drive ace showed his class in qualifying as he charged to a seventh career pole position late on.

Having started the session on wet tyres, the 27-year-old joined a number of other contenders in making the switch to slicks in the closing stages and pieced together a superlative lap to snatch the top spot and with it the first championship point of the year.

Sutton’s hopes of converting pole into victory during the opener lasted just a couple of corners unfortunately, as he was sent spinning after being hit from behind whilst leading. Dropping to the rear of the field, the BRDC Superstar showcased the overtaking prowess he has become known for down the years by scything his way through the order to finish tenth. This later became ninth following a post-race time penalty for a rival.

Race two would see Sutton forced to dig deep once more as he produced another comeback drive. Following a red flag and then a safety car intervention, the double champion entered the pit lane from ninth to have a minor engine issue rectified before rejoining at the back of the pack.

When racing resumed, the two-time champion set off on his march towards the points and by the chequered flag had picked his way up to ninth.

Bringing the curtain down on the weekend with the reverse grid encounter – his 150th start in the BTCC – Sutton clinched a well-deserved victory as the weather conditions fell in his favour.

In what proved to be a pulsating wet-dry-wet contest, the decision to run wet tyres was vindicated as he jumped from third into the lead in the early stages. Despite those on slicks coming to the fore, dropping the #1 Infiniti back to third at one stage, a late rain-shower swung the pendulum back Sutton’s way, allowing him to retake the lead and ultimately the victory – his 20th in the series.

Following the opening weekend of the season at Thruxton, Sutton sits fourth in the BTCC Drivers' Championship, ten points off the summit. The defence of his BTCC Independent Drivers' crown sees him sitting third as the series continues next month.

"Finally we got a win!” exclaimed Sutton. “We needed that. Up until race three it had been a bit of a frustrating race day because the luck just wasn't on our side and the results didn't reflect our true pace. To come away with a win, especially in a wet-dry-wet race like that, is perfect.

"Rain or shine, the car was phenomenal and I was really happy with the balance. It is a testament to all the work the team have done over the winter – you can see how much stronger the whole package is compared to last year.

"On reflection, we should have come away with a bit more from the weekend but that is the way it goes sometimes. I just kept composed and cracked on with the job in hand which was to salvage as many points as possible; going from last to ninth twice made for entertaining TV I guess.

"To leave Thruxton fourth in the standings and just ten points off the top is a real positive though, especially as it sounds like we had a bit of shocker. There is a long way to go in this championship and I'll be going to Snetterton with my tail firmly in the air!"

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship heads to Snetterton for the next three rounds of the 2021 season on 12/13 June, with fans set to make a triumphant return trackside to watch the series for the first time in more than 18 months.

Stephen Jelley opened the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with a pair of points-scoring finishes on a tricky weekend at Thruxton, as he made his racing return with West Surrey Racing driving under the Team BMW banner.

With the circuit drying after a wet morning, the quickest times in qualifying on Saturday afternoon were set in the closing moments of the session as drivers switched to slick tyres. Unfortunately, Jelley suffered a gear linkage problem which necessitated a trip to the pitlane, costing him the chance of a slick-shod lap time, leaving him starting from 18th position for race one.

Making his almost customary lightning getaway, the Leicester-native made up a remarkable ten places on the opening lap and was running well, before the technical issue from qualifying returned to haunt him, forcing the #12 machine in retirement.

The non-finish left him starting from 27th on the grid for race two, but Jelley fought back, making up 16 places to finish 11th. His efforts were rewarded not only by kicking off his points tally for the campaign, but with the 39-year-old then being drawn on pole position for race three.

With wet weather making an appearance just ahead of the final contest, tyres became a gamble, with the team opting to stay on Goodyear’s blue-walled wet rubber as the forecast called for more rainfall. That looked to be the right move as Jelley got off the line well to lead the opening lap, before slipping back to third when Ash Sutton muscled past and team-mate Colin Turkington also nipped through.

However, the rain held off in the middle stages, allowing those on slicks to seize the advantage and causing those on wets to lose the tread of their tyres, before the rain returned, making it a challenging finish for everyone. With his rear left tyre well past its best, Jelley held on as best he could to take tenth place, bagging a second points finish for himself, Team BMW in the Teams’ Championship, and BMW in the Manufacturers’ standings.

Jelley and Team BMW will return to action in the BTCC over the weekend of June 12/13, as the series travels to Snetterton in Norfolk.

"Qualifying could have been good, but we didn’t get to run on slicks because of a slight mechanical problem, otherwise we'd have been inside the top ten,” said Jelley. “During race one, I gained ten positions in the opening lap and was running eighth but then the gear linkage broke, which meant I had to start 27th for race two. I managed to pick my way through the field to get to 11th for that one and that got us the pole position for the reverse grid, which was a nice moment and the first time I have had a reverse grid pole.

"We decided to go on wets on the grid for race three. It was a 50-50 choice – all the weather apps said it would keep raining and unfortunately there was a dry spell in the middle of the race which killed the left rear tyre. Once that happens, even if it rains again, you’re on a mushed up wet and it’s dead, so I was just hanging on to it at the end. If it had been last year, we wouldn’t have got any points in that situation, so to get a few doesn’t look that impressive but there is a lot to be positive about and in the right conditions the car is ballistic, so I have that to look forward to.

"We were unlucky with a few little niggles which meant we lost the back half of qualifying then race one, but there are a lot of positives to take from the weekend too. We’ve had the toughest conditions you could have and have been fighting for a podium, so there’s lots of positivity for the rest of the season, and I have no doubt in my mind that we are going to win races this year."

Jersey racer Jack Butel endured challenging conditions on track at Thruxton, securing three solid race finishes as his sophomore season in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship kicked into gear.

The season opener marked Butel’s EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com debut after a move to the Hyundai outfit over the winter, with the 25-year-old looking to build on an encouraging pre-season testing programme with his new team.

Keen to try and make as much progress as possible across the weekend – with the ultimate goal of fighting towards the points – Butel’s task was made all the more difficult on Saturday when wet weather greeted the drivers for free practice.

Sampling Thruxton for the first time in the Hyundai, Butel stayed out of trouble in the two 40-minute sessions and headed into qualifying looking to try and push towards the top 20.

As it was, his switch to slick tyres on a drying track came too late in the session, restricting him to 28th place on the grid, but Butel was bolstered by the confidence that there was more time to come on race day.

Butel confirmed this during the opening race of the weekend, coming through the initial lap unscathed having already worked his way up to 23rd.

Although he would then lose a few places after an early safety car period, the Hyundai driver kept his focus on the job at hand, getting quicker as the race wore on and making up places through the final laps to eventually cross the line 21st.

Avoiding an incident at the start of race two that led to the action being halted, Butel wasted little time in getting into the top 20 when racing resumed. Faced with increasing understeer throughout the encounter, the #96 machine was still able to post its fastest lap in the closing stages and Butel was rewarded with 19th place after holding off the Toyota of Sam Smelt.

The rain returned prior to the start of race three, with Butel among the drivers to make the switch to wet tyres rather than gamble on slicks. Having lost places in the melee of the opening lap, he got his head down and was soon picking off rivals ahead as he worked his way back towards the top 20.

While the circuit would start to dry and conditions began to favour those drivers who had gone with slick rubber, the rain returned in the closing laps and Butel took full advantage – getting back up to 19th by the finish and securing another top 20 result from the weekend.

Although unable to break into the overall points, a triple score among the Independent class drivers leaves Butel 13th in the Independents’ Standings, while he holds fourth in the Jack Sears Trophy; an award only open to those drivers without an overall BTCC podium to their name.

"Considering the weather conditions we faced, I think it was a good weekend to start the season, and it’s really encouraging to have picked up a pair of top 20 finishes on my first weekend in the Hyundai," Butel reflected.

"Saturday was tough with the weather and, in qualifying, we just made the call to switch to slick tyres a little bit too late. There were seven minutes or so left when I swapped from wets and there just wasn’t enough time to get heat into the tyres, so we didn’t really qualify where we should have done.

"In race one, in the dry, I felt the pace was really good and I was quite consistent which meant I could make up places and start to work forwards. We made a few changes to the set-up for race two but ended up with understeer that meant the car was a bit of a handful, although I still managed to improve my result.

"With five minutes to go to race three it was a tough call on which way to go with the tyres, but I think we made the right decision to stick with wets. I just have to hold my hands up as I pushed a bit too hard too early and cooked the tyres, which meant they weren’t at their best when the conditions worsened towards the end.

"It’s all part of the learning process but I’m pleased with the way the weekend has gone, and the team is also happy which is important. I feel confident going to Snetterton next because I’ve already been able to test there, and although we have work to do, the pace was encouraging and we know we have a solid base to start from.

"Huge thank you to all the sponsors who are supporting me this season, and after this weekend, I feel even more confident of a strong year on track."

Butel and team-mate Rick Parfitt will be next on track at Snetterton on 12/13 June, as the pair aim to make EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com proud at the squad’s local circuit.

The opening rounds of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship saw MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square’s Jake Hill enjoy his ‘best drive ever’ in the series, with the 27-year-old leaving the Hampshire circuit at the summit of the Drivers’ standings.

While the British weather offered mixed conditions throughout the weekend, qualifying would see Hill in the mix for pole position, before the BRDC Superstar settled for seventh on the grid for Sunday’s preliminary contest.

After a frenetic opening lap of the first race of the campaign, Hill worked his way into third position as a Safety Car period ensued due to an incident involving series returnee Gordon Shedden and Northern Irishman Chris Smiley.

At the restart, Hill edged away from Colin Turkington, who maintained pressure throughout, but the #24 machine crossed the line ahead of the BMW to take third place, his tenth career podium, and first Manufacturer win for the team.

"It was a crazy opening lap – I lost out to Ollie [Jackson] and Rory [Butcher] at the start, but got back past them both at the complex, then passed Colin later in the lap! The car was really good through the fast stuff, so I was able to manage the gap. I’m delighted for the team, and a fantastic start to the season.”

Jake Hill

Starting race two from third, and now with 58kg of success ballast on board, a superb start preceded a brave move at the complex for Hill as he passed the Hyundai of Tom Ingram before the race was stopped on account of an incident further back in the pack.

Around 30 minutes later the race was restarted, this time with Hill losing out to BTC Racing’s Dan Cammish and Butcher off the line. Battling with the latter and Ingram on the opening lap, an off for Butcher’s Toyota Corolla at Noble brought out the Safety Car.

Behind the Hondas of Cammish and leader Josh Cook on the restart, Hill comfortably pulled away from the chasing pack but wasn't able to close down on the cars ahead, taking another third place and, again, a Manufacturer victory for the team.

"I feel terrible for Rory – he's a good mate – it just snapped on him and it's so quick there it's impossible to catch. After the Safety Car, I got into a nice rhythm, and the car actually felt a bit better with the weight added, so that was positive! Another great result for all of us, thanks again to everyone for giving me a mega car.”

Jake Hill

The reverse grid draw saw Hill line up ninth for the final race of the day, but as the drizzle began to fall just moments before the 16-lap contest got underway, the whole grid was faced with the ultimate quandary of any wet/dry race: to gamble on Goodyear’s wet-weather tyres or remain on slick rubber.

The trio of slick-shod runners on the grid by the start of the race – Hill, Smiley and Tom Oliphant – struggled during the early laps, with Hill’s Ford Focus ST slithering down the order to 20th at the end of the opening tour.
A light drizzle remained, and gradually Hill began to get heat into his tyres and edge back through the pack, moving up to 17th, then 12th by lap four, before the grip stabilised and the #24 machine sliced up to fourth as they started lap eight.

The following lap Hill caught and passed the BMWs of Oliphant and Turkington, before getting a clean exit out of the final chicane and passing 2020 champion Ash Sutton into Allard to incredibly to take the lead.

Hill now edged clear but was chased hard by Oliphant – who had received a five-second penalty for starting out of position – and it looked like the Kent racer was on for a spectacular victory.

However, with just three laps remaining the rain began to fall harder, and in a superb display of car control Hill managed to keep his Ford ahead, until the penultimate lap when Sutton's wet-weather tyres allowed him to edge past – not without a fight from Hill – and head on to victory.

Halfway around the final lap Hill was using every bit of skill possible to hang on, but Jason Plato and Shedden – both on wet-weather tyres caught him as they entered the final chicane, with all three crossing the line together, with Plato taking second by a mere 0.070 seconds, and Hill just hanging on to third ahead of Shedden.

"That was just incredible!” said Hill. “So unbelievably tough in the early laps just to stay on, with cold, hard compound slicks on a very greasy track – once they switched on though, I was getting more and more confident. Once I'd got past Ash I knew I could win if the rain didn't get any harder. Of course, in the last couple of laps that's exactly what happened, and I just couldn't hold Ash back. From there I was convinced I was going off at any point! It just rained that bit harder on the last lap and Jason just had better traction to pip me at the line.

“I am so proud of the team – a fantastic effort by everyone involved, I had a mega car all weekend, thanks so much to everyone at MB Motorsport and Motorbase for making this possible. It's incredible that we've taken all three Manufacturer wins, two fastest laps in the manufacturer championship and three podiums – plus my mate Sam (Osborne) won the Jack Sears Trophy, so overall we're leading three championships. But on a personal level to leave Thruxton as BTCC Championship leader is so satisfying, thanks of course not only to the team but all of my fantastic partners who help make all this possible.

"[The 75kg of success ballast at Snetterton] is going to be tough, but it's a lovely problem to have! Hopefully it might be like this throughout the season but I'm under no illusions how hard we're going to have to work every weekend. But it's a great start – the best possible start – and I'm full of confidence we'll be strong at Snetterton too.”

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship resumes at Snetterton on 12/13 June, as Hill aims to hold on to the Championship lead in Norfolk.

ITV commentator David Addison is back with his monthly BTCC blog, as he looks back at his highlights from the opening race weekend at Thruxton...

I’m not sure any of us expected that at Thruxton… a weekend of drama, damage and damp. Welcome to the 2021 BTCC season!

It is way too early to think sensibly about the championship, but a lot happened last weekend that might be significant come October. 

How we reflect on the first event may well be different when put into context for the championship showdown. For one thing, none of the top-level drivers had a trouble-free weekend. Turkington: penalty. Sutton: spin, engine issue. Cook: penalty. Ingram: penalty. Butcher: damage. Shedden: damage… the list goes on.

There was also Dan Cammish making his cameo appearance and taking points off those who might be in the title fight. 

The pace, and results, of the BTC Racing cars was good to see after a winter of much change. Josh Cook took two brilliant wins and the fact that he copped a penalty in race three for not having the tyres on the car at the correct moment was a frustration for all, but rules are rules!

What else? The pace of the Excelr8 Hyundais was impressive, especially Tom Ingram’s Ginsters-backed example. He was in the mix in race one and had he not been Cook-ed in race two, and bounced over the kerbs and lost momentum in the process, he might have been up there in the second contest, too. And, in even more positive news, we didn’t call it a Toyota during commentary once! Reeeee-sult!

Rory Butcher’s weekend wasn’t representative of what the Speedworks-run Toyota Corolla is capable of, and he will be kicking himself for the mistake in race two. We know that Rory is tough (remember Silverstone last year?) so he will bounce back and that combination can still be in the mix come October. 

Same applies for brother-in-law Gordon Shedden. His pace was mega in race three when the car was back to almost full health and he proved all weekend that he has lost none of his racecraft. A cheer, too, for Dan Rowbottom who surely shut up all the doubters in the second Halfords racing with Cataclean Honda. He raced well, bagged more points in one race than his whole 2019 campaign and looked like he belonged in ‘The Big League’. And he will get better.

And Moonlighting was pleased to see Jason Plato back on his toes and racing well in the Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra. OK, he may not have bagged a win, but it was as though he had never been away and his mojo is back! After a year away, plenty were happy to write him off, but Thruxton proved you do that at your peril.

So, on to Snetterton. Different style of circuit, different qualifying format, different tyre… same excitement!

Dan Cammish secured a superb second-place finish in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton, after a late call to drive for BTC Racing in one of its Honda Civic Type Rs.

The Yorkshireman, who will compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB this season, is familiar with the car having driven an FK8 for Halfords Yuasa Racing during the past three seasons, narrowly missing out on the Drivers’ Championship title on two occasions.

With BTC Racing short of a driver at late notice, Cammish – who was not due to be racing during the weekend – was able to step into the seat, despite having had no pre-season testing in the car prior to the event.

After settling in during free practice, he was sadly unable to show his true pace in changeable qualifying conditions as a drying track rewarded those on slick tyres, while he was unable to get a clean lap in during the important final moments of the session.

Cammish got away well at the start of race one, avoiding drama that triggered an early Safety Car period, and set about trying to find a way past Jason Plato ahead. Hanging back as Plato and Rory Butcher squabbled, he shot past both in one decisive move and went on to finish fifth, having gained seven places, before a penalty for another driver moved him to fourth.

Race two was disrupted by red flags but, when the field re-set, Cammish made an excellent start to claim third place then wrestled second from Tom Ingram before another Safety Car period. After that, the 32-year-old played the team role perfectly and sat behind stablemate Josh Cook to secure a superb one-two for BTC Racing - helping Cook claim a second consecutive win in the process.

With rain falling ahead of the final race, Cammish started on wet rubber but found his tyres going off as conditions improved. He ducked into the pit lane on lap eight of 16 and switched to slicks, only for the rain to return shortly after, necessitating another trip to the pits to go back to wets which cost any chance of a strong result.

“It was a really good weekend,” said Cammish. “Qualifying didn’t go to plan, but we had lots of speed which we showed in races one and two. Coming through to fourth and second was a fantastic result for BTC Racing and I am proud to have played my part in that.

“Josh has had such a great weekend to win two races and he’s had great pace all weekend as well, so he thoroughly deserved those results. Race two, perhaps if it was another driver, I might have had more of a go, but I was happy to play the team game and that is sometimes what you have to do.

“Race three… it was wet, it was dry, it was wet… every time we made a call it went back to front! It was a shame to end like that, but it doesn’t dampen what we’ve achieved. There are lots of teams around us who’ve had a worse afternoon and I am fifth in a championship I’m not competing in, so it can’t be too bad!”

Cammish will be back in the TOCA paddock at Snetterton on 12/13 June, as he makes his Porsche Carrera Cup GB return.

Team BMW kicked off its 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign with a solid points score on a tough day at Thruxton in which changeable weather put the entire 29-car grid through its paces.

Drivers Colin Turkington, Tom Oliphant and Stephen Jelley collected eight points finishes from a total of nine starts to leave BMW second in the Manufacturers’ standings as they bid for a record-breaking sixth-straight crown.

Four-time champion Turkington bagged the best finish of the weekend with sixth in race three, the Northern Irishman having opted for wet tyres on the grid as rain began to fall at the start.

Following a back issue on Saturday, he had earlier finished fourth on-track during the opening contest, before a 17-second penalty saw him relegated to tenth, and secured seventh in race two, and now sits seventh in the points as a result.

Oliphant was hugely unfortunate to be forced into a spin on the first lap of the opening race and fell from fifth to 27th; inspiring a fightback to 15th spot, which he added to with tenth in race two.

Drawn second on race three’s reversed grid, he chose to stay on slick tyres and it nearly paid off; the Leamington Spa racer falling to 19th, but then climbing back to second before late rain caused a drop to seventh.

Jelley, who climbed from 18th to eighth early in race one, was forced to retire with a transmission issue that put him 27th on the grid for the next race. A majestic recovery to 11th became pole position for the finale, courtesy of the reverse grid draw.

Like Turkington, the Leicester racer chose wet tyres and ran inside the top three until the track dried and played into the hands of his slick-shod rivals. An overheating rear tyre meant that he was unable to take advantage of the late rain and finished tenth.

He leaves Thruxton 14th in the points with Oliphant ninth and Team BMW sixth in the Teams’ standings.

“The goal for the weekend was three points finishes, and we achieved that,” said Turkington. “Race three, especially, was tough with the changing weather conditions. I chose wet tyres because they were the lower-risk option and I honestly don’t think slicks would have got me more than one place higher, so I was satisfied with the result there, especially given that I had a back issue [on Saturday].

“We’ll go to Snetterton – a track where we had an incredible weekend last year – with minimal success ballast and that should put us in a good position to really use the BMW to the maximum.”

“I’m sure I had the pace in the BMW to finish on the podium in all three races, but because of an incident in race one that was no fault of mine, the day became all about fighting back,” added Oliphant. “I’m pleased with the speed of the BMW that meant I could come up from last to 15th in race one and then up to tenth in race two. I went for slicks in race three and if it wasn’t for the second rain shower near the end, I’d have been on the podium easily.

"The car was so much better than two years ago when I tried the same thing here, so it shows the progress we’ve made in that area. Considering this is my least-favourite circuit, I’m going to go to Snetterton with a lot of confidence of doing well.”

“Considering everything that’s happened this weekend, I can take a lot of positives away,” concluded Jelley. “I’m really comfortable with the car, made up ten places in a lap in race one and I was on for an easy top ten when I had a mechanical issue that put me out.

"Top drivers see carving through the field as ‘what has to be done’, so now I’m in a top team, that’s my attitude too. I took wets in race three and leant a bit too hard on the left-rear tyre when the track was at its driest, so when it rained again I had very little grip and I dropped back. But I’ve learnt enough to feel like I can fight for a win at Snetterton.”

Team HARD. Racing’s four CUPRA Leons enjoyed a mixed weekend during their first competitive outing at Thruxton’s Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season opener a little over a week ago.

Find out what drivers Jack Goff, Aron Taylor-Smith, Nic Hamilton and Glynn Geddie had to say about the first race weekend of the 2021 season below...

Jack Goff, Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct, said:
“[Thruxton] was our first weekend in the brand new CUPRA and overall we’ve got to look at it as a massive positive. I came into the weekend wanting to finish all three races and pick up some points where we could, and we’ve achieved both of those things. It was unfortunate for Glynn but obviously it is a massive testament to everyone at Team HARD. and Willie Poole for building a very safe and strong car.

“We progressed the car every single session. The first weekend in a new car is never easy, let alone at Thruxton which I think shows up any issues with a car: it’s high speed, bumpy, has high braking zones, high-speed corners and you’re on a harder tyre so you haven’t got as much grip to hide any faults with the car. Then throw into the mix that every time we got on track it was different conditions. We had heavy rain in FP1, FP2 was a drying track on wets, in qualifying we started on wets, then went to slicks in the damp. Race one was our first time in the dry and driving the car on the hard tyre, then we made changes for race two which were positive. Our pace was a lot better in race two but then for race three it was wet again, everyone was on different tyres, it was dry in phases, then heavy rain, so overall it was a really tough weekend.

“However, the car ran faultlessly, and we managed to make improvements in every condition. We’ve come away from the weekend with our heads held high, but not getting ahead of ourselves. We are currently fighting in the top ten and are sitting just on the outskirts for outright pace which is good for the first weekend in the car out of a 29-car grid. I think we need to find two tenths, which is very achievable to get ourselves sitting comfortably within the top ten. I think everyone at Team HARD. should hold their heads high.”

Aron Taylor-Smith, Team HARD. with HUB Financial Solutions, said:
“For the CUPRA’s first weekend, every variable possible was thrown at it; from a new tyre compound in the hard tyre, to changeable conditions, to wet conditions, to even just running on wets for the first time – there were so many variables that needed to be overcome throughout the weekend and to be fair, everyone in the team took it in their stride.

“We made significant progress between races one and two and again from two to three. For me, I left Thruxton more confident than I’ve ever been in this team. This package, this new chassis, I know that everything has enormous potential and that it will challenge at the front. We are scraping at the surface of what it can achieve and already we are on the pace which is an enormous credit to everyone in the team.

“It’s also not lost on me that this is my first touring car and front-wheel drive race weekend in four years and my first race weekend in over 12 months. For the team to have made me feel as comfortable as I am within the car, the crew and the race conditions, is a credit again to the structure that both Tony [Gilham] and Jamie [Warren] have built. It’s only the start, and I can already tell there is going to be a very successful future. I couldn’t be happier to come away with a few good races under my belt knowing that we have a lot of potential and now we will roll into Snetterton and hopefully be in an even better place.”

Nic Hamilton, ROKiT Racing with iQuoto Online Trading, said:
“[Race day] was a decent day, and a learning day. For race one we were in the mix, but we had a grass and overheating issue with the engine which meant I had to pit and ended up a couple of laps down. Then race two was all about trying to develop the car to make it better and stronger. Thruxton is such as hard circuit. It’s high speed, you need to have a lot of confidence and belief in the car, and you need to know the car like the back of your hand. Obviously, this is a new car for us and the first time we’ve driven it in the dry, the wet and on hard tyres as well so there is still a lot to learn, but the team has been fantastic, and I’d say the car has been pretty faultless with no issues which is great.

“Race three I would say was a strong race for me. We were on the wet tyre and we seemed like we had good pace in comparison to the other wet runners. The problem is that our car goes off after a good three or four laps and that’s the development that we need to make. We need to keep on top of it and understand why to keep us in the pocket. P17 for me from P22 is pretty decent, I’m happy to bring the car home in one piece considering it’s Thruxton, which is generally a nightmare. All round I had a good solid weekend.

“There’s a lot of work for me to do on my pace but I think this is going to be my worst weekend this year and it was still not too bad so I’m going to keep pushing and we are going to get stronger. I’ll be coming back fighting at Snetterton.”

Glynn Geddie, Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct, said:
“I’m back in the BTCC with a literal bang. That wasn’t the weekend we were after, especially seeing the potential that the other guys in the CUPRA were able to show on race day in both the wet and dry conditions. I’m really disappointed to have only really raced in race one, which was basically a shakedown of the car after Saturday’s incident which also put us on the back foot.

“Race one was great. I made progress through the field which I was pleased about considering the race for me was all about finding balance in the car and learning what work there was to do on the set up of the car after the race. For race two, I was super excited to move forward further and try and get into that final few points-paying positions to reward my guys for re-building the front end of the car after Saturday, but unfortunately it seems that wasn’t meant to be. I was caught up in a three-car tangle down at turn one on the opening lap which ruined the car. It was a case of the wrong place at the wrong time for me and I am just devastated for all the team as I know how much effort they have put into building these new CUPRAs. It was one of those things I just couldn’t avoid but I’m OK. I went to the medical centre for a few checks, and was confirmed to be OK pretty soon after the accident, which is a testament to the guys who have built a safe car.

“For now, it’s back to the drawing board and back to Scotland for me. My season really starts at the next round at Snetterton where hopefully I will be able to come back stronger and see a few fans there too.”

The team’s next competitive outing will see the quartet of CUPRAs on track at Snetterton on 12/13 June, as the second event of the 2021 campaign gets underway in just under four weeks.

• Kwik Fit launch 'On The Limit' BTCC themed boardgame
• Free to download and print at home
• Allows fans to experience the drama of the BTCC at home

Kwik Fit are pleased to unveil ‘On the Limit’, a board game based on the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship

Free to download and print at home, the game pitches players against one another in a race around the board and features all the stars – and cars – from the 2021 season, allowing fans to bring the wheel-to-wheel action of the BTCC into their own homes.

It wouldn’t be the UK’s premier motor sport series without a curveball or two thrown in, though, and players will also have to battle through a wide variety of action cards, which could make – or break – their race.

With the hope that spectators can return trackside to events in the near future, it provides one last dose of lockdown fun for the series’ avid fanbase before packing the grandstands once more. 

Click here to download the FREE Kwik Fit 'On The Limit' boardgame.