Our fifth #WinItWednesday star is Tom Ingram; the Buckinghamshire driver fired his Toyota Corolla to victory a total of four times in its maiden campaign.

Ingram’s first triumph of 2019, and his only during the first half of the campaign, came in round six at Donington Park. Following the annual mid-season summer break, the 26-year-old converted pole position to a race one success at Snetterton and achieved his first double win in the championship at Silverstone.

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Tom Oliphant will stay with Team BMW for a second season as he aims to score his first victory in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship in 2020.

The Leamington Spa-based 29-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough season in his first year with the WSR-run team in 2019; finishing second in the Jack Sears Trophy standings and scoring his first BTCC podium finish.

Getting his hands on the brand-new BMW 330i M Sport just 10 days before the beginning of the season, Oliphant made a superb start to qualify a career-best fifth at the opening round at Brands Hatch and recorded his maiden podium finish next time out at Donington Park.

The former Ginetta G55 Supercup champion scored a best-ever second-place finish at Oulton Park – from ninth on the grid – was victorious in the Jack Sears Trophy 12 times, and qualified inside the top 10 on nine occasions – a figure no other driver could beat.

During the second half of the season, he scored three fastest laps – more than any other driver – as he secured 11^th place in the Drivers’ Championship and helped WSR clinch a fourth consecutive Manufacturers’ title for BMW.

Oliphant will partner reigning champion Colin Turkington at Team BMW, meaning that WSR, who have won 12 titles in the BTCC – including 11 in the past six seasons – have a great opportunity to add to their growing trophy cabinet.

The 63rd British Touring Car Championship begins on March 28-29 at Donington Park and takes in eight circuits the length and breadth of the country. Each one of the 30 races will be screened live and exclusively in HD on ITV4.

“I couldn’t be happier to be continuing with Team BMW for the 2020 British Touring Car Championship season," said Oliphant. "I loved every second racing with them this year, they are a fantastic team and have really helped me develop as a driver. With the experience and expertise of the WSR team behind me, I feel I made good progress as a BTCC driver across the campaign. Getting onto the overall podium a couple of times were the highlights of the year, and I can build on those performances for 2020. In Team BMW and the BMW 330i M Sport, I am racing with the best package on the grid. We’ve got an extensive pre-season testing programme scheduled for the new year and I’m confident I can hit the ground running and challenge for victories from race one onwards.”

“From the first time Tom drove the new BMW 330i M Sport in March, it was clear he was someone who would really benefit from being back in a rear-wheel-drive car," said Team Principal Dick Bennetts. "His progress during the year was strong as he learnt the car and developed the relationship with his engineer. Nobody qualified inside the top ten more often than Tom, he set more fastest laps in the second half of the season than any other driver and led a race for the first time. Taking what he’s learned in 2019 and adding in a winter of development for the 3 Series, Tom will be an even stronger proposition in 2020.”

For the final event before the annual summer break, the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship travelled to Oulton Park. btcc.net looks back to the Cheshire circuit, to relive all the exhilarating action.

Team BMW star Colin Turkington notched up a fantastic half-century of BTCC victories after producing a dynamic double at Oulton Park.

The Northern Irishman scored two lights-to-flag wins as he further extended his impressive advantage at the top of the standings heading into the summer break.

BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan grabbed consecutive podiums to move into second overall, ahead of BTC Racing’s Josh Cook.
 
Team Parker Racing’s Stephen Jelley eventually won the final thrilling race at the picturesque Cheshire venue – his first in the series since Rockingham in 2009 – after on-the-road winner Jake Hill was handed a post-race penalty.
 
Turkington ran relatively untroubled in the opener to convert pole position into his third victory of the season.
 
Dan Cammish kept the leader honest throughout, but the Halfords Yuasa Racing man had to settle for second at the finish, while Jordan completed the podium positions.
 
Now four-time champion, Turkington’s milestone moment came in the second encounter as the Northern Irishman swept to his 50th BTCC victory with another commanding triumph.
 
The trio of manufacturer-backed BMWs stormed into a 1-2-4 off the line as Jordan relegated Cammish’s Honda down to third, whilst Tom Oliphant also hauled his fast-starting 3 Series into contention.
 
A couple of safety car periods interrupted proceedings, but the lead positions remained unchanged until the chequered flag as Turkington led home Jordan, Cammish and Oliphant.
 
Jelley then took his first BTCC victory in ten years after a dramatic finale around the 2.23-mile circuit.
 
TradePriceCars.com’s Hill led away from pole position, but immediately had to deal with attention from Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal.
 
The main talking point came on lap three when Neal had slid down the inside of Hill across the start/finish line and took the lead. As Neal’s Honda Civic Type R tucked ahead of the Audi S3 into Old Hall, contact was made and the manufacturer Honda car was spun across the track. 
 
A gaggle of oncoming cars tried to find their way through a cloud of smoke and when the air finally cleared it was Hill leading from Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance’s Rory Butcher and Jelley, as Neal tumbled down the order.
 
Scotsman Butcher pushed hard, and latched his AmD-run Honda onto the back of Hill and there would be one final push for a change in order. Butcher overcooked things into Island Bend and his chance was over, all but confirming Hill’s victory on-the-road.
 
Jelley held second from Team BMW’s Tom Oliphant, who finally got the better of Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance’s Sam Tordoff late on.
 
Celebrations for Hill were then cut short post-race after he was adjudged to have caused the incident involving Neal. Twenty seconds were subsequently added to the Kent driver’s overall race time, which ensured Jelley would take a first-ever BTCC win for Team Parker Racing.
 
With the triple-header signalling the midway point of the 2019 BTCC season it was Turkington leading the way from Jordan and Cook in the overall standings.
 
BMW/Team BMW topped both the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ tables, whilst BTC Racing headed the Independents Teams’ order.
 
Butcher held advantages in both the Independent Drivers’ championship and the Jack Sears Trophy, where he would be victorious in both by the end of the campaign.
 
Following the traditional mid-season summer break, BTCC headed to Snetterton; Thursday will see BTCC looks back reminiscing about event six of the 2019 season.

The 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship saw Adam Morgan scoop the Dunlop #ForeverForward award. With 129 overtakes throughout the campaign, Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport driver Morgan took the honours, beating runner-up Matt Neal by five.

The Lancastrian exemplified his overtaking prowess from the outset at Brands Hatch in April, where he began the opening encounter 22^nd on the grid and crossed the line in fifth, making up an impressive 17 places.

"It shows the whole team's grit and determination. We’ve had some pretty poor results over the year, but we’ve dug deep, kept our heads down, kept focussing and done everything we can to get back to the front of the Championship.

"In a race situation all you’re concerned about is going forward, so you’re looking at the car ahead of you and thinking how you’re going to set yourself up. Sometimes you get lucky, but you’re never really thinking about overtaking, you’re getting in your car and trying to get as high up that order as you possibly can."

-Adam Morgan  

Throughout the 2019 campaign, it seemed 27 places was the number to beat each weekend, with Stephen Jelley notching as many overtakes during the maiden voyage of the season, and Aiden Moffat in both the first and penultimate events of the year.

Six drivers were in contention heading into the final event – with Moffat, Neal and Morgan leading the tables respectively – but it was a commanding drive in round 30 which saw the Mercedes Benz A-Class climb 17 places that sealed him the title.

Great night at the @BTCC Awards! @CiceleyMsport and myself picked up the Dunlop #foreverforward award! #btcc pic.twitter.com/dMz49OQ495

— Adam Morgan (@AdamMorgan33) November 24, 2019

Colin Turkington will chase an unprecedented fifth championship title in the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with Team BMW.

The 37-year-old Northern Irishman became champion for a record-equalling fourth time in the most dramatic of circumstances in 2019; triumphing in the debut campaign for the new BMW 330i M Sport, which was designed, built and run by WSR.

Moving into a title-winning position on the penultimate lap of the year, and beating stablemate Andrew Jordan to the crown by just two points, Turkington led a one-two finish in the BTCC standings for the first time for the Sunbury-on-Thames team.

Turkington made his BTCC debut with WSR in 2002 and has spent his most successful years in the series with them; winning all of his overall Drivers’ titles plus four of his five Independents’ crowns and an FIA World Touring Car Championship win in the team’s BMWs.

In total he has won 51 BTCC races, placing him fourth on the series’ all-time winners’ list, as well as recording 141 podium finishes, 20 pole positions and 57 fastest laps.

Turkington's confirmation as part of the Team BMW line-up means that WSR, who have won 12 titles in the BTCC – including 11 in the past six seasons – have a great opportunity to add to their growing trophy cabinet in 2020.

The 63rd British Touring Car Championship begins on March 28-29 at Donington Park and takes in eight circuits the length and breadth of the country. Each one of the 30 races will be screened live and exclusively in HD on ITV4.

“Going into 2020 with Team BMW will mark my 16^th season in the BTCC and I couldn’t be happier," said Turkington. "Remaining with the team was never in doubt and we’re excited to be defending our titles together. Becoming a four-time champion was a very special moment, but I am motivated to keep striving for more. Racing with this team gives me the best chance to achieve further success and I’m so I’m thankful to BMW and WSR for these golden opportunities. The consistency of the car and personnel is a great boost and further motivates me as we get to see what the potential of this BMW 3 Series actually is.  There was a lot of ‘new’ to contend with in 2019 in terms of the car and my engineer, so familiarity of environment should only enhance things.”

“Last year was one of the greatest achievements in the 39-year history of WSR," said Team Principal Dick Bennetts. "To come into a series as tightly-contested as the BTCC with a brand-new BMW 3 Series, which only turned its first wheel 10 days before the start of the season, win first-time out, and then win both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles, was something very special. Colin first drove for us 18 years ago and has been at the forefront of virtually every success we’ve had in the BTCC. He’s one of the best drivers the series has ever had, so it’s fantastic that he’ll once again lead the charge for Team BMW in 2020 as he aims for a record-breaking fifth title.”

Continuing our series of infographics looking back at what was a stellar 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, we’ve crunched the numbers to find out who were the best performers in qualifying throughout the campaign. Read on and take a look at the infographic below…

Topping the tables in terms of best average qualifying position is Team BMW’s Colin Turkington. The Northern Irishman’s three pole positions this year will definitely have aided his average qualifying position but having only qualified outside of the top six once in 2019, Turkington’s record during the campaign was consistently impressive.

Next up was the Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda Civic Type R (FK8) of Dan Cammish, the only top-five average qualifier without a pole position this year. Similarly to Turkington, Cammish has had a steady record this year, only once finding himself outside the top ten on the grid.

Sam Tordoff came in third with his average qualifying position of 6.7. The Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance driver’s average is particularly impressive, with two pole positions and three others in the top five; 26^th at Croft was the only real blemish on the 30-year-old’s striking record.

Following our review of Thruxton earlier this week, today BTCC looks back is recollecting events from rounds 10, 11 and 12 of 2019, at Croft.

Andrew Jordan was in commanding form at the Yorkshire circuit, as the BMW Pirtek Racing man claimed his fourth and fifth Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship victories of the season.
 
Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher’s Tom Chilton triumphed in the final race with a faultless performance in his Ford Focus.
 
The ultra-competitive BTCC field faced mixed conditions throughout the day, as Dunlop’s Sport Maxx dry and BluResponse wet tyres played their part during an exciting afternoon of action. 
 
Jordan converted pole position into a comfortable lights-to-flag win with an assured drive in the opener.
 
The 30-year-old dealt with race-long attention from Chris Smiley’s BTC Racing Honda Civic Type R, as well as a lengthy safety car period, to continue his race-winning form from Thruxton last time out.
 
The fight for the final place on the podium also remained unchanged but it wasn’t without incident. Chilton did brilliantly to hold on to third from the fast-starting BMWs of Colin Turkington and Tom Oliphant, and he ended the race as he started it… with both Bavarian machines on his bumper.

Race two was a similar story for Jordan as he dominated the contest from start to finish. 
 
The BMW star made a good getaway from pole position and pulled a comfortable gap from the chasing pack, as a gaggle of cars lined up behind Smiley’s Honda in second place.
 
Turkington eventually made it by Smiley and reeled in Jordan’s sister 3 Series in the closing stages, but it wasn’t enough to prevent his stablemate from yet another standout success.
 
Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish claimed the final spot on the rostrum as he, and team-mate Matt Neal, relegated Smiley further down the order.
 
Unfortunately, worse was to come for the ballast-laden Honda of Smiley as he tried to defend from Ash Sutton’s Subaru Levorg on the final lap. The pair had already touched at the Complex on the penultimate tour and it happened again on the run to the same corner, this time leaving Smiley’s battleship grey machine tipping into the barrier just two corners from the end of the race.
 
Adrian Flux Subaru Racing’s Sutton took fifth from a lively Jason Plato in the Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall, as the BTCC’s most successful driver showed his return to the podium was getting ever closer.

Chilton edged out Josh Cook in the final encounter whilst third for Plato saw him take to the rostrum for the first time since Croft last year.
 
Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher’s Chilton – starting from pole position in damp conditions – had to defend for almost the entire race from BTC Racing’s Cook and Plato, but the multiple race winner did so in style to take an important win that ignited his season.

Fourth, second and sixth places for Turkington sent him into the outright lead of the Drivers’ standings, as the now record-equalling champion held an 11 point advantage over Cook, with Sutton a further two points in arrears.

BMW topped the Manufacturers’ order although Halfords Yuasa Racing headed the Teams’ table leaving the Yorkshire circuit.

Cook and his BTC Racing squad were at the summit of both Independents’ standings, whilst Rory Butcher maintained top spot in the Jack Sears Trophy.

Check back next week for BTCC looks back to events five and six of 2019, at Oulton Park and Snetterton.

Team HARD. Racing has announced that Carl Boardley will remain with the team for the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, driving the outfit’s recently acquired BMW 1 Series.

Boardley, a multiple National Hot Rod World Champion, returns to the squad he made his BTCC debut with back in 2018. He has also competed in the Ginetta GT4 SuperCup with Team HARD.

The 1 Series has been purchased from West Surrey Racing and Boardley is champing at the bit to get behind the wheel.

“I’m over the moon to be back in the BTCC for 2020,” said Boardley. “I will admit that the 2019 season had its demons, but we used it to find our feet and understand the workings of the BTCC.

“The car has the potential to mix it at the front, so when this opportunity became available, I just had to jump at the chance.

“There were several options available but when WSR mentioned the availability of an established race-winning car, I couldn’t help but take an interest.

“I have a great working relationship with Tony and his Team HARD. Racing squad, so this is a fantastic fit for everyone involved.

“I’m really looking forward to trying the BMW 1 Series out over the coming months as we aim to hit the ground running at the Donington Park season opener.”

Managing Director, Tony Gilham is pleased to welcome Boardley back for a second successive season and is looking to utilise his experience to improve on 2019’s breakthrough showing.

“We have developed a great relationship with Carl over the years he been with us and the 2019 season was a challenging one,” said Gilham. “But there were still moments when Carl was able to demonstrate his natural ability behind the wheel.

“I’m delighted that we have been able to bring the BMW name to our team, I loved the BTCC car I drove back in 2012 and I’m glad that Carl could get a deal with WSR to get them to hand over their hugely successful 1 Series.

“We have relative inexperience with rear-wheel drive machinery in the BTCC but I firmly believe that Carl is the man to help steer us in the right direction with it. His years of experience and race engineering ability are really going to aid development and understanding.

“I’m sure much of the BTCC paddock and racing enthusiasts know, that our time with our beloved Volkswagen CC’s is coming to an end due to the current regulations which means we have a maximum of two years left with these cars.

“It’s a good time to start exploring all avenues as we look for a worthy successor. With the extensive developments we’ve made to the CC’s and the addition of the BMW, this is the perfect start to the process!”

Week four of #WinItWednesday is here already! This week is our Drivers’ Champion, Colin Turkington.

Donington Park saw the Northern Irishman take his first of what would be two double wins in 2019, before achieving a solo victory at Snetterton. Turkington had a stellar season, with the most fastest laps and poles of all drivers, and the best average qualifying position. Obviously these, alongside eight podium finishes, accumulated to result in his record-equalling fourth Championship title.

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This week on BTCC looks back, we’re talking about Thruxton and Croft!

Firstly, on to Thruxton: The weekend kicked off with the Hampshire circuit playing host to over 100 schoolgirls as Dare to be Different put on an action-packed day of activities designed to inspire more girls to get into motorsport.

Once the racing got underway, Andrew Jordan scored his first Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship double success in more than five years as the BMW Pirtek Racing driver dominated early proceedings at Thruxton, before BTC Racing’s Josh Cook won the final race.

Jordan impressively bounced back from a dismal outing at Donington Park previously, which saw his car heavily damaged in a multi-car accident. The 29-year-old was forced to sit on the sidelines as his BMW stable-mate Colin Turkington took two wins at the Leicestershire circuit, but this was Jordan’s time to shine at the UK’s fastest track.
 
The Midlander eventually got the better of pole-sitter Sam Tordoff in the opener after initially blasting his new BMW 3 Series off the line and into second, getting by Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish.

The front-runners held station for almost the entire race until Tordoff’s AmD-run Civic wiggled slightly through Church on lap 13 of 16. Jordan eyed his chance and comfortably slipped by, although it later transpired that Tordoff’s car was suffering from power steering problems.

Jordan eased away in the closing laps to claim his second win of the season, ahead of Tordoff and Cammish.

Head to btcc.net on Friday for BTCC looks back heads to Yorkshire for event four of 2019, at Croft.