Team BMW's Colin Turkington ran relatively untroubled during Round 13 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship to covert pole position into his third victory of the season.

Dan Cammish kept the reigning champion honest throughout, but the Halfords Yuasa Racing man had to settle for second at the finish, as Turkington extended his advantage at the top of the standings.

"We got a great launch and that's something I've been working on," said Turkington. "After that, it was such a tough race and hard work with the weight. The car's always on the move and you're trying to pre-empt that. It was flat out the whole way and I couldn't hold anything back.

"Dan (Cammish) was quicker than me down at the hairpin but I could gap him at the chicanes. When you get a car to the front of the pack, you've a better chance of keeping it there. I knew I couldn't afford to look after the tyres. The most difficult bit of the race was going to be the start and I had to push from the off. All credit to BMW, the 3 Series strikes again and it's just such a wonderful car to drive."

Cammish came under huge pressure from the fast starting BMW of Andrew Jordan off the line and the pair touched through Old Hall for the first time, but the manufacturer Honda man held on to take his best result so far in 2019.

"What more can I do?" commented Cammish. "Great job by Colin (Turkington). He just has a gear I can't go to. I respond when he ups it but I can't up it enough. We got into a bit of a stalemate out there but I was giving it absolutely everything. We had a bit more but not quite enough to get on top of this BMW 3 Series.

"It was always going to be tough even if I got to Colin, and it wouldn't have been easy to overtake someone of his experience around here. I’m hopefully showing a little more of what I’m about now in the BTCC."

Jordan was a comfortable third from Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance's Rory Butcher, who had got the better of team-mate Sam Tordoff. Yorkshireman Tordoff was the big loser of the front runners as he slipped from second to fifth early on, with Butcher's move around the outside through Island Bend forcing him further down the order.

Tordoff's fortunes were better than Matt Neal's, however, as the Halfords Yuasa Racing car crashed out on lap six. The Honda Civic Type R went straight on at Lodge Corner after seemingly shedding one of its wheels, leaving the triple BTCC champion helpless as his car speared into the barrier at high speed.

Tom Oliphant maintained sixth but it was the trio of Tom Ingram, Ash Sutton and Jason Plato that provided most of the entertainment following the restart.

Ingram's Team Toyota GB with Ginsters car had slight contact with Plato's Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing's Vauxhall into Hislops, which then left Sutton's Subaru heading straight on across the grass. The drama wasn't over for Sutton after heavier contact with Adam Morgan's Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes forced the latter into retirement. 

When the dust eventually settled and the chequered flag fell after 18 laps it was Ingram, Sutton and Plato in seventh, eighth and ninth respectively.

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher's Ollie Jackson rounded out the top ten after a series of eye catching moves including passes by Stephen Jelley's BMW and Jake Hill's Audi.

Rounds 14 and 15 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place later today with all of the action being broadcast LIVE on ITV4.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 13 – Oulton Park

1 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 18 laps
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.021s
3 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +2.731s
4 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +7.222s
5 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +7.613s
6 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +8.109s
7 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +8.957s
8 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +9.612s
9 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +10.654s
10 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +12.293s
11 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +12.783s
12 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +13.862s
13 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +15.696s
14 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +16.147s
15 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +16.390s
16 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +17.173s
17 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +18.631s
18 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +19.607s
19 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +20.358s
20 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +21.070s
21 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +21.655s
22 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +22.031s
23 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +22.912s
24 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +23.172s
25 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +25.053s
26 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +32.739s
27 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +34.816s
28 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +5 laps
29 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +6 laps
30 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +14 laps

Reigning champion Colin Turkington has claimed a 19th career pole position in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship after setting an impressive pace at a hot and humid Oulton Park earlier today.

The Team BMW star set a 1m25.825s lap time early on in the 30-minute session and it would be enough to take his ballast-laden 3 Series to top spot. The man himself labelled his effort a 'one-lap wonder' after admitting to grabbing slight tow from stablemate Andrew Jordan around the 2.23-mile circuit, but it was still a hugely impressive performance from the current standings leader.

Sam Tordoff was among a number of drivers to try and beat Turkington's benchmark, but the Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance man eventually fell short by just 0.089s after his first effort had been slightly compromised by traffic.

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish looked set to challenge too as he set the fastest overall first sector time in the closing stages, but his lap-time gradually ebbed away and the manufacturer driver had to settle for third at the finish. The Honda Civic Type R racer showed good form throughout Saturday, suggesting the Yorkshireman could be a serious contender tomorrow.

Andrew Jordan – the ultimate form man after his recent 'double double' at Thruxton and Croft – claimed fourth in the BMW Pirtek Racing 3 Series, ahead of Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance's Rory Butcher and Halfords Yuasa Racing's Matt Neal.

Team BMW's Tom Oliphant ensured that all three WSR cars are inside the top seven on the grid for tomorrow's opener as he pipped Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing's Jason Plato.

Team Toyota GB with Ginsters Tom Ingram and TradePriceCars.com's Jake Hill completed the top ten positions.

Ingram was one of several drivers to experience minor excursions across the grass whilst pushing at a maximum, as did the likes of Tordoff and Chris Smiley in the BTC Racing Honda.

Smiley's team-mate Josh Cook was a surprise omission from the top ten, as was Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's Ash Sutton. Cook and Sutton currently sit second and third in the overall standings but will start tomorrow's opening race from 22nd and 13th respectively – the latter gaining a net position due to a five-place grid penalty for Smiley, earned back at Croft.

Rounds 13, 14 and 15 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place at Oulton Park tomorrow, bringing the curtain down on the first half of the 2019 season. A massive crowd is predicted to descend on the picturesque Cheshire track with many more watching the action LIVE on ITV4 from 11:15am.

Colin Turkington said: "That was a special lap, I've been working on it all day. We've been slowly making the car better. It's tough when you start with a heavy car as you've got to adjust your expectations. We got a bit of a tow off Andy (Jordan) and I couldn't get close again. It was a bit of a one-lap wonder! Dick (Bennetts) fancied top six and I'd have been happy with top ten. We've not been at the sharp end all morning but the new tyres make all the difference and the 3 Series felt great. Fifteen or 16 laps with the hunting pack behind me it's going to be tough – a big feed of spinach coming tonight! I'll just try to enjoy this moment. Poles don't come along too often. I'm pleased for Team BMW, it's been a big effort."

Sam Tordoff said: "I think the heat played its part. The track was definitely fastest at the beginning and I was compromised at the start. We're only talking hundredths of a second. The boys can be happy with that. I think we've got a good chance. Oulton Park is a tough circuit and it's one you've really got to qualify well at. I should be alright to tuck in behind Colin (Turkington) and get my head down. I like this track, it's one of my favourites – just not so pleasant on a day like today! I'll go and have a cold bath and cool down."

Dan Cammish said: “To be honest, I think P3 was all we had today – neither myself nor the car had the time in us to get onto the front row. There was probably another tenth there to be found, but no more. Still, we’re up at the sharp end of the grid, so hopefully we can do something from there. I fully expect Colin (Turkington) to run and hide in the race, with the rest of us fighting over second. I’ve been clawing points back in the championship ever since Thruxton and that’s what we need to keep doing, so if I can climb onto the podium at the end of the race, I will consider that a job well done.”

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying – Oulton Park

1 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 1m25.825s (93.37 mph)
2 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.027s
3 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.239s
4 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.286s
5 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.390s
6 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.417s
7 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.493s
8 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.566s
9 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +0.624s
10 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +0.659s
11 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +0.695s
12 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.717s
13 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.733s
14 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.756s
15 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.787s
16 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +0.903s
17 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.928s
18 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +1.042s
19 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.056s
20 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.057s
21 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.174s
22 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +1.232s
23 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +1.376s
24 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.383s
25 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +1.451s
26 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +1.674s
27 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.932s
28 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.955s
29 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +2.972s
30 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing NO TIME

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish headed a Honda one-two in Free Practice 2 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park as the Yorkshireman edged out team-mate Matt Neal.

Honda machinery has shown well throughout practice at the picturesque Cheshire circuit as the manufacturer-backed squad now targets its first win of the season. The Japanese marque has won races through both the BTC and AmD squads in 2019 but it could be the turn of Cammish or Neal to triumph this weekend.

Jack Hill impressed for TradePriceCars.com with third, ahead of the Vauxhall of Jason Plato and BMW of Tom Oliphant.

BMW Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan endured his first sticky moment in several weeks as the 3 Series driver ran wide through Old Hall. The 'double double' race winner from Thruxton and Croft then made contact with the unfortunate Honda of Matt Simpson, bringing about a premature end to both of their respective sessions.

FP1 pace-setter backed-up his early potential with a top six in the second segment of practice, whilst Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat will be pleased with the pace shown in his Mercedes A-Class. The Scotsman made a promising start to the season at Brands Hatch but has since had to work extremely hard for further top ten finishes.

Reigning champion and current standings leader, Colin Turkington, has quietly gone about his business in the maximum-ballast shod Team BMW car. The Northern Irishman was eighth in final practice and it remains to be seen what he can produce in qualifying later this afternoon.

Ciceley man Adam Morgan and Toyota star Tom Ingram completed the top ten classification.

Qualifying for Round 13 of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place at 15:10 with the action being streamed live and exclusively via www.itv.com/btcc.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 2 – Oulton Park

1 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 1m26.505s
2 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.044s
3 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +0.169s
4 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.299s
5 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.368s
6 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.395s
7 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.412s
8 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.456s
9 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.462s
10 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +0.544s
11 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.655s
12 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.690s
13 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +0.763s
14 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.765s
15 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.814s
16 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.879s
17 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +0.950s
18 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.994s
19 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +0.999s
20 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +1.069s
21 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.184s
22 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +1.240s
23 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.278s
24 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +1.381s
25 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.423s
26 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +1.539s
27 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.722s
28 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.732s
29 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.834s
30 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing NO TIME

Sam Tordoff has set the early pace at Oulton Park in his AmD-run Honda Civic Type R as the Yorkshireman headed Free Practice 1.

Honda machinery showed well with Chris Smiley, Dan Cammish and Tordoff all topping sector times at one point during the opening 40-minute session.

Tordoff ran solidly throughout but left it until his final tour to set a 1:26.073s benchmark, although this lap time is still more than half a second slower than Jason Plato's 2015 Qualifying lap record.

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Cammish was second, just 0.089s off the summit, whilst in-form BMW man Andrew Jordan was third.

Vauxhall, Toyota and Honda completed the top six positions with Plato, Tom Ingram and Matt Neal all showing decent early pace around the 2.23-mile circuit.

BTC Racing's Chris Smiley had to settle for seventh at the finish, although some of the Northern Irishman's sector times showed he could contend further up the order.

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's Ash Sutton was eighth ahead of Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance's Rory Butcher and Team Parker Racing's Stephen Jelley.

Warm temperatures continue to sweep across the beautiful Cheshire circuit with all 30 cars taking to the track this morning.

Britain's best will be back on track at 12:10 for the final practice session before Qualifying for Round 13 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship commences at 15:10, which will be streamed live and exclusively via www.itv.com/btcc.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 1 – Oulton Park

1 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance 1m26.073s
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.089s
3 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.267s
4 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.288s
5 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +0.375s
6 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.463s
7 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +0.467s
8 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.575s
9 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.590s
10 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.595s
11 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.679s
12 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.702s
13 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.784s
14 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.797s
15 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.808s
16 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.854s
17 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +0.941s
18 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.955s
19 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +0.968s
20 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.034s
21 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.113s
22 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +1.126s
23 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +1.145s
24 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +1.250s
25 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.721s
26 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.880s
27 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +1.904s
28 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +2.050s
29 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +2.145s
30 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport NO TIME

Team BMW’s Colin Turkington currently leads the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship standings as the series gets set for a trip to Oulton Park this weekend.

The picturesque Cheshire venue historically plays host to one of the biggest BTCC events of the season, as a huge fan base often descends on the north west circuit. 

Tom Chilton became the sixth different race winner of the 2019 campaign as Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher claimed race three at Croft, but it was the commanding form of the BMWs that set the scene. 

Ominously perhaps for the Bavarian manufacturer’s rivals… BMW also boasts a successful history at Oulton Park. 

Who will come out on top? Tickets to see the action are still available or you can watch every bit of drama unfold live on ITV4.

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

Oulton Park: 29-30 JUNE

Qualifying LIVE: Saturday 29 June
ITV.com/BTCC from 1500

Raceday LIVE: Sunday 30 June
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1115-1800
ITV4+1 1215-1900
ITV Hub 1115–1800
ITV.com/BTCC 1215-1900

Highlights: Saturday 6 July
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 0755-0825
ITV4 +1 0855-0925
ITV Hub Available anytime for the next 30 days

Highlights: Sunday 7 July
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 0650-0805
ITV4 +1 0750-0905

Highlights: Wednesday 10 July
ITV & ITV HD 2340-0110

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher heads north once again this coming weekend as the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship reaches its mid-season point at the picturesque Oulton Park circuit.

The Motorbase-run outfit arrives in Cheshire fresh with success after claiming victory in the final race at Croft just two weeks ago. Tom Chilton led the charge in Yorkshire taking an overall race win, Independent win and third-placed podium for the Kent-based squad and is keen to carry his winning form into the fifth meeting of the year.

Currently occupying seventh place in the BTCC standings, Reigate-based Chilton is looking for a repeat or better of last season’s results on the undulating circuit where he celebrated a double podium in the Ford Focus RS.

After a strong showing last time out where he secured his personal best qualifying result and narrowly missed out on a top ten finish,  Team-mate Ollie Jackson is also hoping to carry momentum into the weekend and add some more points to the board for his 2019 campaign.

Sitting just one rostrum visit away from a landmark 90th BTCC podium and two victories off claiming an impressive 30 race wins, the Motorbase Performance crew are optimistic of even more success at their happy hunting ground.

“We need to keep the momentum going off the back of our win last time out,” commented Team Manager Oly Collins.  “The car is showing strong pace at this part of the season. We're light going into the weekend with Tom carrying just 18kg, and we want more silverware.

"The RS is strong at Oulton Park. We know that from last year’s pace. It was one of our best circuits in 2018, but we've all moved on since then. It would be nice to hit the magic 90 podiums and 30 wins this weekend, but our focus is on the championship title and closing the gap to the leaders.”

“Oulton Park was our most successful race meeting with a double podium last year," added Chilton. "I’m really excited about heading back to one of my favourite race tracks of the year. It’s very technical and full of undulations which make it exciting and challenging to drive on the limit.

“After our win and double podium last time out at Croft I can’t wait to race this weekend again.”

“We have a lot of positives to take from Croft. I think we’re arriving at Oulton Park in a good place," said Jackson. "The car is strong, it went well there last year and it’s one of my stronger circuits as well. I’m aiming to build on the pace we showed last time out, and get some good results in the bag this weekend.” 

Having enjoyed a consistent showing in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Croft Circuit, Adrian Flux Subaru Racing’s Ashley Sutton hopes to continue adding to his points tally in rounds 13, 14 & 15 at Oulton Park.

As we approach the Cheshire circuit, Sutton currently sits comfortably in third in the Drivers’ Championship, just two points behind BTC Racing’s Josh Cook; similarly, Subaru hold third in the Manufacturers’ Championship.

With Croft’s mix of flowing and tight corners being traditionally well-suited to rear-wheel-drive machinery in the past, the 2017 Champion’s 100^th race in BTCC was the start to a successful day.

Race two saw another top ten finish before Sutton finished the day crossing the line in fourth place, no mean feat considering his five-place grid penalty due to an incident in race two.

Sutton will be going to Oulton Park on good form, with his start to the 2019 season seeing him on the podium four times so far, and will definitely be looking to continue his run of consistency. His steady points scoring also sees him in a better position than at this stage last year, which could result in an interesting trip to the Cheshire track, where he previously achieved two podiums in 2017.

“We came [to croft] with high hopes but I don’t think the resurfacing suited our car,” said Sutton. “It’s been another weekend where we have maximised everything - we couldn’t have done any more.

“Everyone at Adrian Flux Subaru Racing has been fantastic and they’ve worked tirelessly to ensure we are still in the mix.

“We go to Oulton Park with no real expectations but focused on keeping the points tally ticking over so we will see how we get on."

Following a successful outing at Croft earlier this month, BMW’s Colin Turkington, Tom Oliphant and Andrew Jordan are Cheshire-bound this weekend (29/30 June) for the next rounds of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park.
 
Courtesy of a hat-trick of top six finishes, Turkington sped clear at the summit of the standings in North Yorkshire, opening up an 11-point advantage as he bids not only to defend his crown but also to become the second driver to win four titles in the UK’s premier motorsport series.
 
Oulton Park has played host to numerous triumphant races for the Northern Irishman, too, with eight race wins to his credit around the challenging and picturesque circuit. Indeed, the last time he competed there in a BMW 3 Series – back in 2009 – he took a double victory.
 
Team BMW stablemate Tom Oliphant has had an up and down start to the season, but Oulton Park is home turf for the 28-year-old from nearby Tarporley, and he has achieved multiple podiums there in BTCC support series in seasons past.
 
BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan, meanwhile, vaulted from ninth up to fourth in the title table with a second consecutive double top last time out, as he continues to bounce back from a pointless Donington Park weekend in April.
 
The 2013 champion has won half the races he has started this year, and he travels to Oulton Park with happy memories. He reached the BTCC rostrum there for the first time in 2008 and has been one of the highest scorers in each of the past two seasons, tallying four podium finishes in BMW machinery and taking the chequered flag no lower than fifth.
 
Turkington, Oliphant and Jordan’s combined results have put BMW at the top of the Manufacturers’ classification heading to Oulton Park, with Team BMW a close second in the Teams’ rankings.

All of the race day action will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4 on Sunday, 30 June, beginning at 11:00am.

"I feel happy with where we are with the 3 Series and the development so far, so the plan is to really attack the weekend from the outset and go into the summer break with the momentum on our side,” said Turkington. “Oulton Park incorporates some of the most demanding corners in British motorsport such as Cascades and Druids, which require a lot of commitment, and it’s narrower than most tracks, which enhances the sense of speed. You really need to be on-point if you want to be on the pace. Going there as championship leader obviously presents its own challenges. Qualifying won’t be easy on maximum ballast but I’m confident we’ll still be able to race well and score some good points – and the aim is to get onto the podium at some stage."

“Oulton Park is very much home turf for me, and I always enjoy going there,” said Oliphant. “It’s one of my favourite tracks on the calendar – it presents a unique challenge as a driver, and qualifying is a lot of fun as you push yourself and the car absolutely to the limit. Grid position is particularly important there, because the narrow track makes it difficult to overtake and you really need to get your elbows out to go forwards but I’ll arrive with no weight in the car, which will definitely be an advantage so I’m focused on starting right at the front.

“I’ve had some terrible luck recently, so what we need above all else is a clean weekend and three consistent finishes. I can’t help but think my fortunes have to change soon – and where better than Oulton this weekend...?”

“Oulton Park has been one of my strongest circuits in recent seasons, and I love going there,” Jordan said. “It’s just old-school, with all the undulations, a bit of camber and a lot of character. I keep saying we need to hold our expectations in-check and I certainly don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves, but I do go to Oulton expecting to challenge for pole position and race wins  – and if we can’t win, then we need to keep bagging the points.

“We’ve really found the sweet spot with the 3 Series, and the confidence level is sky-high for both myself and all the guys on my side of the garage so I see no reason why we shouldn’t be as quick as we were at Croft. We’re in a really good place so we need to use that positive momentum to keep moving forwards.”

The BTC Racing team maintained its impressive form in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with two podium finishes from the latest rounds of the season at Croft.

The Brackley-based outfit made the trip to North Yorkshire on the back of a strong weekend at Thruxton, where Josh Cook notched his second victory of the campaign.

Having endured mixed fortunes in the opening rounds of the year, it was Northern Irishman Chris Smiley who headed the team’s challenge in qualifying as he put his Honda Civic Type R on the front row of the grid, with Josh lining up in 12th after a difficult Saturday.

The opening race of the weekend on Sunday morning saw Chris fight hard to secure his first podium with the new FK8 Honda, maintaining his second place from lights-to-flag behind the BMW of Andrew Jordan. As well as finishing second overall, Chris secured top honours in the Independents' Trophy for the second time this season.

Josh meanwhile was able to battle his way forwards into the top ten, emerging on top of a fight with Matt Neal and Tom Ingram to take ninth spot.

With extra ballast on his car in race two, Chris faced more of a challenge to fight at the front but drove well in the early stages to fend off quicker and lighter cars behind.

Having slipped back to fifth, a strong points haul was in the offing until the final lap when contact from Ash Sutton’s Subaru going through the Complex saw him spin off onto the grass; dropping down to 27th spot by the time he was able to rejoin.

Despite struggling for speed through the fastest part of the lap, Josh went one better than his result in race one to secure eighth place, which put him on the front row of the grid for race three thanks to the reverse grid draw. Josh also took the Independents' Trophy victory for the fourth time this season.

Rain ahead of that final race meant a decision had to be taken on tyres, with Josh sticking with wet tyres alongside the majority of the front-runners.

Although still down on speed in sector two, he was able to keep leader Tom Chilton honest throughout and saw off the challenge of Jason Plato behind for his fourth podium of the season – ensuring he leaves Croft second in the standings and at the head of the Independents' Trophy.

From his position at the back of the grid, Chris elected to gamble on dry tyres but the circuit didn't dry as quickly as he hoped, meaning he ended the race outside the points scoring positions. Chris now sits 15th in the championship standings and ninth in the Independents' Trophy.

BTC Racing meanwhile sit third in the overall Teams’ Championship and continue to head the Independents’ points.

Josh Cook said: “We lost time to a few issues in practice and then in qualifying it was really messy with traffic and red flags. I know others can say the same, but nothing was straightforward for us.

“We knew we had to play the long game after qualifying, and race one was tough because of the weight we had to carry.

“In race two and three we had to deal with a bit of an engine issue that was affecting us in sector two and the run out of Tower, and considering all that, it’s good to come away from the weekend with a podium finish.

“It means we maintain our record our scoring a top three finish at every round so far, and we have to keep picking up the points and keep our focus on the championship.”

Chris Smiley said: “We haven’t taken as much from this weekend as we should have done after race one, which is a real shame. It was good to get on the podium at the start of race day and the car felt really strong, and we weren’t a million miles off in race two even with the weight on.

“Unfortunately, what happened at the end has really hurt us, and the fact that the other driver was given a penalty tells the story – but it doesn’t get us the points back we lost.

“In race three, it was worth a gamble as the track was drying out; I just can’t believe how long it actually took to swing towards the dry tyres. We could have won from there if the gamble had paid off, but unfortunately it didn’t.

“We’ve made a lot of improvements to the car in a recent test at Donington and there is probably more still to come, so hopefully we can have a good showing next time out at Oulton Park.”

Halfords Yuasa Racing drivers Matt Neal and Dan Cammish head to the next rounds of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park in an optimistic mood, following the team's previous success at the Cheshire circuit.

Both drivers bagged a solid points haul in the most recent rounds at Croft, despite the North Yorkshire circuit typically being more suited to rear-wheel-drive cars.

Just five points separate Honda from rivals BMW as the manufacturers head to Oulton, while Halfords Yuasa Racing leads the Teams' championship and both Neal and Cammish remain in strong positions in the drivers' points chase. Dan in particular will be in a confident frame of mind after making his third podium appearance of the season at Croft.

In contrast to Croft, Oulton Park is considered much more friendly to front-wheel-drive cars such as the Civic Type R, and the track holds many happy memories for Honda. Seven race wins have topped a host of podium finishes at the circuit over the past ten seasons, including one memorable weekend in 2012 when the team locked out the top of the podium in all three races. They will be looking to continue this trend at the Cheshire circuit at their ensuing visit on 30^th June.

“Croft was another weekend of what could have been for us,” said Neal. “But I was happy with my race pace and particularly some of my overtakes and to come away with a decent points haul was great as it's not a circuit we traditionally go well at.
“I'm looking forward to Oulton, I really like the track, it's a fast flowing, old-school style circuit that is very unforgiving! I've personally gone well there over the years with 11 podiums including four wins in the last ten seasons, so I'm hoping I can add to that tally.”

“I was pleased with another solid performance at Croft and ending up on the podium was an added bonus,” said Cammish. “I managed to stay out of trouble, in the main, and come away with some good points for both myself and the team.

“I'm looking forward to Oulton as it's a track that suits my driving style, particularly in the high-speed, technical elements of the circuit. Qualifying is again going to be critical, so I'll be working closely with Matt to extract the most we can from the car and hopefully continue to progress up the leader board.”