Sweet 16 for Aiden Moffat

The #16 Mercedes-Benz of Aiden Moffat became the 16th different race winner in this year's Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship after the Laser Tools Racing driver topped a pulsating six-way battle in the final race at Silverstone.

Moffat – the youngest driver in BTCC history when he made his debut at 16 – dealt with intense race long pressure from some of the world's most experienced tin top drivers to claim a phenomenal lights-to-flag victory.

The breathtaking contest also included a heart-stopping scrap for second with the championship top two – Colin Turkington and Tom Ingram – vying for position.

Ingram held second for the latter part of the encounter but he had Turkington's Team BMW car swarming all over him during the final laps. Minor contact ensued as Turkington went side-by-side with Ingram's Toyota, but the Speedworks Motorsport man held on to claw back some points on his main championship rival.

Josh Cook (Power Maxed TAG Racing), Rob Austin (DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing) and Tom Chilton (Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher) swapped positions and paint work on numerous occasions, and ended their own ferocious fight in fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. 

The Halfords Yuasa Racing duo of Matt Neal and Dan Cammish had hauled their Hondas onto the back of the lead sextet on the final lap, but had to settle for seventh and eighth at the finish.

Ricky Collard and Andrew Jordan ensured that all three BMWs made it into the top ten, although the former was bullied down the order early on. BMW Pirtek Racing's Jordan ended the day with a solid comeback drive and he failed to finish the opening race with power trouble.

Aiden Moffat said: "I’ll sleep tonight, that’s for sure. I looked at the timesheet and I was confident I would get away. I had a feeling Ingram and Turkington would be there at the end but they got there a lot sooner than I hoped. It’s a track we struggle at, so to win here is a bit emotional and special. I’ve had to fight for it. There’s been a few tears after that one. It meant a lot after the way things have been going recently. I’ve put a lot of work into this weekend. I was determined to bounce back to reward everyone for their efforts. There’s a few drivers you don’t want to see behind you and Tom’s definitely one of them!"
 
Tom Ingram said: "I was mindful of not putting myself in a vulnerable position. I knew Aiden (Moffat) was desperate for a win and rightly so. The only place I could have a little look at him was going down into Brooklands. I was trying to put myself into a position but if I went to the inside, Colin (Turkington) was going to do the opposite. I had to go to the outside and put Colin into the gap. Aiden started to go back and I was hoping he wouldn’t back me into the rest. It was a hugely important day for us. We’ve closed the gap down and it’s onto Brands Hatch now. I knew Colin was going to come at me. We had our elbows out! We’re in the best shape possible. You’d say we’ve got the strongest car. We’re lighter on weight and we’re in the driving seat here. Colin’s got it all to lose and we’ve got it all to gain. We’ve gone well at Brands in the past. We took 42 points out of Colin in the last two races. We can do it, it’s just a case of putting it all together next time out."
 

Colin Turkington said: "I’ve been here before and I’m really enjoying it this year. Last year, I was the one doing the hunting, trying to claw the points back on Ash (Sutton) but I wasn’t really getting there, and that’s where you start taking risks. I enjoy these moments, it’s what we live for. I’m so determined this year that it’s coming home to me, especially after last year. We’ve turned it right around from 18th yesterday to a podium today, so I’m delighted. Rob Austin was the biggest challenge. I had to be patient with him as I knew he’d be going hard for a podium. I had to wait for my moment. The instinct is go forward and beat Tom in a square fight but you’ve got to be sensible. I always picture Dick Bennetts having kittens on the pit wall! The BTCC is such that the stars have to align if you want to win the championship. Fate has to play its cards. No matter how hard I fought last year, it wasn’t coming to me. I hope that this is the year. I’ve got real determination. It’s doesn’t matter that I’ve won it twice. I’ve got a lot of people to do it for and a lot of reasons."

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 27 – Silverstone

1 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing 25 laps
2 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +0.221s
3 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.322s
4 Josh COOK (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +2.347s
5 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing +2.642s
6 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +2.788s
7 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +3.000s
8 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +3.304s
9 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +4.504s
10 Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +5.518s
11 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +5.953s
12 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +6.503s
13 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +7.887s
14 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +8.264s
15 Dan LLOYD (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +8.634s
16 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +10.729s
17 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +12.189s
18 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +12.725s
19 Brett SMITH (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +13.556s
20 James COLE (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +13.810s
21 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +16.037s
22 Jack GOFF (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +16.421s
23 Sam SMELT (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +16.940s
24 Ethan HAMMERTON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +18.289s
25 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +33.965s
26 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +2 laps
27 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +2 laps
28 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +10 laps
29 Josh CAYGILL (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +16 laps
30 Ollie PIDGLEY (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +19 laps
31 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +23 laps

Ingram wins to keep title hopes alive

Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram produced one of his trademark drives through the field to win Round 26 of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone.

The Toyota star has previously displayed his fighting spirit with efforts from the back of the grid to the podium at both Rockingham and Knockhill, and this one will also live long in the memory as he blasted from 15th to victory in the blink of an eye. A ballast-free Avensis running of the softer Dunlop SportMaxx tyre compound is often a lethal combination, and so it proved around the 1.64-mile National circuit.

Having already seen off a number of rivals Ingram's move into second was breathtaking as he passed both Tom Chilton's Ford and Adam Morgan's Mercedes in one move. He reeled in Sam Tordoff's Team GardX Racing with Motorbase Ford Focus and nipped by with relative ease before pulling away to take his third win of the year.

In doing so, Ingram has closed the gap to reigning championship leader Colin Turkington and has ensured that the race for the title will go down to the wire at Brands Hatch in two weeks' time.

"What a car," said Ingram. "We said that we were going to have a rocketship before that race. You take the weight out of the thing and it’s pretty special. The calibre of the field in the BTCC is second to none. You can’t think you’ve got anybody beaten with some of the best drivers around on the grid. We know we’ve got a good car and a great bunch of guys behind us but you can just never put it past anybody.

"We had to be strong and come through the field and we needed to do it. We lost points to Colin (Turkington) in the first race because of the hard tyre. We knew we’d lose ground there but that we had to make it back up in race two. The support I’ve had from home and leading up to this has been incredible."

Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport's Morgan eventually claimed second from the slightly fading Tordoff, although the latter did extremely well to follow up his earlier race win to score a podium with maximum ballast aboard his Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher Ford.

"That’s brilliant for us," said Morgan. "We keep ticking away at the points in the championship and it’s just been an all-round good day for us so far. Thanks to the team and everyone at Mac Tools. Tom’s car was just on rails. I could see him coming in my mirrors and it was just a case of finding somewhere where he could come through and I’d not lose too much ground. I just let him go then I put my head down and came home in second. The front tyres were going off on Sam’s car with the ballast on board and I got him into the last corner with my nose up the inside there. A nice clean move and no contact."
 
"We’ll take that," responded Tordoff. "It was a good race for us. We were in a different race with weight on board to those without. They just caught me within a lap. That was me pushing and they caught me standing still. It was tricky. We can be proud of it. Races one and two have been perfect really. Race three with 57 kilograms and the hard tyre I’m not looking forward to. Tom (Chilton) raced the hard tyre in race two and dropped back so I need to go and pick his brains."
 
There was action aplenty up and down the field although by BTCC standards the fight for fourth, fifth and sixth was relatively low key. Team BMW's Ricky Collard claimed fourth ahead of Matt Simpson (Simpson Racing) and Jack Goff (WIX Racing with Eurotech), whilst Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat was next in the order.
 
Colin Turkington limited the points damage at the summit of the Drivers' standings with another eighth place finish, although his advantage to Ingram has been reduced to just 36 points. Incredibly, both will start today's final race side-by-side on the fourth row of the grid.
 
The Alfa of Rob Austin and Vauxhall of Senna Proctor completed the top ten order.

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 26 – Silverstone

1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport 22 laps
2 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +6.412s
3 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +7.921s
4 Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +8.019s
5 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +10.840s
6 Jack GOFF (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +11.883s
7 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +20.329s
8 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +12.391s
9 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing +12.875s
10 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +13.096s
11 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +15.916s
12 Josh COOK (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +16.577s
13 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +17.449s
14 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +17.719s
15 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +18.652s
16 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +18.726s
17 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +19.197s
18 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +19.717s
19 Dan LLOYD (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +20.353s
20 Ethan HAMMERTON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +22.123s
21 Brett SMITH (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +22.431s
22 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +22.967s
23 Ollie PIDGLEY (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +23.377s
24 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +23.519s
25 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +24.541s
26 Sam SMELT (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +25.602s
27 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +35.954s
28 James COLE (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +37.712s
29 Josh CAYGILL (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +4 laps
30 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +8 laps
31 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +19 laps

Tordoff becomes 15th different race winner in 2018

Sam Tordoff led home a Motorbase one-two, ahead of stablemate Tom Chilton, whilst Ricky Collard completed a hugely popular podium in the opening BTCC race at Silverstone.

Tordoff led away from pole position in his Team GardX Racing with Motorbase Ford, but immediately came under attack from the fast starting BMW of Ricky Collard. The young rookie pushed too hard on the run down to Copse for the first time, however, running his BMW 125i M Sport wide on the exit of the corner. Collard dropped to fifth as Chilton slipped into second in the Shredded Wheat-backed Focus, with BMW Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan and WIX Racing with Eurotech's Jack Goff now in third and fourth respectively.

The opening exchanges resulted in drama further down the field as contact sent Rob Austin's Alfa Romeo spinning backwards across the grass at Maggotts. The Giulietta unfortunately came careering back on track and tagged Matt Neal's Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda into retirement. A separate incident between Chris Smiley and Josh Cook left the latter's Vauxhall stranded in the gravel.

A safety car was called but the action was soon underway and as action packed as ever with the final place on the rostrum changing hands on two occasions. A power problem for Jordan's forced him out of contention and Collard passed Goff around the outside to move into third in the latter stages.

The fight for victory was always close but Tordoff fended off the attentions from Chilton to grab his first win of the season, whilst Collard's maiden podium was met with huge celebrations from his Team BMW squad.

Goff grabbed fourth ahead of the impressive Matt Simpson and Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan, whilst the Team HARD VW of Mike Bushell enjoyed a good run to seventh.

Colin Turkington's grip on the championship was strengthened with an eighth place finish, whilst his main challengers struggled. The Ulsterman made steady progress from 18th on the grid and now holds a 50-point advantage over Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram.

The Mercedes of Tom Oliphant finished ninth with Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish rounding out the top ten.

Sam Tordoff said: "It was long overdue! The first job was getting a good start because I knew Ricky (Collard) would be quick off the line, then I settled into a rhythm. I made it difficult for myself when I stuck a wheel on the gravel and let Tom (Chilton) in. I knew in my head what I wanted to do but I’d be lying if I thought it would go quite that well. Tom was racing for the win but we kept it clean. I knew from the body language of Tom’s car that he was trying and we had no team orders. I’m not looking forward to running maximum success ballast in race two, though!"
 
Tom Chilton said: "He’s [Tordoff] been so fast. He made one mistake at Luffield and I thought ‘here we go’ with ten laps left and his front tyres going off. We turn in so early on the brakes into Luffield and that makes it impossible to overtake. I gave him one last push on the last lap and our bumpers must have only been a couple of millimetres from each other. With the hard tyre and 66 kilograms on board for the second one, it’s going to be a difficult one."
 
Ricky Collard said: "It’s unbelievable. I’m going to kick myself. I said I wasn’t going to lift into turn one. I didn’t, but it didn’t pay off. To come away with a podium is incredible. It’s in your mind that you’re dropping back but I was so focussed on going for the win that I didn’t think about anything else. I was desperate to get by Jack (Goff) which I then did. It was a shame for us with Andrew (Jordan) suffering some mechanical trouble but it was awesome for us. I don’t know if I’ll try the outside line with the weight on for race two. We’ll see how it pans out. I’m here to score points for Team BMW and West Surrey Racing. Being a junior, I have to learn all the time and I’m so thankful to everyone at the team for giving me such a good car and this opportunity."

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 25 – Silverstone

1 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase 25 laps
2 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.468s
3 Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +3.967s
4 Jack GOFF (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +6.018s
5 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +6.193s
6 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +6.484s
7 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +10.987s
8 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +11.415s
9 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +11.942s
10 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +13.416s
11 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +14.185s
12 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +14.751s
13 Brett SMITH (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +16.327s
14 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +20.329s
15 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +20.551s
16 Dan LLOYD (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +21.975s
17 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +22.405s
18 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +23.021s
19 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +23.516s
20 Ollie PIDGLEY (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +25.516s
21 James COLE (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +26.102s
22 Sam SMELT (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +27.724s
23 Josh CAYGILL (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +33.556s
24 Ethan HAMMERTON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +43.517s
25 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1 lap
26 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing +1 lap
27 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +9 laps
28 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +10 laps
29 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +13 laps
30 Josh COOK (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +23 laps
31 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +23 laps

Sam Tordoff takes pole at Silverstone

Team GardX Racing with Motorbase driver Sam Tordoff has taken his first pole position of the season after topping an incredible four-way Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship qualifying scrap at Silverstone that was covered by just 0.078s.

Tordoff has the highest average qualifying position of the entire field during the 2018 season, but pole position had so far eluded him, as has good fortune on a number of race days.

The Ford Focus RS man will be hoping he has turned a corner, however, and he'll be targeting his maiden win of the campaign tomorrow. As a side note, it was the first BTCC pole position for a Ford RS car since Tim Harvey achieved the feat here at Silverstone way back in 1990.

Tordoff will share the headlines with young Ricky Collard, who only missed out on top spot by a ridiculously close 0.018s. The impressive Team BMW driver was contesting only his third ever qualifying session in Britain's most competitive championship, and the 22-year-old continues to show rapid progress behind the wheel of the stunning BMW 125i M Sport.

The fight for third was just as close with Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher's Tom Chilton pipping WIX Racing with Eurotech's Jack Goff. Chilton and Goff still hold mathematical hopes of winning the championship outright and will have a chance of keeping their hopes alive with a solid showing tomorrow.

Two former champions in Andrew Jordan and Matt Neal were next in the timesheets with the experienced duo lining up fifth and sixth for tomorrow's opener.

Matt Simpson's eye-catching campaign continues, with seventh on the grid no longer feeling like a surprise result for the Honda Civic Type R driver. The Simpson Racing man claimed a first BTCC career victory at Oulton Park earlier in the season and he's well placed again for tomorrow's action.

The Mercedes duo of Aiden Moffat and Adam Morgan were next in the order, whilst the WIX Racing with Eurotech Honda of Brett Smith rounded out the top ten.

With this being the penultimate event of the season there was also a lot of attention on the ballast-laden cars of the main title protagonists, but most of them failed to trouble the front running order.

Championship leader Colin Turkington (Team BMW) will start the opening race around 1.64-mile circuit from 18th on the grid, whilst his closest challengers – Tom Ingram (Speedworks Motorsport) and Ash Sutton (Adrian Flux Subaru Racing) – could only manage 19th and 25th respectively.

The closeness of the session was there for all to see with the top 29 drivers covered by just 0.818s, with debutants Josh Caygill and Ethan Hammerton the only two drivers failing to qualifying within a second of Tordoff's benchmark.

Rounds 25, 26 and 27 of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will take place at Silverstone tomorrow. A huge crowd is expected to attend the world famous sporting venue with many more watching all of the action live on ITV4 from 11:15.

Sam Tordoff said: "That’s been a long time coming. We’ve nearly got it a fair few times this year. I had visions of Rockingham, being pipped at the post. We’ve had a miserable day so far in practice and we’ve had to pull out all the stops. We came here expecting to go and do that and we knew we had the pace to do it. We’ve changed everything on the car since this morning. We were just slow. I’ve gone almost a second faster in qualifying, so credit to the team – that was their pole. We’ll sleep happy tonight."
 
Ricky Collard said: "I said to the guys I’ve tried so hard. We came here hoping to have a consistent weekend and I do have some experience here. I said I was driving like an idiot but I’ve been improving all the time and West Surrey Racing/Team BMW have given me a really good car. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. This championship is just so close, it’s a credit to TOCA and everybody at the BTCC. If I’d had a little bit of a shave I might have sneaked pole! I’m sure dad’s over the moon. I need to look at his starts and look at the data to try and jump the number 600 up ahead tomorrow. I’m really grateful for all of the support I’ve had, especially with dad not being very well."
 
Tom Chilton said: "That’s a fantastic result for us – it couldn’t have been any better. I love this circuit. I’ve not been here for six years and I won here in the BTCC then. The time before that I won in a Ford Focus too. I want to make it a hat-trick. It’s a new car this year with all the work we’ve done. I’ve always felt I’ve had a better race car than a qualifying car but this weekend it’s felt different. Starting third, I’m quite confident. It’s going to be interesting. Poor old Ricky’s got a lot of pressure on him and a lot to learn. I’m sure it’ll be exciting."
 

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying – Silverstone

1 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase 58.323s (101.25 mph)
2 Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +0.018s
3 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.047s
4 Jack GOFF (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +0.078s
5 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.167s
6 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.167s
7 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.170s
8 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.177s
9 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.237s
10 Brett SMITH (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +0.266s
11 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.274s
12 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +0.291s
13 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing +0.300s
14 Josh COOK (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +0.314s
15 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +0.314s
16 Dan LLOYD (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.332s
17 James COLE (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.355s
18 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.379s
19 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +0.386s
20 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.394s
21 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +0.407s
22 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.413s
23 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +0.458s
24 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.470s
25 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.544s
26 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.620s
27 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +0.629s
28 Sam SMELT (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +0.744s
29 Ollie PIDGLEY (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +0.818s
30 Josh CAYGILL (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1.286s
31 Ethan HAMMERTON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +1.521s

Bushell goes one better in final practice

Mike Bushell set the fastest time of the day in Free Practice 2 at Silverstone as all 31 drivers prepared ahead of qualifying for Round 25 of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Bushell was second quickest in the opening session but the Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing driver went one better in the final practice run, as he yet again showed his pace on a Saturday. His and the team's achilles heal, however, has often been converting that practice pace into a top qualifying position, but the Kent man seems better set than ever to produce the goods later this afternoon.

Andrew Jordan (BMW Pirtek Racing), Rob Austin (DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing) and Jack Goff (WIX Racing with Eurotech) also ran well in the earlier session and the trio backed-up that showing by finishing second, third and fourth respectively in final practice.

BTC Norlin's Chris Smiley pipped Team BMW's impressive Ricky Collard by just 0.009s to take fifth, whilst Brett Smith (WIX Racing with Eurotech), Tom Chilton (Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher), Stephen Jelley (Team Parker Racing) and Dan Cammish (Halfords Yuasa Racing) completed the top ten positions.

At this pivotal stage of the season there is naturally a lot of interest in the main title contenders  – Colin Turkington, Tom Ingram, Ash Sutton – but the standings' top three have not yet troubled the top ten.

They will be hoping that all that changes later today, however, when the all-important qualifying session commences at 15:15 – you can watch all the action live via www.itv.com/btcc.

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 2 – Silverstone

1 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing 58.423s
2 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.070s
3 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing +0.207s
4 Jack GOFF (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +0.231s
5 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.270s
6 Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +0.279s
7 Brett SMITH (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +0.289s
8 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.305s
9 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.312s
10 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.314s
11 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +0.316s
12 Dan LLOYD (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.320s
13 Josh COOK (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +0.342s
14 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +0.354s
15 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.369s
16 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.394s
17 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.432s
18 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.441s
19 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.441s
20 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.459s
21 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.504s
22 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +0.543s
23 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.551s
24 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +0.575s
25 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +0.591s
26 James COLE (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.672s
27 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +0.704s
28 Ollie PIDGLEY (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +0.922s
29 Sam SMELT (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +0.972s
30 Josh CAYGILL (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1.305s
31 Ethan HAMMERTON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +1.473s

Oliphant edges out Bushell in FP1

Ciceley Motorsport's Tom Oliphant has topped the times in the opening Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Free Practice session at Silverstone, edging out the Team HARD-run VW of Mike Bushell by just 0.042s.

"I’m really pleased with that," said Oliphant. "It might only be free practice, but to top the timesheets for the first time in my BTCC career is a brilliant feeling.

"It’s another new circuit for me in front-wheel drive machinery, but the Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes was superb and I got into a good rhythm from the off. We’ve got a great base to build on for the weekend ahead."

The DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing Alfa of Rob Austin rounded off a different look to the top three as the main title contenders seemingly settled gently into the penultimate race weekend of the season.

The 40-minute session was relatively free of any incidents with most of the quicker lap times being set early on.

Andrew Jordan's Pirtek-backed BMW was the first of the leading protagonists to show its credentials with the 2013 champion ending up fourth overall at the finish.

The WIX Racing with Eurotech duo of Brett Smith and Jack Goff were evenly matched as the Honda Civic Type R pair set the fifth and sixth fastest times respectively.

Manufacturer-backed machines from Honda, Subaru and Vauxhall were next in the order with Dan Cammish, Jason Plato and Josh Cook clocking solid efforts in the opening exchanges, whilst Aiden Moffat confirmed the prowess of the Mercedes A-Class by completing the top ten positions.

Championship leader Colin Turkington could only manage 19th for Team BMW, although his main challengers were not that far ahead of him with Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram in 12th and Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's Ash Sutton in 17th.

The main event of the day comes later of course, following the second and final Free Practice session, when qualifying commences at 15:15. You can keep up to date with the latest news right here and via the BTCC's social media feeds, whilst qualifying will be streamed live and exclusively at www.itv.com/btcc.

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 1 – Silverstone

1 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport 58.474s
2 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +0.042s
3 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing +0.110s
4 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.112s
5 Brett SMITH (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +0.153s
6 Jack GOFF (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +0.197s
7 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.224s
8 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.225s
9 Josh COOK (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +0.226s
10 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.269s
11 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.272s
12 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +0.276s
13 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.282s
14 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.287s
15 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.310s
16 Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +0.318s
17 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.373s
18 Dan LLOYD (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.387s
19 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.401s
20 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +0.408s
21 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.496s
22 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +0.517s
23 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.553s
24 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.603s
25 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +0.631s
26 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +0.766s
27 James COLE (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.955s
28 Sam SMELT (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +1.055s
29 Ollie PIDGLEY (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +1.131s
30 Ethan HAMMERTON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +1.285s
31 Josh CAYGILL (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1.340s

Men in Black

Team HARD has undergone an extensive overhaul ahead of the penultimate race weekend of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, with all new garages and a striking black livery now adorning its quartet of cars.

The outfit has instigated an intensive development effort in the lead up to Rounds 25, 26 and 27 from Silverstone and is hoping that those efforts will be rewarded with results to match the glimpses of pace it has shown over the previous three meetings.

"We want to finish the season on a high," said Team Principal Tony Gilham. "We’ve completely refreshed all of our cars and we’ve arrived at Silverstone with a set of developments under the skin of our four Volkswagen CCs.

"For us, 2019 starts now as it hasn’t been the season we’d hoped for. Over the first half of the season, it was very up and down. We showed glimpses of pace but it wasn’t very consistent but in particular, we’ve displayed a massive amount of potential over the last few race weekends.

"We’ve come to Silverstone with all-new garages, an all-new livery and what we feel to be a competitive driver line-up. It’s a fresh start and we want to finish the season on a high. We hope this weekend can be a catalyst for next season and some great results.

Pace meant for good points on both sides of the Team HARD stable at Team HARD with Trade Price Cars and Team HARD with Brisky Racing back at Rockingham, and it is this level of performance that Gilham wants to replicate on a more regular basis as the outfit continues its upward trajectory in Britain's top flight.

"We have worked very hard on the setup of our cars behind-the-scenes and we know, and we’ve shown, we’ve got a very good package," he continued.

"Silverstone is a track that suits our cars and we’ve gone well here over the last few years. We’re hoping that plays into our hands a little bit and we’re hoping for a bit of luck as well.

"We’ve had a few frustrations, like back at Rockingham, where some results, particularly with Bobby Thompson, were perhaps taken away from us and our pace was there for all to see.

"We’ve got a package that can fight anybody out there and we’re pushing on back at the workshop and over race weekends to get that level of consistency to become a front-running team. That’s what we aspire to be. We’re doing quite well for ourselves and we’re working hard to bring it all together and make that next step.

"We want to be very solidly in the points and running inside the top ten here. If lady luck’s on our side and we can really maximise our potential then we’d like to think that we have got a chance of some silverware.

"You have to aim high but it is so difficult in the BTCC with probably half a second covering the top 25-30 cars in qualifying. In pre-season the cars were all black and we’ve flipped back to black from the white we had been running.

"So far, so good. It’s high impact and it’s had a great response from everybody who has seen it so far. The sponsors’ logos really jump out and we’re hoping they look good on-track! They look good off it!"

This weekend, the squad welcomes Ethan Hammerton into the fold. Team HARD prides itself on providing the opportunity for young, up-and-coming drivers to make the leap into the BTCC and Hammerton's signing is the next incarnation of that philosophy.

"As a motorsport talent scout, I do watch a lot of junior racing and there is a lot of ability out there," continued Gilham. "We aim to help those talents make a break into the BTCC.

"Ethan has shone on our scholarship programme both on-track and off it and he had his first test a couple of weeks ago and he shone then as well. It’s a big step up but we’re very confident we’ve backed the right talent and we’ll see how he gets on this weekend.  

"I’m very excited for the weekend," said 17-year-old debutant Hammerton. "I can’t wait to get out in the car again. I know it’ll be tough. I’ve been a major fan of the championship ever since I was seven years old or so and I’ve always aspired to eventually make it into the BTCC as a competitor and be involved.

"I never expected to make it here at such a young age but it is absolutely mega. I was out in the car a couple of weeks ago and I soon got to grips with it. It’s bigger and faster than anything I’ve ever driven before but it wasn’t too much to get used to. The speed differential is the biggest leap but I’ll adapt.

"On the test day, everything felt natural after ten laps in the car. My aim for the weekend would be to get through and finish all three races and if I can make up a few places then that’d be a bonus really."

As it stands... The Independents' running

The competition between the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship's Independent teams and drivers has been as hot as ever this year, and as it stands, incumbent champions Speedworks Motorsport and Tom Ingram hold a slender points margins in credit.

Last season was a vintage one for Speedworks as it strode to a maiden Independent Teams' honours while its longstanding driver Tom Ingram did likewise in the Independent Drivers' Championship.

Entering his fourth BTCC campaign, Ingram and his team are both in pole position in the bid to retain their crowns with just six rounds of the season to come. On top of this, the 25-year-old is challenging for overall Drivers' laurels, hot on the heels of current leader Colin Turkington.

“We’ve lost touch a little in the championship, but the final couple of tracks should suit the Toyota well,” he said post-Knockhill. “We’ve won at Silverstone in each of the last two seasons and gone well at Brands GP too, so we’ll go there in confident mood and fully focussed on clawing back the ground we’ve conceded.

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBTCC/videos/296241131203245/

 

“We’re still holding our heads high and still in the fight – and we will keep fighting right to the end. From here on in, there can be no other strategy than maximum attack.”

Last year at Silverstone, Ingram enjoyed his highest-ever points-scoring weekend in the BTCC with a mighty 52-point haul after a race one win and a race two podium, as opposed to Turkington’s 28-point grab. It's not over until it's over and in any case, Ingram looks to have every chance of setting Tom Chilton, second in the Indy running and 15 points behind, some benchmark this weekend.

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher are certainly an outfit on form, however, with Chilton sealing its maiden victory of the season last time out at Knockhill. This saw the Kent squad draw to within four points of Speedworks in the Indy Teams' chase, with the new-for-2018 Ford Focus RS proving a capable package.

“It was a fantastic result back at Knockhill, which paid back the whole team for all the hard work behind the scenes," said Team Manager Oly Collins. "Tom was mega in the wet and that first win for our Focus RS was exactly what he and the team deserved. We’ve had a strong car all year but for whatever reason we’ve just not been able to convert it to a win until today.”

A further four points back in third spot is WIX Racing with Eurotech. Jack Goff, also third, took pole, runner-up in race one as well as a race two victory in Northamptonshire last year, with the Honda Civic Type R illustrating its capabilities around the famed venue perfectly.

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBTCC/videos/1968117496559812/

BTCC on ITV – Silverstone

The 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is rapidly heading towards its conclusion with the penultimate race weekend of this season set for Silverstone this weekend (15-16 September).

As ever, ITV Sport will have you covered live, free-to-air and exclusive coverage, starting with qualifying on Saturday afternoon – streamed over at itv.com/btcc.

Then, on Sunday, Rounds 25, 26 and 27 of the BTCC will be live on ITV4, the ITV Hub and at itv.com/btcc with action from the support series’ over an eight-hour programme.

Silverstone 15/16 September

Qualifying LIVE: Saturday 15 September
ITV.com/BTCC from 1510

Raceday LIVE: Sunday 16 August
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1115-1830
ITV4+1 1215-1930
ITV Hub 1115-1830
ITV.com/BTCC 1115-1830

Highlights: Saturday 22 September
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1030-1200
ITV4 +1 1130-1300
ITV Hub Available anytime for the next 30 days

Highlights: Sun 23 September
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 0600-0730
ITV4 +1 0700-0830

Highlights: Wednesday 26 September
ITV & ITV HD 2345-0105

Ricky continues in place of father Rob as Team BMW and Turkington focus on title tilt

Team BMW head to Silverstone this weekend to continue their season-long push for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Teams’ and Manufacturers’ title winners for the past two seasons, the West Surrey Racing-run operation lead both championships again with just two triple-header weekends remaining, while Colin Turkington holds a 43-point advantage at the head of the Drivers’ points table.

The Northern Irishman, who won the BTCC in WSR BMWs in 2009 and 2014, has finished on the podium nine times in what has been the most closely-matched battle for the title in recent history.

As points leader, Turkington must carry the maximum 75kg success ballast this weekend. This makes his BMW the heaviest car in the field through practice, qualifying and the opening race.

“The determination within Team BMW remains the same as ever and it’s 100 per cent business as usual on that front," said Turkington.

"Of course, we know we have to push our rivals to the limit, but if we keep doing what we do best, the results should follow. Now’s not the time to change our strategy; winning has been the goal since the beginning and that hasn’t changed.

"We just need to stay focused and draw on all the experience we have as a team to keep delivering the results. This is one of the toughest championships in the world to win and I’m under no illusions of the journey ahead of me, but I’m prepared to give it all I have. We’ll be taking it one race at a time, but you can rest assured we’ll be throwing everything and more behind it.”

Turkington’s team-mate will once again be BMW Motorsport Junior Ricky Collard, who drives for a third straight event as father Rob continues to recover from a concussion sustained at Snetterton in July.

The 22-year-old from Eversley, Hampshire, took his first BTCC points last time out at Knockhill in race one and added a further score later in the day. He is looking for more this time as he aims to help Team BMW win the Teams’ Championship.

Collard’s first experience of the BMW 125i M Sport came in a test on the Silverstone National Circuit last November, and the BRDC Superstar was also a winner there in British Formula 4 in 2015.

Silverstone is an important circuit in WSR’s history. It was at the 'Home of British Motorsport' where the team made a winning debut in British Formula 3 with Jonathan Palmer in 1981 and the location of their first BTCC win in 1998 with Will Hoy at the wheel.

“While naturally I’m disappointed for my Dad that he’s not ready to come back to racing just yet, I’m pleased to have the opportunity to race again for Team BMW at Silverstone," said Collard.

"From my debut at Rockingham through to Knockhill I learnt a huge amount about driving the 125i M Sport and the racecraft needed to be competitive in the BTCC, and it’s great to be able to try to move my own performance on a step by having another chance.

"My role is to score as many points as I can for the Teams’ Championship and to support Colin in his bid for the Drivers’ title and I’ll do this as best as I possibly can.”

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, added: “The same points are available as Knockhill, Brands Hatch or almost anywhere else, so it’s very important to treat Silverstone as just another race weekend and not think too much about the title battle.

"That’s not an easy thing to do, but we’ve been winning championships for over 35 years and that experience will definitely help us this weekend.

"Silverstone’s National Circuit is simple in layout and rewards a car with strong top speed more than one with excellent handling, so I’d expect the times to be extremely close.

"Colin has a strong podium record here and Ricky’s been a winner in single-seaters and will benefit from another weekend behind the wheel. We’ll focus on optimising every area of the BMW and aim to come away still ahead in the standings.”