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/

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

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.”

AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing has today confirmed the signing of Josh Caygill for the final two race weekends of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Caygill will compete for the West Thurrock-based team in the meetings at Silverstone and Brands Hatch, in place of Glynn Geddie, as team-mate to Rory Butcher in what will be his first foray into the BTCC.

The 29-year-old, from Holmefirth in Yorkshire, makes the move into the BTCC having enjoyed a varied career to date having initially competed on two wheels – including two years racing in the highly-competitive British Supersport Championship.

Switching to four wheels in 2013, Caygill went on to compete in the Volkswagen Racing Cup and the DTM-supporting Audi Sport TT Cup before moving into sportscars in 2017 with Team WRT in the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup.

This season, he has been competing in the Blancpain Sprint Series in a Team Parker-run Bentley Continental GT alongside former BTCC racer Aron Taylor-Smith, with the pair taking victory in the Silver Cup during the British round at Brands Hatch back in May.

Caygill has had the opportunity to sample the MG – ironically the same car that Taylor-Smith raced in the series last year – during a day of testing at Snetterton and will now hope for a solid race debut when he hits the track at Silverstone this weekend.

Team-mate Butcher heads for Silverstone hoping to maintain an impressive run of form that has seen him finish in the top ten in the last six races.

The Fife racer showed strong pace at both Rockingham and Knockhill and heads into the penultimate meeting of the campaign seeking to cement his position in the top of the eight of the Independents’ Trophy standings.

The main focus for the Scotsman heading into the weekend will be to try and improve his qualifying performance, which in turn will give the 31-year-old the opportunity to maximise his results on race day.

Having finished on the podium numerous time at Silverstone in the past, and with confidence on a high, Butcher will seek to try and push well inside the top ten to at least match his previous best result of sixth place.

“I’m over the moon to have agreed a deal to join the team for the final two rounds of the season," said Caygill. "The BTCC is a series that I have wanted to compete in for a long time but the right opportunity has never come along before. When this chance arrived, I grabbed it with both hands.

“Having had chance to sample the MG last week, the car felt really nice, even though the rear end was a bit lively, and it was good to be back in front-wheel drive having spent the last few years in GT machinery. 

“I’m open minded about the weekend ahead and my only aim is to go out there and do my best. I want to enjoy myself and if we come away from Silverstone with a good result on the board, then I’ll view it as a bonus at this stage

“For me, these two rounds are an opportunity to see what the BTCC is all about and if it works for both me and my sponsors, then it is certainly something I’d look at for 2019.”

“We head to Silverstone on a high after our results in the last two rounds and I’m looking forward to the weekend as Silverstone is a circuit I really enjoy," said Butcher. "It’s also one that I think should suit the MG, which leaves me feeling confident about picking up more strong results.

“We know we still need to try and extract more from the car in qualifying but whatever happens on Saturday, we have shown we have a strong race car that we can use to push forwards on a Sunday.

“We are scoring good points at the moment and are approaching 100 in the overall standings, which will be a great achievement for us. We have to keep being consistent and see where we can end up after these final two rounds.”

Shaun Hollamby, AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing Team Principal, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Josh into the team for the final two rounds of the year. He has shown himself to be a very capable driver in everything he has done in his career so far, and brings a wealth of experience having competed at a high level in Blancpain GT and also on the DTM support bill.

“He drove very well in the test last week given that he was running on old tyres and it was his first time in the MG, and we certainly feel he is a driver who is capable of bringing home some solid results. The additional weight as a new driver will be a challenge this weekend, but all we are looking for from him is to stay out of trouble and learn as much as he can.

“Rory heads to Silverstone in a rich vein of form after his strong results at Rockingham and Knockhill and we are hopeful he can maintain that kind of form this weekend. It’s clear to see that we have a strong race car, so we need to focus on trying to get more from it in qualifying to give him the best possible opportunity to pick up a big haul of points this weekend.” 

The 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is rapidly heading towards its climax, with a seminal penultimate outing of the season at Silverstone to come next weekend (15/16 September), and Colin Turkington heads there with an extended standings lead after a strong showing at Knockhill last time around.

Team BMW's double champion made the most of his rivals' woes to steal a march atop the table, with closest contestants Tom Ingram and Ash Sutton falling foul of a ride-height technicality in race two at Knockhill, costing them vital ground as the championship enters its final stretch.

Turkington's double podium finish in Scotland ensured he takes a 43-point advantage over Speedworks' Ingram to Silverstone, and he counts a further eight points between himself and the third-placed driver, Subaru's incumbent champion Sutton.

That said, with almost 140 points still to play for over the remaining six rounds of the campaign, the experienced Northern Irishman will be keenly aware that the destination of the most coveted crown in British motorsport is far from certain.

Though that trio head the way, as many as 12 drivers remain in mathematical contention, and Silverstone, which has played host to many a pivotal moment in motor racing history down the years, could be vital in deciding just where the crown will be heading come the end of the season.

A capacity grid of the very best touring car talent will be out in force at the home of British motorsport – an ever-popular locale on the calendar – and all of the action is set to unfold in front of packed grandstands and spectator banks around the famous circuit, while many more will be watching live and free-to-air on ITV4.

Turkington on top
Consistency is a key component in assembling a title-winning BTCC campaign. Given just how hotly-contested the racing is in the championship, a measured approach to racecraft alongside raw pace and engineering nous is a must.

Turkington has honed this strategy over a decade-and-a-half in Britain's top-tier motor racing series – a catalogue of experience that means he has a handle of when to hold and when to fold.

So far this season, he counts a single victory to his name – the second encounter at Oulton Park. Speedworks' Ingram meanwhile has a pair of victories, with third-placed Sutton counting a benchmark five.

Despite this, it is Turkington in the clear at the top of the table – no driver has notched more podium appearances than he, with nine visits to the rostrum so far. Furthermore, he has finished outside of the top ten on just five occasions this season and has failed to reach the chequered flag only twice.

It is this stream of points-scoring finishes, 16 of which have been inside the top six, that leaves the two-time title-winner in the pound seat ahead of the final six rounds.

"The little things are making the big things happen and we’ll be ensuring our approach remains the same to push on between now and Silverstone," said Turkington. "I’ll continue to keep my own performance the top priority and refuse to become distracted by the fortune or misfortune of my rivals.”

Last year at Silverstone, however, 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. Sutton, meanwhile bagged 29 points.

Drama was abound with Sutton's Subaru sent to the back of the grid ahead of the finale after a third penalty strike, following contact with Turkington as the pair battled for third with the 2017 title fight reaching boiling point. Race three then saw the BMW man suffer as he became entangled in the mid-pack action, suffering damage that restricted him to only 22nd at the chequered flag.

Sutton, meanwhile, recovered from his penalty to take 11th spot and points – seeing him leave Northamptonshire top of the pile. If two rounds of the BTCC showed everything is liable to change at a moment's notice, those at Silverstone last year were just that. With that in mind, Turkington's closest rivals will be ready and waiting to pounce.

“We’ve lost touch a little in the championship, but the final couple of tracks should suit the Toyota well," said Ingram. "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. 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.”

Timetable and Tickets
All three BTCC races on Sunday, 16 September – and the day’s other races – will be broadcast live and in high definition on ITV4. Those in attendance at the circuit can stay in touch with the commentary and live timing from every session, available at btcc.net/live throughout the weekend.

The support series on the TOCA package are also guaranteed to thrill, with a double-digit total of races set to entertain the crowds. The Renault UK Clio Cup, Porsche Carrera Cup GB, F4 British Championship and the Ginettas will all be appearing, making for a jam-packed weekend of truly unmissable racing.

Advance tickets can be booked online at www.silverstone.co.uk or via the hotline on 0844 3728 270. Tickets start at £15 with weekend passes costing £39 in advance, or Sunday race day tickets £29. Children aged 15 and under get in free.

Team HARD with Trade Price Cars has today announced the signing of Ethan Hammerton, who will complete the remainder of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with the outfit.

Hammerton fills the seat vacated by Michael Caine after Carl Boardley temporarily took the reigns for the Knockhill race weekend.

The 17-year-old overcame more than 100 competitors to win a Team HARD young driver scholarship and has since been racing in the Volkswagen Cup with the stable. He steps up to Britain's premier motor racing series, fulfilling a lifelong ambition.

“I have watched the BTCC since I was a little kid and I can't believe I'm now going to be a part of the championship," said Hammerton.

“I switched from racing karts to racing cars in the Junior Saloon Car Championship when I was 15, in 2015, and from then it was my goal to race in the BTCC and I’ve achieved that ambition – it’s a dream come true.

"We were at Rockingham supporting fellow Team HARD graduate Bobby Thompson and the rest of team when discussions started with Tony (Gilham – Team Principal). I am over the moon that everything is now in place and I can’t wait to get out in the car.

“I know it’s going to be tough. I fully appreciate the trust put in me and will give everything I have for the team. I know how privileged I am to have been given this opportunity and I am realistic about my expectations.

“I really want to be in the BTCC next year and I'm hoping that this is just the beginning. I’d like to thank Tony Gilham, Team HARD, GKR Scaffolding, HMC Group, Hadrian Healthcare and my other sponsors for making this happen.”

Power Maxed TAG Racing and Josh Cook made the most of the hand they were dealt at Knockhill, battling through tough conditions and a couple of racing incidents to seal a strong points haul and keep their title hopes alive.

Cook strode to fifth, second and sixth placed finishes over the three rounds from Fife and managed consistent front-running pace, though he feels given slightly different circumstances that further headway could have been made, and more points earned.

“Ultimately, Knockhill was a good weekend for us I think," said Cook. "In race one I definitely thought we had the pace to head further up the order but it’s always a tricky circuit to pass on when people are defending.

"It was the same story for us in race two, though I think the decision to end it early in those conditions was the correct one.

"Had we had more time, I’m confident I would’ve been further up the board.

"Race three was frustrating after the incident with Rory Butcher but I took the place back a few laps later in any case.

"Overall, it was a good weekend for the team with the points we managed to bring in and sets us up nicely ahead of Silverstone. It was great to see so many fans donning the bright orange Euro Repar Car Service ponchos in an effort to stay dry!”

The weekend north of the border was a more frustrating one for team-mate Senna Proctor, who struggled to make progress in the wet – despite having shown form to the contrary in those conditions throughout his fledgling BTCC career to date.

Progress was steady – with Proctor managing a best of 16th before a DNF in the finale, after contact with Brett Smith's Honda, having qualified 24th.

“My weekend in one word? Frustrating," said Proctor. "The car was right on the pace Saturday during qualifying but I just couldn’t get a clear run in, helped in no small part by the session being red flagged.

"I fought hard and made up places throughout Sunday, but ultimately when you’re in traffic on a circuit like Knockhill, the opportunities to get through are few and far between.

"It’s a shame the day ended on a low note, but I’m looking forward to getting back in the points at Silverstone. We’ll come back stronger than ever!”

Power Maxed TAG Racing's Technical Director, Martin Broadhurst added:

“Unless you’re winning all three races and coming away with the fastest laps in every session, you can always do better, but I’m ultimately happy with the results this weekend.

"It’s unfortunate that Senna couldn’t have had a clear run during qualifying, which I think would’ve yielded higher places today, keeping him in the points, but he was on the pace and drove well. If the incident in race three hadn’t cost Josh places, I’m confident he would’ve been on the podium again."

Team Principal Adam Weaver echoed Broadhurst's positivity.

"Knockhill was definitely a positive weekend for us.

"Josh came away with a decent haul of points, and at the end of the day that’s what we’re here for.

"It’s unfortunate that Senna just couldn’t quite get the clear run he needed, but overall it was a good weekend for the team.

"The fact that we haven’t dropped out of the top three this year, and are now joint second with a team that has been in the championship much longer than us is a real boost.”

Cook's haul keeps him in touch in the running for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship crown. PMR are now level with Halfords Yuasa Racing in joint second in the Teams' standings.

Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram extended his lead in Dunlop's #ForeverForward standings leaving Rounds 22, 23 and 24 of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Knockhill while Ash Sutton took overall weekend honours with a storming 29 points.

The overtaking league recognises and rewards drivers’ fight-backs from adversity and over the prior two weekends it had been Ingram who proved to be the comeback king, following two race one DNFs, one apiece at each of Snetterton at Rockingham which left him 27th on the grid for the second encounter at each of those meetings.

The Speedworks man fought back to third both times, allowing him to keep close tabs on standings leader Colin Turkington despite his misfortune.

At Knockhill, Dunlop’s Sport BluResponse wet tyres came into their own across all chassis and drivetrains in difficult conditions up in the Fife hills. Before the rain on race-day, the weather looked good.

With the circuit seeing a completely new surface laid over the winter, Jason Plato’s qualifying lap record was swiftly beaten in practice, and then again in qualifying as Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish secured his maiden BTCC pole position.

Heavy rainfall dominated on Sunday at Knockhill, seeing Dunlop's BluResponse tyre put to the test. Reigning champion Ash Sutton revels in mixed conditions and the wet and he duly flew from eighth on the grid to take the race one win.

His pass on Colin Turkington’s BMW 125i M Sport for the lead was voted the fans favourite overtake of the race. It was local driver Rory Butcher, though, who collected the race’s #ForeverForward honours, with 13 places gained moving up from 23rd to tenth on home soil.

The rain didn't abate for race two, eventually resulting in a red flag and an early end to proceedings but on track, Sutton continued his race one momentum, the Adrian Flux Subaru Racing driver crossing the line first. Ingram charged to second in his Toyota, revelling in the tricky conditions.

Both cars subsequently failed post-race ride height tests, allowing Andrew Jordan to inherit the win, becoming the 13th different winner of the year. Honda's Matt Neal picked up the most places, gaining 13 positions, with Ingram’s move on Jordan on the last lap voted the fans favourite of the race.

As a result of their exclusion, championship contenders Sutton and Ingram were forced to start from the back of the grid, prime #ForeverForward territory. As anticipated, Sutton carved his way through the field, with the Dunlop BluResponse rubber coping expertly with the torrid conditions.

Tom Chilton became the all-time record 14th different race winner for the season, taking a lights to flag victory and holding off a strong challenge from championship leader Turkington. Sutton came away with the #ForeverForward weekend honours, a total of 29 places gained from the three races, ahead of Butcher on 16.

Dunlop #ForeverForward weekend honours:

1. Ash SUTTON, 29
2. Rory BUTCHER, 16
3. Matt NEAL, 15
4. Stephen JELLEY, 15
5. Tom INGRAM, 15

Dunlop #ForeverForward overall standings:

1. Tom INGRAM, 134
2. Stephen JELLEY, 120
3. Senna PROCTOR, 111
4. Rob AUSTIN, 101
5. Josh COOK, 99
6. Bobby THOMPSON, 98
7. Ash SUTTON, 97
8. Aiden MOFFAT, 92
9. Ollie JACKSON, 89
10. Rory BUTCHER, 89

Tom Ingram has promised to ‘fight to the end’ in the chase for the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship crown, after what looked set to be a big points-scoring weekend north of the border at Knockhill was undone by a technicality.

With 66kg of success ballast in his Speedworks Motorsport Toyota at a circuit that leans towards favouring rear-wheel drive machinery, Ingram managed sixth position in qualifying.

That placed Ingram directly between chief championship rivals Colin Turkington and Ash Sutton.

After toughing it out wheel-to-wheel with the fast-starting Sutton through the first few corners of the opener, made it beyond the BTCC’s newest winner Chris Smiley and remained in the podium scrap throughout, going on to take the chequered flag in the same position as he had started. It was Ingram's sixth Independents’ triumph of the season.

Race two was punctuated by safety car interventions for multiple accidents further down the order, ultimately being halted seven laps early due to the deteriorating conditions. In the ten laps of action that did take place, however, Ingram demonstrated strong pace, rising four places to take second at the chequered flag.

Unfortunately, Ingram, in company with race-winner Sutton – was excluded for failing the post-race ride-height check, demoting the pair to the rear of the grid for the day’s finale.

Ingram dug deep and fought through the field to cross the finish line 16^th.

“I think you’d have to classify that as a real missed opportunity of a weekend," said Ingram. "Knockhill was always going to be about damage limitation for us and we feared we might struggle a bit, but it’s fair to say we surprised ourselves in terms of our performance.

“We’ve lost touch a little in the championship, but the final couple of tracks should suit the Toyota well. 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.

"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.”

The two non-scores mean he's slipped 43 points adrift of Turkington at the summit of the overall Drivers’ standings but he continues to lead the way in the defence of his hard-earned Independents’ Trophy.

Speedworks similarly remain atop the Independent Teams’ table, while occupying sixth spot in the Teams’ classification outright with just Silverstone and Brands Hatch GP left to run.

“Rules are rules and we obviously have to accept what happened, but it’s immensely frustrating to lose so many points for such a minor infringement,” reflected Team Principal, Christian Dick. “After that, progress was always going to be difficult in race three with 66kg from the back of the grid, but Tom did everything he could with another fantastic drive and deserved a lot more than he got out of the weekend.

 “It’s important to focus on the positives, though, and there are a great many to take away with us. We thought we would struggle even to crack the top 15 in qualifying at Knockhill, so to line up sixth and then really take the fight to the rear wheel-drive boys in races one and two massively exceeded expectations."

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher saved its best until last at Knockhill, with Tom Chilton claiming a maiden race win of the season for the Motorbase-run squad with a commanding lights-to-flag drive in the final Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship round of the day this past Sunday.

The relentless rainfall did little to dampen Chilton’s spirits with the Gallagher-backed racer battling his way from a mid-pack start to take his first BTCC race win since 2011, and second Independent win of the season.

The weekend was a slow-burner for the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher duo. Following a super-competitive qualifying session that saw over half of the grid beat the previous lap record, Chilton was the highest-placed Motorbase driver in 15th – in spite of being less than half-a-second off pole – with James Cole placing 22nd for the first of Sunday’s three races.

Passing Lloyd’s Honda on the opening lap in the extreme wet conditions, Chilton held his nerve in the safety car interrupted race and continued to scythe his way through the mid-field to eventually take 12th at the flag. With a tough task ahead of him on the notoriously difficult circuit, Cole endured a tough battle from a less-than-ideal qualifying place, picking up damage to bring the number Focus RS home 24th.

Race two was a dramatic affair, eventually red-flagged after just 20 laps given a first-corner off for Sam Smelt in the AmD Audi and worsening conditions. Chilton made an excellent start and had managed to work his way into the top ten by the first tour of the circuit, moving up to eighth by lap 12 before the race was ended. Cole was embroiled in the mid-pack scrap and struggled to progress but managed to make up four places to finally cross the line in 20th.

With the leading two cars excluded from the race results due to ride-height infringements, Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher's drivers were promoted to sixth and 18th. Chilton’s amended result proved to be the turning point of the weekend, placing the number three Ford Focus RS onto pole position for the final race of the weekend.

Determined to capitalise on his fortuitous position, Chilton stormed off the line and had built up a decent lead over Adam Morgan in the opening laps. A fast-charging Colin Turkington made it beyond the Mercedes man and had closed the gap to Chilton to less than half-a-second by the mid-way point of the race. A defensive masterclass followed, with Chilton holding off the two-time BTCC champion’s BMW for the final six laps. The 33-year-old’s determination and race-craft delivered the perfect end to the day for the Motorbase squad – claiming the first outright race win for the Ford Focus RS in its debut season.

Unfortunately, Cole’s woes continued with the 30-year-old entangled in the back-marker traffic he dropped back a couple of places to end the day in 22nd.

The weekend’s results helped to reinstate Chilton's championship fight, moving him into sixth place overall and closing the gap on the Independent Drivers' standings lead. Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher has also consolidated its fourth position in the overalls Teams’ running – as the highest-placed Independent team - and it has closed the gap to the current Independent Teams’ standings leaders to just four points with six rounds remaining.

Team Manager Oly Collins said: “That was a fantastic result which pays back the whole team for all the hard work behind the scenes. Tom was mega in the wet today 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.

“It’s a super competitive championship and you just can’t underestimate what it takes to win races. It keeps us in the hunt for the title. Now we’re hungry for more with six races left!”

“I knew I had to get the perfect start because I had Turkington behind me in the rear-wheel drive and I did!" said Chilton. "Thankfully I didn’t make the same mistake from Rockingham and I kept the lead for the whole race. I knew that I had the car underneath me and with the experience from all of my years racing here it paid off. It was a really big fight at the end, with Turkington coming through but we had such a good car.

“All credit to the team giving me the car to do the job. Starting from 15th on the grid was tough but it just shows you that if you keep your nose clean and with a little bit of luck you can come through to take a win.”

James Cole added: “Congratulations to Tom on his win. It was a fantastic effort from the whole team and he drove really well to take that win. I think overall the result doesn’t show it, but we have found some improvements in the car which we can take forward to Silverstone. Some more consistent running is what we need, and to have two days of the same weather would be lovely. We’re upbeat for Silverstone, it’s a great circuit that should suit our car really well and it can’t come soon enough.”