Adam Morgan converted what was his very first Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship pole position with a lights-to-flag victory in Round 19 – the highlight of a strong showing at Rockingham this past weekend.

The Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport A-Class showed itself to be the car to beat on Saturday as the Lancashireman steered to P1 on the grid. This proved to be the perfect tonic for a frustrating couple of race weekends which had culminated in a double-DNF at Snetterton.

“It’s been six years but we got there,” said Morgan. “This pole position feels like a win and bearing in mind that we normally race better than we qualify, we knew it'd put us in a great position going into race one.”

Morgan fired off the line well in the opening 16-lap encounter and led the pack through Deene Hairpin for the first time. Scuffling in behind the Mac Tools-backed racer meant Morgan had an opportunity to break away and that he did – building a lead and controlling the pace from the front on the way to victory.

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBTCC/videos/2127222313985874/

“It’s always a good feeling to get a lights-to-flag victory, and to do it in the BTCC, even more so,” said Morgan. “I made a great start and I knew if I led out of the Deene Hairpin I would be okay.

"I led in, and when I came out I looked in the mirror and saw there had been drama, so I just got my head down and pushed on. After about five laps it became a bit slippery and then it dried up so I just concentrated on maintaining the gap.”

Maximum success ballast was on-board his Mercedes for race two but Morgan coped admirably. Ash Sutton's fast-starting, lighter, Subaru Levorg blasted clear at the off but Morgan slotted in behind and stayed there until the chequered flag fell. That meant he notched the Independent win in Round 20 and another big haul of points.

“I knew Ash would be strong off the line so I just had to do my best with the weight," Morgan continued. "There were battles behind me, so I could build a gap over the pack and thankfully the flag dropped before Tom Ingram could catch me. With 75 kilograms in the car, second place was a great result.”

From row five in the Rockingham finale, Morgan charged through the drama at Deene to gain ground and emerge in third place. As Morgan chased the leaders, on a greasy track, he made a small mistake at Yentwood and slithered wide a few laps later.

That left Adam in a race-long duel with Ollie Jackson’s Audi S3. The two cars scrapped for the bulk of the race, chased by Dan Cammish’s Honda but the slippery Volkswagen CC was able to jump ahead, relegating Morgan to eighth place.

“A win and a second was a great effort for the weekend,” said Adam. “For the last race we ran the championship regulation hard tyre and our pace was steady but not great.

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBTCC/videos/2127383027303136/

"We probably need to be more aggressive on the set-up, but the pole, win and second were fantastic.

"We have had two frustrating weekends, so to come here and rack up the successes is a real boost to us all. We came here ninth in the championship and are now up to sixth and I have had more wins than all bar one driver, so there is a lot to be pleased about.”

Morgan's efforts over the weekend netted Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport the Teams’ Trophy for the weekend with the most consistent trio of results, the first time the team has scooped the award.

Ciceley Motorsport's Tom Oliphant qualified his Next Level Motorsport backed A-Class on the 11th row of the grid after a tricky session hampered by a technical issue in free practice. Although diagnosed and resolved by his Ciceley Motorsport engineers and the engine builder as quickly as possible, Oliphant was left fighting an uphill struggle.

He made good progress through the pack until unnecessary and unfortunate contact again, this time with James Cole caused Oliphant to call into the pits. He recovered to a creditable 25th place, making further gains in the second race up to the cusp of the points-paying positions and 17th.

For race three, Oliphant, like Morgan, had chosen to run the Option-Hard compound Dunlop tyre and he made great progress in the early stages, bringing his car home in 13th place and in the points.

“I’ll take a points finish after what was a very difficult weekend," said Oliphant.

"The time we lost in free practice really hampered us, and then to be taken out in the first race robbed us of any chance to come away with some serious results on race day.

“I knew this would be a tricky meeting as it was my first-time racing at the circuit since 2015 and my first time there in front-wheel drive machinery, and that was intensified by the time we unfortunately lost due to some technical issues.

“It meant I headed into qualifying a bit blind as I didn’t know exactly where the grip levels were, where to push in the braking zones etc, so it was no surprise to come away with a lower result than we wanted, which made our comeback on race day even more pleasing.

“Our pace in the first race was fantastic and I loved being in the thick of the action throughout, attacking and overtaking every lap. The car was an absolute dream to drive, so to have our charge ended in such abrupt fashion was infuriating.

“That left us towards the back of the grid for race two and that was our toughest race, with a drying circuit slightly catching us out with car set-up. We still had some strong pace though and I was able to make some progress up the field.

“We started in contention for the points in the final race and I had some great speed in the early stages, so I could make loads of overtakes and get up to ninth. Unfortunately, we struggled on the Option-Hard tyre from there and it was frustrating to slip back to 13th.

“We have loads of positives to take away from the weekend though and I’m excited to see what we can do at Knockhill. Everyone says the car is a strong package there and I’ve had some great pace in Scotland in the past, so I’m really looking forward to it!”

Ciceley Motorsport’s Commercial Director Norman Burgess added: “What a weekend! Adam excelled himself, starting with that first-ever pole position.

"That was a great start to the weekend, and a race win, a second, two Independent wins and then the Teams’ Trophy success has been outstanding. Now we go to Knockhill and look for more success.

“Tom has been unbelievably unlucky so far in his first year of the BTCC, every time he gets into a good position during a race he just seems to get collected in somebody else’s incident.

"He has everything required to be at the front in the championship, he is a fast, determined and measured racing driver. It’s not even a case of keeping out of trouble, because he does that perfectly but, at the moment, no matter what he does, it seems to find him!"

Morgan is now up to sixth in the Drivers' standings and fourth in the Independents' Trophy, with Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport eighth in the Teams’ running and fifth in the Independents'. 

Oliphant is 13th in the Independents' order and sixth in the Jack Sears Trophy.

Chris Smiley notched an emotional maiden Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship victory at Rockingham last weekend, and a second for BTC Norlin Racing after Dan Lloyd's Croft triumph.

The outfit has enjoyed a strong second season in Britain's top tier motorsport championship and Saturday's performance at Rockingham hammered its prospective pace home – Lloyd and Smiley lining up fifth and sixth for Round 19 respectively.

Lloyd followed up with a good start in the opener but, challenging for third spot, he was tagged into a spin and shuffled down the order after repairs at a pit-stop. He recovered to a respectable 21st come the chequered flag. Smiley, was also unable to escape the turn two melee, and wrestled damage to take a stellar fourth – out-dragging Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish over the line.

Norlin set to work on the cars pre-race two and duly delivered a pair of fresh Honda Civic Type Rs for Round 20.

In the damp conditions, and running the Dunlop Option-Hard Sport Maxx tyre, Smiley held a podium position early on before succumbing to rivals on the softer compound rubber on the way to a sixth place finish.

Lloyd's recovery continued with a battle to 16th and the ideal platform to chase for points from in the finale after his opening round misfortune. It wasn't to be in race three, though, as further contact put a premature end to proceedings for the Yorkshireman.

Smiley produced another demon launch, firing himself away from fifth on the grid and right into the lead pack. With a couple of drivers misjudging the conditions up-front, the Northern Irishman kept his cool to pick his way through the quartet out front and into the lead by the exit of Deene. He managed the gap and stormed to a first-ever top step in the BTCC – with the last five laps, he said, feeling more like five years!

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBTCC/videos/2127945333913572/

“What an amazing day!” said Smiley. “The weekend started well, qualifying nicely in the top six but the real magic happened on race day!

"In race one I thought it was all over going into Deene Hairpin which resulted in my car getting damaged extensively but I battled hard all race long and passed Dan Cammish on the line to take fourth position.

“In race two I had the Option-Hard tyre fitted to my Honda Civic Type R and battled hard to finish inside the top six in difficult conditions and with 48 kilograms of ballast on-board.

"The reverse grid left me fifth for race three. I managed a good start off the line and in turn two a few cars ran wide, enabling me to take the lead and control the race from there.

"It was far from plain sailing as I had a safety car restart and some rain to handle but I managed to keep my concentration. The last five laps felt like five years, but the emotion crossing the finish line is something I will never forget.

“I can’t thank Bert Taylor, Richard Irwin and Stephen Symington enough for everything they have done for me. This win is for them! I am bursting with excitement to get to Knockhill in two weeks' time!”

Dan also showed pace but his Sunday was fraught with challenges, most of which he had little influence over the outcome.

“There are positives to take from the weekend.” said Dan. “It was my best qualifying yet and I placed myself in the top five for the first race.

"We are still finding ways to improve the car and I had the pace on Sunday. I am disappointed with the results I achieved, obviously getting turned around on the second corner in the first race made the rest of the day tough and I didn’t find much luck through the rest of the day either.

"I am over the moon for Chris and the team, achieving two race wins from three race weekends is a really awesome job.”

Team Boss Bert Taylor was not only delighted that the driver he has worked so closely with but doubly so, given his son Ben also engineered his first race-winning BTCC car.

“That moment will live with me forever! It has been a long and tough journey to this point but I couldn’t be happier for Chris and we are all so proud,” said Taylor.

“The team has only been in the Championship for 18 months and this is Chris’ second full year. His pace and determination today has been nothing short of impressive.

"I am also overjoyed for my son Ben who has been engineering Chris’ car this year, the win means so much to him as well.

“Dan had a lot of bad luck but he brings so much to the team and has been fast all weekend. It is a shame that we couldn’t see what he had to offer this weekend after the first lap incident in race one but I know he will bounce back at Knockhill.

"It has been a busy day for the team with lots of work to carry out between races. They continue to impress me with their professionalism and determination – I am very proud of them all.”

Leading motorsport publications Autosport and Motorsport News have paid tribute to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship this week with special editions celebrating 60 years of the UK’s premier motor racing championship.

The publications have special bumper issues detailing the history and the rise of the series to become the leading category in the UK.

Its journalists have polled a number of tin-top experts to create a list of the 25 greatest BTCC drivers of all time, and they have also pulled together some of the BTCC’s most iconic cars for a group track test. 

There is a reflection on how the championship rose from its roots in 1958 to become essential viewing for armchair fans and the biggest race-day draw in modern motor racing.

BTCC series director Alan Gow gets behind the wheel of a modern-day racer, and there is an exclusive interview with the series’ most successful driver, Jason Plato. Motorsport News also includes a special pull-out poster of all the series’ championship-winning machines.

Both publications detail Jim Clark’s reign in the championship on his way to the 1964 title and there is also a look back at some of the BTCC’s greatest moments.

Motorsport Network’s editor in chief Andrew van de Burgt said: “For 60 years the British Touring Car Championship has been covered in depth across the pages of Autosport and Motorsport News, so it was only natural that we would want to celebrate its landmark anniversary with two bumper special issues.

“There have been so many fantastic races, charismatic drivers and memorable cars that it was impossible to do justice to them all, but we have tried to reflect the passion, excitement and unpredictability that has captivated fans over the decades.

“We owe a huge thank you to all the people who helped us to create these amazing pieces of work and here’s to the next 60 years!” 

Motorsport News is published today (Wednesday) and Autosport is published tomorrow.

Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rookie Bobby Thompson produced one of the best performances of his career to shatter his previous BTCC high with a pulsating drive from 28^th to seventh in the third and final race of the day at Rockingham.

Just two weeks on from his first career point scoring drive and a head-turning maiden top ten finish in Britain’s highest profile domestic race series at Snetterton, 22 year-old Thompson gained not only the best finish of his rookie season so far but also the respect of the BTCC paddock.

Under laden and occasionally damp skies at the concrete lined 1.94-mile Corby circuit, Thompson and Team HARD with Trade Price Cars ensured that they left their mark on the most unique racing facility in the UK on possibly the BTCC’s final visit to Britain’s only true ‘Roval.'

The current BRDC Rising Star and reigning VW Cup Series Champion could potentially have left with a clean sweep of top ten finishes in Rounds 19, 20 and 21, such was the pace of the number 19 GKR Ltd VW CC, had it not been for a gear linkage issue in qualifying, a turbo wastegate issue in race one and contact from a rival in race two.

“The car was just mega all weekend,” said Thompson. “From the moment we hit the track it just felt on rails and my engineer just kept tweaking it all weekend and each time we changed something it just kept on feeling quicker and quicker.”

Comfortably inside the top ten after the first raft of timed qualifying runs, Thompson says that although he was disappointed not to qualify where he felt he could, the fact that the car was so strong, plus an unsettled forecast for race day, meant he knew he would be able to move forward in the races.

“Obviously with my team-mate Mike Bushell qualifying fourth I felt that that was where the car was capable of qualifying so to be on row nine isn’t great,” added Thompson, whose best lap was still just six tenths off pole position despite him completing fewer laps than anyone else on the 31-car grid. “When you know that you have the right package underneath you it just gives you the confidence to go into a race with the right mindset and that is what I did.”

With spots of rain making the track slightly greasy and on the less favoured option tyre for the opener, Thompson made a good getaway and gained four places over an incident strewn opening lap before the safety car intervened. Already in a points-paying position, Thompson felt confident of further progress, especially in the kind of conditions he revels in until disaster struck just as the field took the restart.

“Suddenly the car had a problem with the turbo wastegate and so I had to pit as the field restarted,” continued Bobby. “The guys got me back out but I just lost the lead lap and had to basically let everyone go so I didn’t interfere in their race which was doubly frustrating as the car was just so quick.”

With a fastest lap just two tenths shy of race winner Adam Morgan despite being on the option tyre Thompson took the chequered flag a lap down, which meant a twelfth row start for the second race, which played out in similarly uncertain weather conditions.

“We have had so many races this year where we have started out of position because of a minor issue in the previous race but now I have the confidence in the car to just come through the pack whatever gets thrown my way.”

With the infamous Dean Hairpin claiming its fair share of victims on the opening lap Thompson emerged unscathed in 14^th place under safety car conditions at the end of the opening lap and when the green flag waved again on lap four.

“There were spots of rain everywhere but nothing too major and I love those conditions so I just went for it and as other people seemed to be a bit cautious I was just able to pass people and pull away.”

On lap ten, he passed Rory Butcher for ninth and closed in on Matt Simpson for eighth. The Honda was quickly dispatched with an outside move at Tarzan only for Thompson to be forced wide on the exit of the corner, which allowed Ollie Jackson’s Audi to close in. 

While Jackson had his licence endorsed for the incident it came as cold comfort to Thompson, who was forced to return with damage to the rear of his VW and was faced with starting 28^th on the grid for the final race of the day. 

“I was thinking ‘not again',” continued Thompson. “To not score any points with a car as fast as ours would have been cruel to everyone on the team so I just had to take every opportunity and make sure I wasn’t taken out by anyone else’s mistake.”

A sprinkle of rain just before the start helped Bobby’s cause as several drivers ran wide at Dean, elevating him into 17^th place at the end of the first lap.

Thompson got into the groove, passing an average of one car per lap, sometimes two – breaking into the top ten with a pass on the works Honda of Dan Cammish on lap ten and then dispatching Tom Oliphant, Jackson and race one winner Adam Morgan on successive laps to take seventh place by the 13-lap mark. That's where he stayed, representing a career high so far!

“I can’t thank my team enough for giving me the best car I’ve ever driven,” said Thompson, who moved into eighth place in the Jack Sears Trophy standings thanks to his race three result. “Most of all I have to thank my parents who work non-stop to help raise the sponsorship to keep me racing. They live every lap with me and so this result is a great way to repay them and we will be celebrating this as a family tonight.”

Team Parker Racing's Stephen Jelley came out atop Dunlop's #ForeverForward weekend standings leaving Rockingham, with greasy, changeable conditions the order of weekend number seven of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Rain came and went on race-day in Northamptonshire, making tyre choice, and when to use Dunlop's Sport Maxx Option-Hard, pivotal – 65 percent of the field to utilise it in race three.

Round 19 saw a greasy track surface, with pole-sitter Adam Morgan claiming wets were the way to go at lights out. With the circuit rapidly drying, though, he and the rest of the field took to Sport Maxx Prime rubber.

Jelley made his mark, gaining 14 places from his starting position of 28th on the grid. Reigning champion Ash Sutton engaged in a six-lap battle with Tom Chilton, and his eventual switch-back manoeuvre on lap 13 was voted the #ForeverForward fan favourite overtake of the race. Morgan, meanwhile, went on to record a lights-to-flag victory.

Intermittent showers ahead of race two saw teams and drivers making the call between the BluResponse and Prime tyres right up to the wire. Dry conditions prevailed, though, and despite being the last to bolt on the Sport Maxx rubber, leaving his Dunlop's colder than the rest, Sutton got a blistering start to bypass pole-sitter Morgan and strode to victory from there on.

Josh Cook picked up 16 positions to take the early advantage in the weekend #ForeverForward table. After race one contact saw perenially-unlucky Sam Tordoff spiralling down the order after yet another stellar qualifying performance, he recovered 11 places in the second encounter, placing him nicely for the final race of the day.

It was Tom Ingram in the Speedworks Toyota, though, who stole the day after another race one DNF. Miraculously, he produced a carbon copy of his Snetterton race two recovery – gaining an astounding 24 positions from his 27th on the grid to take third and another podium with his last lap overtake on Senna Proctor voted the fan’s favourite. 

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBTCC/videos/2127676333940472/

Rain once again created an air of indecisiveness ahead of lights out in the finale. Matt Simpson, lining up second, was on the Prime tyre, as he set about chasing pole-sitter Chilton on the Option-Hard.

A slippery surface made its mark, with several drivers sliding wide at turn two allowing BTC Norlin Racing's Chris Smiley to capitalise. The Northern Irishman picked his way through the ensuing melee to make up four positions and gain the lead, where he stayed for an emotional maiden BTCC victory.

Top mover was Bobby Thompson. After an eye-catching race two drive, where he found himself battling on the cusp of the top six before contact through no fault of his own saw him spiral down the order, he produced a special comeback. From 28th on the grid, he steered his Team HARD-run Volkswagen CC to a best-yet seventh place finish seventh.

Jason Plato and Jelley gained 15 spots apiece, with Tordoff narrowly missing a podium finish after a sterling recovery from 18th to fourth.

All this left king of the fightback Tom Ingram top of the Dunlop #ForeverForward pile.

#ForeverForward weekend honours

1. Stephen JELLEY, 29
2. Tom INGRAM, 27
3. Sam TORDOFF, 25
4. Rob AUSTIN, 22
5. Bobby THOMPSON, 21
6. Josh COOK, 16
7. Aiden MOFFAT, 16
8. Matt NEAL, 15
9. Jason PLATO, 15
10. Senna PROCTOR, 13

#ForeverForward overall standings

1. Tom INGRAM, 119
2. Stephen JELLEY, 105
3. Senna PROCTOR, 103
4. Rob AUSTIN, 96
5. Josh COOK, 91
6. Bobby THOMPSON, 87
7. Ollie JACKSON, 86
8. Aiden MOFFAT, 84
9. Adam MORGAN, 80
10. Tom BOARDMAN, 78

Eurotech Racing has announced that is no longer to run the Simpson Racing Honda Civic Type R of Matt Simpson with immediate effect following the Rockingham rounds on Sunday 12^th August.

Since joining Eurotech at the start of the 2018 season Simpson has shown huge improvement with a string of top ten finishes, highlighted by a stunning pole position that was converted to a win at Oulton Park, subsequently topped with a podium in race three at Rockingham.

Eurotech Team Principal Jeff Smith said: "Having helped Matt to his best ever season in BTCC we were completely shocked to be told that he no longer wanted to run with us, especially immediately after the podium in race three. Whilst we are disappointed not to be running Matt for the rest of the 2018 season we wish him the best of luck in the remaining three rounds and beyond."

Simpson Racing will be running the car independently for the remainder of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Adam Morgan, Ashley Sutton and Chris Smiley shared the race winning spoils at Rockingham, whilst the battle for top spot in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship standings raged between Colin Turkington and Tom Ingram throughout the day.

Ciceley Motorsport with Mac Tools driver Morgan converted his first ever BTCC pole position into a commanding lights-to-flag victory in the opener, with Adrian Flux Subaru Racing star Sutton and Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher’s Tom Chilton completing the podium positions.

Whilst Morgan was taking his third win of the season in relative comfort there was seemingly no end of drama in the battle for the remaining podium places, which kicked off as soon as the lights went out.

A sluggish start from Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish from third on the grid almost saw Chilton’s Ford by on the run down to the hairpin for the first time, but as the former went in deep to defend he unfortunately tagged second placed Sam Tordoff and tipped him into a spin.

With the GardX-backed Ford now stranded in the middle of the track and facing the wrong way, a number of unsighted drivers were then caught up in the resulting melee.

Sutton produced the move of the race on lap 13 with a switchback manoeuvre on Chilton through the esses. From there, he scampered away with a second placed finish.

Chilton held on to third with Cammish and BTC Norlin Racing’s Chris Smiley crossing the line behind side-by-side – with Smiley securing fourth place by just 0.059s.

Reigning champion Sutton went one better in race two as he saw off the challenges from Morgan and the blisteringly quick Toyota Avensis of Ingram.

Pole-sitter Morgan lost the lead to Sutton off the line, and although the former kept the latter honest throughout he was never really close enough to make a concerted effort to get by.

Yet again, it was the fight for the final podium position that created the most excitement with Ingram incredibly grabbing the place late on after a storming drive from 27th on the grid.

He had already picked off rival-after-rival before he blasted by then championship leader Turkington to take fifth on lap 15. Both title protagonists then muscled their way past the impressive VW of Mike Bushell, so now it was Ingram and Turkington in fourth and fifth with just a couple of laps remaining.

Senna Proctor’s Power Maxed TAG Racing’s Vauxhall was hanging on to third but when he ran across the grass through Brook for the second time, Ingram spied his opportunity and nipped through to complete another wonderful comeback drive.

His championship advantage didn’t last long, however, as Team BMW’s Turkington scored his own podium in the final encounter to move back to the standings summit with a four-point advantage over Ingram.

Despite Turkington’s table topping success, the final race will be remembered for Smiley taking his first ever victory in the series in largely dominant fashion. Smiley also became the 12th different race winner of the 2018 season so far.

The other podium places eventually came down to the run to the finish line as Matt Simpson’s Honda lost second to Turkington through Brook. In a dash to the chequered flag it was Simpson who hung on to a podium by just 0.029s from Motorbase man Tordoff.

As well as Turkington heading the Drivers’ standings his Team BMW squad lead both the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ orders. Unsurprisingly, it is Speedworks Motorsport topping both Independents’ tables. Cammish leads the Jack Sears Trophy.

The action returns in two weeks’ time for Rounds 22, 23 and 24 of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Knockhill.

Adam Morgan said: “Winning's always an incredibly nice feeling. To bring it back on the top spot is fantastic and as always, a massive thanks to Ciceley Motorsport and Mac Tools. The main objective was to get off the line and into turn two in the lead. I was a little more cautious once I’d got there, on the brakes and with the kerbs when the rain started to fall. After that, though, I just tried not to look behind me and to get away. It was slippery four or five laps in and with Tom (Chilton) behind, I was careful. He gained but then it dried and with the temperature in the tyres we pulled the gap. I saw Ash (Sutton) coming but I was calm and relaxed. It’s a lot of weight off my shoulders winning from my first ever pole.”

Ash Sutton said: “It was like re-living Race 2 at Snetterton. We made the right call on tyres at the last minute. We’d gone on wets and we started on stone cold dries – everyone else had a couple of sighter laps to warm up. It’s very much like last year how things are playing out so far this season – better late than never! We’re getting there with the car in race trim and we’ve got something. The Adrian Flux Subaru Racing guys have done a great job. We were third after Race 2 at Snetterton but finished up seventh, it’s an indicator of how quick things can change so we’re not counting any chickens.”

Chris Smiley said: “You’ve no idea what I’ve been through to get that win – I’ve been through hell and back. I can’t thank Bert Taylor, Stephen Symington and Richard Irwin enough for everything they’ve done for me. They’ve put me here and had faith in me and that win is for them. This is the first time I’ve ever topped a practice, qualifying or a race and I can’t believe it. I’m so grateful to the team, all the guys and girls working so hard and to my sponsors. It could get a little bit fun later on!”

Colin Turkington said: “That was excellent. I decided I’d go for it and try and get on the front foot and be aggressive but it was ultimately a race of patience for me. We had the speed in the car and it was about picking the right moment. It was good to get a points swing back in Team BMW’s direction and it’s always nice to bring one of these yellow Dunlop winners caps home for the kids! It’s points in the bag and I’d always rather that, even with the added pressure of leading the championship into a race weekend. We always enjoy Scotland whatever the result. A massive thanks must go to Team BMW – they grafted so hard all weekend.”

Tom Ingram said: “There’s a lesson in this: don’t let yourself get beaten up, don’t let your head go down and look at the positives in any situation. For all the negatives you get, every so often you get a real positive and you can have some fun coming through from the back like that. I got to 12th pretty early on and my engineer said ‘you’ve got the rest of the race to do the rest of it’. For the second weekend running, we’ve had to do the same thing but credit to the lads. We were up against it after Race 1 and we only just got the car back out ahead of Race 2. Thanks to everyone at home for the messages of encouragement again. It really helps.”

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 19 – Rockingham

1 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport 18 laps
2 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +3.017s
3 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +7.031s
4 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +7.293s
5 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +7.352s
6 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +8.830s
7 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +9.459s
8 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +11.934s
9 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +13.547s
10 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +14.306s

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 20 – Rockingham

1 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing 19 laps
2 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +4.426s
3 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +5.315s
4 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +7.327s
5 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +8.170s
6 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +12.469s
7 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +12.579s
8 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +12.722s
9 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +15.417s
10 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +16.541s

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 21 – Rockingham

1 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing 16 laps
2 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +3.563s
3 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +5.156s
4 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +5.187s
5 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +5.305s
6 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +9.781s
7 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +12.970s
8 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +17.083s
9 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +17.811s
10 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +18.060s

Penalties

General

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing has had 10 points deducted from its Manufacturers' and Teams' Championship scores having changed an engine above the number permitted

Team Parker Racing has had 10 points deducted from its Teams' Championship score having changed an engine above the number permitted

Dan Cammish was fined the sum of £1,500 following comment that fell foul of regulations made in a television interview

Race 1 

Ricky Collard was officially reprimanded and had his licence endorsed with two penalty points for overtaking under yellow flag conditions

Rob Austin received a verbal warning for an incident involving Ollie Jackson. This does not count as a strike

James Cole was officially reprimanded and had his licence endorsed with two penalty points for an incident involving Tom Oliphant

Dan Cammish was officially reprimanded and had his licence endorsed with two penalty points for an incident involving Sam Tordoff

Race 2

Ollie Jackson was officially reprimanded and had his licence endorsed with two penalty points for an incident involving Bobby Thompson

Chris Smiley was penalised with the addition of 0.8 seconds to his race time for an incident involving Mike Bushell. This does not count as a strike

BTC Norlin Racing's Chris Smiley has won his first ever Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race after a dramatic final contest at Rockingham – the Northern Irishman becomes the 12th different race winner of the season so far.

Proceedings got off to a rather bizarre start when debutant Ricky Collard's BMW 125i M Sport broke down on the green flag and a series of race delays commenced whilst his stricken Team BMW machine was retrieved by the recovery team.

Rain began to fall slightly harder shortly before the race eventually got underway and pole-sitter Tom Chilton was the first to be caught out by the conditions at the first hairpin. Chilton's Ford Focus RS slid wide, as did a series of others, and it was absolutely frenetic action as everyone fought for position.

When the positions were eventually settled it was Smiley leading from Matt Simpson's identical Honda Civic Type R with a gaggle of cars headed by Colin Turkington in behind.

Another accident down the order and another safety car period followed, but it was soon the AmD MG of Rory Butcher making ground. He'd already attacked for the lead before being shuffled back by Simpson and Turkington, but the Scotsman fought back by the latter to move into the podium paying positions.

A setback struck Butcher on lap ten, however, when he too was caught out by the tricky conditions and ran his MG6 wide through the hairpin – losing three places in the process.

The podium eventually came down to the final run to the finish line as Simpson lost second to Turkington through Brook and then got caught by Motorbase man Sam Tordoff, as well as Tom Ingram's Speedwork's Toyota. In a dash to the chequered flag it was Simpson who got the nod by just 0.029s.

"I was hanging on towards the end and I snagged the front axle when Colin (Turkington) was getting stronger with the rear-wheel drive," said Simpson. "After the win at Oulton Park, after all the well dones from everyone and fellow drivers, Colin sent me a message in the week and that meant the most. I look up to him. He’s a true gentleman."

Butcher recovered to finish sixth, ahead of the brilliant Bobby Thompson in seventh. The VW driver produced an eye catching performance and made outstanding moves by Adam Morgan's Mercedes and Ollie Jackson's Audi to claim his best result.

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish completed the top ten on what was largely a difficult day for the multiple champion Honda squad.

Post-race attention, however, quickly turned to Northern Irishman Smiley who has impressively taken his first win in dominant fashion.