Qualifying Wrap – The Diamond Double – Snetterton

Jack Goff produced one of the best performances of his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship career so far by taking pole position in both qualifying sessions at Snetterton, following up his earlier effort with a monumental lap record in the ballast-free encounter that sets the grid for tomorrow’s landmark ‘Diamond Double’ race.

The WIX Racing with Eurotech star had been in fine form throughout the day, topping FP2 before taking pole in the opening qualifying session, but it was his breathtaking display in today’s special celebratory qualifying session that will live long in the memory.

Championship leader Colin Turkington was the first to set a benchmark lap but the timing screens were soon lit up during the frenetic 15-minutes of running.

When the dust settled, quite literally around the scorching 2.99-mile Norfolk circuit, it was Goff’s lap time of 1:55.171s that would clinch one of the most prized pole positions in the illustrious 60-year history of the BTCC.

Matt Neal – a three-time champion and a man whose career has spanned across three of those BTCC decades – showed that he still has so much to offer as the most experienced man on the grid took second.

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher driver Tom Chilton was another joyous character in the pitlane post-session after he grabbed an all-important tow from the Honda of Dan Cammish to secure third on the grid.

Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram pipped Cammish for fourth, whilst Pirtek-backed Andrew Jordan was the first BMW home in sixth.

Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport’s Adam Morgan bounced back to form with seventh, whilst Team BMW’s Turkington had to settle for eighth at the finish. Young guns Brett Smith and Tom Oliphant rounded out the top ten.

WIX Racing with Eurotech had also enjoyed stellar results in the earlier session with Goff taking pole, whilst team-mate Smith claimed fourth.

Matt Simpson – also part of the Eurotech stable – completed the celebrations by taking third, behind Halfords Yuasa Racing rookie Cammish.

Toyota star Ingram was the first non-Honda on the timesheets as the title contender came home fifth ahead of Power Maxed TAG Racing’s Josh Cook. Bath racer Cook bounced back from a difficult start to the day, when unfortunate contact with Vauxhall team-mate Senna Proctor forced him out of the opening practice session.

Rob Austin – sporting a red roof in homage to Alfa Romeo’s glittering past in the BTCC – proved the ever-growing potential of the DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing Alfa by claiming seventh.

Sam Tordoff – despite running his Ford Focus RS in a striking pink livery for the #BTCC60 weekend – had ran under the radar during practice but he hooked things up during the first qualifying segment and will line-up on the fourth row of the grid for tomorrow’s opener. Reigning champion Ash Sutton will start the race ninth for Adrian Flux Subaru Racing, whilst Oliphant completed the top ten in the Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes.

The biggest ever Snetterton BTCC crowd is set to be recorded tomorrow as tens of thousands arrive at the Norfolk venue for an historic day of racing. Races 1 and 2 will be run under the normal format before the ‘Diamond Double’ grand finale – a 60-mile, ballast-free and double points contest that is sure to see the BTCC celebrate its 60^th anniversary in style.

Jack Goff said: “You wait for one of them and then two come along at once! They’re like London buses! We worked on that thing I mentioned after Qualifying 1 and the boys did a great job. It’s just about trying to find the clear track – we’re all so close in time. With front-wheel drive, you get two runs effectively, and we didn’t have a clean one first time around, so we knew we needed to have a good run second time around. Thankfully, the WIX Racing with Eurotech Honda Civic Type R was on rails!

“The boys and girls have done a massive job to turn the cars around since Croft. I missed the record last year by 0.005 seconds and it’s about making sure you get it all right, and we did that this year. We’ve got a better car still to come underneath us but we didn’t leave anything out there – I gave it everything. We’ve got a point there already, so we’re winning this weekend so far!”

Matt Neal said: “I’m pleased with that and relieved to be honest. We tested here a few weeks ago without the weight on-board but it’s the first time we’ve run without it this weekend. The track’s very different this weekend and it changes the balance of the car. We knew roughly from Dan’s (Cammish) car where we’d be, though. I’ll be doing the opposite of a rain dance now, hoping for the dry. The FK8 is great in the dry but not yet fully dialled in to the wet. We’re starting at the right end though and that’s what it’s all about.”

Tom Chilton said: “It was marvellous. It was actually just my sixth flying lap of the whole day. We had problems with the engine earlier on, and it was my first proper, proper go at it. We changed the engine after Qualifying 1. The team worked absolutely flat out and we got out there – now we’re up there in the running for the big one. I was biting hard on the steering wheel. I’m normally relaxed but I gave it some. I didn’t want to let anyone down. We’ve had some terrible luck today.”

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying 1 – Snetterton

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying 2 – Snetterton

Qualifying 2: Jack Goff does the 'Diamond Double'

Jack Goff has produced one of the best performances of his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship career so far by taking pole position in both qualifying sessions at Snetterton, following up his earlier effort with a monumental lap record in the ballast-free encounter that sets the grid for tomorrow's landmark 'Diamond Double' race.

The WIX Racing with Eurotech star has been in fine form throughout the day, topping FP2 before taking pole in the opening qualifying session, but it was his breathtaking display in today's special celebratory qualifying session that will live long in the memory.

Championship leader Colin Turkington was the first to set a benchmark lap but the timing screens were soon lit up during the frenetic 15-minutes of running.

When the dust settled, quite literally around the scorching 2.99-mile Norfolk circuit, it was Goff's lap time of 1:55.171s that would clinch one of the most prized pole positions in the illustrious 60-year history of the BTCC.

Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram pipped Cammish for fourth, whilst Pirtek-backed Andrew Jordan was the first BMW home in sixth.

Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan bounced back to form with seventh, whilst Team BMW's Turkington had to settle for eighth at the finish. Young guns Brett Smith and Tom Oliphant rounded out the top ten.

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying 2 – Snetterton

1 Jack GOFF (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech 1m55.171s (92.80mph)
2 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.288s
3 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.453s
4 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +0.478s
5 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.498s
6 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.566s
7 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.591s
8 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.624s
9 Brett SMITH (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +0.679s
10 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +0.791s
11 Josh COOK (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +0.900s
12 James COLE (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.975s
13 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.987s
14 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1.007s
15 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.039s
16 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +1.097s
17 Dan LLOYD (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1.285s
18 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +1.354s
19 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +1.511s
20 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +1.578s
21 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1.657s
22 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +1.692s
23 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.727s
24 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.743s
25 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing +1.806s
26 Michael CAINE (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +2.064s
27 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +2.105s
28 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +2.535s
29 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +2.645s
30 Dan WELCH (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +3.034s
31 Sam SMELT (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +3.232s

Jack Goff takes pole in first qualifying session

WIX Racing with Eurotech has enjoyed a stellar qualifying session for Round 16 of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with Jack Goff taking pole position at Snetterton, whilst team-mate Brett Smith claimed fourth.

Goff set the pace during the recent two-day test at the 2.99-mile circuit and again topped the times during FP2 earlier today. The multiple BTCC race winner went even better in qualifying however, as he broke Gordon Shedden's 2016 qualifying lap record with a 1:55.556s effort.

Matt Simpson – also part of the Eurotech stable – completed the celebrations by taking third, behind Halfords Yuasa Racing rookie Dan Cammish.

Toyota star Tom Ingram was the first non-Honda on the timesheets as the title contender came home fifth ahead of Power Maxed TAG Racing's Josh Cook. Bath racer Cook bounced back from a difficult start to the day, when unfortunate contact with Vauxhall team-mate Senna Proctor forced him out of the opening practice session.

Rob Austin – sporting a red roof in homage to Alfa Romeo's glittering past in the BTCC – has quietly gone about his business throughout the day, and eventually proved the ever-growing potential of the DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing Alfa by claiming seventh. The team has been working tirelessly on finding the right balance in the all-new Giulietta, with blistering pace often bringing about a difficult handling machine, but the squad continue to move closer towards the ultimate setup.

Sam Tordoff – despite running his Ford Focus RS in a striking pink livery for the #BTCC60 weekend – had ran under the radar during practice but he hooked things up during qualifying and will line-up on the fourth row of the grid for tomorrow's opener. Reigning champion Ash Sutton will start the race ninth for Adrian Flux Subaru Racing, whilst Tom Oliphant rounded out the top ten in the Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes.

A number of BTCC's big-hitters failed to make the top ten, most notably Andrew Jordan (11th), Matt Neal (12th), Adam Morgan (13th), Colin Turkington (15th), Tom Chilton (16th), Rob Collard (17th) and Jason Plato (25th).

The Motorbase performance squad deserve special praise for even getting Chilton into the action, however, as the Kent team produced a herculean effort to complete an engine change in his Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher Ford in time for him to join the action midway through the 30-minute session.

In what is an unprecedented Saturday for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, there will be another qualifying session later today. All 31-cars will take part in a 15-minute shootout that will determine for tomorrow's historic 'Diamond Double' 60-mile, which will see all drivers competing for double points in the final encounter. The first two races will take the usual format.

Jack Goff said: "We made a 50/50 call on something on the car and we managed to make it worse than it was in Free Practice 2, so there may be more time left in it. It’s lovely to be back in first and all three of our cars are in the top five. The boys and girls have done a massive job to turn the cars around since Croft. I missed the record last year by 0.005 seconds and it’s about making sure you get it all right, and we did that this year. We’ve got a better car still to come underneath us but we didn’t leave anything out there – I gave it everything. We’ve got a point there already, so we’re winning this weekend so far!"

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying 1 – Snetterton

1 Jack GOFF (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech 1m55.556s (92.49mph)
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.074s
3 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.170s
4 Brett SMITH (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +0.221s
5 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +0.378s
6 Josh COOK (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +0.499s
7 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing +0.540s
8 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +0.593s
9 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.640s
10 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +0.646s
11 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.682s
12 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.763s
13 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.851s
14 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +0.869s
15 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.873s
16 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.960s
17 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +1.038s
18 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1.096s
19 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +1.129s
20 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +1.140s
21 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1.243s
22 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +1.284s
23 Dan LLOYD (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1.386s
24 James COLE (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +1.386s
25 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.455s
26 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.489s
27 Michael CAINE (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +1.847s
28 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +1.989s
29 Sam SMELT (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +1.995s
30 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +2.038s
31 Dan WELCH (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +2.219s

Welch thrilled to be back

Dan Welch makes his return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship this ‘Diamond Double’ weekend at Snetterton, and the fan-favourite is thrilled to be back.

Welch has spent a year-and-a-half out of the running in the BTCC, having completed five campaigns between 2011 and 2016 with Proton machinery before that.

For the second half of the BTCC’s 60^thanniversary year, he joins Tony Gilham’s Team HARD outfit, dovetailing driving with team ownership given his involvement in Porsche Carrera Cup GB on the other side of the fence.

Typically, Welch was hands-on right from Free Practice 1 as he and the team look to develop the Volkswagen CC.

“We had a little problem in FP1 with the turbo and I was just making sure it all looked sorted and good under there and that the boys are doing their job!” said Welch.

“I don’t love getting my hands dirty but it just generally seems to happen! I can sit on both sides of the fence and I can help on the engineering and mechanical side and hopefully do a good job behind the steering wheel too!

“It’s all just come about so quickly. From the middle of the week, where I was just doing my normal job of work, turning up here with two Porsches running in Carrera Cup GB. It developed very quickly that I’d be racing this weekend and without much training, and being out of the seat for a year-and-a-half, I’ve got to do some fast learning.

“We tested last week with the car. Tony (Gilham) has basically drafted me in to try and help develop the car and bring it forward. I’m just here giving good, honest help advice and direction as well as feedback as to what the car’s doing.

“Already, I think I’ve made a big difference. It’s the small things in terms of organisation and setup. We’ve made some big changes since last week at the test. I think it’s all heading in the right direction and I’m feeling a lot more comfortable in the car.”

The Aldershot racer is raring to go on this landmark race weekend and has already been warmly welcomed back into the fold by the series’ support.

“It’s a busy one, and with the Diamond Double and not being up to full fitness it’ll be tough but I’ve never had a problem in the past with the endurance racing I’ve done. I’m also running the Porsches in the other paddock. That ship’s running along nicely. The majority of the work is done ahead of the weekend. I’ve very much switched from that to this and I’m fully focused on this.

“As it stands, the plan is to finish off the season and the fans have been great, very welcoming – lots of handshakes and signatures. It’s great to be back.

“The first year I missed, I nearly shed a tear with the cars going out there and me not, having spent five years in it previously where it became my life. It’s one of the toughest championships in the world but it’s the place to be.”

Goff hits the top in FP2

WIX Racing with Eurotech driver Jack Goff has hit the top during final Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship free practice session at Snetterton, following on from his front-running form during the recent two-day test at the Norfolk circuit.

Goff's lap time of 1:55.684s – less than a tenth shy of Gordon Shedden's 2016 qualifying lap record – has laid down the gauntlet to his rivals ahead of the unprecedented two qualifying sessions later this afternoon.

"When you’ve got a six week break off the back of a bad weekend, it’s horrendous," said Goff. "Croft was a nightmare for us and we’re focussed fully on this weekend now. We’ll see what happens. The 'Diamond Double' is massively important for everybody involved in the BTCC – it’s a bit of history. The 60th year of the championship is fantastic to be a part of.

"We learned some things in the recent test and we've continued to do so this morning – let's see what the afternoon brings."

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish was another driver on top form during the test days around the 2.99-mile circuit so it was no surprise to see him slip into second in the new-for-2018 Honda Civic Type R.

Matt Simpson made it a Honda 1-2-3 on the timesheets as he backed up his strong FP1 showing with yet another impressive performance in the final run.

Mike Bushell is also enjoying an extremely solid Saturday so far and the Team HARD driver claimed fourth in the later session, having taken his VW to third in this morning's 40-minute encounter.

Brett Smith confirmed Eurotech's credentials with fifth, whilst fans' favourite Rob Austin – sporting an Alfa Romeo red roof this weekend – secured sixth for DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing.

BTC Norlin's Chris Smiley was seventh with Senna Proctor just behind – both drivers again clocking top ten times. Former champions Matt Neal and Andrew Jordan completed the leading order.

Honda machinery occupied six of the top ten places.

The BTCC is set to enjoy an historic weekend with its diamond jubilee celebrations including a ‘Diamond Double’ 60-mile finale race on Sunday afternoon. Saturday’s action also has a completely new look with two qualifying sessions taking place today – with the final ballast-free encounter setting the grid for tomorrow’s headline event.

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

1 Jack GOFF (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech 1m55.684s
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.244s
3 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.340s
4 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +0.340s
5 Brett SMITH (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +0.393s
6 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing +0.518s
7 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.752s
8 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +0.768s
9 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.789s
10 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.863s
11 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +1.068s
12 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +1.070s
13 James COLE (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +1.146s
14 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.190s
15 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +1.240s
16 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +1.269s
17 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +1.272s
18 Josh COOK (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +1.330s
19 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +1.374s
20 Michael CAINE (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +1.437s
21 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1.606s
22 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.669s
23 Dan LLOYD (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1.710s
24 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +1.746s
25 Sam SMELT (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +1.787s
26 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +2.111s
27 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +2.277s
28 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +2.588s
29 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +3.048s
30 Dan WELCH (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +3.591s
31 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher NO TIME

Simpson gets #BTCC60 weekend off to a flier

Matt Simpson has taken the early bragging rights by setting the pace in Free Practice 1 of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship event at Snetterton.

The Honda Civic Type R driver was a front-runner for much of the latter stages of the drying session and the BTCC race winner timed it right by clocking a benchmark as the chequered flag fell.

A flash downpour greeted the drivers and teams first thing this morning and the 40-minute segment begun with most cars running the Dunlop BluResponse wet tyres. With sun soon returning to the Norfolk venue a dry line began to form and times tumbled for the remainder of the action.

Simpson and the VW of Mike Bushell traded times at the top as the seconds drifted away, but it was the former who produced the goods on his final attempt. BTC Norlin Racing's Chris Smiley also joined the party as he slid into second with a last gasp effort.

Ciceley Motorsport's Tom Oliphant completed a rather surprising top four line-up, ahead of former champion Andrew Jordan in the BMW Pirtek Racing car. AmD man Ollie Jackson was sixth, whilst Adam Morgan proved the prowess of the Mercedes A-Class with the next best effort.

Rory Butcher (AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing), Colin Turkington (Team BMW) and Senna Proctor (Power Maxed TAG Racing) rounded out the top ten, although the latter had a dramatic start to proceedings as he made contact with his Vauxhall team-mate Josh Cook on the green flag lap. Cook's Astra came off worse following the incident and the Bath racer failed to set a time as his PMR team set about repairing the damage.

A number of the BTCC's leading protagonists failed to trouble the top order, whilst Tom Ingram suffered even greater discomfort when his Toyota stopped out on track. The session was briefly stopped in order to retrieve Ingram's stricken Avensis and his Independent champion Speedworks squad are now working to ready his car for the next practice action.

The BTCC is set to enjoy an historic weekend with its diamond jubilee celebrations including a 'Diamond Double' 60-mile finale race on Sunday afternoon. Saturday's action also has a completely new look with two qualifying sessions taking place today – with the final ballast-free encounter setting the grid for tomorrow's headline event.

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

1 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing 1m56.783s
2 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.054s
3 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +0.154s
4 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +0.329s
5 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.356s
6 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +0.403s
7 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.522s
8 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.557s
9 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.642s
10 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +0.774s
11 James COLE (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +1.282s
12 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +1.326s
13 Jack GOFF (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +1.432s
14 Michael CAINE (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +2.045s
15 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +2.175s
16 Dan LLOYD (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +2.409s
17 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +2.717s
18 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +3.081s
19 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +3.356s
20 Dan WELCH (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +4.696s
21 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +6.739s
22 Sam SMELT (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +7.817s
23 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +14.411s
24 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +14.941s
25 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +15.693s
26 Brett SMITH (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +19.165s
27 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing +21.504s
28 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +24.185s
29 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +26.003s
30 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +26.658s
31 Josh COOK (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing NO TIME

Thompson: 'I believe we've turned the corner'

Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rookie Bobby Thompson admits that the first half of his debut season hasn’t been as successful as he would have liked but he's looking to kick on from Snetterton – a celebratory weekend he's proud to be a part of.

“It is such an honour to be a part of this meeting, celebrating 60 years of the BTCC with the 'Diamond Double',” said Thompson. “They are going to be talking about it for years to come and I hope I will still be in the championship to listen to all those stories in another ten or so years’ time.

"It'll be one of those historic weekends that'll live long in the memory along with the likes of Silverstone 1996, when the championship supported the British Grand Prix, or the meeting at Donington Park in 1999 where Matt Neal won £250,000 as the first Independent driver to win a race outright.

"I wasn’t born when they supported the Formula 1 and I was too young to remember Matt’s win but all I know is that this is going to be the biggest race meeting of my life.”

The reigning VW Cup Series champion has yet to open his championship account but a positive test at Snetterton during the mid-season break, coupled with his charging drive in the final race at Croft, has left him in a buoyant mood.

“I can’t deny that my first half-season in the BTCC has been anything but a steep learning curve and after winning the VW Cup Series title last year it is tough knowing that you are going out there every time not fighting for a win but just fighting for a point or even a place in the top 20,” says Thompson.

“The third race at Croft was the first race all year where I could just catch, pass and pull away from anyone around me. I don’t think I have ever driven harder in my life but it felt great and it was good to give my team a real reason to pack up with smiles on their faces.

“I really feel that we turned the corner last time out. I just changed my approach to driving on worn tyres and it worked.

"I know Snetterton really well and while the 'Diamond Double' is a step into the unknown for most of us I genuinely think that I will be a real contender at the business end of the day.”

Josh Price vacates BTCC race seat

Team BMR has confirmed that driver Josh Price will not contest the remainder of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Price will remain as part of the Team BMR stable, with confirmation on his future due to be released by the team imminently.

The young driver will not be replaced by the Subaru squad in the BTCC, and Team BMR has therefore relinquished one of its held TBLs (TOCA BTCC Licences).

The TBL relating to that entry has been sold, with approval from TOCA, by Team BMR to Power Maxed Racing, in order to replace one of their TOCA-loaned TBLs. That loaned TBL will now revert back to TOCA.

Tordoff honours BTCC Diamond Jubilee with special livery for Snetterton

Sam Tordoff’s Team GardX Racing with Motorbase Ford Focus RS will sport an eye-popping new look at Snetterton this weekend as the Yorkshireman commemorates the special ‘Diamond Double’ event.

Tordoff’s one-off livery will be unveiled to the public for the first time at the Norfolk track on Saturday as part of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s 60^thAnniversary celebrations, with the distinctive bright pink bodywork and contrasting black branding guaranteed to bring an extra splash of colour to the grid to help mark the occasion.

The six-time BTCC race winner is hopeful that the makeover will also bring some additional good fortune for his comeback campaign as the second half of the season gets underway on the 2.99 mile circuit.

Tordoff said: “We had such a great reaction to the JCT600 70th anniversary platinum livery that we ran at Croft in 2016. As soon as I had signed the contract with Motorbase to return to the BTCC this year, I was adamant that we should do something similar once again. The 60th BTCC anniversary celebrations at Snetterton seemed the perfect time to do it.

“We wanted to choose a colour that really made an impact on the track and also on TV. Bright pink has become my signature colour over recent years. My pink helmet attracts a lot of attention and comments - as you’d expect - and we wanted something special for the car, so it was a no-brainer to run with it!”

“It’s definitely going to grab people’s attention – who knows, we may even decide to keep it!”

The 29-year-old heads into the second half of the season in confident form after a recent run of strong results in the GardX-backed Focus RS. Despite being the fastest qualifier on the grid so far this season, Tordoff’s race results have been hampered by a series of unfortunate and uncontrollable incidents – something the Yorkshireman hopes to put right this weekend.

“Snetterton is probably my most successful track, especially in the BTCC,” he added. “I’ve won there in everything that I’ve raced in and it’s one of my all-time favourite circuits. I took my fist Clio cup win there and also my first BTCC pole position and race win, so it holds great memories for me.”

As part of the 60^thanniversary celebrations, Snetterton also plays host to a one-off double distance, double points contest for the final race of the weekend. Following an additional 15-minute, base-weight qualifying session on the Saturday, all cars will also race the 20 lap distance free of the usual championship success-ballast.

“We’re going into the weekend well prepared,” continued Tordoff. “The team clocked up a huge amount of mileage on the recent two day tyre test, so I’ll have the knowledge to build on that data.

“Race 3 is going to be a true test to see where everyone’s cars really are when we’re not hampered by ballast. It’s going to be like Round 1 at Brands Hatch all over again. It’ll be interesting to see how our car stacks up against everyone else, both in qualifying and the race.

“It all bodes well for a good weekend. Hopefully the stars will finally align and we can get back to winning ways.”

BTCC on ITV – The Diamond Double – Snetterton

The 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship returns from its summer hiatus this weekend (28-29 July) at Snetterton Circuit, Norfolk, witha special 'Diamond Double' race topping the bill.

The third race of the weekend on Sunday 29 July will be an extended, double-distance, 60-mile contest, with all cars competing without any success ballast and with double championship points on offer. A second base-weight qualifying session will take place on Saturday to decide the grid.

As ever, ITV Sport will have you covered live, free-to-air and exclusive, starting with qualifying on Saturday afternoon – streamed over at itv.com/btcc. Then, on Sunday, Rounds 16, 17 and 18 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.

Snetterton 28/29 July

Qualifying 1 LIVE: Saturday 28 July
ITV.com/BTCC from 1505

Qualifying 2 LIVE: Saturday 28 July
ITV.com/BTCC from 1735

Raceday LIVE: Sunday 29 July
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1030–1830
ITV4+1 1130–1930
ITV Hub 1030–1830
ITV.com/BTCC 1030–1830

Highlights: Saturday 4 August
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1030-1200
ITV4 +1 1130-1300
ITV Hub Available anytime for the next 30 days

Highlights: Sun 5 August
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 0630-0800
ITV4 +1 0730-0900

Highlights: Wednesday 8 August
ITV & ITV HD 2345-0105