MG Racing RCIB Insurance's Daniel Lloyd heads to Cheshire on the points trail as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship arrives at Oulton Park this weekend.

Lloyd has an excellent track record on the 2.23-mile Island layout.  The MG Racing RCIB Insurance racer sealed a first BTCC front row start here last season in the Eurotech Racing Honda Civic Type R – missing out on pole by just 0.019 seconds.

“I’m looking forward to bouncing back from a tough weekend at Thruxton,” said Lloyd. “Oulton Park is one of my favourite circuits. It’s one of the closest tracks to home and we always have fantastic local support there from fans and sponsors – many of whom are coming along at the weekend.”

Lloyd has endured a tough start to his 2017 BTCC campaign that has seen the Yorkshireman secure just two points finishes from nine races, with the Triple-Eight-run squad striving to unlock the MG6.

“It’s no secret that we’ve been struggling this season, but with the change over to the new suspension kit this year combined with the new Dunlop tyre and limited pre-season testing it’s been a really steep learning curve for us all,” explained Lloyd.

“Hopefully the things that we picked up from our recent test at Croft will be more relevant here and we’ll be able to stay out of trouble and make some progress.

“The MG Racing RCIB Insurance crew have done a brilliant job to get the car ready for this weekend and have been working non-stop to get us back on the front foot;” the Yorkshireman added.

“The guys have been busy on the rig since Thruxton, working on the dampers and we’ve made some pretty big changes to the MG6 for Oulton, so hopefully that work will start to pay off in results this weekend.”

See www.podiumpredictor.com for full terms and conditions, Paul's predictions and details on the prizes.

Good luck #BTCC fans!

Indie Ingram leads the charge as Britain's biggest motor racing series blasts on to Oulton Park

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship travels northward to Cheshire's Oulton Park next weekend (20/21 May) for Rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the season. The UK's biggest motor sport series is set to blast around the picturesque circuit in front of what is always one of the biggest crowds of the year, with in excess of 40,000 fans flocking to soak in the festival-like atmosphere.

The 2017 BTCC campaign is already well underway, with each of the three weekends so far throwing up the first-class, highly competitive, unpredictable racing that the championship is renowned for, where any number of the 32-strong field have a very real chance of making the rostrum. The first nine rounds have produced seven different victors and six different marques have already been represented on the podium – Honda, BMW, Subaru, Toyota, Vauxhall and Mercedes have all adorned the laurels.

A record crowd last time out at Thruxton in Hampshire saw Tom Ingram extend his championship lead, though two decorated factory drivers in Honda's reigning champion Gordon Shedden and double champion, BMW's Colin Turkington, are breathing right down the neck of the Independents' flag-bearer. Speedworks Motorsport's Ingram will head to Oulton, the team's back yard, top of the tree and can surely count on strong local backing.

Oulton Park is a favourite for families and campers, with thousands packing the surrounding fields ready to cheer on their favourite drivers, teams and local heroes, and there's always a unique feel when the BTCC comes to town. Once again, as per every BTCC event, ITV4 will be covering all of the unmissable action live.

Magic Milestones
Sunday at Thruxton proved to be an historic day for the championship as triple champion Matt Neal marked a major milestone in his career, matching touring car legend Andy Rouse's tally of 60 BTCC victories – drawing him level-second on the all-time winners' list. 

“I hadn’t given much thought to equalling Andy’s win tally, to be honest," said Neal. "We all thought that record was unachievable and even though Jason [Plato] exceeded it, I never thought I would get there – it's just unbelievable.

"Yes, there are a lot more races in the season now, but it's tough out there. To have left Hampshire with a Halfords Yuasa Racing one-two and a Honda podium lockout on home soil was a dream – a fabulous result.”

Rob Collard finally broke his Thruxton silverware duck after flying off the line at lights out in his typical style, past a clutch of others and into second early on. An issue for Neal up front meant that victory would be Collard's if he could hold off the sister Honda of defending champion Gordon Shedden, and the Hampshireman came up with the goods for a first win on home soil and a first win of 2017 in what looks like potent machinery.

The BMW 125i M Sport traditionally goes well in Cheshire with four wins in the last five years, only one fewer than Oulton kings Honda over the last 15 rounds there. With manufacturer backing from the giant Bavarian automaker this year, Team BMW will be a force to be reckoned with once again next weekend.

Further history was made in the final encounter of the day at Thruxton, as Collard's team-mate Colin Turkington made it cause for a double celebration for BMW, claiming its 100^th victory in Britain's premier motor sport championship.

"I wasn’t that confident before the race because we had been chasing the set-up all day, but the guys never let up which moved the car in a new direction – and the pace was there for all to see," said Turkington. 

"To achieve BMW’s 100^th win in the BTCC is a very special feeling for me. I grew up watching the likes of Smokin’ Jo Winkelhock and Tim Harvey, so to continue the history of this iconic brand means a lot to me."

Dick Bennetts, West Surrey Racing and Team BMW Team Principal, said: "We are immensely proud to have scored BMW’s 100th win in the British Touring Car Championship. We’ve run BMWs since 2007 and they’ve been a fantastic partner throughout that time."

Oulton Park last year also provided a significant milestone – that of Subaru's very first pole position and its maiden win in the championship. 

This year though, on current form, a Subaru victory may be harder to come by although by no means out of the question. Of its quartet of drivers, Jason Plato, James Cole, rookie Josh Price and Ash Sutton, it's the latter that has led the charge throughout a challenging opening few rounds for the Japanese marque.

Sutton has scored a brace of podium finishes but his three team-mates have consistently struggled to break into the points – including double BTCC champion and the series' most successful driver Plato. That said, Oulton Park's stops and starts could suit the rear-wheel drive nature of the outfit's Levorg GT.

Local heroes
Oulton and its local surroundings are a hotbed for BTCC talent and a number of teams and drivers call the circuit home. Speedworks Motorsport heads to Cheshire and the fourth weekend on the calendar with driver Tom Ingram topping the overall Drivers' championship.

A solid points haul, including two impressive podiums with a ballast-laden Toyota Avensis, ensured he would extend his lead in the running – something he hadn't banked on doing ahead of Thruxton. The target at Oulton is another haul of points in a bid to retain his advantage at the standings summit.

"To come away from Thruxton having extended our points lead is incredible," said Ingram. "We never expected to do quite so well given the ballast on board but it just goes to show once again what an awesome job Speedworks are doing. It's hard to believe what we've managed to do over the first three events this season – it's amazing. 

"The odds will be stacked against us again with the weight we've got to carry and the nature of Oulton Park as more of a rear-wheel drive circuit. The price you pay for success in the BTCC is that added ballast, and we have proven so far that the Toyota can carry it fairly well so, a good points score across the board is what we've got to look for.

"I love the track, it's a blast. It's where I took my first pole in cars, so I've got some good memories of racing there. Then there's the fact we're on home turf. Speedworks is based just around the corner, so it would be nice to have a strong weekend in our own back yard and come away with our championship lead intact."

Ciceley Motorsport hails from Preston, Lancashire and backs the Mercedes-Benz A-Class of Adam Morgan – himself a local driver and a multiple visitor to the podium this year. Both team and driver will be aiming to consolidate their title tilts in both the overall Drivers' standings and the Independents' running next weekend. 

Ciceley also backs Laser Tools Racing and young-gun Aiden Moffat. The Scot secured a maiden victory in the championship back at Donington Park and typically tenacious racing has seen him take up a top ten spot in the overall table – an encouraging start to the season.

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's James Cole is from Liverpool. Both he and his team will be looking for an upturn in form after a difficult opening third of the campaign.

Timetable and tickets 
All three BTCC races on Sunday, 21 May – and many of 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. Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Renault UK Clio Cup, MSA Formula Championship and the Ginetta championships will all be in attendance in Cheshire, making for a weekend of truly unmissable racing.
 
Discounted advance tickets are on sale online from just £27 for Sunday, 21 May and they are available on the gate at £15 for Saturday, 20 May, with weekend tickets including a Paddock Pass available for just £35.
 
They can be purchased online at www.oultonpark.co.uk, by calling 0843 453 9000 or from the ticket office. Accompanied children aged 13 and under are admitted free.

Rob Collard and Colin Turkington combined at Thruxton to give BMW its landmark 100th race win in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The upshot was not only an increased advantage in the BTCC Teams’ Championship for WSR-run Team BMW but also a boost to BMW’s advantage at the head of the Manufacturers’ title race.

Hampshireman Collard leapt up to third place at the start of Round 8 from 10th on the grid, in a typically swashbuckling getaway from the grid. By the time the race was red flagged on lap three, he had scythed his BMW 125i M Sport into the lead.

At the restart, he drove away from the field to take a maiden victory on home turf, a first in 2017 and the 14th of his BTCC career following a race that was declared short of its intended distance due to a second red flag incident.

 “It feels fantastic to get a victory so early in the season and to do it at my local circuit made it even more special – especially as Thruxton isn’t a track we expected to win at," said Collard. "We’ve worked hard to maximise not just the starts, but the early laps, and the results were strong.

"With full success ballast on-board in race three it was always going to be difficult to finish well, so seventh was a very useful haul of points to add to those achieved earlier in the day and it means we go to Oulton Park – a track we’re normally strong at – in very good shape.”

"It was an explosive few laps!” beamed Collard. “The BMW felt absolutely stunning and I was so pleased for the team. We did a lot at the first start, and then the re-start was textbook. I had a really good opening lap and then I’m not sure what happened to Matt (Neal). It was obviously a shame for him but I will take this one, and with pride.

“I must admit, going three-abreast into the chicane was pretty scary! I had one of the Hondas on my left and then cheeky Jack Goff snuck up my inside on the right – I didn’t see that one coming! The BMW was on fire this weekend.”

Northern Irishman Turkington followed that up with a commanding victory from pole position in the reversed-grid third race, achieving BMW’s 100th BTCC success and the 48th achieved with Sunbury-on-Thames-based WSR.

Added to seventh and sixth places earlier in the day, Turkington’s second win of the year ensured he left Thruxton third in the Drivers’ Championship. Rob’s 10th and seventh places in the other races – the latter result coming with a full 75kg of success ballast – puts him fourth overall.

“I’m incredibly proud to take the 100th BTCC win for BMW, a company with such an incredible record of success in touring car racing," said Turkington. "Doubly so, because I grew up watching Jo Winkelhock and Steve Soper and wishing one day I could do the same as them.

"We didn’t have the fastest car today at what isn’t traditionally a rear-wheel-drive circuit, but we definitely worked the hardest to make sure we had enough pace when it counted. Without the reversed-grid pole, I’m not sure we could have won today, but we’ve made it work for us and it’s a very special day for the whole team.”

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “We are immensely proud to have scored BMW’s 100th win in the British Touring Car Championship. We’ve run BMWs since 2007 and they’ve been a fantastic partner throughout that time. Rob drove magnificently in Race Two, making a great start and really braving it out at the chicane when he was three-wide early on.

"I think the race being stopped and declared early helped us, because I’m not sure what would have happened if it had gone the full distance. We were fortunate to have Colin drawn on pole for Race Three, but he made the most of it and drove beautifully. Colin and Rob are now third and fourth in the points and we’re leading the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ standings, so it’s been a very satisfying weekend.”

AmDTuning.com with Cobra Exhausts' run of points finishes came to an end at Thruxton, though there was still cause for encouragement leaving Hampshire after what has been a positive opening third of the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season for the West Thurrock outfit.
 
The team went into the third meeting of the year looking to add to its points tally after drivers Ollie Jackson and Ant Whorton-Eales both brought home top 15 finishes last time out at Donington Park. With Jackson having also scored points at Brands Hatch, the team was keen to maintain its upward curve on its return to the venue where it opened its account with the Audi S3 Saloon 12 months earlier.
 
The highly competitive nature of the field this season was once again reflected in qualifying. Jackson's time was just over a second off the benchmark but despite this, he would find himself down in 25^th place on the grid for race one. A strong and consistent run through the field from lights out saw him up to 18^th by the finish.

From there, climbed up to 15^th and a points-paying position in the early stages of race two before an accident at Church forced officials to bring out the red flags. A further incident saw the red flags fly again after six laps, with Jackson ending up just shy of the points in 16^th spot.
 
It would be a similar story in race three, with the AmD man battling on the cusp of the fiercely-contested points spots on the way to 17^th – his battled-scarred Audi showing afterwards how frenetic battle had been on track.
 
"It’s disappointing that we didn’t manage to score any points this weekend, but it was unbelievably tight on track,” he said. “Thruxton is a bit of a bogey circuit for me, but we were right in amongst it and with a bit more luck, we could easily have come away from the weekend with a decent result to our name and been celebrating more points on the board.
 
“We can’t dwell on what might have been however, so it’s time to put Thruxton behind us and focus on what is to come through the remainder of the season.”
 
Team-mate Whorton-Eales broke into the top 20 in qualifying, setting the second fastest time of all through the final sector of the lap en-route to 19^th on the grid.
 
The Lichfield racer was unable to build further in the opening race, however, as he was forced wide and onto the grass at Noble early on, which resulted in an enforced pit-stop to allow the team to remove debris from the front of the car – ultimately ending up a lap down in 30^th place.
 
He gained six spots on the way to 24^th in race two, despite battling an electrical problem throughout.
 
Unfortunately for the reigning Clio Cup UK champion, time was against the team and he was forced to take a watching brief during final race of the weekend, with that issue precluding the car from entry.
 
“It’s been an up and down weekend and obviously it was disappointing to have picked up the electrical problem that forced us to miss race three,” he said. “We thought we’d managed to find the issue after race two but sadly it wasn’t the case and it prevented us from trying to push forwards towards the top 20.
 
“It’s a shame that we couldn’t show what we were capable of in terms of the end results, as the pace in the car was clear to see from qualifying and then in the way I was able to run with the leaders without a problem in race one – particularly when you consider it was my first time here in a BTCC car.
 
“These things happen though, and we’ll come out fighting to score more points next time out.”
 
Team boss Shaun Hollamby admitted it was unfortunate for the team not to add to its points tally, but insisted there were still positives to take away from the weekend.
 
“We hoped to maintain our run of points this weekend but sadly it wasn’t to be,” he said. “Ant’s performance in qualifying was encouraging and put him in a good position for race day, and it was unfortunate that we couldn’t build on that in race one.
 
“Had he not been forced off track then we could easily have scored in that race, and it’s a shame that the electrical gremlins then affected his car in race two and prevented him starting race three. I have to thank the team, and also the guys from Swindon Engines, for their efforts ahead of race three, but time was just against us.
 
“The fact that Ollie came so close to points in all three races showed we had a strong race car, but it’s the field is so close this season that it isn’t easy to fight through the pack. A few tenths of a second in qualifying would have put him right up with Ant on the grid and I’m sure he’d have been able to then add to his tally.
 
“Having seen the pace of the car again in race trim, it’s clear to see what we need to work on our one lap pace so that both drivers can try and qualify higher up the grid when we get to Oulton Park and challenge for more points.”

Power Maxed Racing left Thruxton with a trio of points finishes and more silverware following another positive Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship weekend for the new Vauxhall Astra.

The outfit were optimistic following valuable testing outing in Hampshire two weeks prior and qualifying showed that the team could well be there or thereabouts.

Chilton donned new tyres for a run half way through the session and promptly set a session record sector one, followed by a flying second sector – a personal best. Unfortunately at the last, the red flag emerged, forcing Chilton to back off and effectively invalidating his lap. Still, Chilton qualified in 11th with Proctor just behind in 14th. 

Race one saw Proctor pass Chilton as the latter lost ground through an obscured view of the five second board. Chilton now had a point to prove, passing Matt Simpson on lap nine, Aiden Moffat on lap 12 and was fighting with Andrew Jordan for 12th.

An uncharacteristic spin from Jordan forced the Vauxhall man into evasive action, losing the Surrey racer two positions in the process. Proctor, meanwhile kept his head down to cross the line just outside the points in 16th – collecting another Jack Sears Trophy victory.

Proctor was involved in contact with the two MGs at Church on the opening lap of race two, resulting in all three cars leaving the circuit and Dan Lloyd hitting the barrier with force, causing a red flag. The Vauxhall was forced into pitting to repair a damaged oil cooler and tyre and the PMR mechanics made the turnaround for the restart with some quick work down in the garage. 

After the restart, Chilton briefly found himself on the defensive but had made three forward moves by the third tour. Proctor's focus was firmly on the JST, and race two would be a case of damage limitation. The rookie made up seven places by lap six when the race was prematurely ended by another red flag.

Both Astras started race three well, with Chilton running 11th and Proctor 22nd. The former held station throughout a competitive race, making up a spot to finish top-ten, and setting the fastest race lap of the weekend, just a few thousandths-of-a-seconds shy of Yvan Muller's 2002 lap record, also set in a Vauxhall Astra.

“The team have put together a mega car, and it's a case of could have, should have, would have," said Chilton.

"I didn’t have the best start to the weekend. First, the red flag in qualifying, then being unsighted and losing grid places for the start of race one. However, I got my head down and did what I do best – race for position.

"It was great to be able to be in thick of the action and gain places, but I just wish I’d have started further up the grid."

Senna Proctor said: “It’s been an exciting weekend, race one was a steady way to ease into Thruxton, winning the Jack Sears was a good result for a steady race.

"The second was an action-packed affair, and I was thrown right into the action being sandwiched in between the two MG’s and honestly I think I was lucky to escape that one. Race three was more promising, and I wanted to keep it clean.

"To come away with the Jack Sears Trophy for the third weekend is real testament to the team and the rapid development in both myself as a BTCC rookie and for the brand new Vauxhall Astra, I am thrilled."

Adam Weaver, Power Maxed Racing Team Principal, reflected: “The team have had their work cut out this weekend and have again risen to the occasion. It is only the third outing for our new Vauxhall Astra Touring Car, and we are still learning a lot.

"So to bag points, the fastest lap and the Jack Sears is a great achievement for the team and the drivers. They are a great bunch, and I’m proud to say they represent Power Maxed Racing."

Thruxton is always a favourite on the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship calendar, with cars reaching speeds of almost 160mph, sometimes two and three abreast through the quickest sections, and this year a record crowd lapped up the action.
 
On an historic day for the championship, three-time title-holder Matt Neal marked a major milestone in his career as he matched touring car legend Andy Rouse’s tally of 60 BTCC victories – elevating him to equal-second on the all-time winners’ list.
 
There was glory, too, for local favourite Rob Collard, who finally broke his Thruxton duck – and in some style. Renowned as the series’ best starter, the Hampshireman made the most of his rear wheel-drive advantage when the lights went out in race two and following a power steering issue for Neal, he thereafter staved off the sister Honda of defending champion Gordon Shedden to triumph.
 
Team-mate Colin Turkington then made it cause for a double celebration for BMW by claiming the Bavarian marque’s landmark 100^th BTCC success in the weekend’s finale, while the support series also delivered non-stop action from lights-out to chequered flag.
 
The Renault UK Clio Cup, Ginetta Junior Championship and Ginetta GT5 Challenge were all clear crowd-pleasers – delighting the tens of thousands of fans thronging the grandstands and spectator banks in the warm spring sunshine. The young stars of British F4 in particular put on a tremendous show, with a succession of spectacular slipstreaming scraps providing a welcome tonic after recent events.
 
Indeed, Billy Monger was at the forefront of many people’s thoughts, with a Saturday evening track walk seeing fellow drivers, team personnel, championship members and spectators alike pour onto the circuit to raise a further £7,500 towards the popular teenager’s recovery and rehabilitation from the life-changing injuries he sustained last month.
 
The pit-lane was similarly packed for the ever-busy Pit Walk the following morning, with fans taking advantage of the opportunity to fill their autograph books and snap selfies with their BTCC heroes.
 
“What a wonderful weekend of racing we’ve had,” enthused Thruxton Group Managing Director Bill Coombs. “It’s always fantastic to host the BTCC, and it was great to see so many passionate and enthusiastic fans coming through the gates to enjoy the action.
 
“It was also very gratifying to see that the first phase of safety improvements brought to Church Corner over the off-season are yielding the desired effect, with Daniel Lloyd thankfully walking away unscathed after leaving the track at high-speed during the second race on Sunday.
 
“Work on that front will continue next winter, but in the meantime, there is plenty more to be enjoyed here at Thruxton, most notably British Truck Racing in June and the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship for two-wheeled aficionados at the beginning of August. Both are absolutely brilliant events – so make sure you don’t miss out!”

Tom Ingram increased his lead in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton with a trio of top four finishes in the Speedworks Motorsport Toyota at the fastest circuit in the country.

Having moved to the top of the points table three weeks earlier courtesy of a second victory of the campaign at Donington Park behind the wheel of his Avensis, Ingram arrived at Thruxton with his sights set on consolidating his advantage, albeit carrying 66kg of success ballast aboard the #80 entry.

The talented young Bucks ace initially looked to be struggling during the opening throes of the weekend, around a second shy of the benchmark as he proved unable to crack the top ten in free practice as he struggled to strike a satisfactory balance over a single lap.

That left Speedworks chasing its tail heading into qualifying, but a raft of changes and a strong early effort from Ingram secured fourth spot on the grid, in so doing preserving the 23-year-old’s record as the best average qualifier of the season to-date.

Ingram held station in race one, with the Toyota carrying its ballast well, and applied pressure on Jack Goff's lighter Eurotech Honda Civic Type R ahead while simultaneously staving off a threat from behind. Fourth place marked a positive result, and with less ballast on-board for race two, Ingram would look to attack.

Following an early red flag, he muscled Ashley Sutton’s Subaru out of fifth and profited from an issue for early leader Matt Neal to advance to fourth, stealing third place from Goff at the beginning of lap four. Ingram was looking to reel in the leaders before an incident further down the order prompted the red flags to fly again – this time for good.

From fourth on the grid in the day’s finale, Ingram manoeuvred around the outside of defending champion Gordon Shedden on the opening lap before going on to take third from Rob Austin and second from Goff. Thereafter, he considered giving chase to Colin Turkington but a ‘moment’ later in the race convinced him that on this occasion and with a hefty 57kg of ballast on-board, discretion was the better part of valour.

Ingram’s fifth podium and eighth top five finish from nine starts in 2017 enabled him to extend his overall championship lead to 17 points and his margin in the Independents’ Trophy to 21 points, with Speedworks similarly stretching its legs in the Independent Teams’ standings and holding firm in third spot in the Teams’ classification.

“Given the ultra-competitive nature of the BTCC and the impact of success ballast, it’s tremendously difficult to score three strong results over a race weekend now, but just like at Donington Park, that’s exactly what we achieved at Thruxton,” said Team Principal Christian Dick. “Not only that, but to do so with a car that never carried less than 48kg additional weight was mightily impressive.

“It’s fair to say that after free practice, there was a lot of head scratching going on. I know some other teams were saying we were sandbagging, but we really weren’t – we were just struggling massively to unlock the Avensis. We were quite happy with our race pace, but nailing single-lap speed was proving to be rather more elusive. We were staring at the likelihood of qualifying outside of the top ten, and starting in the middle of the pack is notoriously fraught with danger.

“We led the championship after Donington because of an exclusion, but we left Thruxton having extended that lead entirely on merit and I think we showed that as a team, we have the skill, expertise and passion to challenge right at the sharp end in the toughest championship in the country. The Toyota has been bang on the pace everywhere we’ve been so far and extremely consistent with it regardless of the success ballast – and that gives us a lot of confidence to take on to Oulton Park.”

“What a mega weekend!” said Ingram. “We went to Thruxton with what we thought were very realistic expectations. We were obviously carrying a lot of weight, but it’s also a track that I love – one that really rewards bravery and commitment – and having set a new lap record there in qualifying last year, I was looking forward to going back.

“We were quietly confident and knew after free practice that we had a consistently strong race car underneath us, but there was a major question mark over our qualifying form because we couldn’t get it hooked up the way we needed to. We went into the session fully anticipating an uphill battle, but I managed to pull a lap out of the bag that put us towards the front of the grid and as a team, I really think that was one of the best performances we have ever produced given how much our backs were against the wall.

“I was quicker than both Goff and Shedden in race one, but with the bigger picture in mind, there was no point in trying any risky moves as fourth position still represented a very solid finish. We were then in really good shape in race two, and it was a shame it was stopped when it was because I had latched onto the tail of the two leaders and was lining up to launch an attack. With just a few more laps, I’m confident we could have pushed for the win.

“We fought through again in race three, and once I had cleared Jack, I tried to see if I could close the gap to Colin too but after a big moment on the run down to the final chicane, I decided it was better to back off and settle for a safe second place. The Avensis was fantastic all day – absolutely superb – and we had the pace to challenge for victory in two of the three races. I really cannot praise the Speedworks guys and girls highly enough for what they are doing right now.

“To come away having actually extended our points lead is incredible – we honestly never expected to do so well, but it just goes to show once again what an awesome job Speedworks are doing on a very limited budget. I still can’t quite believe what we have achieved over the first third of the season – it’s amazing.”

Rob Collard and Colin Turkington make it 100 wins for BMW, as Matt Neal equals Andy Rouse

Colin Turkington claimed BMW's 100^th Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship win, after team-mate Rob Collard had earlier secured the 99^th success for the German marque in a thrilling day of racing at Thruxton.
 
Honda machinery looked to be the dominant force after taking a 1-2-3 finish in the opening contest at Britain’s fastest circuit, which saw Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal head home stablemate Gordon Shedden and Eurotech Racing’s Jack Goff.
 
It was a faultless lights-to-flag display from pole-sitter Neal, who drew level with Andy Rouse’s tally of 60 BTCC wins – the equal-second most victories in BTCC history.
 
Collard then claimed his first-ever triumph at Thruxton in a truncated encounter that included two stoppages and heartache for race one winner Neal.
 
Team BMW’s Collard had already surged from tenth on the grid up to sixth, before the race was red flagged for the first time following a high speed accident involving Senna Proctor’s Vauxhall and the two MGs of Aron Taylor-Smith and Daniel Lloyd.
 
Local driver Collard blasted his BMW 125i M Sport off the line again at the restart, firing his rear-wheel drive car up to third and immediately harassing the two factory Hondas ahead of him.
 
It was three-wide for second into the final chicane on the opening lap as Collard emerged, 'elbows out', ahead of Goff and Shedden.
 
The drama continued as the Honda Civic Type R of initial race leader Neal crawled into the pits with steering problems one tour later, handing Collard the advantage.
 
With the race seemingly building towards an exciting climax it was unfortunately cut short due to an accident for the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo Ford of Martin Depper.
 
So, as the red flags waved it was Collard claiming a maiden win on home soil at Thruxton from Shedden and Ingram, who had both dispatched Goff earlier in the contest.
 
Then came another magic milestone as Turkington – having powered to two BTCC titles in BMW machinery – fittingly secured the memorable century for the German manufacturer.
 
The West Surrey Racing driver produced a commanding getaway from pole position and never looked in danger – the Northern Irishman eventually taking the chequered flag nearly three seconds ahead of the chasing pack.
 
Speedworks Motorsport’s Ingram took second place to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship, whilst Goff claimed a second podium of the day. The latter’s trio of top four results was just reward for the 26-year-old and his Eurotech Racing squad.
 
Honda’s Gordon Shedden finished fourth in the final encounter – cementing his place as the highest points-scorer over the course of the weekend, keeping pressure on Ingram in the process. Turkington is now third in the standings after his latest success.
 
Honda closed the gap on BMW in the Manufacturers’ order while Team BMW slightly extended its advantage in the Teams’ standings.
 
Ingram and his Speedworks squad still hold sway in both Independents’ tables, whilst Senna Proctor took his third successive Jack Sears Trophy.
 
The BTCC returns in two weeks’ time (20/21 May) for Rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park in Cheshire.
 
Matt Neal said: “I hadn’t given much thought to equalling Andy’s win tally, to be honest. We all thought Andy’s record was unachievable and even though Jason [Plato] exceeded it, I never thought I would get there. Just unbelievable. Yes, there are a lot more races in the season now, but its tough out there. We had a bit of a nightmare here last year and then Donington Park was a rotten weekend all-round for everybody, so to come away with a Halfords Yuasa Racing one-two and a Honda podium lockout on home soil is a dream – a fabulous result. I made sure to look after the car and the tyres were superb throughout.”

Rob Collard said: “The BMW felt absolutely stunning and I’m so pleased for the team. We did a lot at the first start, and then the re-start was similarly textbook. I had a really good opening lap and then I’m not sure what happened to Matt – I could see sparks coming off – so it was obviously a shame for him. but I will take this one and with pride. I must admit, going three-abreast into the chicane was pretty scary! I had one of the Hondas on my left and then cheeky Jack Goff snuck up my inside on the right – I didn’t see that one coming! The BMW was on fire today and it’s brilliant to take my first win of 2017. A big shout out to Billy [Monger], who is watching at home on TV – Forza!”

Colin Turkington said: “I wasn’t that confident before the race because we had been chasing the set-up all day, but the guys never let up which moved the car in a new direction – and the pace was there for all to see. To achieve BMW’s 100^th win in the BTCC is a very special feeling for me. I grew up watching the likes of Smokin’ Jo Winkelhock and Tim Harvey, so to continue the history of this iconic brand means a lot to me. I’m so pleased to end the day like this. The BMW 125i M Sport is a fantastic car at the moment and we’ve really got it in the window. Thruxton has always been a challenge for us – it’s probably the circuit where we’ve won the least – so to take two victories is fantastic.”

Tom Ingram said: “After last month’s test, we came here knowing we had a car that would struggle to set a quick qualifying time but would be very strong in the races – and we proved that today. It’s a cracking points total to take away from here, and as long as we keep focusing on the consistency, the results will keep coming. That approach is paying dividends at the moment. At some stage, the gap will clearly close up but while we’re extending it, then I’m very happy.”

Jack Goff said: “We actually finished where we started for once – I’ve usually gone backwards this year! It’s a great result for Eurotech Racing and all my sponsors, because I’ve made them wait a little while this year for my first podium and it’s nice to finally be able to repay their support. I was keeping pace with Shedden until one of the Audis – which we were lapping – had a massive moment right in front of me and I had to lift off the throttle, which cost me all my momentum but we’ll still definitely take third place. We started off the weekend pretty strong in practice, and that form continued today. We improved the car again for the last race. I made a mistake through Church that allowed Tom [Ingram] to get a run on me and get past, but it’s been a very solid weekend with two third places and a fourth – I think we can be very happy with that.”

Gordon Shedden said: “To be on the front row with 75kg in the car definitely exceeded my expectations; every lap was an adventure as I tried to keep my foot in for as long as possible through the faster corners out the back of the circuit – there wasn’t much left in the tank! I got a slightly better start than Matt in race one but he was a lot lighter than me so I didn’t force the issue too much. It was fantastic for him to take his 60^th BTCC win, and a tremendous effort from the boys to get a one-two finish. It was disappointing that we didn’t have another five or six laps in race two because we were definitely faster than Rob and then race three was another good finish. You always want more of course, but we came away with three very solid results and a strong points haul – and that gives us a lot of confidence going to Oulton Park.”

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 7 – Thruxton

1 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 16 laps
2 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.290s
3 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +1.372s
4 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +1.772s
5 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +2.230s
6 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +2.474s
7 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +5.060s
8 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +5.940s
9 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +6.366s
10 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +7.302s

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 8 – Thruxton

1 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW 6 laps
2 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.212s
3 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +0.507s
4 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +1.575s
5 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +2.791s
6 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +2.971s
7 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +3.327s
8 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +4.143s
9 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +5.152s
10 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +5.623s

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 9 – Thruxton

1 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 16 laps
2 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +2.576s
3 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +4.081s
4 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +5.836s
5 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +10.002s
6 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +10.756s
7 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +11.732s
8 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +12.414s
9 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +12.989s
10 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +13.694s

Penalties

Qualifying
Tom Chilton was penalised by the loss of lap-time due to not slowing down under yellow flag signals. He received three penalty points.

Race One
Jake Hill was verbally reprimanded and received two penalty points for an incident involving Josh Cook

Race Three
Matt Neal was penalised by the addition of 0.5 seconds to his race time for gaining an unfair advantage during an incident involving Tom Chilton.

Colin Turkington has taken the 100th BTCC win for Bavarian marque BMW after producing a dominant lights-to-flag success in the final race at Thruxton.

Turkington fittingly secured the century – having taken both of his BTCC titles in BMW machinery – with arguably one of the more straightforward victories in his illustrious career so far.

The BMW 125i M Sport blasted away from pole position and was never in danger as the Ulsterman looked after his Dunlop SportMaxx tyres from start to finish. Squabbling behind involving Jack Goff, Tom Ingram, Rob Austin and Gordon Shedden made the task slightly easier for Turkington, who produced consistent lap after consistent lap, eventually taken the chequered flag nearly three seconds ahead of the chasing pack.

It was championship leader Ingram that headed that pack, as the Speedworks Toyota man made moves by Goff's Honda and Austin's Toyota. Goff claimed a second podium of the day with his trio of top four results in Hampshire being just reward for the 26-year-old and his Eurotech Racing squad.

Austin was demoted to fifth by Halfords Yuasa Racing's Shedden, who keeps the pressure on Ingram at the top of the table. Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's Ashley Sutton took seventh after making a great pass by Team BMW's Rob Collard, whilst the inseparable Mercedes' of Aiden Moffat and Adam Morgan were next up in the order.

A special mention must go to race one winner Matt Neal, who started the final encounter from the back of the grid following steering problems in race two. The triple BTCC champ carved his way through the field and eventually took an incredible 11th place finish, behind the Vauxhall of Tom Chilton, who impressively set the fastest lap in the Power Maxed Racing Astra.

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 9 – Thruxton

1 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 16 laps
2 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +2.576s
3 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +4.081s
4 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +5.836s
5 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +10.002s
6 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +10.756s
7 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +11.732s
8 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +12.414s
9 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +12.989s
10 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +13.694s
11 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +13.725s
12 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +14.616s
13 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +14.917s
14 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +17.474s
15 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +19.220s
16 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +20.962s
17 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +21.430s
18 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +21.647s
19 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +22.520s
20 Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +22.865s
21 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +26.224s
22 Josh COOK (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +26.275s
23 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +32.973s
24 Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +34.599s
25 Aron TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +41.519s
26 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +42.960s
27 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +52.180s
28 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +2 laps
DNF Luke DAVENPORT (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +10 laps
DNF Daniel LLOYD (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +15 laps