Return to form for Morgan

WIX Racing’s Adam Morgan bounced back from troubled weekends at Oulton Park and Croft with three excellent top ten finishes at Snetterton last weekend.

Morgan was a firm championship contender after taking two wins earlier in the campaign, but the Ciceley Racing-run outfit looked surprisingly out of sorts during the events immediately prior to the mid-season break.

A positive test at Snetterton in July led to Morgan’s best ever BTCC qualifying run during the race weekend – the Mercedes man taking third at the Norfolk track.

He lost out to Mat Jackson’s Ford in the opening two races, but still brought home solid fourth and fifth place finishes.

“My WIX Racing Mercedes-Benz A-Class just didn’t seem as good as yesterday, with the front and back of the car not being quite as sharp,” he commented after the contests. “I tried hard to catch Mat but that Ford Focus is really quick in a straight line so it was very tough.”

Adam ran third at the restarted final race, but again it was Jackson diving forcefully up the inside of the A-Class. As Morgan was nudged wide, he rubbed into Tom Ingram’s Toyota Avensis and both picked up damage. Adam dropped to ninth and spent the ten-lap race involved in huge battles, fighting for position and defending at the same time. By flagfall, the Ribchester Rocket had raced to a hard-fought seventh place.

“I got roughed up a bit at the start,” said Adam. “I was ahead going into the corner and got a massive whack in the side that forced me wide and I whacked Ingram. That dropped me to ninth but I was able to battle back to seventh, although the engine seemed to be losing a bit of power towards the end and I was losing about four lengths at the end of each straight.

“Three top ten finishes is a great result, though, after a difficult time at Oulton Park and Croft so all round it has been a very positive weekend and we go to Knockhill which has suited our car in the past.”

Knockhill Preview

Gordon Shedden returns to Knockhill as Jason Plato reaches milestone

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship makes its annual pilgrimage to Knockhill next weekend (13/14 August), with a passionate and partisan Scottish crowd set to roar on home hero Gordon Shedden.

Reigning champion Shedden re-ignited his title defence with a recent victory at Snetterton – much to the delight of his loyal fans that will be flocking to Fife next time out – but the Honda man remains just one of around a dozen championship contenders as this incredible BTCC season continues to reach new heights.

“I couldn’t be happier,” said Shedden. “Snetterton has put me back in contention and I will be heading to my home event at Knockhill on a real high!

“I can’t wait for the weekend. The circuit is amazing and you really have to hang on there. It’s a proper touring car track and I’m sure the racing will be fierce – let’s hope for a Scottish win, or two, or three!”

Talented Aiden Moffat – the youngest driver in the history of the BTCC – is another local light with a big future ahead of him. A maiden podium at Knockhill last season signalled his arrival in Britain’s biggest motor racing series, with many marking his championship credentials in the years to come.

The short, undulating and atmospheric Knockhill circuit will provide a rollercoaster ride for the huge touring car grid and will undoubtedly play host to three unforgettable tin-top battles, although the final destiny of the country’s most coveted motor sport prize looks set to go down to the wire.

Story so far: Unpredictable, unprecedented and unmissable
The 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship boasts ten different race winners so far – an unprecedented number at this stage of the campaign – leaving pundits still searching for a favourite for the title.

Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden were first and second in the standings following the opening two events, suggesting that Halfords Yuasa Racing would be the team to beat for the season to come.

Then it was the turn for Team JCT600 with GardX to hit the top as team-mates Rob Collard and Sam Tordoff swapped places at the summit. Collard now leads his younger WSR BMW colleague by just three points, with the Honda duo heading the chasing pack.

Shedden’s fortunes dipped at Croft where a disastrous event left him languishing down in ninth place, but he bounced back like a true champion with a win at Snetterton – he now sits fourth behind his Honda Civic Type R stablemate Neal.

2014 supremo Colin Turkington similarly claimed a victory at the Norfolk track earlier this month, as one of the year’s most incredible stories continues to unfold. Subaru has entered the BTCC for the very first time in 2016, with the overall focus on developing its Levorg model for a championship challenge over the coming seasons. The Silverline Subaru BMR Racing team found race-winning pace quicker than expected, however, and now Ulsterman Turkington is forging an unlikely assault on the title after a hat-trick of wins so far.

Mat Jackson is the only other driver to reach the top step of the rostrum on three occasions, and the Motorbase Performance driver is very much a leading contender as he bids to end his championship drought.

No fewer than seven other drivers can consider themselves very much in the title race, but with events now coming thick and fast they will have to make their move sooner rather than later.

Talking point: 500 not out for Jason Plato
Jason Plato is the most successful driver in BTCC history, having amassed 94 victories in his glittering career to date, and the tin-top legend will reach another notable milestone at Knockhill next weekend.

The opening race on Sunday will be his 500^th in Britain’s toughest championship, with a record of nearly one win in every five races ensuring an outstanding and long-lasting legacy in the series.

“I’m sure it’s something I’ll look back on fondly at the end of my career, but for now I’m focussed on the job at hand,” he said. “I’m more interested in the number of wins I’ve had than the number of races, to be honest.”

Winning also remains a big talking point this season, as Plato still searches for his maiden success with Silverline Subaru BMR Racing, although it’s more paddock chat rather than something the man himself is too concerned about.

Plato is signed to a multi-year deal with the Japanese marque and is playing the long game, whilst acclimatising himself to rear-wheel-drive machinery for the first time in his BTCC career.

“I feel like it’s close, but we’re not losing too much sleep over it,” commented Plato at Snetterton. “Things just haven’t quite gone my way so far this year.”

With a career spanning nearly two decades, the ups and downs of motor sport are merely part of the job, but it’s fair to say his 500 races have provided some of the best and most memorable performances ever seen in the BTCC.

The good times have outweighed the bad by quite some margin, and you wouldn’t put it past him adding to his victory tally at Knockhill next weekend.

Timetable and Tickets
Three BTCC races will take place on Sunday, with the entire day broadcast live and in high definition on ITV4.

In addition to the BTCC, there will be a number of races on the support bill, including popular sportscar, single-seater and tin-top contests. A total of 14 races will take place across the weekend.

Tickets are still available for the champion’s homecoming at Scotland’s Knockhill circuit (13/14 August), the BTCC’s only venture north of the border. Prices start at just £37 for adult weekend tickets, with discounts available for family bookings and children under 12 able to enter free of charge. For more information and to order tickets, head to www.knockhill.co.uk or call 01383 723337.

Click here for a full event timetable.

Ingram: 'we need to come back fully on-song'

Speedworks Motorsport tallied another points-scoring hat-trick at Snetterton, with Tom Ingram making the best of an off-colour weekend to close in on the top of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship title standings.

Ingram comfortably set the pace back in June at the tyre test, breaking the lap record in the process. Speedworks headed back to the Norfolk circuit in confident mood but right from the outset, the independent outfit struggled to unlock the same kind of form from the #80 Toyota Avensis.

Qualifying fourth, the 22-year-old cemented his spot as the season’s best average qualifier to-date, having missed the top five just once in six attempts.

Ingram found himself shuffled back to sixth with 33kg of ballast on board as the pack jostled for ground on the opening lap of race one. Thereafter, he had his mirrors full of two-time champion Jason Plato’s Subaru Levorg.

The Speedworks man conceded the spot on the penultimate lap, but he staved off then championship leader Sam Tordoff to the chequered flag and a late puncture for Ashley Sutton secured him his eighth top sixth finish of the campaign. The fact that he was only able to set the 15^th-quickest lap time underlined how hard he’d had to fight for it.

A rapid getaway in race two saw Ingram settle into the top five with a gap back to the chasing pack, but a multi-car shunt further down the order brought out the red flags. On the restart, Ingram initially lost out, but regained seventh place and was pushing Matt Neal for sixth when a squabble directly ahead delayed him and dropped him once more behind nemesis Plato. He ultimately crossed the finish line seventh to secure more valuable points and a front row grid slot for the finale.

In race three, Ingram was removed from podium contention with contact sending his Avensis bouncing across the grass and down to 14^threcovering to 12^th at the flag, in so doing continuing to close in on the overall championship lead and maintaining his title bid in the Independents’ Trophy. Speedworks, meanwhile, advanced from seventh to sixth in the Teams’ classification and consolidated second place in the Independent Teams’ Trophy.

“We felt really positive about our prospects going to Snetterton after the tyre test, but right from the outset, the car just didn’t feel the same and we’re not sure why,” echoed Ingram, who will travel to Knockhill sitting seventh in the Drivers’ standings and second in the Independents’ Trophy. “The Avensis had been awesome during the test, but straightaway in FP1, it was like a totally different animal and we hadn’t changed a thing. The cooler conditions probably played a small part, but I don’t think that fully explained our loss of pace so there was a fair bit of head-scratching going on.

“That was then compounded by my error in qualifying, which cost us a shot at pole but fourth was far from a bad place to start in the circumstances – it put us ahead of most of the guys directly around us in the championship, while the three drivers in front of us were all carrying less ballast. We were hopeful of being able to push for the podium from there – but unfortunately, that never really happened.

“Midway through lap two in the first race, I picked up a huge vibration through the steering and we were effectively fighting a losing battle from that point on. I held Jason at bay for as long as I could, but he’s a wily old fox and I could see he was getting increasingly feisty so in the end I decided to let him go rather than risk an accident – and with Sutton suffering a puncture, we didn’t actually lose a position.

“I got a really good start in race two that was undone by the red flag, and having taken a lot out of the clutch first time round, I knew the second one would be somewhat compromised – and sadly, I was proved right. It turned pretty messy in the early laps, and after getting stuck behind Plato, we didn’t really have the speed to properly attack him. Following some changes, the car felt better in race three and I made another cracking start before the red flag – but at the re-start, exactly the same happened as in race two.

“Overall, it was a pretty below-par weekend by our recent standards, but in this game, the key is to make the most of those weekends so to come out of it having taken three points finishes and actually closed on the championship lead wasn’t too shabby. Saying that, it was the first time all season that we’ve not really had podium-challenging pace, so we have plenty to go through between now and Knockhill to try to get to the bottom of it and ensure we come back fully on-song – and that’s exactly what we’ll do.”

Tickets are still available for Knockhill circuit (13/14 August), the BTCC’s only venture north of the border. Prices start at just £37 for adult weekend tickets with discounts available for family bookings with children under 12 able to enter free of charge. For more information and to order tickets head to knockhill.co.uk or call 01383 723337.

Turkington homing in

Colin Turkington thrust his name squarely into the championship reckoning, becoming the first driver in 2016 to score three wins as he stormed to another Subaru victory – this time in Round 16 of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton.

The post-Thruxton resurgence of the Silverline Subaru BMR Racing outfit has been encapsulated by Turkington's recent form. The Irishman took race one at each of Oulton Park, Croft and last time out in Norfolk, adding three podiums in the second encounter at each.

His championship standing had meant that he headed into those events lacking ballast, though the car's undoubted capabilities – given the work BMR has invested over the course of the Levorg's maiden campaign – have shone through with weight on board in the second bout of recent weekends.

On top of that, it was something of a BTCC first as the outfit notched a quadruple top-ten in Snetterton's opener. First was Turkington, with Jason Plato in fifth and Warren Scott equalled his best-ever result to place ninth while James Cole followed in 10th.

All of this leaves Turkington top of the Subaru tree and now fifth in the overall Drivers' standings, with the aim of further closing the 34-point gap to the summit, now occupied by Rob Collard.

The double champion spoke to BTCC.net following that stunning race one performance last weekend, with a title tilt firmly on the agenda – continuing at Knockhill in little over a week's time.

“That was one of my most memorable races," said Turkington. "I’ve never won around here in a rear-wheel drive car so it’s great.

"My pace was much better than I expected, I just tried to be patient and I made the move when the opportunity came up.

"I was in two minds; do I let him go on up the road a bit and take the pressure off myself from the Ford behind? Then, I thought no… I’ll hammer Gordon (Shedden) while I can.

"I’ve been looking forward to Knockhill for some time and my aim is to build on this momentum and see how far up the leader board we can climb.

"I won’t give up on the championship until it’s mathematically impossible. If we can keep the momentum going then there’s every chance.”

Bittersweet weekend for Team JCT600 with GardX pair

Team JCT600 with GardX maintained its lead in the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, with Rob Collard battling to a race three podium at Snetterton on his way to nipping ahead of stablemate Sam Tordoff at the summit of the Drivers' standings.

Hampshireman Collard's fourth rostrum finish of the year moved him three points clear of Tordoff, though their overall haul across the weekend was enough to ensure the outfit remained on top of the Teams' Championship.

In a thrilling final race of the day that went right down to the final lap, Collard made a trademark flier off the line to rocket from fifth to third. By the time the field was midway through the second tour, Collard had dispatched Jason Plato's Subaru Levorg.

The 125i M Sport then scampered off into a 2.5 second lead, which began to ebb away in the final few laps. Midway through the last lap, a charging Gordon Shedden, homed right onto the rear of the BMW, making a move stick at Agostini and demoting Collard to P2.

He'd showed promise earlier in the day too, as, in typical style, he carved through the pack superbly from 16th to fourth in race two, setting a new lap record in the process.

Tordoff, meanwhile, notched seventh and eighth in races two and three with maximum ballast in the former. Disappointment came in the day's third encounter, though, as his BMW was forced into the pits and retirement after slowing with a propshaft issue on the green flag lap.

He'd been drawn as the reverse grid polesitter and with his team-mate's second placed finish – the timing could scarcely have been any worse.

Ahead of Snetterton, Collard was hoping to get a traditional bogey circuit out of the way with points finishes the aim. Defying all of his own expectations, he's atop the standings and well placed.

“If you’d told me after qualifying 18th that I’d be leading the championship at the end of today, I wouldn’t have believed you," said Collard.

"The BMW has been fast and consistent all day and as soon as the ballast came out at the end of race one, I was able to make a lot of progress and come all the way from 16th to fourth in race two.

"It’s a bit unfortunate not to win race three having led it for so long, but Gordon Shedden put a move on me that I wasn’t expecting and I just couldn’t defend it.

“After qualifying I wasn’t expecting anything. Race one didn’t go to plan either and I thought the day was over.

"To come back from that and be leading the championship is just absolutely amazing.

"Congratulations to my team, they keep driving me on and backing me. I’m here to please the crowd too and us guys are nothing without them. What a crowd it was, so thanks to all of them.”

Shedden back in the hunt

Following a six-week mid-summer break, the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship made an exhilarating return at Snetterton with Gordon Shedden retaining his composure on a dramatic day of racing to shoot up the table in the Drivers' standings.

The reigning champion took full advantage of carrying less success ballast aboard his Honda Civic Type R than has been the case for quite some time, as he laid down an immediate marker in qualifying by scorching to his, and Halfords Yuasa Racing's first BTCC pole position in more than three years.

The Scot converted that into the runner-up spoils in the opener after gamely fending off Colin Turkington’s Subaru for two-thirds of the race, but he found himself pinballed by rivals in race two as he was shuffled back to tenth at the chequered flag. Undeterred, Shedden bounced back in style in the finale to storm through the field and snatch the lead on the very last lap following a thrilling, typically tin-top scrap with Rob Collard, with the cars running door handle to door handle for a third-of-a-lap, inseparable.

Shedden flew through the order in the day's final bout, disposing of Rob Austin’s Toyota for fourth on lap three. Mat Jackson nipped by Plato for third, with Shedden following suit, but third became second for the Scotsman when the Motorbase Ford slowed with a problem on the Bentley Straight.

The Honda Civic Type R began reeling in Collard’s West Surrey Racing BMW at a rate of knots and was eventually on his tail during the final lap. He fired his #52 machine down the inside of the Team JCT600 with GardX BMW and the duo ran side-by-side for what seemed like an eternity. Collard eventually had to give up the challenge and settle for second, as Shedden stormed to a sensational victory.

Just in time for a return to home turf as the incumbent champion, the Snetterton weekend saw Shedden vault from ninth up to fourth in the Drivers' championship, right in his team-mate Matt Neal's slipstream and slicing the deficit to table-topping Rob Collard.

Shedden spoke to btcc.net after taking that enthralling contest in race three, strengthening his championship charge as he looks to Knockhill.

“First of all, I was glad to see everyone walk away from the massive accident at the start of race three," said the Scot. "For me, obviously, that was a fantastic win. Three laps from the end, I began to think I might be able to catch Collard and my car just came alive.

"With two laps to go, I felt sure I could have a go and that a win might be on the cards and then it all happened on the last lap, when it was bumper-to-bumper until we reached the chequered flag. It was fair racing, and I hope we gave the crowds a thrilling end to the day.

"I couldn’t be happier. It has put me back in contention in fourth in the championship and I will be heading to my home event at Knockhill in two weeks’ time on a real high!”

Tickets are still available for the champion's homecoming at Scotland's Knockhill circuit (13/14 August), the BTCC's only venture north of the border. Prices start at just £37 for adult weekend tickets with discounts available for family bookings with children under 12 able to enter free of charge. For more information and to order tickets head to knockhill.co.uk or call 01383 723337.

WIN WITH IHG® Rewards Club

Our latest competition comes in conjunction with IHG® Rewards Club and we’re giving you the chance to win a weekend away in Scotland (13/14 August) to see the BTCC at the Knockhill circuit plus an overnight stay at Holiday Inn Express, Sirling.

The headline prize also includes a chance to meet Team IHG® Rewards Club’s star driver Jack Goff and the opportunity to take a walk down the BTCC grid right before the lights go out for one of the three rounds at the circuit.

The top prize includes:

A pair of entry tickets to Knockhill on Saturday/Sunday 13/14 August.
Meet driver Jack Goff
Grid walk before a BTCC race
Saturday night at Holiday Inn Express, Stirling

In addition, four runners-up will win a pair of tickets to enjoy the full weekend’s racing.

To be in with a chance of winning, simply like the IHG® Rewards Club Facebook page, share our competition post and comment on our Official BTCC Facebook Page to let us know you’ve entered! You may also enter on Twitter by RT’ing our competition post using #IHGracing and tagging @ihgrewardsclub.

The competition closes at 4pm on Friday 5 August. For full terms and conditions see below!

Good luck!

Terms and conditions:

1x Like + Comment on Facebook = 1 entry or 1x RT + tag @ihgrewardsclub/#IHGRacing on Twitter = 1 entry. 1 entry per person. A winner picked at random. The competition will close 4pm on Friday 5 August. The winner will be announced on Facebook and Twitter shortly afterwards. The winner will have 24 hours from the announcement to come forward. If this does not happen another winner will be selected. The winner must be available over the Knockhill race weekend, transport to and from the circuit is not included. The prize is non-transferrable. Children under 16 will not be able to take part in the grid walk.

Snetterton review

Turkington, Jackson and Shedden share wins on dramatic day at Snetterton

Reigning champion Gordon Shedden claimed a last-gasp victory to end a breathless day of BTCC racing at Snetterton, which also included wins for Colin Turkington and Mat Jackson.

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Shedden had already secured Honda’s first pole position in more than three years during qualifying at the Norfolk circuit, but a race one win failed to materialise for the Scotsman.

Turkington won the opener after the Silverline Subaru BMR Racing driver eventually got the better of Shedden during a near race-long duel.

It was bumper-to-bumper action for the first half of the contest, but Turkington finally muscled his way past on lap eight of 12. Shedden couldn’t respond and Turkington went on to become the first three-time race winner of 2016.

Mat Jackson made the best start of the leading contenders as he blasted his Motorbase Performance Ford Focus from fifth on the grid to third off the line. While Jackson kept the lead duo honest, throughout, he also had to hold off the challenge from Adam Morgan behind. Jackson did the job, claiming a podium on the team’s 300th BTCC race.

Jackson then secured victory in a thrilling, truncated race two, with Turkington and Matt Neal completing the podium positions.

The Focus fired off the line beyond second-placed Shedden and then past pole man Turkington, before a multi-car collision sparked drama down the order. Aron Smith and Kelvin Fletcher had a coming together on the exit of turn one, but the major incident came later in the lap when Dan Welch and Ollie Jackson tangled as they ran on to the Bentley Straight. With dust filling the air the unsighted Alex Martin, Hunter Abbott and Ashley Sutton were all caught up in the accident. Stationary cars littered the track, several with heavy damage, leaving race officials with no choice but to stop the race.

Take two and Jackson produced an almost carbon copy of his earlier effort – leading Shedden off the line but waiting until Hamilton corner before disposing of Turkington. Jackson remained untroubled for the remainder of the shortened ten lap race, with Turkington following up his race one win with another solid showing in the second bout.

The fight for the final podium place remained undecided until the closing moments, as Neal and Rob Collard provided a spectacle of superb racing. Collard looked to have made a move stick after both cars ran side-by-side for much of lap eight, but triple champion Neal immediately fought back to retake the position. The striking Halfords-backed Honda held on to reach the rostrum, but both drivers strengthened their respective championship challenges with stellar points finishes.

Shedden then completed a sensational day of entertainment by snatching an unlikely last lap victory in the final race on the Snetterton 300 layout.

A dramatic accident brought about the second red flag of the day when contact between Mark Howard, Martin, Jackson and Abbott sent the latter’s Chevrolet Cruze into a barrel roll. Abbott’s Power Maxed Racing machine spiralled over the barrier and into a television gantry, leaving a cameraman and several drivers shaken but thankfully unharmed.

Pole-sitter and then championship leader Sam Tordoff broke down before the race could restart as the BTCC threw up yet another twist to the title race. The relentless drama was far from over, however, as Jason Plato chased his first win of the season.

Collard muscled his way past the two-time champion on lap two before Jackson and Shedden followed suit one tour later. Third became second for Shedden when Jackson’s Ford slowed with a problem on the Bentley Straight.

The Honda Civic Type R began reeling in Collard at a rate of knots and was right on his tail coming into the final lap. Shedden fired the #52 machine down the inside of the Team JCT600 with GardX BMW and the duo ran side-by-side for what seemed like an eternity. Collard eventually had to give up the challenge and settle for second, as Shedden stormed to an outstanding victory.

Handy Motorsport’s Rob Austin claimed a popular podium as he fended off Plato, Andrew Jordan and Turkington at the chequered flag.

Collard now leads the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship by three points from team-mate Sam Tordoff, with Honda’s Neal a further three points back. Unsurprisingly West Surrey Racing/Team JCT600 with GardX top the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ tables respectively. Andrew Jordan and his Motorbase Performance team head the Independents’ honours, whilst MG's Ashley Sutton remains in control of the Jack Sears Trophy.

Colin Turkington said: “That win was one of my most memorable races. I’ve never won around here in a rear-wheel drive car so it’s great. My pace was much better than I expected, I just tried to be patient and I made the move when the opportunity came up. I was in two minds; do I let him go on up the road a bit and take the pressure off myself from the Ford behind? He went wide and I forced my way through on the switchback. I won’t give up on the championship – if we can keep the momentum going then there’s every chance.”

Mat Jackson said: “It was good. To do it for a second time after the restart makes it even better – the car was on fire. I have to say it’s been absolutely awesome. Colin knew my tricks second time around but it was terrific to take the win with all the ballast on. It’s great for us and all of our sponsors. We were on the softs so we were mindful of being there at the end, managing it to a point. It was just about keeping an eye on where Colin was and keeping him at bay.”

Gordon Shedden said: “Five laps from home, it wasn’t happening. Three laps from home it wasn’t happening, but somehow we made it. What a race for us and what a move. I braked really nice and late into the hairpin and normally that’s more of a BMW move but we made it work. We were both slipping and sliding in there but I got up the inside. I’m delighted to get the result, it was a stunning one for the team and myself.”

Matt Neal said: “It’s a good job I’m not a betting man because I’d have put money on Rob Collard taking the race two podium with three laps to go. To start with I got my head down and was trying to be as aggressive as I could, looking forward to Colin Turkington. I saw Rob’s BMW in the mirrors and my attentions had to turn from attacking to defending because he was flying. He was charging but the Type R held on!”

Rob Collard said: “After qualifying yesterday I wasn’t expecting anything. Race one didn’t go to plan either and I thought the day was over. To come back from that and be leading the championship is just absolutely amazing. Congratulations to my team, they keep driving me on and back me. I’m here to please the crowd too and us guys are nothing without them. What a crowd it was, so thanks to all of them.”

Rob Austin said: “That was great. It’s the best result for Handy Motorsport, so it’s fantastic. Thanks to the fans and everyone at the team. You’re always concerned when Jason Plato is behind you! I started to lose the rear tyres but I was quicker in the right places under braking, so I knew it’d be hard from him to get past me. Fortunately he couldn’t get close enough and I held my own. It’s been a tough start to the year but we turned a corner at the test day.”
2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 16 – Snetterton:

1 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing 23:46.178
2 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +2.771s
3 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +4.042s
4 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing +5.400s
5 Jason PLATO (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +6.880s
6 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +8.994s
7 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +9.607s
8 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +10.172s
9 Warren SCOTT (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +11.160s
10 James COLE (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +12.647s
2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 17 – Snetterton:

General:
Team BKR deducted ten points from both the Teams' and Independent Teams' standings for exceeding the allowed number of engines

Race one:
Martin Depper received a verbal warning for an incident involving Jeff Smith

Matt Simpson was officially reprimanded and received two penalty points for an incident involving Michael Epps

Race two:
Warren Scott and Andrew Jordan received a verbal warning for an on-track incident

Ollie Jackson was fined £500 and received three penalty points for an incident involving Daniel Welch

Shedden seals last gasp victory

Reigning BTCC champion Gordon Shedden completed a sensational day of entertainment by snatching an unlikely last lap victory in the final race at Snetterton.

A dramatic accident brought about the second red flag of the day when contact down the order between Mark Howard, Alex Martin, Ollie Jackson and Hunter Abbott sent the latter into a barrel roll. Abbott's Power Maxed Racing Chevrolet spiralled over the barrier and into a television gantry, leaving a cameraman and several drivers shaken but thankfully unharmed.

Pole-sitter and then championship leader Sam Tordoff broke down before the race could restart with the BTCC seemingly providing yet another twist to the title race. The relentless drama was far from over, however, as Tom Ingram and Adam Morgan were shuffled down the order early on in the shortened ten lap encounter.

Jason Plato had taken control at the front for Silverline Subaru BMR Racing – chasing his first win of the season – but he couldn't hang on as Collard muscled his way past on lap two.

Shedden's Honda was busy flying through the order and he disposed of Rob Austin's Toyota for fourth on lap three. Mat Jackson nipped by Plato for third, with Shedden following suit, but third became second for the Scotsman when the Motorbase Ford slowed with a problem on the Bentley Straight.

The Honda Civic Type R began reeling in Collard's West Surrey Racing BMW at a rate of knots and was eventually on his tail during the final lap. He fired his #52 machine down the inside of the Team JCT600 with GardX BMW and the duo ran side-by-side for what seemed like an eternity. Collard eventually had to give up the challenge and settle for second, as Shedden stormed to a sensational victory.

Handy Motorsport's Austin claimed a hugely popular podium as he fended off Plato, Andrew Jordan and Colin Turkington at the chequered flag.

Morgan won the battle of the Mercedes' as he bounced back from the earlier incident to claim seventh, ahead of Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat. Josh Cook's MG and Matt Neal's Honda completed the top ten order, with the latter also moving into third in the standings. Collard now leads the way by three points from the unfortunate Tordoff.

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 18 – Snetterton:

1 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 19m56.310s
2 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +0.525s
3 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +3.738s
4 Jason PLATO (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +4.306s
5 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance +4.406s
6 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +5.278s
7 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing +6.288s
8 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +6.434s
9 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +6.621s
10 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +7.219s
11 Jake HILL (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +8.724s
12 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +9.365s
13 Jack GOFF (GBR) Team IHG Rewards Club +16.650s
14 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +17.339s
15 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +18.337s
16 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Eurotech Racing +18.777s
17 Aron SMITH (IRL) BKR +19.945s
18 Kelvin FLETCHER (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +20.718s
19 James COLE (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +21.238s
20 Michael EPPS (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +23.045s
21 Stewart LINES (GBR) Maximum Motorsport +35.751s
22 Warren SCOTT (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +4 laps
23 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +8 laps
24 Alex MARTIN (GBR) Dextra Racing
25 Mark HOWARD (GBR) BKR
26 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD Tuning.com
27 Hunter ABBOTT (GBR) Power Maxed Racing
28 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport
29 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX

Jackson triumphs in truncated race two

Motorbase Performance's Mat Jackson secured victory in a thrilling, truncated race two at Snetterton, with Colin Turkington and Matt Neal completing the podium positions.

Jackson did the double on Turkington, getting the leap on the Silverline Subaru BMR Racing man on the opening lap – both in the first instance and again on the restart after a red flag had halted proceedings.

The Focus fired off the line beyond second-placed Gordon Shedden and then past pole man Turkington, before a multi-car collision sparked chaos down the order. Aron Smith and Kelvin Fletcher had a coming together on the exit of turn one, but the main drama came later in the lap when Dan Welch and Ollie Jackson tangled as they ran on to the Bentley Straight. With dust filling the air an unsighted Alex Martin, Hunter Abbott and Ashley Sutton were all caught up in the accident. With stationary cars now littering the track, and several with heavy damage, race officials were left with no choice but to stop the race.

Take two and Jackson produced an almost carbon copy of his earlier effort – leaving Shedden off the line but waiting until Hamilton corner before disposing of Turkington. Jackson remained untroubled for the remainder of the shortened ten lap race, with Turkington following up his race one win with another solid rostrum in the second bout.

"It was good," said Jackson. "To do it for a second time after the restat makes it even better – the car was on fire. I have to say it’s been absolutely awesome. Colin knew my tricks second time but it’s terrific to take the win with all the ballast on. It’s great for us and all of our sponsors. We were on the softs so we were mindful of being there at the end, managing it to a point. It was just about keeping an eye on where colin was and keeping him at bay."

"It was very hard for me to defend against that," responded Colin. "I did my best both times but I sort of knew it was coming and it did. It was super anyway, we made a genuine step forward with the chassis there. That’s why I could live with Mat winning."

The fight for the final podium place was undecided until the final moments, with the battle initially raging following contact between Turkington and Shedden on lap two. Shedden's Honda was then tagged twice by WIX Racing's Adam Morgan, sending the reigning champion tumbling down the order.

Morgan couldn't keep Neal's Civic Type R behind him for long, and the Mercedes succumbed to the flying WSR BMW of Rob Collard, who had stormed from 16th to 4th in the early stages.

A duel between Neal and Collard followed, providing the best racing of the contest as the ran side-by-side for much of lap eight. Team JCT600 with GardX driver Collard looked to have made the move stick, but triple champion Neal immediately fought back to retake the position. The striking Halfords-backed Honda held on to reach the rostrum, but both drivers strengthened their respective championship challenges with stellar points finishes.

"It’s a good job I'm not a betting man because I’d have put money on him taking the podium with three laps to go," said Neal. "To start with I got my head down and was trying to be as aggressive as I could, looking forward to Colin. I saw Rob’s BMW in the mirrors and my attentions had to turn from attacking to defending because he was flying. He was charging but the Type R held on!"

Morgan had to settle for fifth, ahead of Jason Plato, Tom Ingram and Sam Tordoff – the latter also benefitting from a reverse grid draw that places him on pole position for today's final race.

Handy Motorsport's Rob Austin claimed ninth, with the recovering Shedden completing the top ten order.

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 17 – Snetterton:

1 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance 19m48.288s
2 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +1.190s
3 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +1.950s
4 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +2.140s
5 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing +7.255s
6 Jason PLATO (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +7.687s
7 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +8.421s
8 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +9.935s
9 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +11.649s
10 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +11.989s
11 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +13.238s
12 Jake HILL (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +16.369s
13 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +16.506s
14 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance +16.735s
15 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +18.082s
16 Warren SCOTT (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +18.306s
17 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +18.606s
18 Stewart LINES (GBR) Maximum Motorsport +27.324s
19 Michael EPPS (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +27.760s
20 Alex MARTIN (GBR) Dextra Racing +36.363s
21 Mark HOWARD (GBR) BKR +42.175s
22 Michael CAINE (GBR) TLC/RCIB Insurance Racing +2 laps
23 Aron SMITH (IRL) BKR +3 laps
24 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Eurotech Racing +4 laps
25 Dan WELCH (GBR) Goodestone Racing
26 James COLE (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing
27 Jack GOFF (GBR) Team IHG Rewards Club
28 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD Tuning.com
29 Hunter ABBOTT (GBR) Power Maxed Racing
30 Kelvin FLETCHER (GBR) Power Maxed Racing
31 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance