It's as tight at the top of the Independents' standings as one would expect given the tit for tat battling of the opening six rounds of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season. There have been six winners from the opening six rounds of the campaign, and half of those have been Independent drivers.

Motorbase Performance's Mat Jackson was the latest Independent to reach the top step of the rostrum with his race one win at Donington Park, followed impressively by a race two second placed finish. This came after Adam Morgan's win in race three for WIX Racing at the Brands Hatch Indy season-opener and Tom Ingram's special victory in round one of the campaign, marking his and Speedworks Motorsport's maiden wins in the championship.

None of those winners currently lead the running, however, with BKR's Aron Smith currently sitting atop the Independent Drivers' standings. With six rounds gone, he holds an eight point cushion to Jackson in second. It's Smith's consistency that has put him in this position, having regularly scored in the higher points-scoring positions alongside his two podium finishes – one at each of Brands Hatch Indy and Donington Park. Just those eight points separate the top three in the table – it's poised nicely for a competitive contest to come.

Along with Jackson's impressive Donington Park weekend, Motorbase Performance team-mate Andrew Jordan has been plugging away, racking up good points on a regular basis. This impressive start to the season for the outfit tallies with the Independent Teams' standings – 15 points clear of BKR in second spot.

An Independents' Trophy win for Aiden Moffat and Laser Tools Racing in round six leave the Scot and his team best of the rest in fourth and third in their respective points tables.

 

 

Halfords Yuasa Racing left Donington Park with a proverbial spring in its step as an ultra-successful weekend yielded a race three one-two with Matt Neal leading Gordon Shedden home in formation.

This ensured the Team Dynamics-run squad retained top spot in the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ tables as well as first and second spots in the Drivers’ standings.

It was an astute exercise in damage limitation from the outfit that would lay the foundations for a late-weekend surge.

As Neal and Shedden headed up the championship standings on the way into the Donington Park weekend, they were liable to carry 75 and 66kgs of ballast respectively. Teams can use the soft tyre in each of the three races a maximum of three times during the course of the season – Honda elected race one at the Leicestershire circuit as one of those occasions.

The thinking behind this was that the soft tyre – with maximum ballast, the circuit characteristics at Donington Park and changeable, cold conditions – would not yield the same level of performance over a race distance as the medium compound Dunlop SportMaxx tyre. This proved to be the case in race three with the BMWs of Sam Tordoff and Jack Goff eventually dropping away from the medium-tyre shod Hondas, amongst others, towards the end of round six.

On Saturday with that tyre choice made, Shedden qualified fourth and Neal followed up by sticking his Civic Type R into ninth spot on the grid. The two drivers knew they would face an uphill struggle in the opener, with that success ballast from Brands Hatch two weeks earlier and the less durable soft-compound tyres.

Race one duly yielded lower points-scoring finishes for the team – 11^th and 12^th but the soft tyre was now out of the way. Honda had taken the performance penalty along with their success ballast, in a round they would be most hindered in, leaving the plan to play out nicely – starting with race two.

With the ballast removed and the harder-compound Dunlop rubber bolted onto their Honda Civic Type Rs, the experienced team-mates moved progressively through the pack. Displaying strong pace, they flashed past the chequered flag in fourth (Shedden) and sixth (Neal), with the Scot barely a whisker shy of the rostrum.

This left the duo perfectly placed to take full advantage of the race three reversed grid format, scything their way to the front of the field and overhauling the early leaders to speed to a commanding one-two finish, as Neal tallied his first victory of the season to prove that he remains every inch the class act in his 26^th campaign in Britain’s premier motor sport series.

Matt Neal:
“Being championship leaders and with the associated success ballast, we came into this weekend knowing we would need to play a longer-term game. Our aim was to save the best ‘til last – and that’s exactly what we did. We bagged the points in race one, and then race two set us up nicely for the last one, with the reversed grid and the right tyres on both cars. It was great to come away with a one-two finish, and being my home circuit makes it even sweeter. It felt as good as my first BTCC win here all those years ago – I’ll never get tired of that feeling. To leave still leading the championship is the perfect outcome – I’ll accept 75kg ballast going to the next round with both hands!”

Gordon Shedden:
“We knew we were going to have to take a bit of pain this weekend with so much ballast in both cars, and we decided to take that pain early on. It was always the plan that as Sunday progressed, we would get closer and closer to the front. That meant we were a little bit under the radar until the last race, but we kept fighting and plugging away and snatching points as and when they were available. It was very difficult in race one, but we kept our noses clean in race two to very nearly nick a late podium and then the car felt great in race three. We just had to bide our time until the soft tyres on the cars ahead faded, which we knew they would do. It was fantastic to end the weekend with a one-two finish.”

Our latest VIP Competition comes in conjunction with WIX Racing and we’re giving you the chance to sit in the box seat, in more ways than one…

We’re teaming up to give you the chance to win a WIX Racing office chair, plus an incredible VIP day out at Thruxton on Sunday 8 May with the WIX Racing squad. 

The prize includes:

• WIX Racing office chair
• A pair of entry tickets to Thruxton on Sunday 8 May
• A full day with the WIX Racing team
• Meet driver Adam Morgan
• Grid walk before a BTCC race

To be in with a chance of winning, simply like the WIX Racing 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 by Twitter by liking the WIX Racing account and RT’ing our competition post.

The competition closes at 4pm on Monday 2 May. For full terms and conditions see below!

Good luck!

Terms and conditions:

1x Like+Comment on Facebook = 1 entry or 1x RT+Follow on Twitter = 1 entry. 1 entry per person. A winner picked at random. The competition will close 4pm on Monday 2 May. The winner will be announced on Facebook and Twitter the following morning. 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 Thruxton 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.

The West Surrey Racing trio of Jack Goff, Rob Collard and Sam Tordoff hold three of the top six spots in the Drivers’ standings – third, fourth and sixth respectively – following a promising opening six rounds of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship and a top-scoring Donington Park weekend.

Collard provided the Sunbury-on-Thames outfit with its result of the weekend last time out, firing his BMW 125i M Sport to victory in race two in Leicestershire at Donington Park.

The Hampshire racer was delighted to kick-start his season after disappointment at the Brands Hatch season opener. Next up it’s home turf for Collard at Thruxton.

“It’s a brilliant feeling to get a win under my belt so early in the season; and at a circuit where we hadn’t expected to be quite so strong either,” said Collard. “I knew there was a chance to win in race two, especially after coming out of the first corner in third place.

“I could see that Mat Jackson was pushing hard and knew his tyres would start to drop off, and it was just a case of waiting for the right moment to make my move. To add a fourth and a sixth and be the highest scorer of the weekend is fantastic and I can’t wait to go to my local circuit, Thruxton, next and push on for more of the same.”

Yorkshireman Tordoff capped his weekend with a podium in race three as well as the fastest lap, propelling Team JCT600 with GardX over the line to take the HiQ Teams’ Trophy and second in the Teams’ standings. Combined with Jack Goff’s three sixth-placed finishes, WSR are well poised a fifth of the way through the 2016 campaign.

Thruxton is next on the calendar. Though it traditionally doesn’t favour rear-wheel drive machinery, the following events at Oulton Park and Croft should, and have done in the past – four out of six round wins at the two events in 2015 for the Surrey squad.

Team Principal, Dick Bennetts feels WSR are placed ideally to push on in the championship standings, given the events on the horizon and a successful weekend at Donington Park – traditionally a circuit that hasn’t always been the kindest to his outfit in the past.

“Today has been a really strong day for the team, and more than makes up for a difficult qualifying session on Saturday,” said Bennetts.

“For Rob to get his first win of the campaign is really pleasing and he’s picked up the most points of anyone in the BTCC across the weekend, while Sam has put in a fine recovery today having really lost out to the red flag in qualifying.

“Jack has again shown how important it is to be consistent this weekend and to make it six points finishes from six races this season is a very good start.

“The most pleasing thing is that Donington Park is a circuit that hasn’t always been kind to us, but this year we have picked up some strong results, out-scored all the other teams and taken a fastest lap to leave us very well-placed in the championship battle.”

Changeable conditions during Saturday's qualifying session at Donington Park marooned Aiden Moffat down the order bemoaning some rotten luck. Sunday's racing, though, left the Scot in much finer fettle and looking to Thruxton with an air of positivity, as he recovered in fine style – scooping the Independents' win in race three.

Rain, sleet, hail and even snow were just a sampler of the four seasons displayed at the Leicestershire circuit, all within the bounds of a breathless half-hour qualifying session.

As conditions improved towards the end of the session, ready for the Dunlop SportMaxx dry tyres, times tumbled and several lost out as Mat Jackson's beached Ford Focus brought out a red flag with just minutes to go in qualifying.

The Laser Tools Racing man was thrilled at his recovery drive, culminating in that Independents' victory with 7th in race three.

"I think ‘badly’ is a compliment for the way the start of the weekend went! It leaves you sulking a bit on a Saturday night when it goes like that," said Moffat.

"We knew we had the pace and we knew we were capable of climbing up the field so at the end of three races to go from 23^rd to 7^th and get an Independents’ win is great for us.

"I was chuffed for that and it felt good to reward all the guys and girls for all their hard work.

"After qualifying, if you’d told me I’d end up on the podium I’d have bitten your hand off. It’s great to end like that, a bit of déjà vu after last year – working our way up the field and climbing up to an independents win in race three. It was a nice way to end the weekend."

Moffat aims to carry the pace he knows the Laser Tools Mercedes harbours into the Thruxton weekend – a circuit he feels should suit the A Class.

"Thruxton’s a track I lack experience at, having only raced there twice – both times in the touring cars. That’s always a small worry but last year we came on a lot there.

"In the Chevrolet, we struggled a lot but last year in the Mercedes we were able to learn the track a bit more because the car felt good.

"I’m a lot more comfortable with the car now. I like how the car handles at high speed, low speed and on the brakes – especially those at Thruxton with the fast sections and then on the brakes. I think we should do well.

"The Mercedes lacks a little bit of straight-line speed. It’s not very good aerodynamically but the chassis means you can keep momentum.

"Although Thruxton’s fast, you need that little bit of momentum so I think we should be OK."

Rounds 4, 5 and 6 of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park provided yet more breathtaking action and you catch watch it all again with ITV over the coming days.

The 90-minute highlights show gets underway at 12:30 on ITV4 tomorrow lunchtime and can be seen a number of times following that on both ITV and ITV4, whilst the ITV Hub allows you to watch the programme wherever, whenever for the next 30 days – look out for the show being posted on the Hub from tomorrow afternoon.

Fans in North America will also get the chance to see the bumper-to-bumper action from Donington via the CBS Sports Network on Thursday evening. See the full listings below and scroll down further to watch the brief Dunlop-backed highlights to get you in the mood:

Saturday 23 April
ITV4: 1230-1400
ITV Hub: 1230-1400
ITV4+1: 1330-1500 (and anytime over the next 30 days)

Sunday 24 April
ITV4: 0645-0815
ITV Hub:  0645-0815
ITV4+1:  0745-0915

Wednesday 27 April
ITV1: 2345-0100

Thursday 28 April
CBS Sports Network: 1900 (ET)

The UK’s fastest racetrack will play host to the country’s biggest motor sport series in a fortnight’s time, as the hugely popular Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) heads to Hampshire for an action-packed weekend on 7/8 May.

The BTCC is currently enjoying a vintage campaign, with six different winners from the first six races – and all manner of high-octane shenanigans throughout the field. More than 30 flame-spitting touring cars will take to Thruxton’s flat-out sweepers for what is renowned as one of the most challenging events of the season – and certainly the quickest.

In a unique promotion, anybody that buys (or has already bought) an advance race day or race weekend ticket will be entered into a competition to wave the chequered flag at the end of the first race. The winner must be over 17 years of age.

In terms of the contenders, multiple champions Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden lead the way behind the wheel of Halfords Yuasa Racing’s potent Honda Civic Type R. With its UK HQ located in nearby Swindon, the Japanese manufacturer has invariably shone around Thruxton, but the 2016 formbook suggests that it would be wise to expect the unexpected.

There is no shortage of rivals eager to knock Honda off its perch, and Tom Ingram (Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Avensis), Adam Morgan (WIX Racing Mercedes A-Class), Mat Jackson (Motorbase Performance Ford Focus) and Rob Collard (Team JCT with GardX BMW 125i M Sport) have all tasted victory champagne over the course of the opening two race meetings.

Ingram’s triumph marked a BTCC breakthrough, and the 22-year-old is just one of a new wave of young talent working its way up the order in the world’s most fiercely-disputed tin-top series. Others to watch out for include Jack Goff in the Team IHG Rewards Club BMW 125i M Sport – currently sitting third in the drivers’ standings – Sam Tordoff in a similar car run by Team JCT with GardX and MG Racing RCIB Insurance duo Josh Cook and Ashley Sutton.

Like Eversley’s Collard and Goodestone Racing ace Dan Welch from Fleet, Cook (Bath) is also a Thruxton local, whilst Sutton stunned observers by clinching pole position last time out in only his second BTCC appearance. Former title-winners Colin Turkington and Jason Plato, by contrast, are progressing the development of the brand new Subaru Levorg for Silverline Subaru BMR Racing.

Jackson’s Motorbase team-mate Andrew Jordan is always in his element at Thruxton, and fan-favourite Rob Austin is sure to wow the crowds again following his switch to Handy Motorsport’s front-wheel-drive Toyota Avensis this year. There will also be a welcome BTCC return for Daniel Lloyd with Eurotech Racing, and Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher will inject a dash of showbiz glamour as he continues his touring car apprenticeship with Power Maxed Racing.

Support acts include the fast-and-furious Renault UK Clio Cup, the ever-entertaining Ginetta Junior Championship for 14-to-17-year-olds, MSA Formula featuring the F1 stars of tomorrow and the sportscar-focused Ginetta GT5 Challenge. The action will rev into life at 10.00 on Saturday, 7 May and 10.45 on Sunday, 8 May, with a Pit-Lane Walkabout and Autograph Session at 09.50 on Sunday to allow fans to meet their heroes and grab a cheeky selfie or two.

“It barely seems any time at all since the BTCC boys were last blasting around here, and now we’re eagerly preparing for their return,” enthused Thruxton Group Managing Director Bill Coombs. “In my opinion, it’s some of the most exciting racing you will ever see, with big personalities and household names going wheel-to-wheel at speeds of up to 160mph.

“Drivers relish the challenge that Thruxton presents, due to the fact that this is a circuit that truly rewards bravery and finesse. That makes for thrilling doorhandle-to-doorhandle duels in the BTCC and throughout the support series. It’s a spectacular show for all the family – and a great way to spend a sunny spring weekend!”

Discounted advance tickets are on sale from just £11 for Saturday, 7 May and £26 for Sunday, 8 May, with weekend tickets including Paddock Pass available for £38.

They can be purchased online at http://www.thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc or by calling 01264 882200 (Option 1). Accompanied children aged 15 and under are admitted free.

Advance tickets will remain on sale online and over the phone until 3pm on Wednesday, 4 May, after which they will be available from the BARC Ticket Office at Thruxton until 3pm on Friday, 6 May. Any tickets ordered from Friday, 29 April onwards will incur a special delivery charge of £5.95 per order. Full price day tickets can be purchased on the gate; weekend tickets are only available in advance.

For more information on Thruxton’s race meetings and driving experiences, visit: http://www.thruxtonracing.co.uk/

Eurotech Racing announced the signing of hot prospect Daniel Lloyd as their third driver this past Sunday, to race from Thruxton onwards.

The 24-year old notched two wins in his time as a driver in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB back in 2012 and 2013. Since then, Lloyd has gone on to compete in a number of GT championships, including the Blancpain Endurance Series, British GT and United Sports Car Championship.

The deal was inked at Donington Park on Sunday morning, and subsequently ratified by Series Organiser TOCA, before the announcement was made live on ITV4 with presenter Steve Rider.

Eurotech has been loaned the available TBL (TOCA BTCC Licence) for the remainder of the 2016 season.

He becomes the latest of a raft of talented young-guns currently competing in the championship, signing up to drive the Honda Civic Type R alongside team-mates Jeff Smith and Martin Depper for Eurotech Racing.

Daniel took the time to speak to btcc.net following the penning of his deal at Donington Park:

Eurotech Racing's Martin Depper took the honours in the second Dunlop #ForeverForward contest of the season, gaining with a total of 20 points over the course of the three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at Donington Park.

This total shades the number scored by Rob Austin at the Brands Hatch opener but by just one point to make it the highest tally so far this season, though with the Handy Motorsport ace's total of 10 at Donington Park, he retains the overall lead in the standings.

Race two was the one that made the difference for Depper, as the West Midlander carved his way through the field. Starting 31st, at the back of the grid, he made up a total of 14 places to finish 17th, narrowly outside the points-scoring positions.

Power Maxed Racing's Kelvin Fletcher also impressed, notching second in the #ForeverForward standings for the weekend. The Lancashire racer, completing just his second weekend in the BTCC, managed to gain an impressive total of 16 places over the three rounds.

That total of 16 positions gained was matched though by two others: Aiden Moffat, who raced to an Independents' win with 7th in race three and Michael Epps who jumped 11 places, also in race three, to notch a 13th placed, points-scoring finish for RCIB Insurance Racing.

The #ForeverForward leaderboard is below, with one point attributed for every position gained. Points are not removed if places are lost.

ForeverForward drivers of the weekend

1. Martin Depper 20
2. Kelvin Fletcher 16
3. Aiden Moffat 16
4. Michael Epps 16

Updated championship standings

1. Rob Austin 29
2. Andrew Jordan 27
3. Michael Epps 25
4. Rob Collard 25
5. Aiden Moffat 24
6. Matt Simpson 24
7. Colin Turkington 24
8. Kelvin Fletcher 23
9. Martin Depper 20
10. Sam Tordoff 20
11. Stewart Lines 20
12. Warren Scott 19
13. Alex Martin 18
14. Hunter Abbott 18
15. Dan Welch 17
16. Tom Ingram 16
17. Josh Cook 16
18. Chris Smiley 15
19. Mark Howard 15
20. Jason Plato 15
21. Jake Hill 13
22. Matt Neal 12
23. Jeff Smith 12
24. Aron Smith 12
25. Gordon Shedden 11
26. James Cole 11
27. Ashley Sutton 9
28. Ollie Jackson 9
29. Jack Goff 7
30. Mat Jackson 6
31. Adam Morgan 5

The second weekend of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park was a cracker. With no driver yet able to string two wins together this season, we've now had six different winning drivers in the opening six rounds – representing five different marques, too.

Mat Jackson, Rob Collard and Matt Neal all tasted the champagne on the top step of the podium and it was the Honda man that left Donington Park with the championship lead.

The top three from each of the three rounds at the Leicestershire circuit spoke to btcc.net:

Race 1 – Mat Jackson, Josh Cook, Tom Ingram

Race 2 – Rob Collard, Mat Jackson, Aron Smith

Race 3 – Matt Neal, Gordon Shedden, Sam Tordoff