The three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rounds from Thruxton looked as if they would be among the most profitable yet for Aiden Moffat, following an extremely positive qualifying session. Saturday promise, it transpired, would not bear fruit come Sunday.

Laser Tools Racing's young Scot followed up on a strong free practice showing by landing second spot on the grid – his previous best in the championship being eighth. Moffat admitted some surprise at achieving a place on the front row for the weekend's opening race, hailing the job his team had done in prepping the Mercedes A Class.

"The guys in the team gave us a great set-up and a great car and then it was all down to me –  it all clicked," said Moffat. "Initially I was in fourth and as the session went on I dropped a few places and ended up tenth, which was still looking like a good result for us.

"Going for my next run, I knew my lap time was quicker but I was thinking I'd be around seventh or eighth, so I was surprised with second! Even so, I was still a little gutted when I found out how close we were to pole position — just three-hundredths-of-a-second shy."

The teenager was keen to keep expectations for race one in check following that encouraging qualifying display, indicating he would be aiming to mix it as best he could with the likes of Tom Ingram and Matt Neal around him, with a second podium finish in the BTCC in his grasp and firmly on the agenda.

When it came to lights out in race one, the Scot got away well but three into one wouldn't go as he was caught around the outside on the entrance to the complex with Ingram and Neal battling. Contact damaged Moffat's suspension and combatting the slide inevitably took some performance out of the Mercedes' Dunlop SportMaxx tyres.

Damage sustained to his car would ultimately cost the 19-year-old what would have been a career-best result in the BTCC – beating his third placed finish at Knockhill last year.

"After contact at turn three, I had another coming-together which bent the steering, causing the tyres to constantly scrub across the surface of the track," continued Moffat.

"I'd fought back to second and was trying to manage my pace and position rather than pushing too hard.

"Unfortunately, the damage (from earlier in the race) had already worked the tyres hard and that led to a puncture, resulting in us going off when we were sitting second."

Race two was hindered by what happened in the opener, and further damage during the second race put pay to any hopes of bouncing back immediately – 16th place as much as Moffat could manage as he wrestled with the car.

Unexpectedly, after a sparkling performance on Saturday, Laser Tools Racing were heading into race three without tallying as much as a single point. Not many would have predicted that, but the BTCC has a habit of producing the unexpected.

The third bout of the afternoon would provide an eventual crumb of comfort – the blue and black liveried Mercedes setting the quickest racing lap of the weekend in the hands of the Scot. This served as a reminder of what could have been for Moffat at Thruxton – his pace was there but his luck was not. His outlook is one of positivity, though, with more than enough encouragement to come from Thruxton to take to Oulton Park and beyond.

"Race three started well, I got a great start and quickly made my way into thirteenth. However, crossing the line at the end of lap one, I got hit and was forced into the pits. After making my stop, my pace was good and I scored the fastest lap.

"Although the weekend’s results were hugely frustrating and disappointing, it actually has given me even more confidence as it has shown how good a car we have, how great the Laser Tools Racing bunch are, and that I am capable of being up at the front.

"We will carry this momentum into the next race, and hopefully give something more to show for our efforts on Sunday next time."

West Surrey Racing climbed to the top of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Manufacturers’ standings, leapfrogging Halfords Yuasa Racing with a string of positive finishes over rounds seven, eight and nine at Thruxton.

Team JCT600 with GardX driver and Hampshire hero Rob Collard shares the points lead in the Drivers’ standings with Matt Neal, after notching the Surrey outfit’s best result of the weekend on his home patch, with a race two podium in addition to two sixth placed finishes.

It didn’t start the way Collard would have hoped after opening with a disappointing qualifying session which left him 18^th on the grid. He put that disappointment behind him immediately with a fine display in the opening race of the weekend as he carved his way through the field to finish a creditable sixth, despite hauling 48kgs of success ballast.

His runners-up spot came in round eight, finishing just half a second behind Motorbase Performance’s Andrew Jordan, followed by another top-six finish in the final encounter of the day to round off a profitable day’s racing for Collard on home turf. Combined with the efforts of team-mate Sam Tordoff, the silver and blue side of the WSR garage are now within just a point of the summit of the Teams’ standings.

“It’s a fantastic feeling to be leading the Drivers’ championship – and at my home circuit as well,” said Collard.

“After a disappointing qualifying session, we started the opening race from 18th place with a lot of making up to do, but we changed a lot of things overnight and the BMW was just superb all day.

“To climb to sixth in race one, even with 48kg of ballast on board, was a really great result, and then to follow it up with second is even better.

“We’ve surpassed expectations on a couple of circuits which haven't been our strongest in previous years, and now we head to Oulton Park and Croft, which really are good circuits for the BMW. I think we can really push on and continue to fight for wins and podiums.”

Over at Team IHG Rewards Club, Jack Goff consolidated his impressive start to the 2016 campaign with a pair of strong points finishes at Thruxton.

The High Wycombe racer started the opening race 12^th with a 57kg load of success ballast on-board. Climbing to eighth in race one by half distance, he looked set to move further up the field when the red flag was waved and the result declared due to a multi-car incident on the exit of Club.

Going some way to proving his pace, he took fifth in race two and was lying third in race three before contact with Gordon Shedden saw him drop to 18^th with just over a lap to run.

His weekend was strong enough to see him in sixth place in the Drivers’ table while Team IHG Rewards Club hold the same spot in the Teams’ standings. All things considered, Goff is hopeful with Oulton Park under a fortnight away.

“I think the BMW had the pace to put us on the podium twice if the races hadn’t been shortened,” said Goff. “The strategy was to wait for the front-wheel-drive cars to use up their tyres and then pounce, but the shorter races meant that didn’t really happen.

“Had it not been for the contact with Gordon [Shedden], which was a 50/50 incident in my opinion, I’d probably be second in the championship right now, but that would mean more ballast for Oulton Park, so actually, being P6 is pretty good and gives us a great chance to take another step in the championship fight.”

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “From a team point of view, it was an excellent weekend. Rob leaves Thruxton tied for the lead of the Drivers’ championship after driving superbly so far this season, and Sam showed more strong pace and achieved a fastest lap in race two.

“Not only that, but WSR leads the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ points and Team JCT600 with GardX is just one point away from the top of the teams’ standings.

“It was another strong weekend for Team IHG Rewards Club too, and sixth place in the Teams’ championship is a very good performance for a single-car team. Jack has continued to belie his lack of experience with a rear-wheel-drive touring car to run strongly in all three races.”

Our latest competition comes in conjunction with IHG® Rewards Club and we’re giving you the chance to win a weekend away in Cheshire (June 4/5) to see the BTCC at the renowned Oulton Park circuit plus an overnight stay at Holiday Inn Chester-South.

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 Oulton Park on Saturday/Sunday 4/5 June.
• Meet driver Jack Goff
• Grid walk before a BTCC race
• Saturday night at Holiday Inn Chester-South

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 Monday 30 May. 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 Monday 30 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 Oulton Park 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.

Aside from the Motorbase Performance duo of Mat Jackson and Andrew Jordan running Ford machinery in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, there are of course two more fast Fords on the grid.

In addition to the Jackson and Jordan's Pirtek Racing and Duo-backed machines, Dextra Racing and Maximum Motorsport each brandish Focuses – with Alex Martin and Stewart Lines, respectively, at the wheel.

Both men have a season's worth of experience under their belt, having competed in the championship throughout 2015. It's time to have a look at how the 2016 has treated them, with just about a third of the campaign completed.

So far, it's been and encouraging start to proceedings for Martin and Dextra Racing. Though he has yet to match his previous best finish in the championship of 13th, which came in race three at Rockingham in 2015, the Dorset racer has already scored points – far earlier than he had managed to tally last season.

Martin's Thruxton weekend built to a crescendo after opening proceedings with a strong 16th in race one, narrowly missing out on points, then another top-20 finish in race two. Breaking into the points-paying positions with 15th in race three was a fine way to bring an encouraging third race weekend of the year to a close. Scoring championship points as a small family-run outfit is no mean feat in the BTCC.

As the rounds have passed, Dextra Racing have continued to improve as they re-familiarise themselves with the ins and outs of the Focus after the off-season. It would be fair to say Brands Hatch Indy was a poorer weekend than was hoped with just one top-25 finish but since then, Donington Park and Thruxton have yielded promise – first indicated with a race two 16th at the Leicestershire circuit back in mid-April.

For Maximum Motorsport and Stewart Lines, it's been a similar pattern of improving results as the squad dials in the Ford's setup, with the Focus entering this campaign off the back of a full rebuild. Bests of 22nd and 21st at Brands Hatch and Donington Park respectively were improved upon by race one at Thruxton, where Lines crossed the line 19th.

Despite the withdrawal of the four Silverline Subaru Team BMR cars accounting for some of the improvement seen in Hampshire, the trend is still an upward one – and it's fair to say that where teams have failed to finish, both Maximum Motorsport and Dextra Racing have ensured their entries make the chequered flag.

Following the Donington Park and Thruxton weekends Lines can feel the improvement, with the team heading in the right direction.

"The car was the best it has ever been in the past two outings," said Lines. "We had a tough weekend at Donington Park to begin with, but the lads worked tirelessly to turn it around.

“It’s was a challenging start to the weekend at Thruxton, as it was at Donington, but a positive finish. We are going the right way – we just need to build from here.

"I’m really happy with how everything is going at the moment, I have managed to get a lot of seat time at the last two and I have learned even more about the car. Hopefully stronger results aren't too far away."

Eurotech Racing's Martin Depper took the #ForeverForward honours for a second consecutive Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship weekend, gaining a total of 26 positions at Thruxton.

Race one's red flag inducing melee on lap 11 meant the round was a high scoring one as drivers picked their way through the wreckage of several cars on the exit of Club.

Depper's fifth place, a career high, gave him an 11 point start having lined up 16th on the grid. Rob Collard tied with Depper's tally while Dan Welch and Chris Smiley were next best, each having made up 10 spots on their qualifying spot.

Gordon Shedden improved by an incredible 19 positions in race two as he sliced his way through the pack to finish fourth in the Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda Civic Type R. He had started a lowly 23rd by his standards after becoming involved in the opening round's race-ending incident.

It was Depper again that topped the charts in race three. Starting 27th, he brought the Honda Civic Type R home in 12th – a 15 place swing.

Over the three rounds, then, Depper totalled 26 points. Matt Neal and Ashley Sutton followed on 22 points after consistent displays – making up ground in each of the races.

It's tight at the top of the overall standings now too. Just four points separate Depper in first and Collard in third. Thruxton really did throw things wide open.

#ForeverForward drivers of the weekend

1. Martin Depper 26
2. Matt Neal 22
3. Ashley Sutton 22

#ForeverForward overall standings

1. Martin Depper 46
2. Rob Austin 44
3. Rob Collard 42

Motorbase Performance duo Mat Jackson and Andrew Jordan shared the spoils at the UK's fastest racing circuit, with a win apiece extending the Kent-based squad's Independent Teams' Championship lead.

Pace was strong for the two Ford Focuses in Free Practice at Thruxton, though eighth and fourteenth in qualifying for Jordan and Jackson respectively left both feeling somewhat deflated.

Jordan immediately made his intentions clear in Sunday's opening race, charging off the line to take MG's Ashley Sutton and Josh Cook into turn one.

Frenetic racing ensued as the laps went by with battles up and down the field throughout a tightly-bunched pack. The Pirtek Racing man traded paint and positions on his way into the top ten.

Meanwhile, Jackson was forced into the pits with a puncture and damage to the front left quarter of his Duo-backed Focus. He would only muster 21st as a result.

The racing wasn't done for the other side of the Motorbase garage though, as Jordan was able to take full advantage of the race-ending melee on the exit of Club on lap 11 – picking his way through into third in the #77 Ford and netting his first podium with the Motorbase outfit.

Race two started equally well for the Midlander – shooting off the line and into second past the Speedworks Toyota of Tom Ingram. His attentions were then onto hunting down Adam Morgan, leading out-front in the WIX Racing Mercedes.

Race management has always been key at Thruxton, given the high-speed nature of the circuit and the abrasiveness of the track's surface. With 56kg of ballast on-board, Jordan was content to bide his time and play the long-game – keeping pressure on Morgan while doing his utmost to preserve his tyres .

The move for the lead came on lap 11. Jordan was right with Morgan into Club following a good run through Church. Out of the final chicane, the Focus was able to out-drag the A Class over the start/finish and into the lead come Allard.

With just a lap to go, Jordan had enough despite a gaggle of cars in close company waiting to pounce. It was his first victory since Croft 2014 – long overdue for the 2013 champion.

“It felt great to be back on the top step," said Jordan. "I knew that when the time was right we’d get the win.

"We rolled out on the pace in Free Practice and although we didn’t get the qualifying result we wanted we knew we had the race pace so to be able to back that up with a podium and race win was brilliant.

“For me to get the first win with Motorbase feels really special. I genuinely can’t say enough about how welcome I’ve been made to feel coming into the team, even when we had a tough weekend at Donington they supported me so it’s great to be able to repay that with a win today. I’m in a happy place. I feel that we have the momentum behind us now that we can build on.”

A recovery drive from Jackson in the sister car saw him make up twelve positions to place an eventual eighth in race two.

The reverse grid draw for race three resulted in a front-row start for Jackson, P2, with Jordan dropping to ninth with maximum ballast on-board.

Right out of the blocks, Jackson was past the pole-sitting Proton of Dan Welch and into the lead, where he would stay – controlling the race from lights to flag.

In the process of taking Motorbase's second race win on the day, he became one of only two drivers to notch two victories in the 2016 campaign – the other being WIX Racing's Morgan.

“To get the second win of the day for Motorbase felt great," said Jackson. "The hard work everyone puts in is paying off and we’re in a good place. The car’s performing well and we just need to keep clocking up the points and we’re all looking forward to going into Oulton Park in the Championship fight.”

A reverse of fortunes saw Jordan end on a low as he picked up a puncture on lap seven, eventually crossing the line in 21st position.

Motorbase Performance leaves Thruxton in a strengthened Championship position having extended its lead in the Independent Teams' standings and closed the gap on the HiQ Teams' standings, while Jordan moves into second in the Independent Drivers' Championship with Jackson close behind in third – fourth in the Overall Drivers’ Standings.

Team Manager Oly Collins said: “What a day! A fantastic double win for Motorbase shared between Andrew and Mat is a brilliant result for the team all round."

"They both drove outstandingly well all day. I’m really pleased for Andrew getting his first win with us and Mat’s win was the icing on the cake. We knew we would be strong in the races today and two wins repaid the whole team’s hard work. Now we can’t wait for Oulton!”

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship returns in four weeks’ time for rounds 10, 11 and 12 at Oulton Park, Cheshire on June 4/5.

Eurotech Racing's Daniel Lloyd made a strong impression on his 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship bow at Thruxton, picking up the Jack Sears Trophy for rounds 7, 8 and 9 with three points-scoring finishes.

The 24-year-old showed promise from the get-go – setting the 12th fastest time in the second of Saturday's Free Practice sessions. Minor quibbles with the car saw him qualify a couple of rows back from his best effort earlier in the day, as he lined up 16th for Sunday's opening race.

It was evident from the off that those that excelled in managing the car over a race distance at the notoriously abrasive Hampshire circuit would be well-placed to score points on a consistent basis over the weekend.

Lloyd brought the #23 Civic Type R home in 12th in race one, despite a slow puncture – discovered on his return to the pit-lane.

The Yorkshireman fared even better in race two. A great start saw him up to eighth by the end of the fourth tour with some firm-but-fair racing belying his rookie status. Lloyd came home seventh, after enjoying bouts with a few more experienced heads – reigning champion Gordon Shedden and Mat Jackson to name but two.

Third on the grid for race three after the reverse grid draw yielded an opportunity to Lloyd. A poor start and an eventual ninth placed finish left the Huddersfield racer frustrated – a marker of the high expectations he places on himself on even his debut weekend.

“Race two for me was by far the best race. I got a great start and the car felt mega,” said Lloyd. “The Eurotech guys did a good job and I felt really confident going into the final race starting in third.

"I didn’t get the best start in race three and the wheel spin lost us a few places so I’m a bit frustrated with myself for that but once we got settled again, we didn’t have the same pace in the car as we’d had in race 2.

"It was a bit of a battle to hold onto places in the end and I was quite pleased to have held onto P9.

“All in all it was a great debut weekend for us, we’ve come away with a really good set of results.

"This championship is all about consistency and three points finishes on our first weekend gets our campaign off to a strong start.”

Rounds seven, eight and nine of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton this past weekend (7-8 May) proved a huge success with a record 33,000 fans descending on the Hampshire circuit for the third weekend of the 2016 campaign.

Spectators basked in the heat and sunshine as the BTCC provided yet more thrilling action with Adam Morgan, Andrew Jordan and Mat Jackson each walking away with a victory apiece.

The action didn’t stop with the BTCC though as the TOCA support package delivered wheel-to-wheel excitement around the fastest circuit in the UK.

With temperatures reaching 24 degrees on race day, those in attendance weren’t just treated to on-track entertainment with plenty to take in around the Andover venue – the British Army made their presence known with an Apache Helicopter sitting on display throughout the two days

Thruxton Circuit Managing Director, Bill Coombs, said: “It was a great weekend at Thruxton and one that saw one of the strongest crowds make their way through the gates since the Super Touring days. The numbers have been consistently growing year-on-year.

“We had fantastic weather all weekend and the appeal of the BTCC around the fastest track on the calendar continues to provide a great appeal to fans. The racing from the BTCC and the associated categories was simply sublime too, the level of competition has been raised even more in 2016 and that was apparent in every race.

“I would just like to thank all of the teams from Thruxton and the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) for their continued support and hard work to ensure events like this past weekend run as smoothly as possible.”

The BTCC heads to Oulton Park for the fourth meeting of the season (4/5 June) before descending on a second BARC managed circuit, Croft, heading towards the halfway point of the season.

Michael Epps's weekend at Thruxton proved a promising one, with a hat-trick of points finishes across the three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rounds, including a breakthrough top ten result in the final race.

The RCIB Insurance man notched a maiden points finish last time out at Donington Park and a trio of battling drives in his Toyota Avensis yielded eleventh, fourteenth and tenth place finishes in Hampshire.

After a below par Saturday at the fastest circuit in the UK, with a lack of running in free practice, a difficult qualifying session saw him muster only 22nd on the grid for race one.

Epps progressed nicely at the start of the opener, working his way up to 16th by the third tour before picking his way through a dramatic final corner accident on lap twelve to take ninth position on the road. This became eleventh when the result was declared on count-back after the red flags were waved.

Retaining his top twelve position throughout the opening stages of the second encounter, Epps moved up to a high of ninth at mid-distance and had eighth in his sights.

Trying to defend and attack at the same time, Epps was forced out around the back of the circuit late on, dropping back to an eventual 14th place finish – his consistency and tyre management left him confident for race three.

Another battling drive in front of the ITV cameras saw the Team HARD ace make good ground on the way to the cusp of the top ten scuffle as rivals faltered. Epps set a fastest lap bettered by only one driver ahead of him en-route to his tenth place finish.

"It was a case of being patient and powering through this weekend," said Epps. "We had some issues yesterday, but we managed to rectify the situation and that allowed us to have a positive race day.

“Qualifying wasn’t the strongest showing, but we didn’t get the perfect lap and we know our race pace would be stronger than where we started. A lot of people were impatient in the races and we were there to pick up the scraps.

“A first top ten and three points finishes are a couple more milestones reached for us, and to be consistently in the top fifteen across all three races shows that the car is there and I can race with those drivers.

Epps maintains his top-twenty standing in the overall drivers’ championship and a top ten position in the Independents Trophy ahead of the visit to Oulton Park in Cheshire for Rounds 10, 11 and 12 next month (04/05 June).

“I really like Oulton Park," continued Epps. "The rhythm of the circuit seems to work with me and I can imagine it’s a meeting we can do quite well at. We’ve got some work to do on the car, we’re going back and forth with set-ups at the moment, but we hope we can continue with the top tens at Oulton.”

WIX Racing’s Adam Morgan took a win and two further podiums in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship event at Thruxton, whilst Motorbase Performance duo Andrew Jordan and Mat Jackson claimed a victory apiece at the UK’s fastest circuit.

Podiums for Rob Collard and Matt Neal propelled the experienced pairing to the championship summit, with the top eight drivers now covered by just 21 points in the overall standings.

A fast and frenetic triple-header of races was played out in front of a huge crowd in Hampshire – basked in glorious sunshine ­– and the packed banks of spectators were provided with yet more high-class entertainment.

Morgan won a breathtaking opener, having carved his way through the melee to become the first double winner of the 2016 season.

The race began in a frenzied fashion and that theme was maintained throughout the shortened contest, which initially looked to favour pole-sitter Tom Ingram off the line. A slipstreaming contest commenced down to the first chicane, however, which left Ingram alongside both Neal and Aiden Moffat.

Three into one simply wouldn’t go and when the dust settled it was Neal’s Honda out front while Moffat and Ingram were shuffled down the order following slight contact.

MG’s Josh Cook and the Mercedes of Morgan slipped through into second and third respectively, whilst the other MG6 of Ashley Sutton went off on lap two while tussling with Ingram.

Neal led from Cook, Morgan, Moffat and Ingram at the end of the second tour, with positions changing hands at almost every corner. Morgan then blasted by Cook into the final chicane, and a bevy others further demoted the MG Racing RCIB Insurance driver as he tried to regain his composure.

Morgan hounded Neal’s ballast-laden Honda Civic Type R and produced a stunning move on the leader across the start/finish line at the end of lap four, as a gaggle of some seven cars jostled for places.

Moffat clawed his way past Neal too, seemingly completing his recovery while potentially rewarding Mercedes with a maiden one-two in the BTCC. It wasn’t to be though, as a puncture forced him onto the grass and back down the order on lap. Jackson’s Ford Focus incurred a similar fate at the same time, leaving debris all over the circuit.

By the time the leaders next blasted their way down Brooklands and Woodham Hill, Neal’s Honda had too picked up a puncture. The triple champion attempted to pull into the pit lane but was collected by an unsighted Cook, which resulted in the likes of Gordon Shedden, Jeff Smith and Jake Hill, among others, being caught up in the incident.

With cars now littering the track, officials were left with little choice but to cut the race short, and duly the Thruxton marshals waved the red flags to signal the end of the showdown.

With the contest being officially classified at the end of lap 11 it left Morgan with a richly deserved win ahead of the recovering Ingram and Andrew Jordan’s Ford Focus, who had himself made steady progress up the order.

Jordan then joined a list of seven different race winners from the opening eight BTCC races, after the Pirtek Racing driver produced an impressive drive in the second bout of the day.

Morgan made a steady getaway from pole position and the WIX Racing driver coped well with maximum success ballast in the first half of the race. Jordan had nipped by Ingram’s Speedworks Toyota off the line and worse was to come for the latter when he was adjudged to have jumped the start.

A subsequent drive through penalty for Ingram forced him out of the fight as a gaggle of five cars moved into contention. Morgan led from Jordan and the WSR trio of Collard, Jack Goff and Sam Tordoff in close company – the BMWs coming alive in the battle for victory.

The pivotal moment came on lap 11 as Jordan scythed his way past Morgan, with the Mercedes struggling to hang on after a valiant effort at the head of the pack. Morgan was shuffled down again by Collard’s Team JCT600 with GardX BMW, but he fended off further attacks from the now trio of cars behind him.

Incredibly Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Gordon Shedden had hauled his Honda onto the lead quintet in the closing stages, having started from the back of the grid. While Jordan was busy taking the lead, Shedden caught Goff and Tordoff napping to slip into fourth place.

Motorbase Performance then scored its second win of the day as Jackson followed Jordan’s race two success with his own dynamic display in the Thruxton finale.

The victory also marked Jackson’s second of the 2016 campaign as he joined Morgan as the only two drivers to record double wins so far this season.

Off the line, Jackson’s Ford Focus blasted past the Proton of pole-sitter Dan Welch, and despite being kept honest by the chasing pack throughout, he was able to cruise to the chequered flag in relative comfort.

After a series of incidents, Team IHG Rewards Club’s Goff inherited second until Neal’s Honda got by on lap eight. Then, as the second Honda of Shedden attacked Goff for a spot on the podium, closing as the duo swept through Church, the BMW locked up going into the final chicane and the pair made contact. Shedden retired with damage after limping over the start/finish line while Goff could only manage an eventual 18th place.

The final spot on the rostrum went to Morgan – making it a hat-trick on the day – as he crossed the line just 0.198s ahead of MG pair Cook and Sutton.

Collard claimed sixth and with it the joint lead of the championship alongside Neal. The top eight drivers are covered by just 21 points – with Morgan, Jackson, Shedden, Goff, Tordoff and Jordan all in contention.

West Surrey Racing now leads the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ Championship from Honda, although the latter has maintained its lead of the HiQ Teams’ standings.

Morgan tops the Independents’ Trophy for drivers while Motorbase Performance maintained its position at the summit of the Independent Teams’ table.

MG’s Sutton heads the Jack Sears Trophy although Michael Epps has closed the gap after a hugely impressive day in his Toyota Avensis.

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship now rolls on to Oulton Park in Cheshire on 4/5 June for Rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the series.

Adam Morgan said: “It was incredible. It didn’t feel like I was trying too hard from the beginning and I was taking time out of people all the way round. It’s been a mega job by everyone in the team. The car was hooked up and I couldn’t have asked for much more. Every time I got the chance, I was asking my team what the gap was and just trying to conserve as much as I could. I saw that Mat (Jackson) held everyone up for me and then later on there were a couple of incidents, so it was a tricky one and a fantastic win. I love Thruxton – it just seems to work.”

Andrew Jordan said: “I got a bit emotional initially because it’s such a big relief. A lot of the media like to remind you when you last won a race. I knew it’d come when the time was right and when everything fell into place. Adam (Morgan) drove a really good race but I could see where he was struggling off the chicane. He gave me good room and saw I had enough on him so it was fair enough. It was a great race with great guys. I love racing with people like this. There’s just a great respect between us.”

Mat Jackson said: “It had been tough earlier on. Race one was a bit of a nightmare. To come through and pick up eighth in race two, and get the reverse grid massively helped. We’ve ended the day well but it’d been a difficult day. It was very warm and it’s hard on tyres at Thruxton. The downside is we go to Oulton with ballast, but success comes at a price and that’s the price you pay. We’ve certainly got a car that can challenge and I feel very confident and comfortable in it. It’s frustrating that we’ve had two zeroes. Everyone can say the same though. Ifs, buts and maybes don’t win the championship.”

Matt Neal said: “It was certainly good to finish on a high – it makes the journey home a lot more enjoyable! It was a bit of a shame overall because in truth, it was a weekend that had promised so much more and I was staring down the barrel of a gun until the last race! Thruxton has always been a Honda circuit, and we proved that again with the ballast on-board in qualifying. I was surprised just how strong we were carrying so much ballast in race one and the puncture was nobody’s fault. The boys did a stellar job to get us out again for race two in the nick of time – they had to deal with not just one but two cars in a million pieces – and then I was able to open the car up again in race three and was flying at the end. I would never have thought I’d leave here still leading the championship after the first two races, so all’s well that ends well, as they say.”

Rob Collard said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joint leading the championship after three race weekends – it’s fantastic. It shows that age is only a number with the two oldest boys at the top! It’s experience that’s counting at the moment. I struggled in qualifying yesterday and went to bed thinking ‘my championship’s over’ but it came back to me on race day. We changed the car overnight and dialled the BMW in. We fettled to compensate for the ballast in each race and the car was the best it has been in race three.”

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 7 – Thruxton

1 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing 11 laps
2 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +3.310s
3 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance +3.820s
4 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +5.115s
5 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Eurotech Racing +5.824s
6 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +6.464s
7 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +8.179s
8 Jack GOFF (GBR) Team IHG Rewards Club +8.179s
9 Daniel WELCH (GBR) Goodstone Racing +8.672s
10 Jake HILL (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +8.809s

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 8 – Thruxton

1 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance 12 laps
2 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +0.401s
3 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing 1.791s
4 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +1.978s
5 Jack GOFF (GBR) Team IHG Rewards Club +2.786s
6 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +3.017s
7 Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Eurotech Racing +10.738s
8 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +6.201s
9 Daniel WELCH (GBR) Goodstone Racing +7.034s
10 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +7.260s

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 9 – Thruxton

1 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance 12 laps
2 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.256s
3 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing +4.568s
4 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +4.766s
5 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +5.006s
6 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +5.460s
7 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +6.082s
8 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +6.291s
9 Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Eurotech Racing +10.533s
10 Michael EPPS (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +11.333s