Author: Chris Ashby

A bumper crowd witnessed another breathtaking weekend of motorsport as Thruxton Circuit played host to Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Andrew Jordan was the star of the show at the famous Hampshire venue, taking victory in the first two races of the day behind the wheel of his BMW Pirtek Racing 330i M Sport.

BTC Racing’s Josh Cook also stood on the top step after a win in race three as fans who had travelled from all over the country were treated to some spectacular racing around Britain’s fastest track.

A full programme of support series’ action alongside qualifying ensured it was the best-attended Saturday in 20 years, while the banking was absolutely packed as race one got underway on Sunday afternoon.

In total, fans enjoyed 14 outstanding races, headlined by the brilliant BTCC but were also wowed by contests from Formula 4, Ginettas and Minis.

The late-spring weather held out and the hugely popular chicane grandstands and spectator banks around the circuit were filled, while the state-of-the-art Thruxton Centre – which opened only a year ago – was a hive of activity throughout the weekend.

Sam Tordoff of Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance made a stellar start from pole once the highly-anticipated BTCC action got underway, having set a new lap record of 1m15.511s the previous afternoon.

Jordan jumped Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish into second while defending champion and West Surrey Racing star Colin Turkington, Tordoff’s team-mate Rory Butcher and Sterling Insurance Power Maxed Racing’s Jason Plato led the chasing pack.

The leading trio proceeded to pull away as battles raged behind, with BTCC veteran and fan-favourite Matt Neal muscling his way around the outside of Ash Sutton’s Adrian Flux Subaru Racing Levorg for seventh.

Tordoff looked set for a comfortable victory before a power steering issue caused a big wobble through the legendary Church corner on Lap 13, allowing Jordan to get a run on the 29-year-old, make a move around the outside at the chicane and cruise home for his second win of the season in front of the packed grandstands.

Race two began in familiar fashion, with the BMW pair of Jordan and Turkington both enjoying blistering starts as Cammish bogged down from third on the grid.

Tordoff went door-to-door with Turkington through Allard and past the imposing Thruxton Centre but wasn’t able to hold off the three-time champion into the Complex, meaning it was a BMW one-two at the end of lap one.

There was also plenty of action further back with contact between the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher Ford of Ollie Jackson and the BTC Racing Honda Civic Type R of Chris Smiley, causing the former to retire and the latter to drop down the field.

Jordan and Turkington streaked away at the front to secure a comfortable one-two while Cammish rounded out the rostrum after working his way past Tordoff at the chicane on lap five, making contact with the AmD driver under braking and forcing both drivers to cut behind the tyre pillar on the apex of the corner.

Tordoff later dropped behind Plato and Matt Neal while Rob Collard produced a heart-in-mouth moment on the grass alongside Rory Butcher and Aidan Moffatt’s Laser Tools Racing Mercedes got sideways at the final chicane, hampering Team Parker Racing’s Stephen Jelley as supporters were treated to brilliant wheel-to-wheel action.

Former McLaren F1 Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh conducted the reverse grid draw, pulling Sutton’s number out of the hat to sit on pole for the ever-popular final race of the day.

However, it was Cook that got the best launch and snatched the lead on the way into the Complex before the safety car was called into action following contact between Collard and the Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes of Adam Morgan.

Jordan’s strong weekend ended sourly when the BMW Pirtek star was tipped around by Stephen Jelley on the restart, but things were calmer near the front as Cook showed great pace to hold a comfortable lead.

Butcher capped a strong weekend with an excellent pass on Sutton for second into the final chicane on lap five, keeping his cool through a second safety car period to bank a sizeable points haul and move level with Turkington at the top of the Championship.

The 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship resumes on June 15/16, with Rounds 10, 11 and 12 taking place at Croft.

Fans have another chance to get their fill of touring car action at Thruxton when the BTCC field makes a second visit to the circuit later in the season for Rounds 19, 20 and 21 on August 17/18.

In the meantime, supporters can get their fill of automotive action at the Thruxton Motorsport Celebration on 1/2 June where there will be a mouth-watering array of sensational sportscars, flame-spitting saloons and evocative single-seaters.

The annual event, founded following the success of our 50th anniversary celebration, will feature iconic on-track demonstrations in addition to stunning ‘Battle of Britain’ flypasts as the past comes back to life at the fastest circuit in the country.

“We were delighted to welcome such a fantastic crowd to witness a sensational weekend of racing,” said Thruxton Director, Bill Coombs. “The thrills and spills of the BTCC were there for all to see, but the entire bill of racing provided such great entertainment. The Minis were a wonderful addition to the line-up and seeing so many of them slipstreaming and getting sideways was a real joy.

“The Saturday alone produced the best attendance figures we’ve seen in some two decades, which shows the great appeal of the BTCC and Thruxton as a venue. The Thruxton Centre, which has been open for business almost a year, was a hive of activity throughout with guests enjoying the facilities over the weekend. The best thing about it all… is that we have a chance to do it all again in August this year as the BTCC makes two visits to Hampshire in 2019. Attention now turns to the Thruxton Motorsport Celebration at the beginning of June, which I’m sure will be a wonderful event.”

Thruxton Circuit played host to a hugely successful Dare To Be Different (D2BD) event earlier today, as over 100 schoolgirls got a first-hand experience of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

The Hampshire circuit teamed up with the pioneering charity to put on an action-packed day of activities designed to inspire more girls to get into motorsport.

Pupils from local primary schools were invited to Britain’s fastest racetrack ahead of this weekend’s BTCC event, taking part in garage tours and meeting star drivers such as Jason Plato, Tom Ingram, Josh Cook and Michael Crees.

D2BD, founded by former Williams F1 test driver Susie Wolff and Motorsport UK, is an initiative designed to inspire female participation and challenge preconceptions in a traditionally male-orientated environment.

And today’s event gave attendees a chance to get up close and personal with the BTCC through exclusive access to the Thruxton paddock, as well as developing their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills with a number of tricky engineering challenges.

The schoolgirls then tried a spot of presenting with ITV Sport journalist and D2BD Ambassador Louise Goodman, taking the place of the host, interviewer and interview subject to get an insight into motorsport media.

The group also tested their reactions and questioned engineers about their roles within the teams before getting their hands dirty with the Pirelli Pit-Stop Challenge.

Meanwhile, the F1 in Schools Programme was present to showcase its inspirational learning resources with D2BD aiming to ‘Drive Female Talent’ and highlight potential career paths within motorsport.

The day was rounded off with a prize giving ceremony in the stunning Thruxton Centre for the fastest pit-stop team and best media presentation.

Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing’s Jason Plato said: “They’ve had a fantastic time and hopefully it will light a candle in a few of their minds that motorsport is a great opportunity. Not just for driving the car, because there are many more things in motorsport than driving the car.

“I’ve been in this game a long time, and it was a male-dominated place when I started. It’s not now, and it’s a better paddock for it. It has changed massively, and I think the way the world is at the moment motorsport needs to be more inclusive.

“It’s a great initiative and it opens their mind up to all sorts of opportunities, whether they be science-based, sports-based, nutrition… there’s a million and one different offshoots in motorsport.”

ITV Motorsport presenter and D2BD Ambassador Louise Goodman said: “What a great event! I’ve been working with Dare To Be Different since it was set up and I just think it’s a brilliant initiative. I’ve spent pretty much my entire working life in motorsport and I have seen the numbers of women involved change, but if you look at the numbers its still not gone far enough.

“What Dare To Be Different is all about is working on the premise that you’ve got to see it to be it. It’s showing girls and importantly their parents and teachers that there are a whole range of career opportunities in motorsport. In F1 they don’t care if you’re male or female, they just want the best of everything. We’ve got to get more girls engaged in engineering and STEM activities with motorsport-orientated career options and subjects at the bottom level. It’s all about changing those perceptions.”

Thruxton Circuit Director Bill Coombs said: “It came about after a chance conversation with Alan Gow and we were fortunate to have Friday free of any testing but still had all the teams here, so it was an ideal opportunity for Dare To Be Different to come down and take advantage of everything else that is going on, and be hosted in our Thruxton Centre.

“We’re very pleased to be able to help out, and the initiative has been very well supported by all of the teams. We’ve had about 100 children here from different schools and they’re been around to all the teams, having a very full day of activity.”

The D2BD event took place on the eve of Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, which commences tomorrow at the Hampshire venue.

Tickets for the BTCC’s visit on 18/19 May can be purchased on the gate, starting at £17 for Saturday (qualifying) and £34 for Sunday (race day). Children aged 13-15 get in for £5 on Saturday and £10 on Sunday; accompanied children aged 12 and under will be admitted free of charge.

For further information, see https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc or call 01264 882222.

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

Britain’s premier motorsport series meets Britain’s fastest race circuit this weekend (May 18/19) as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship descends on Thruxton for Rounds 7, 8 & 9 of the 2019 season.

Providing a unique challenge like nothing else on the calendar, exhilarating high-speed thrills are set to take place at the home of the British Automobile Racing Club in front of a bumper crowd as it stages the first of two BTCC meetings in Hampshire – having gained a second event in August.

In what has already been another unpredictable and ultra-competitive start to the year, the opening six races of the new season has served up five different race winners.

Josh Cook, Andrew Jordan, Rory Butcher and Tom Ingram have all tallied one win whilst reigning champion Colin Turkington is the only man to score two victories following his Donington Park double last time out.

Despite the aforementioned winners it is 2017 champion Ashley Sutton who finds himself at the top of standings. Three podium finishes paired with a further three points scoring finishes leave the Adrian Flux Subaru Racing leading the way into the third event of the year.

Traditionally making a slow start, Sutton has come out the blocks fast this year but with his Subaru Levorg ladened with success ballast, the 25-year-old will likely look to play the long game in his bid of extending his advantage.

Whilst Sutton is the early leader, the battle for supremacy at the top of the standings however is fraught with the top five separated by just six points.

Cook, who is local to the circuit, leads the chase for Sutton with Turkington, Tom Chilton and Butcher all hot on his heels. Toyota GB-back Ingram rounds out the top six after his victory in the Corolla at Donington Park.

Down the years Thruxton has been a happy hunting ground for the Honda Civic Type R and whilst Cook will be one to watch in his BTC Racing machine, several others will be keen to come to the fore too.

Cook’s team-mate Chris Smiley was one to watch at the TOCA test last month whilst the Halfords Yuasa Racing pairing of Matt Neal and Dan Cammish can’t be discounted either. Throw into the mix the AMD Tuning duo of Butcher and Sam Tordoff and the Type R could well add to its impressive record this weekend.

Both the Mercedes Benz A-Class and Vauxhall Astra have enjoyed varying success down the years at Thruxton too so Adam Morgan, Aiden Moffat, Jason Plato and local man Rob Collard will be all worth keeping an eye on over the course of the weekend too.

Brands Hatch race winner Jordan found himself in the wars last time out and the 2013 champion will be battling hard to fight his way back into early contention around a circuit that he has always excelled at.

Throw into the hat a raft of other front-running contenders such as Jake Hill, Jack Goff, Stephen Jelley and more, and you begin to see why this weekend is set to be such a blockbuster event.

Tickets to Thruxton’s first BTCC race meeting of the season will be available to purchase on the gate. For more information on pricing head to http://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc.

To find out more information on the event such as the full timetable as well as links to live timing, click here.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship arrives at Thruxton this weekend (May 18/19) for the first of its 2019 appearances at the high-speed Hampshire track, with the hugely popular series returning in the summer (August 17/18) for another bite of the cherry.

Thirty top-tier drivers have battled it out in the opening six rounds, producing five different winners from the Brands Hatch Indy and Donington Park race weekends. Reigning champion Colin Turkington is the only driver to win more than a single race so far in 2019, and his victories last time out were enough to propel him to third in the overall Drivers’ standings behind BTC Racing’s Josh Cook and Subaru’s Ashley Sutton. The latter currently leads the championship having not yet taken to the top step, though he has notched three podium finishes.

Closer than ever

The 2019 BTCC is as close as ever with the top eight drivers in the standings separated by fewer than 25 points, while a total of 13 different drivers have already visited the podium. The first two meetings have been full of surprises, with Cook taking the honours in the season opener, followed by victory for BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan in the second encounter of the year – just days after the new 3 Series’ build had been completed by West Surrey Racing. Donington Park wasn’t so kind to Jordan, though, with his participation in the weekend curtailed following a spectacular collision.

Rory Butcher and Tom Ingram took popular victories in the final races at Brands Hatch and Donington Park respectively, the latter in front of 4,500 Toyota employees and their families all there to cheer on Ingram in the new Corolla with the Japanese marque making its BTCC manufacturer return this season. This fantastic result for the Cheshire-based team, coupled with consistent top-ten results in the previous five races, catapulted the reigning Independents’ champion to sixth in the overall standings, just 12 points shy of the summit.

A whole host of other drivers have shown the pace and potential to win so far this season, and as is the norm in BTCC, they are queueing up to take to the top step at Thruxton. The most noteworthy has been championship leader Ash Sutton, who is yet to win a race despite his pole position at Brands Hatch and a flurry of podium finishes. Another driver to have reached the rostrum already this year is Hampshire’s own Rob Collard. Tom Oliphant is also one to watch after his third place at Donington Park, while a win-double for Turkington highlighted the BMW’s prowess throughout that weekend.

Testing, testing

A host of Honda Civic Type Rs showed their intent at Thruxton’s official BTCC Test Day back in April. As the grid looked to prepare for two 2019 visits to Hampshire, the top three positions were locked out by Hondas. Dan Cammish – who is yet to find himself at the sharp end so far this season – led the way for the Halfords Yuasa Racing works team, two tenths clear of anyone else. Chris Smiley (second) and Rory Butcher (third) joined Cammish at the top of timesheets closely followed by Sutton’s Subaru Levorg.

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class runners seemed to be there or thereabouts with Aiden Moffat in fifth and Adam Morgan in eighth. Turkington and Jordan in the BMWs also showed strong pace after posting the sixth and 11th fastest times respectively.

The top 11 drivers were less than a second apart, giving high hopes of some close racing and plenty of opportunities to capitalise at the Hampshire speedbowl for Rounds 7, 8 and 9.

“It’s a huge deal that we have two BTCC meetings at Thruxton this year,” enthused Thruxton Group Director, Bill Coombs. “It’s the biggest event of the year for us and to be able to have two of those over the course of the year is just fantastic.

“It’s a stunning weekend out, a real family event. There are plenty of trade shows and children’s activities to keep everyone entertained throughout the weekend. Due to the high-speed nature of Thruxton, the racing is probably the closest you will see in the UK, there’s always plenty of slipstreaming and overtaking so it’s very hard to pick a winner.”

“Thruxton is a very unique circuit, it’s not like any other on the calendar,” said Bath-based racer Josh Cook, who regards the Hampshire track as his home circuit. “We are coming here twice this season so that means it’s even more important to get the right setup during testing and practice, anything we can learn will benefit us at two race meetings.

“There’s really only two braking points on the whole circuit and then around the back section you’re at full power for the majority of the time. It is tricky – Church Corner is famed for its high-speed nature. It’s certainly a circuit that I love coming to.”

Tickets for the BTCC’s visit on 18/19 May can be purchased on the gate, starting at £17 for Saturday (qualifying) and £34 for Sunday (race day). Children aged 13-15 get in for £5 on Saturday and £10 on Sunday; accompanied children aged 12 and under will be admitted free of charge.

For further information, see https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc or call 01264 882222.

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