BTCC Croft Race One – Turkington takes lights to flag victory

BTCC action (photo by Marc Waller)Colin Turkington has won the first Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race of the day at Croft Circuit in the eBay Motors Team BMW.

Having qualified on pole position after a last minute flying lap yesterday, the Irishman maintained a steady lead on soft tyres to take the chequered flag ahead of the Honda Yuasa Racing duo Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden who took the remaining two podium positions – having battled each other for position throughout the duration of the race.

Second eBay Motors driver Nick Foster had a brilliant run through the field to finish in fourth ahead of KX Momentum’s Jason Plato – having made a superb move on the MG as the race was nearing its end.


Rob Collard’s luck didn’t hold out after making a quick start off the line to get into third; a spin going into Clervaux resulted in him having to make up places after dropping down the order.

Collard was, however, also involved in a mid-field battle as the race drew a close, alongside Team HARD’s Tom Onslow-Cole, Jeff Smith and Adam Morgan – with Michael Caine in the Addison Lee Motorbase Focus taking full advantage and making up two places in one move.

BTCC action (photo by Marc Waller)BTCC action (photo by Marc Waller)BTCC action (photo by Marc Waller)After a disappointing qualifying session, Speedworks Motorsport also had a race to forget. Ollie Jackson pitted after being shown the mechanical warning flag on the fourth lap, with smoke pouring from the back of the Toyota, with Dave Newsham also coming in after contact with Smith’s Pirtek Honda at the hairpin.

Mat Jackson also retired from the race after spinning and clattering the barriers at the chicane, resulting in damage to the Airwaves Racing Focus. James Kaye in the AmD Tuning.com VW Golf also retired early on in the race.

Colin Turkington took his second soft tyre win of the season, having won the reversed race three race at Donington Park earlier in the year, followed by the chasing Hondas of Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden – the pair both carrying ballast on board their machines.

BTCC action (photo by Marc Waller)BTCC action (photo by Marc Waller)In his first touring car race of his career, Jake Hill took the Jack Sears Trophy win in the second Addison Lee Motorbase Focus, ahead of David Nye and Lea Wood.

The second race of the day is set to get under way at around 14:40

Soft tyre runners: Turkington, Foster, Morgan, Austin, Welch and Collard

Race Classification – points finishers:
1. Colin Turkington (eBay Motors)
2. Matt Neal (Honda Yuasa Racing)
3. Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa Racing)
4. Nick Foster (eBay Motors)
5. Jason Plato (MG KX Momentum Racing)
6. Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing)
7. Sam Tordoff (MG KX Momentum Racing)
8. Michael Caine (Addison Lee Motorbase)
9. Rob Collard (eBay Motors)
10. Tom Onslow-Cole (PPCGB.com/Kraftwerk Racing)
11. Adam Morgan (Cicely Racing)
12. Jeff Smith (Pirtek Racing)
13. Rob Austin (Rob Austin Racing)
14. Aron Smith (Airwaves Racing)
15. Will Bratt (Rob Austin Racing)
Fastest lap: Colin Turkington – Lap 2 – 1:25:290  By Nikki Thompson


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