Jack Goff has taken a stunning first BTCC win after starting from pole in the final BTCC race of the year.
Goff got a great start off the line and from there pulled away for most of the race. Running on the soft tyres for the final race, they were more suited to the warm conditions today and enabled him to pull out a big gap. As the race drew to the closing stages, his tyres performance started to drop off but he had pulled a big enough gap to the rest of the field that he crossed the line in front to take his first ever BTCC win.
Jason Plato had been his nearest challenger but he was unable to match Goff’s pace early on and in the later stages, although faster, he wasn’t able to close at a fast enough rate and just ran out of time to catch the MG driver.
Plato himself had to deal with the WSR duo of Priaulx and Tordoff first, passing Tordoff off the line only to be then passed by Priaulx. But once he was back past by leaving his braking incredibly late at the Complex he could then set off in pursuit of Goff. Priaulx ended a good day with his second podium of the meeting just ahead of Sam Tordoff.
Adam Morgan had looked set for another great race as he ran fifth early on, only to be passed by Turkington at Riches when the Wix Mercedes ran wide. He ended up thirteenth at the flag.
Turkington wasn’t going to be able to make it three races in a row on the podium and Andrew Jordan passed him for fifth to be followed shortly after by Mat Jackson, having his best race of Motorbases Snetterton come back. It was understandable that Turkington was struggling, his VW CC was carrying maximum ballast after his earlier double wins. But once he dropped to seventh he managed to stop the slide and took more valuable points to aid his rejuvenated championship challenge.
Rob Austin rounded off a mixed weekend for Excocet Alcosense racing with eighth beating Tom Ingram in his Speedworks Toyota Avensis.
Rob Collard brought some cheer to an otherwise miserable day for him with tenth ahead of Matt Neal in the works Honda. Neal’s team mate Shedden ran into problems and was classified last.
BMR’s Aron Smith could only manage twelfth with the success ballast he was now carrying on his car. With Morgan in thirteenth, the final two points positions were filled by Dave Newsham in his Power Maxed Chevrolet and Martin Depper in the Eurotech Honda.
Mike Bushell of AMD Tuning could only managed twentieth this time but his results saw him being awarded the Jack Sears trophy for the Snetterton rounds.
Jason Plato now leads the championship from team mate Turkington. Shedden drops to third after a miserable weekend with Sam Tordoff in fourth and Andrew Jordan fifth. Sixth is Matt Neal with Andy Priaulx seventh. Early championship leader Jack Goff is back up to eighth after his win after slumping down the order since the first weekend of the season.
The next rounds are at Knockhill near Dunfermline in Scotland. Advance tickets are available from the Knockhill website or you can buy them on the gate. As ever full coverage will be shown live on ITV4.
Full results from race three today and the rest of the weekend are available from TSL Timing. By Marc Waller
