Gordon Shedden has successfully defended his BTCC title after taking third in the final race to finally take Sam Tordoff’s lead at the point when it mattered most.
Tordoff had started ahead of Shedden as part of the reverse grid race with the Team JCT600 with Gardx driver in third with Shedden’s Honda Civic in fifth.
It was Mat Jackson who had the reverse grid pole with Aiden Moffat alongside and Jackson shot into an immediate lead. Moffat managed to hold on to his second position with Tordoff slotting into third. Shedden had Josh Cook between himself and Tordoff and if he was to take the title he would have to pass Cook to get a shot of passing Tordoff.
It wasn’t long before Shedden was past and onto Tordoff’s tail. The two then ran close for several laps before Shedden made his move in the run through Clearways before finally making it stick in Clark Curve.
With Shedden now ahead, Tordoff had to find a way back past if he was to keep any hope of winning the title. Unfortunately the pace wasn’t in the WSR BMW and not only could he not find a way back past but he started to fall into the clutches of Adam Morgan’s Wix Racing Mercedes.
Adam Morgan successfully passed the BMW as well leaving Tordoff’s title hopes resting on something going wrong for Shedden. Morgan caught Shedden and at times looked like he might make a move but Shedden successfully held him off to take third place. This was all he needed for the title with Tordoff now back in fifth place.
Up ahead almost unnoticed, Mat Jackson took the win although that was not enough for him to win the independent drivers crown which goes to Andrew Jordan despite the Pirtek sponsored driver finishing this race back in eleventh.
Aiden Moffat’s second place was his first ever overall podium and the team celebrated loudly as he got out the car.
Morgan remained in fourth with Tordoff holding off Ingram to take fifth with Josh Cook falling behind both of them in seventh. Jake hill brought some cheer to Team Hard at their local race with eighth ahead of Rob Collard’s BMW. Jason Plato completed the top ten and was the best of the Subarus. Just behind Andrew Jordan’s Focus came Colin Turkington in twelfth.
Sadly the Silverline Subaru BMR driver’s title challenge faded in the third race when his Subaru, now ballast laden just didn’t have the pace to get even close to a win. Amazingly with Jackson winning he moved ahead of Turkington who fell back to fourth in the standings.
Matt Simpson had a positive end to his season taking to the podium as he won the Jack Sears trophy for Rookie drivers for the Brands finale weekend
There was some consolation for WSR as they took the Manufacturer/Constructor championship ahead of Honda.
Team JCT600 with GardX also took the teams championship from Halfords Yuasa racing with Motorbase third.
But it was Motorbase who won the independent teams championship having already amassed an unassailable points lead at Silverstone. The independent drivers battle had just been between eventual champion Jordan and Mat Jackson.
Ashley Sutton took the Jack Sears trophy itself after his only rival, Micheal Epps had a nightmare weekend. Matt Simpson moved up to third with his strong final weekend.
2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Race Three – Brands Hatch GP:
1 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance 30m42.447s (85.58 mph)
2 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.016s
3 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +1.454s
4 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing +1.660s
5 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +2.600s
6 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +2.734s
7 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +3.046s
8 Jake HILL (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +4.093s
9 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +4.188s
10 Jason PLATO (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +5.937s
11 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance +6.152s
12 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +6.398s
13 Jack GOFF (GBR) Team IHG Rewards Club +6.823s
14 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +6.854s
15 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Eurotech Racing +8.812s
16 James COLE (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +9.221s
17 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +9.460s
18 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +9.833s
19 Alex MARTIN (GBR) Dextra Racing +10.469s
20 Aron SMITH (IRL) BKR +11.050s
21 Kelvin FLETCHER (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +11.625s
22 Stewart LINES (GBR) Maximum Motorsport +12.175s
23 Mark HOWARD (GBR) BKR +13.020s
24 Ash SUTTON (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +31.193s
25 Michael EPPS (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +1 lap
DNF Dan WELCH (GBR) Goodestone Racing +5 laps
DNF Tony GILHAM (GBR) TLC/RCIB Insurance Racing +9 laps
DNF Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD Tuning.com +10 laps
DNF Warren SCOTT (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +16 laps
DNF Hunter ABBOTT (GBR) Power Maxed Racing
Full championship standings are available from TSL timing as well as the full results from the weekend. Click here http://tsl-timing.com/event/163903 By Marc Waller
