BTCC sets new record north of the border

On what was a dramatic weekend of racing at Knockhill, the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship hit new heights as it set a new record for the number of different race winners in a single season – with six races still left to run.

In treacherous conditions around the undulating Fife circuit, BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan and Motorbase Performance’s Tom Chilton became the 13th and 14th victors of the 2018 campaign, surpassing the previous record of 13 which was set in 2017.

Off the back of that record high last year, Britain’s much loved tin-top championship ensured that it wrote another chapter in its illustrious history as it continues to celebrate its 60th Anniversary.

Boasting one of the strongest line-up’s in recent memory with five former champions and 17 race-winners headlining the class of 2018, this season was one that had the makings of being a marquee campaign – such was the level of competition.

The record-breaking run of race winners began at the season-opener as Jack Goff converted pole position into victory at a sodden Brands Hatch for WIX Racing with Eurotech.

Senna Proctor came to the fore in round two at the Kent circuit in one of the races of the season as he, like a handful of drivers around him, gambled on slick tyres to scythe his way from 27th on the grid to take a maiden victory for Power Maxed TAG Racing.

Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram made it three different winners from three races on the opening weekend of the season as he piloted his Toyota Avensis to the chequered flag after overhauling Rob Austin late on.

Onto Donington Park and there was to be another new winner, also from the Power Maxed TAG Racing stable. After storming to pole position on the Saturday, Josh Cook became the fourth winner of the year as he dominated proceeding’s in his Vauxhall Astra.

Later that day the MAC Tools with Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes Benz A-Class of Adam Morgan would be back in the winners circle as he fended off Cook in the reverse grid encounter.

Matt Neal was to be next to stand on the top step of the podium as he showed his class to emerge victorious around the fastest circuit in the country, Thruxton, replicating the feat he had achieved 12 months earlier.

Oulton Park would serve up three different winners as the series moved north, the first being Matt Simpson who claimed a popular breakthrough triumph at the wheel of his Honda Civic Type R. Team BMW would make their mark on the remainder of the day as Colin Turkington and then Rob Collard tallied a win apiece.

Croft marked the halfway point in the season with two more drivers adding their names to the ever-growing list of race winners. Reigning champion Ashley Sutton ignited his title defence with back-to-back wins before BTC Norlin Racing and Daniel Lloyd became BTCC victors for the first time in race three.

The second BTC Norlin Honda Civic Type R of Chris Smiley would become the 12th different winner of the season as the series closed out racing at Rockingham, producing a measured drive in round 24.

With heavy rain falling throughout race day and a bumper Scottish crowd in attendance, the BTCC re-wrote the history books at Knockhill this past weekend (August 25/26) as Joran firstly inherited victory in race two to tie the 2017 record before Chilton’s triumph later surpassed it.

As records continue to tumble in the BTCC, the number of different race winners for this season could yet still rise with events at Silverstone and Brands Hatch GP still to be played out.

Next on the calendar for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is Silverstone, which will host the penultimate event of the season on September 15/16.

Heading into rounds 25, 26 and 27, Turkington sits atop of the Drivers’ standings holding a 43-point advantage over Ingram, who remains his nearest challenger.