Tag: BTCC

Sam Tordoff will start on pole for Round 19 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship after a blistering lap around Thruxton’s famous sweepers as Britain’s premier motorsport series rolled into town once again.

The Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance star topped the times at the Hampshire speedbowl for the second occasion this season, having blitzed the field with a new lap record on the BTCC’s first visit to the track earlier in the campaign.

This time around, Tordoff posted an impressive 1:15.876s to pip the Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall of Jason Plato by just 0.014s while Dan Cammish will line up third on the grid after an impressive effort in his Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda.

There was also a feast of on-track action served up by the rest of the TOCA package as fans were treated to six thrilling support races around the 2.4-mile circuit, whetting the appetite for a packed 10-race programme on Sunday.

Tordoff struggled in the first practice session at the famous WWII airfield but gradually got to grips with his Civic Type R at a circuit that has often favoured Honda machinery in the past, with the Yorkshireman pulling out all the stops to seal pole.

“It’s quickly becoming my favourite track and we’ve given ourselves such a good chance for tomorrow,” said Tordoff.

“I should have won here in May and would have were it not for power steering failure. I’ll be looking to put that right tomorrow.”

Fan-favourite Plato ran Tordoff close, having caught the eye last time out at Snetterton when tussling with former team-mate Ash Sutton, and the 51-year-old is sure to give as good as he gets when the lights go out tomorrow.

With Cammish third and the Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes of Adam Morgan fourth, just ahead of Bath-born Josh Cook in his BTC Racing Honda, spectators are sure to see some fireworks on lap one.

Hampshire local Rob Collard will line up tenth in his Vauxhall, one place ahead of championship leader Colin Turkington while the Northern Irishman’s closest rival Andrew Jordan will start 13th in his BMW 330i M Sport.

Elsewhere, Carter Williams became the eighth different winner in British F4 this season during the series’ first race of the weekend, while Sebastian Alvarez strengthened his title challenge with a solid runners-up finish.

Josh Skelton received maximum points in the single-seaters’ second outing of the day ahead of Tommy Foster while Alvarez banked another podium with third.

James Hedley took the honours in the opening Ginetta Junior race – his fourth victory of the campaign – ahead of Zak O’Sullivan and Lorcan Hanafin while it was O’Sullivan’s turn to triumph in the second race ahead of Will Martin and Hedley.

Max Coates held off Jack Young to win in the Renault UK Clio Cup and Will Burns profited from Harry King’s last-lap puncture to pinch the first Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup Championship race of the weekend.

The weather stayed fair throughout Saturday and a positive forecast is set to see another bumper crowd descend on the famous Thruxton banking for BTCC race day.

Fans will be able to get a first-hand look at the field with the ever-popular paddock walkabout on Sunday morning while there will be something for everyone off-track with a variety of activities around the venue including skid pan rides for all ages, an extensive display of driving experience supercars and racing cars and a fantastic trade village to explore.

Tickets are available on the gate, starting at £34. Teen tickets (13 to 15 years old) are £10, while Under-12s go free.

For further information, visit thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc or call 01264 882222.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returns to Thruxton Circuit this weekend (17/18 August) for its second high-speed visit of 2019, and local star Rob Collard has his sights set on podium celebrations at what he predicts to be another BTCC blockbuster show.

Collard might be one of the BTCC’s elder statesmen at 50 now, but the Hampshireman shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. That much was clear from his fourth-place finish amongst the 30 high-calibre contenders – some of the fastest drivers in the country – at Snetterton two weeks ago.

Indeed, Collard has 15 race wins to his name in the UK’s premier motorsport series – one of which came at Thruxton two years ago – and he sped to a top ten double on home soil earlier this season. Buoyed by his strong form last time out behind the wheel of his Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra, the Eversley man is aiming to keep the ball rolling in front of family and friends this weekend.

“Thruxton is just a great circuit – one at which practically every driver looks forward to competing – and it’s fantastic that we have the opportunity to race there twice this year,” he enthused. “It’s probably actually the track I’ve driven the least in the UK due to limited testing opportunities, which makes it even more of a pleasure when we do get to drive there.

“It’s an undiluted challenge full of old-school charm – a really fast, flowing circuit that truly stretches drivers’ commitment and bravery to the limit, which ultimately is why we all do this. You also need to use your head as much as your right foot at Thruxton; its unique nature means that if you push too hard, too soon you will destroy your tyres in the first few laps – tyre preservation is equally as important as out-and-out speed. As we’ve seen in previous years at Thruxton, it really is never over until it’s over.

“It’s great having the local support behind me for the weekend, and Thruxton always generates exciting racing, with plenty of action at the Complex and Chicane in particular and fantastic viewing from the banking and on the big screens.

“We’ve struggled a bit for consistency this season and circumstances have conspired against us on occasion, but Snetterton offered more of a reflection of our true pace so hopefully we can keep that momentum going and score some good points. We were fast at Thruxton earlier in the year, and obviously it would be brilliant to reach the podium again on home soil.”

Alongside the headline-grabbing BTCC, a jam-packed schedule of high-octane support series – comprising the F4 British Championship, Ginetta Junior Championship, Renault UK Clio Cup, Ginetta GT4 SuperCup and Porsche Carrera Cup GB, the latter appearing at Thruxton for the first time in five years – will ensure the action remains red-hot from lights-out to chequered flag.

Off-track, there will also be a variety of activities around the venue including skid pan rides for all ages, an extensive display of Thruxton’s driving experience supercars and racing cars and a comprehensive trade village to explore. There will additionally be evening entertainment in the Thruxton Centre on both Friday and Saturday.

Tickets for the BTCC’s visit on 17/18 August 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 or to buy tickets, visit thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc-aug or call 01264 882222.

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

Thruxton is set to host the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship for the second time in 2019 as the series once again heads to Hampshire for Rounds 19, 20 and 21 next weekend (17/18 August).

This season has been as spectacular and unpredictable as ever, producing seven winners and 17 podium finishers with four events to come. Reigning champion Colin Turkington tops the table ahead of Andrew Jordan, with Rory Butcher and Josh Cook flying the flag for the independent teams in third and fourth respectively.

The BMW drivers at the head of the championship have collected five wins apiece so far with Turkington scoring two further podiums to Jordan’s three. Jordan has recovered manfully since a nightmare Donington weekend – three non-scores earlier in the year – with a dominant double victory at BTCC’s first visit to Hampshire in May, but the Pirtek sponsored driver remains some 36 points behind the Northern Irishman.

At a track where the Hondas are regularly quick, there are plenty of on-form Civic drivers who will be looking for a strong result with the marque’s UK base residing in nearby Swindon. Fresh off the back of a win at Snetterton, Rory Butcher can be hopeful of a good weekend at Thruxton, backed by a podium finish during the first visit of the year. Bath-based Josh Cook is another Type R driver to have enjoyed exceptional weekends at both Thruxton and Snetterton. Likewise, Dan Cammish scored two podiums at each of those meetings.

Ash Sutton is sure to be fired up in his Subaru Levorg after a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle with ex-teammate Jason Plato at Snetterton, ultimately ending in disaster for the BMR driver. Sutton finished on the podium at Thruxton earlier in the year which bodes well in his bid to take to the top step in 2019. Team Toyota GB with Ginsters and Tom Ingram are another pairing to watch in the coming races after correcting a damping issue during the in-season test, followed by a lights-to-flag victory at Round 16.

Off-track, there will be something for everyone with a variety of activities around the venue including skid pan rides for all ages, an extensive display of Thruxton’s driving experience supercars and racing cars and a fantastic trade village to explore. There’s also evening entertainment in the Thruxton Centre on Friday and Saturday.

The fast and flowing ‘Hampshire Speedbowl’ is sure to provide even more spectacular racing up and down the field, with commitment and precision required at every corner – most notably ‘Church’ – to string together the perfect lap. The championship battle is primed to intensify at Thruxton next weekend.

“Snetterton went to plan for us,” commented championship leader Turkington. “It was always going to be a tough weekend given the official test day back in July, where everybody was able to get a feel of the circuit and get up to speed – we knew it was going to be ultra-competitive.

“It was great to win again, and win with a heavy car heading into the weekend as championship leader with the maximum complement of success ballast on-board. We were consistent over every session and we’re hoping for more of the same at Thruxton. We’ve a good knowledge of the circuit, this being our second visit of the year so it’ll make for a strong starting point.

“The BMW 330i M Sport was quick there earlier this season and looking back, we’d come out of the blocks fast. Now, as the season’s played out, people have closed that gap. The front-wheel drive cars went well at Snetterton last weekend and it’ll be even more difficult, for sure, this time around at Thruxton.

“The focus is firmly on myself at this stage of the season and maximising opportunities wherever I can. There’s a lot of competition from any number of drivers – not just the guys directly behind me. We’ve completed six of ten race weekends and there’s still a huge amount of racing left.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome BTCC for a second time in 2019,” enthused Pat Blakeney, Thruxton Group Operations Manager. “After such a successful event in May, we can’t wait for the return of the championship to the UK’s fastest circuit.

“As always, Thruxton produced some great racing earlier in the year and we’re hoping for more of the same next weekend, the nature of our track requires a lot of nerve from the drivers and I think the fans enjoy that. There’s also plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy away from the track!”

Tickets for the BTCC’s visit on 17/18 August 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 or to buy tickets, visit thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc-aug or call 01264 882222.

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

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship roared back into life after its annual six-week summer break in sensational style this past weekend (August 3/4) at Snetterton with Tom Ingram, Colin Turkington and Rory Butcher sharing the spoils.

Kicking off the second half of the 2019 campaign at the Norfolk venue, Britain’s premier race series served up an action-packed two days of track action which culminated in a edge of the seat third encounter.

For the first time in BTCC history, all three tyre compounds (soft, medium and hard) were available to be used by teams and drivers on race day. Nominations were made just before the pit lane opened prior to each race, adding further intrigue and strategy to the spectacle.

Qualifying on Saturday proved to be a record-breaking affair as Ingram claimed the first pole position for Speedworks Motorsport’s new Toyota Corolla. Storming to the top of the times with a 1:54.737, last years runner-up edged out Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish by a slender 0.002.

Starting on the front row of the grid, Ingram converted his pole position into a commanding lights-to-flag victory on the soft tyre. Withstanding an early challenge from Cammish, Ingram soon began to stretch his legs out front an cantered to his second win of the season.

Cammish continued his rich vein of form with yet another podium whilst Sam Tordoff rounded out the rostrum in third.

Race two would see championship leader Turkington come to the fore as he powered to a fifth victory of the season ahead of Cammish and team-mate Andrew Jordan.

Launching into second place on the opening lap, the three-time champion took the lead away from Ingram at the halfway marker – with the Toyota driver suffering an engine issue. Once out front, the BMW 330i M Sport racer clinched a comfortable victory, a record tenth in a single season for West Surrey Racing.

The third and final race of the weekend from the Norfolk venue will likely go down as being one of the races of the season as Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance’s Butcher scored his second win of the season – albeit his first on the road.

BTC Racing’s Chris Smiley started on pole position virtue of the reverse grid draw but his lead was short-lived as Jason Plato and Ashley Sutton got the better of him on the opening tour.

From there, a back-and-forth battle between the former team-mates ensued as they diced for the lead, leaving those in attendance on the edge of their seats. Going side-by-side on lap five, Sutton was unable to find a way past the Vauxhall driver but continued to press.

Two laps later, a daring move around the outside of turns one and two allowed Sutton to complete the move and take the lead at turn three. However, contact from Plato into the rear of the Subaru driver at Agostini forced him wide and back down to second.

By this stage a whole host of drivers had joined the fray for victory, many of them charging through the pack on soft tyres. The exciting climax to the battle came on lap eight as Plato, Sutton and Butcher ran three-abreast down the back straight and into Brundle.

Scything his way down the inside, Butcher took both Plato and Sutton and powered into the lead as they both made contact once more; this time leaving Sutton spinning onto the grass and dropping to 20th.

Once the melee had finished, it was Butcher that stormed to victory whilst the BTC Racing pairing of Josh Cook and Smiley were second and third respectively.

Come the end of the weekend, Turkington had extended his advantage at the summit of the BTCC Drivers’ Championship to 36 points, with Jordan in second and Butcher jumping back up into third place.

For the full classification of results from all sessions, click here.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is back in action in under two weeks’ time on August 17/18 when it makes it second visit of the year to the fastest circuit in the UK and the home of the British Automobile Racing Club, Thruxton Circuit.

Advance tickets to the seventh event of the season are available to purchase by heading to https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc-aug or by calling 01264 882200 (Option 1).

Britain’s premier motorsport series the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returns to action this weekend (August 3/4), with Snetterton playing host to Rounds 16, 17 & 18 and reigning champion Colin Turkington holding the initiative at the standings summit.

Following the traditional six-week summer break, the battle for supremacy in the BTCC is set to ramp up as the second half of the 2019 campaign kicks into life around the ultra-challenging Norfolk venue – and it is all to play for.

Such is the competitive nature of the championship this year, seven different drivers representing six different marques have triumphed with five events in the books whilst a further 19 drivers have stood on the podium.

Four wins have gone the way of three-time and defending champion Turkington, who holds a 33-point advantage as it stands. Armed with the new BMW 330i M Sport, the Northern Irishman has been on top form and is good value for his lead, however given that things can change quickly in the BTCC Turkington will be wary of maintaining his points buffer.

West Surrey Racing’s new car has been the machine to beat this year with BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan sitting second, having tallied five wins himself. Gunning for a second title, Jordan has been a tour-de-force since Donington Park and will likely be in the mix once again at Snetterton.

Beyond the top two sit a wealth of contenders all focused on closing the gap as the series heads to the business end of the season. Josh Cook, Rory Butcher, Ashley Sutton (winner at Snetterton last year) and Dan Cammish have all been regular front-runners and will have their sights set on wrestling back control from the rear-wheel-drive pace-setters.

Matt Neal – winner of the Diamond Double at Snetterton last year – has been in the thick of the action too and he, Tom Chilton, Tom Ingram and Jason Plato round out the top ten in the overall championship at the half-way marker.

Chilton will be one to watch over the course of the weekend after setting the pace during the two-day tyre test at Snetterton last month.

Renowned for producing unpredictable twists and turns on a regular basis, several drivers outside of the top ten could well make their mark in East Anglia. Tom Oliphant, Jake Hill, Sam Tordoff, Stephen Jelley and Adam Morgan, amongst many more, have all enjoyed varied success this year and will have the target of adding to it across Sunday’s three encounters.

Aiden Moffat will garner plenty of attention too as he has his first race from behind the wheel of his Laser Tools Racing Infiniti Q50 after electing to move away from his Mercedes Benz A-Class during the summer break.

One of the highlights of the BTCC calendar each season, the annual trip to Snetterton always serves up a feast of entertainment and this weekend is set to be no different.

For more information on this weekend’s event, including links to timetables and live timing, head to https://www.barc.net/event/btcc-snetterton/

British Touring Car Championship organisers TOCA have confirmed that Cosworth Electronics have been awarded a contract for the design, supply and servicing of the BTCC Hybrid System, which will be introduced for the 2022 season.

The first major touring car championship in the world to announce the move to hybrid technology, Britain’s premier race series

Following the tender process for the contract, Cosworth Electronics met the challenging specifications  – particularly those regarding packaging, performance and low-cost – that TOCA had outlined. 

The additional hybrid power will be used by each driver for either passing or defending and will introduce new competitive strategies and opportunities during each BTCC race.

Performance simulations carried out by Cosworth show that the most significant gains will be achieved at the low engine RPM ranges; the hybrid power burst bringing the engine up into the turbo ‘window’ more quickly. This will provide drivers deploying the system the chance to pull alongside or gain ground on the opposition.

After the opening lap of a race drivers will have control over the amount of their hybrid energy they use or regenerate – and when – during the course of each race.

Drivers will have a steering wheel mounted button to engage the hybrid once full traction has been achieved whilst the system will deactivates on a second button press, the use of brakes, on reaching the time or energy limit, a reduced throttle pressure or sudden acceleration/deceleration.

Prior to be introduced to the championship, rigorous testing and simulations will refine the more exact nature of the driver-selectable hybrid power delivery (i.e. how many seconds per lap, when/how it can be used etc.) as well as configuring the varying amounts of regeneration and hybrid power that will be used to replace the current success ballast system.

A full technical and performance overview of the system can be found at http://www.btcc.net/2019/07/23/cosworth-electronics-awarded-btcc-hybrid-system-contract/

The British Touring Car Championship will continue to be operated and run by TOCA until at least the end of the 2026 season after signing a contract extension with UK governing body Motorsport UK.

Motorsport UK had previously appointed BARC (TOCA) Limited as the organiser and promoter of Britain’s premier race series for five years from 2017, with the option to extend for a further five years from 2022.

With the championship continuing to reach new heights, TOCA has extended the agreement early in order to provide for the organisation to enter into major obligations beyond 2021.

BTCC Chief Executive, Alan Gow, said: “It’s important for the long-term stability of the BTCC for us to be able to confirm that we will continue to operate this great Championship until at least the end of 2026.

“This enables us to now embark on firm planning and making those extended commitments – including the introduction of hybrid energy – that are vital to ensure the continued growth of this fantastic championship.”

David Richards CBE, Chairman of Motorsport UK, added: “The British Touring Car Championship is one of the best-loved and most successful Championships in the world, let alone the UK, with packed grids, high profile manufacturer support, live television coverage and crowds of up to 40,000 attending every event.

“TOCA has done an exceptional job in organising and promoting the Championship, which continues to deliver exceptional, action-packed racing at circuits throughout the UK. Motorsport UK is delighted to be extending its agreement with them until at least 2026.”

Colin Turkington produced a stellar performance at Oulton Park this weekend (June 29/30) as he tallied a half-century of Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship victories, extending his advantage in the standings in-doing.

Marking the final stop on the calendar before the annual six-week summer break, the picturesque Cheshire venue served up a blockbuster race day with Turkington and Stephen Jelley sharing the spoils.

Reigning champion Turkington entered the fifth event of the season ladened with success ballast but that didn’t stop him from scorching his way to pole position in qualifying. The Team BMW driver powered his way to the top of the times early in the session and was ultimately never headed.

Turkington converted his front row start into a flawless victory in the opening encounter as he dominated proceedings, leading lights-to-flag. Despite being kept honest by the Honda of Dan Cammish throughout, the Northern Irishman had enough in hand to record his third win of 2019.

Andrew Jordan, the form man of recent events, continued his impressive run of results with a third place finish to round out the podium.

The latest chapter of Turkington’s storied career was written in the second race of the day as the triple champion swept his way to a milestone 50th BTCC win.

Storming off the line, Turkington hit the front and despite two safety car periods, the 330i M Sport driver commanded every lap to lead Jordan across the line for West Surrey Racing 1-2 – whilst Dan Cammish just prevented Tom Oliphant from making it a clean sweep on the podium.

Race three around the 2.23-mile circuit proved to be action-packed from start-to-finish with Team Parker Racing’s Jelley triumphing for the first time since his last BTCC win ten years ago.

Trade Price Cars’ Jake Hill took the chequered flag however a post-race penalty for the Audi driver saw his maiden victory in the series taken away.

Hill started on pole position virtue of the reverse grid draw but came under early pressure from Matt Neal. The pivotal moment in the race came on lap three as the Halfords Yuasa Racing driver passed Hill into the first turn. As Neal tucked ahead, contact was made and the triple champion was sent spinning across the grass and track.

Several cars took avoiding action and when the dust settled, Rory Butcher and Jelley found themselves in second and third. With a gap of more than five seconds to close down, Butcher soon began to eat into Hill’s advantage and by the penultimate lap had caught him.

Pushing hard, Butcher overcooked it into the hairpin and dropped down the order – all but confirming Hill’s victory with Jelley and Oliphant rounding out the rostrum. Hill’s celebrations were short-lived after the race as he was handed a 20-second time penalty for his part in the Neal incident, thus handing Jelley a first win since Rockingham 2009 and the team its first-ever in the series.

Leaving Oulton Park, Turkington holds a 33-point advantage at the top of the BTCC standings ahead of Jordan and Josh Cook.

To view the full classification of results across all sessions during the fifth event of the season, click here.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will now pause for six weeks before the kicking the second half of the season off at Snetterton on August 3/4. Before that, a majority of teams will venture to the Norfolk venue on July 16/17 for the annual two-day in-season test.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will speed into its annual summer break this weekend (June 29/30) at Oulton Park with three races set to bring the curtain down on the first half of the season – and it is all to play for in the battle for the UK’s biggest motorsport prize.

In what has been an ultra-competitive campaign to date, the picturesque Cheshire venue is set to add more fuel to the title fire as all 30 drivers bid to head into the six-week break on a high.

Following a pulsating event at Croft earlier in the month, reigning champion Colin Turkington finds himself in the pound – topping the standings by 11 points. West Surrey Racing’s new-for-2019 BMW 330i M Sport has been a potent weapon this year and Turkington has already reaped the benefits.

Doing the double at Donington Park, the three-time champion has been the epitome of consistency as always, banking solid points at every turn so far. With a proven track record around Oulton too, the Northern Irishman could well be in contention for more success too.

BTC Racing’s Josh Cook is Turkington’s nearest challenger and he too has impressed, scoring two wins and a podium at every weekend thus far. Ashley Sutton – who is yet to win a race this season – has been steadily accumulating the points and could well strike this weekend in his Subaru.

Andrew Jordan is arguably the form man heading to Oulton Park having won five races already this year. Following a trip to the hospital at Donington the 2013 champion has done the double at both Thruxton and Croft – throwing himself back into title contention.

Honda duo Matt Neal and Rory Butcher have been firmly in the mix too whilst Motorbase Performance’s Tom Chilton scored victory last time out to boost his title chances.

Dan Cammish, Tom Ingram and Jason Plato have all also enjoyed success this year and can’t be discounted out from the weekend’s trio of encounters around the challenging Island layout.

Beyond the championship top ten sit a host of drivers that are all keen to not only throw themselves into contention further up the standings but also cap off the midway marker in style.

Adam Morgan, Rob Collard, Sam Tordoff, Aiden Moffat, Jake Hill and Senna Proctor are just a handful of drivers to keep a keen eye over the course of Sunday’s race day.

With events at Brands Hatch, Donington Park, Thruxton and Croft already in the books, this weekend’s triple-header at Oulton Park is set to play a pivotal role in deciding the outcome of where this year’s title will end up.

To find out more information on the event, including links to timetables, live timing and commentary, click here.

Croft Circuit played host to an action-packed Rounds 10, 11 & 12 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this past weekend (June 15/16) as thousands flocked to the North Yorkshire venue to see Andrew Jordan and Tom Chilton share the spoils.

Faced with challenging weather conditions on both Saturday and Sunday, Britain’s premier race series served up a feast of entertainment as records tumbled around the newly resurfaced 2.12 mile circuit.

In qualifying, BMW Pirtek Racing’s Jordan set a new lap record to score his first pole position since 2014, despite plenty of disruption throughout the session. No less than five red flag stoppages, the last of which was caused by Jordan himself, truncated the session.

Launching off the line, the 2013 champion continued his rich vein of form as he took a lights-to-flag victory. Dealing with race-long attention from BTC Racing’s Chris Smiley, as well as a lengthy safety car period, the 30-year-old proved to be in a league of his own as he powered his way to the chequered flag.

The battle for the final spot on the podium fell the way of Tom Chilton after he held off the advances of Colin Turkington and Tom Oliphant for the entirety of the 18-lap encounter.

Race two proved to be a similar story for Jordan as he converted pole position into his fifth win of the season, replicating his double-winning performance at Croft last time out.

Making a good getaway, Jordan pulled out a comfortable gap in the opening stages as the chasing pack battled with second place Smiley. Turkington finally got the better of his Northern Irish counterpart but by that time the gap to Jordan was too big.

Reeling him in over the course of a handful of laps, the West Surrey Racing duo held station to record their latest 1-2 finish of the season. Yorkshireman Dan Cammish gave locals plenty to cheer about as he continued his recent run of form with a podium on home turf.

BARC Chief Executive Ben Taylor carried out the reverse grid draw live on ITV4 and pulled number nine out of the bowl, promoting Chilton onto pole position.

With heavy rain falling before the race the question on everybody’s lips was what tyres to go for – wets or slicks. As the sun broke through the clouds, a majority of the field opted for wet tyres with Tom Ingram, who was starting third, rolling the dice and gambling with slicks.

As the lights went out, Ingram tumbled down the order as those on wets got the best of the conditions. At the front, Chilton held the lead and fended off the advances of Josh Cook whilst Jason Plato joined remained with touching distance of the pair too.

Laps ticked by however Ingram’s progress didn’t come into effect until the final stages of the race, by which time he was too far back to challenge those in the points. Chilton meanwhile held on to record his first win of the season whilst Cook kept his championship challenge going with a second place finish.

Double champion Plato was back on the rostrum after a year-long drought, getting a big cheer as he made it onto the podium. Ashley Sutton and Matt Neal rounded out the top five with Sutton producing a string of mesmerising overtakes heading into the hairpin.

Leaving Croft, Turkington is now the sole leader in the standings – holding an 11-point advantage over Cook whilst Sutton remains a further two points back.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship now heads to Oulton Park at the end of the month on June 29/30 for Rounds 13, 14 & 15, before then heading into the annual summer break.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has announced its calendar for the 2020 season, boasting a revised order of events with Silverstone taking on a second race meeting in place of Thruxton – which has done so this year.

Confirmed by Series Organisers TOCA, the 2020 campaign will once again comprise of 30 races across ten weekends – three per event of equal distance.

Donington Park will lift the curtain on the new BTCC season in late March before the series then descends on Kent for the second meeting of the year as Brands Hatch plays host to Rounds 4, 5 & 6.

The first of two visits to Silverstone will follow just a couple of weeks later with the National circuit being used before the championship then heads to the fastest circuit in the UK, Thruxton.

Oulton Park will round out the first half of the season in mid-June before the annual summer break comes into effect, with Snetterton remaining as the starting point for the second of the year.

Having traditionally been a fixture during the first of the year in recent times, Croft is set for a BTCC summer spectacular as it hosts the seventh meeting on the calendar – with Knockhill swiftly following a fortnight later.

The penultimate event of the 2020 season will see Silverstone take up its usual spot on the schedule however unlike previous years, the International layout of the Northamptonshire venue will be used.

Brands Hatch will bring the curtain down on the year with three title-deciding races around the iconic Grand Prix circuit in October.

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Calendar

Rounds 1, 2 & 3 – Donington Park – March 28/29

Rounds 4, 5 & 6 – Brands Hatch (Indy) – April 11/12

Rounds 7, 8 & 9 – Silverstone (National) – April 25/26

Rounds 10, 11 & 12 – Thruxton – May 16/17

Rounds 13, 14 & 15 – Oulton Park – June 13/14

Rounds 16, 17 & 18 – Snetterton – July 25/26

Rounds 19, 20 & 21 – Croft – August 15/16

Rounds 22, 23 & 24 – Knockhill – August 29/30

Rounds 25, 26 & 27 – Silverstone (International) – September 26/27

Rounds 28, 29 & 30 – Brands Hatch (Grand Prix) – October 10/11

The 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship’s Season Launch is set to be announced at a later date.

To keep up-to-date with all of the latest BTCC information, head to btcc.net.