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Rob
30th March 2013, 15:49
Jordan fastest in practice
Andrew Jordan snatched the honours in the last moments of Free Practice 2 with a time of 48.383 seconds. He led reigning champion Gordon Shedden by just 0.003 seconds, with Jason Plato in third just 0.145 seconds further back.

The session was interrupted early on, as Will Bratt’s Audi A4 suffered mechanical issues at Clearways which caused a red flag after just three minutes. Bratt also struggled in the opening session with a fuel pump issue, meaning that the WIX Racing driver has so far only completed a total of eight laps this weekend.

The session resumed with 31 minutes left on the clock and immediately Shedden threw down the gauntlet with a time of 48.386 – a time which stood until the final minute of the session. His Honda Yuasa Racing team-mate Matt Neal improved on his time from FP1 to end the session in fourth.

After a strong showing earlier this morning, the eBay Motors team were testing different setups in FP2 and finished the session further down the time sheets. Colin Turkington was again fastest of the BMW trio, scraping into the top ten ahead of teammate Nick Foster. Rob Collard could only manage 19th, as he finished the session over a second slower than his time from the first session.

It was a strong showing from the Toyotas – with Adam Morgan improving greatly on his time from the first free practice session to finish fifth fastest. Frank Wrathall and Dave Newsham also posted top-ten times, ultimately ending up in seventh and eighth respectively.

The Team HARD. cars managed to get some good running on their new cars, with around twenty laps apiece for James Cole, Jack Goff (Vauxhall Insignias) and Tom Onslow-Cole (VW Passat CC). With the cars having only been shaken down in the previous session the times posted were also respectable, moving to within a few seconds of the front-runners.

A fascinating war of attrition developed between the drivers of the S2000 specification cars. Joe Girling (Chevrolet Cruze) set the pace early on, but it became a battle between Lea Wood (Vauxhall Vectra) and James Kaye (VW Golf) for the fastest S2000 time. Kaye, who didn’t set a competitive time in FP1 because of mechanical problems, closed on Wood as the session went on, setting his fastest time on his final lap. Wood held on to be the first of the runners for the Jack Sears Trophy, 1.762 seconds behind Andrew Jordan's fastest time.

As with the previous session, the top ten cars were covered by less than a second, which should make for a fantastic qualifying session later this afternoon.

2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship - Brands Hatch Indy - Free Practice 2

1. Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing): 48.383s
2. Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa Racing): +0.003
3. Jason Plato (MG KX Momentum Racing): +0.145
4. Matt Neal (Honda Yuasa Racing): +0.342
5. Adam Morgan (Ciceley Racing): +0.595
6. Jeff Smith (Pirtek Racing): +0.657
7. Frank Wrathall (Dynojet): +0.796
8. Dave Newsham (Speedworks Motorsport): +0.823
9. Sam Tordoff (MG KX Momentum Racing): +0.872
10. Colin Turkington (eBay Motors): +0.907

Rob
30th March 2013, 15:59
Toyota BTCC ‏@ToyotaBTCC 1m
The weather is closing in on Brands Hatch again so the drivers are staying out on track to get their times in

Rob
30th March 2013, 15:59
Honda Yuasa Racing ‏@hondaracingbtcc 1m
Rob Austin goes fastest

Rob
30th March 2013, 15:59
Dunlop MSA BTCC ‏@DunlopBTCC 21s
Plato is currently quickest ahead of Shedden and Jordan

Rob
30th March 2013, 16:00
Neil Hudson ‏@neilhudson 13s
Shedden now P1, Neal P2, times are tumbling

Rob
30th March 2013, 16:01
Honda Yuasa Racing ‏@hondaracingbtcc 12s
Jordan now fastest - it's a Honda 1-2-3 but that may not last long

Sianellen
30th March 2013, 16:01
Are you watching on ITV.com, Rob? :-)

Rob
30th March 2013, 17:04
Are you watching on ITV.com, Rob? :-)

No i totally forgot, plus its Keiras 3rd birthday today so had family and Keiras cousins over.

Rob
30th March 2013, 17:05
Jordan storms to pole
Andrew Jordan took the opening pole position of the 2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship amid a shower of sleet at a cold Brands Hatch.

Jordan fired an early warning by setting the fastest time during free practice this morning, and he backed that up by edging out champion Gordon Shedden by less than a tenth of a second in qualifying.

The MG KX Momentum duo of Jason Plato and Sam Tordoff will line-up third and fifth respectively for tomorrow’s opening race, with Honda Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal sandwiched between them in fourth. David Newsham rounded out the top six in his Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Avensis.

The session got off to a dramatic start with a number of drivers spinning on their out-laps while trying to get some heat into the tyres. The first notable victim was Pirtek’s Jeff Smith on the run up to Druids, but real chaos followed when Colin Turkington lost control on the exit of the same hairpin. As cars dived one way and then the other to avoid the stricken BMW 125i M Sport, an unsighted Jack Goff unfortunately collected the 2009 champion. Turkington managed to hobble his damaged BMW back to the pits but the Vauxhall Insignia of Goff wasn’t so fortunate – his session being ended on the spot. Liam Griffin and David Nye both endured their own lurid moments while trying to avoid Turkington, but were able to re-join later in the session.

After a red flag period to clear the car of Goff and related debris, it was the turn for some of the underdogs to top the times early after the restart. Rob Austin (Audi A4) and Tom Onslow-Cole (VW Passat CC) both enjoyed spells at the top of the timesheet before eBay Motors’ Rob Collard made his own move to provisional pole.

The Hondas and MGs were merely waiting in the wings however, and it was Jordan that made his move with twenty minutes of the session remaining. Shedden fought back and made his first appearance at the top of the order with a 48.483s lap time. Not to be outdone, Jordan improved again to set a time just 0.096s quicker than his Honda counterpart.

With half of the session still remaining, any hope for an exciting climax diminished when light sleet and hail began to fall at the legendary Kent venue. With drivers failing to improve their times there were more off track moments for Neal, Newsham and Jeff Smith.

Outside of the noted top six finishers, it was Austin who held on to seventh when the chequered flag fell, with Jeff Smith, Nick Foster and Adam Morgan completing the top ten order.

Airwaves Racing’s Mat Jackson and Aron Smith could only produce 12th and 14th respectively as the team admitted to be searching for the perfect set-up for its NGTC Ford Focus STs.

Lea Wood dominated the S2000 runners in his Vauxhall Vectra and will have the pleasure of leading the inaugural battle for Jack Sears Trophy honours when race one gets underway tomorrow.

The big winner however, was of course Jordan, who signalled his intention to challenge for the 2013 title by claiming the third pole position of his BTCC career.

2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship - Brands Hatch Indy - Qualifying

1 Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Honda) 48.387
2 Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa Racing) +0.096
3 Jason Plato (MG KX Momentum Racing) +0.184
4 Matt Neal (Honda Yuasa Racing) +0.227
5 Sam Tordoff (MG KX Momentum Racing) +0.339
6 Dave Newsham (Speedworks Motorsport) +0.440
7 Rob Austin (WIX Racing) +0.457
8 Jeff Smith (Pirtek Honda) +0.527
9 Nick Foster (eBay Motors) +0.814
10 Adam Morgan (Ciceley Racing) +0.816

Come on Jordan, good start.

Sianellen
30th March 2013, 17:21
No i totally forgot, plus its Keiras 3rd birthday today so had family and Keiras cousins over.

3 already! Time flies so quickly!

Rob
30th March 2013, 17:28
3 already! Time flies so quickly!

Yeah right tell me about it :-E 3 going on 16 :roll She has crashed out, we went to playworld, its ball pits and slides and all that stuff. Good fun.

Sianellen
30th March 2013, 18:14
Yeah right tell me about it :-E 3 going on 16 :roll She has crashed out, we went to playworld, its ball pits and slides and all that stuff. Good fun.

awwww :-) sounds like she had a great time!

Rob
31st March 2013, 10:22
Not long now till first race is on ITV, new commentator. I heard of him before, but not heard his commentating.

Julie B
31st March 2013, 10:31
Didn't realise that Colin Turkington's face was partially paralysed :-s

Rob
31st March 2013, 10:37
Didn't realise that Colin Turkington's face was partially paralysed :-s

Nor did i :-?? glad he ok. Didnt see any news about him.

Not sure about Gordons new hair do :Hmm

Rob
31st March 2013, 10:45
Austin looking for victory
WIX Racing’s Rob Austin is looking to improve on a strong qualifying position gained in a snow-hit session yesterday (30 March). While seventh place is undoubtedly a good starting place with such a strong grid this year, the Worcestershire driver felt there was more to come from his NGTC Audi A4.

He told btcc.net, “We were sort of in the middle of where we were expecting to qualify. We weren’t looking at pole, but we were looking at a very strong top ten. We didn’t show our hand until qualifying and I don’t think we quite achieved our full potential – but at the same time I'm far from disappointed, especially with that weather it could have easily gone the other way. Seventh certainly isn’t bad when you look at who you’re racing against!

“It’s even better when you think that our race pace has always been our strongest point – we’ve often struggled a little bit in qualifying against the front wheel drive cars that heat up their tyres a little better. I honestly believe that those guys at the front can only run that pace for a couple of laps, but I know I can run it for the race distance.”

While Austin enjoyed a trouble-free qualifying session – the same can’t be said for his team-mate Will Bratt, who struggled throughout both free practice sessions with fuel pump issues and could only manage 15th in qualifying. After an extensive testing program, the team are unsurprisingly frustrated by the setback.

Austin added, “We collaborate all the way through the setup process – it’s so frustrating for both of us that he’s been so unlucky so far this weekend. He’s done over 1000 miles of testing and that car has not missed a beat – then you get here and have a fuel pump issue. Obviously now I can help him out with the things I've found in setup during qualifying. Let’s hope he can move forward. If it all goes well we can win a race or two today – certainly the pace is there to move forward.”

Julie B
31st March 2013, 10:47
Was the new commentator on DTM ?

Rob
31st March 2013, 10:49
Was the new commentator on DTM ?

Not sure Julie, heard him doing BSB before.

2 of my fantasy team drivers front row, other is at the back (Turks)

Rob
31st March 2013, 11:13
Just went to check roast beef on add me Asphal Cydar to my roast spuds and both Yuassa Hondas lap down :-E What did i miss d'oh

Rob
31st March 2013, 11:16
:-E that was bit far back that Andrew. Plato and his dad be fuming :lol

Julie B
31st March 2013, 14:08
Race 1 - Results

MG KX Momentum’s Jason Plato has won the opening race of the 2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship amid high drama at Brands Hatch.

Pole-sitter Andrew Jordan had to settle for second after a last lap lunge nearly put both cars out of the race, whilst Rob Austin claimed a well earned podium in an eye-catching drive for the Audi A4 racer.

Jordan maintained position for much of the opening lap before a blistering start from Austin saw him squeeze into the lead at Clearways. The WIX Racing driver started seventh on the grid but was the highest placed driver to use the new ‘soft’ Dunlop tyre option in the opening race. He stormed off the line and was immediately into fourth before Gordon Shedden slid sideways at Paddock Hill Bend ahead of him. Plato and Matt Neal baulked up to avoid the recovering Shedden, although Neal seemed to receive some contact from behind.

Austin held second, which soon became first after the move on Jordan, as the soft compound proved hugely advantageous in the early running. Plato made use of Austin’s manoeuvre on Jordan to immediately sneak by before his Honda rival had recomposed himself. The top three battle was halted at the end of lap two as a safety car was deployed after James Cole spun his Vauxhall Insignia into the gravel at Paddock.

Cosmetic damage for Neal meant he had a gaggle of cars held up behind him at the restart – with a part of his bodywork rubbing on his rear right tyre. This allowed the top three to escape before MG’s Sam Tordoff eventually made it by Neal on lap 12. Shedden followed him by passing Neal on the run down to the start/finish line, despite being squeezed on to the grass. Disaster struck Honda Yuasa Racing however, with both cars pitting on the same lap after separate problems – Neal’s due to his first lap contact and Shedden because of the grass in his radiator that he picked up during the move by his team-mate.

Plato made his move by Austin on the entry to Druids on lap 14, as the soft tyre on the Audi seemed to be finally losing performance. Jordan was soon back into second with his own clean move at Clearways, before the same corner saw huge drama on the final lap.

A closing Jordan made one final lunge in an attempt to claim the victory, and the rather optimistic move ended in contact, with both drivers sliding off the track. Incredibly both drivers scrabbled their way back on to the circuit before third placed Austin had arrived, and Plato hung on to win the first race of the 2013 season.

Austin grabbed a fantastic podium ahead of a close battle between Tordoff and Pirtek Racing’s Jeff Smith.

Arguably the drive of the race belonged to Dynojet’s Frank Wrathall in his Toyota Avensis. He stormed from the back of the grid to take a top six finish ahead of the soft tyre starters of Adam Morgan and Colin Turkington – the latter having also started at the rear of the order.

Aron Smith (Airwaves Racing) and Ollie Jackson (Speedworks Motorsport) completed the top ten positions, whilst their team-mates endured difficult races. Mat Jackson limped his Ford Focus to the finish with an intermittent fault in the car and Dave Newsham retired with a mechanical problem despite a fantastic start.

Jack Sears Trophy honours went to James Kaye in the VW Golf after he pulled off a late move on Lea Wood. The Vauxhall Vectra of Wood had led for the duration of the contest before his tyres began to go off in the latter stages.

Round one will be remembered however for a pulsating battle between Plato and Jordan, which thankfully ended with both drivers taking the top two places despite contact. “I know it wasn’t intentional,” said Jason. “He made a mistake and we all make mistakes. I initially thought I was P3 having seen the Hondas go through. I calmed down after I realised I’d still won!”

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Jason Plato MG 24m08.734s
2. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Honda + 2.168s
3. Rob Austin Austin Audi + 6.130s
4. Sam Tordoff MG + 7.789s
5. Jeff Smith Eurotech Honda + 8.245s
6. Frank Wrathall Dynojet Toyota + 13.622s
7. Adam Morgan Ciceley Toyota + 16.948s
8. Colin Turkington WSR BMW + 18.923s
9. Aron Smith Motorbase Ford + 20.253s
10. Ollie Jackson Speedworks Toyota + 22.114s
11. Daniel Welch Welch Proton + 23.129s
12. Will Bratt Austin Audi + 23.501s
13. Jack Goff HARD Vauxhall + 27.349s
14. Tom Onslow-Cole HARD VW + 27.999s
15. James Kaye AmD VW* + 29.817s
16. Lea Wood Wood Vauxhall* + 31.366s
17. Liam Griffin Motorbase Ford* + 37.067s
18. David Nye Welch Ford* + 44.911s
19. Gordon Shedden Honda + 45.441s
20. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford + 1 lap
21. Matt Neal Honda + 1 lap
22. Warren Scott BMR SEAT* + 1 lap

Retirements:

Nick Foster WSR BMW 4 laps
Rob Collard WSR BMW 3 laps
Dave Newsham Speedworks Toyota 3 laps
James Cole HARD Vauxhall 1 lap
Joe Girling Finesse Chevrolet* 0 laps

Julie B
31st March 2013, 14:10
Race 2 - Results

Jason Plato took a commanding lights-to-flag victory in the second round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch.

Having won the opening race of the season earlier today, Plato made it two out of two in relatively comfortable fashion ahead of Andrew Jordan and the charging Honda of Gordon Shedden.

Plato made a steady getaway from pole, but it was the rear wheel drive Audi of Rob Austin that again grabbed a stellar start. He challenged Plato around the outside of Paddock Hill Bend and on the run up to Druids, before settling for second on the opening lap.

Another quick starter was Colin Turkington who blasted his to way fifth in the BMW 125i M Sport, but his podium challenge was ended on lap two after he spun into the gravel following contact with Frank Wrathall’s Toyota Avensis at Paddock.

Meanwhile Shedden and his Honda Yuasa Racing team-mate Matt Neal were carving their way through the order having started at the back of the grid following race one woes. Sam Tordoff had a brief off-track moment at Graham Hill Bend that allowed Shedden to move into sixth, which quickly became fourth after Wrathall made contact with Austin at Druids. The Toyota continued down the order while Austin crawled back to the pits and into retirement.

Shedden made a clean pass by the Honda Civic of Jeff Smith to move into the final podium position – an incredible feat from the back of the grid. Team-mate Neal made his way by Tordoff further back to move into fifth, with the latter having chosen to run the ‘soft’ tyre option for the race.

Adam Morgan equalled his best ever BTCC finish – claimed earlier today – by taking seventh place at the finish. His reward is pole position for race three after his number was picked in the reverse grid draw.

Mat Jackson, the recovering Turkington, and Dave Newsham completed the top ten order, with Nick Foster just missing out in his BMW. Due to the attrition in the race, top S2000 runner Liam Griffin (Ford Focus) finished twelfth overall after a late race move on James Kaye (VW Golf).

There was a late safety car after a clash between another pair of S2000 cars –David Nye’s Ford Focus ending up in the gravel at Druids after contact with Warren Scott’s Seat Leon.

Despite the tension of a two-lap dash to the chequered flag, Plato wasn’t to be denied and comfortably claimed the 76th victory of his BTCC career. “I wish they’d stop throwing safety cars in that situation,” said the championship leader. “Last year was a sign of what might come – but we’ve changed the balance considerably now so it’s much easier to drive. It’s more pointy and less snappy on turn-in. I’m on the soft tyre for the last race so we’ll see what happens!”

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Jason Plato MG 24m16.488s
2. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Honda + 0.989s
3. Gordon Shedden Honda + 1.344s
4. Jeff Smith Eurotech Honda + 4.958s
5. Matt Neal Honda + 5.073s
6. Sam Tordoff MG + 5.454s
7. Adam Morgan Ciceley Toyota + 5.874s
8. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford + 6.640s
9. Colin Turkington WSR BMW + 7.086s
10. Dave Newsham Speedworks Toyota + 7.295s
11. Nick Foster WSR BMW + 7.635s
12. Liam Griffin Motorbase Ford* + 10.360s
13. James Kaye AmD VW* + 11.461s
14. James Cole Hard Vauxhall + 12.776s
15. Daniel Welch Welch Proton + 13.765s
16. Warren Scott BMR SEAT* + 1 lap

Retirements:

Frank Wrathall Dynojet Toyota 25 laps
David Nye Welch Ford* 18 laps
Tom Onslow-Cole Hard VW 15 laps
Rob Austin Austin Audi 9 laps
Rob Collard WSR BMW 5 laps
Ollie Jackson Speedworks Toyota 2 laps
Aron Smith Motorbase Ford 1 lap
Jack Goff Hard Vauxhall 0 laps
Will Bratt Austin Audi 0 laps
Lea Wood Wood Vauxhall* 0 laps

Julie B
31st March 2013, 16:17
Post Race Penalty for Sheddon

Reigning champion Gordon Shedden has been excluded from the result of race two after his Honda Civic failed the ride height regulations in scrutineering.

The amended result means that Jeff Smith (Honda Civic) has been promoted to third – securing the second podium of his BTCC career - and also brings a change to the grid for race three.

Matt Neal, Sam Tordoff and Adam Morgan are now fourth, fifth and sixth in the amended result. Seventh placed Mat Jackson (Ford Focus) will now start on pole position for the final race of the day after the number seven was drawn for the reverse grid.

Julie B
31st March 2013, 17:13
Results - Race 3

Matt Neal secured his first win of the 2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship in an exciting final race on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit - leading a Honda Yuasa Racing one-two ahead of Gordon Shedden.

Neal took the lead early on after pole-sitter Mat Jackson slid wide in his Ford Focus at Druids. The Honda driver went on to take charge of the race, but eventually hung on by less than a second from his team-mate after his ‘soft’ compound tyres began to drop off in pace. A great drive from Sam Tordoff saw him score his maiden BTCC podium for the MG KX Momentum team.

Jackson held on to first place off the line, whilst Neal tucked in behind having despatched of Adam Morgan’s Toyota Avensis on the run down to Paddock Hill Bend. There was disappointment for the fast starting Colin Turkington after he ran through the gravel and dropped down the order.

A huge accident on lap two followed when Dave Newsham spun on the dip between Paddock and the run up to Druids. Rob Austin attempted to take avoiding action but clipped the stricken Toyota on his way through. Austin’s Audi ran on to the grass at high speed before making heavy impact with the barrier on the inside of the circuit. Both drivers emerged unscathed, but the incident led to a lengthy safety car period.

Jackson made his mistake shortly after the restart, which left him down in fourth, and he would be shuffled further down the order to tenth later on.

It was the impressive Morgan in a clear second as Neal streaked away with the lead, as race one and two winner Jason Plato struggled to hang on to the lead duo in his MG6. Tordoff later passed his team-mate and set about closing down Morgan ahead of him.

Frank Wrathall (Toyota Avensis) and Shedden (Honda Civic) were both making a surge through the order for the second time on Sunday having started two of the three races from the back of the grid. They ran as high as eighth and ninth in the early running, before Wrathall’s charge was halted amidst a battle with Jeff Smith. Shedden ploughed on however, and made it by the two Pirtek Hondas of Smith and Andrew Jordan, taking Jason Plato shortly after.

Now running in fourth, Shedden recovered from a wild slide out of Clearways to benefit from the fight between Morgan and Tordoff on the penultimate lap. MG racer Tordoff made slight contact with Morgan as they approached Clarke Curve, and as they both ran wide Shedden slipped through into second. Tordoff followed him to secure his first podium in BTCC, whilst Morgan had to be content with fourth and his first ever Independents’ win.

Plato settled for fifth ahead of Jordan with the pair having carried success ballast for much of the day. Jeff Smith scored a solid seventh place with Frank Wrathall just four tenths of a second behind. Turkington produced another recovery drive to claim ninth ahead of Jackson.

The Jack Sears Trophy runners put on another exciting contest as early leader David Nye (Ford Focus) relinquished his lead to Lea Wood (Vauxhall Vectra). Liam Griffin also made it by Nye in his Ford Focus and was eventually awarded the victory after Wood was excluded from the result due to a ride height infringement.

A jubilant Matt Neal said: “I’m really chuffed with the one-two after what’s been a tough weekend, but they always say to finish on a high. It was a nice way to finish the race aswell – it reminded me of the last race of last season.”

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Matt Neal Honda 25m14.772s
2. Gordon Shedden Honda + 0.083s
3. Sam Tordoff MG + 1.216s
4. Adam Morgan Ciceley Toyota + 2.171s
5. Jason Plato MG + 3.651s
6. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Honda + 4.727s
7. Jeff Smith Eurotech Honda + 6.026s
8. Frank Wrathall Dynojet Toyota + 6.430s
9. Colin Turkington WSR BMW + 9.508s
10. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford + 10.133s
11. Aron Smith Motorbase Ford + 10.611s
12. Daniel Welch Welch Proton + 10.994s
13. Nick Foster WSR BMW + 19.150s
14. Will Bratt Austin Audi + 25.176s
15. Lea Wood Wood Vauxhall* + 27.179s
16. Liam Griffin Motorbase Ford* + 28.485s
17. Tom Onslow-Cole HARD VW + 29.483s
18. David Nye Welch Ford* + 30.192s
19. Joe Girling Finesse Chevrolet* + 46.370s

Retirements:

Rob Collard WSR BMW 5 laps
Warren Scott BMR SEAT* 2 laps
Dave Newsham Speedworks Toyota 1 lap
Rob Austin Austin Audi 1 lap
James Cole HARD Vauxhall 0 laps

Not classified:

Jack Goff HARD Vauxhall 20 laps

Rob
31st March 2013, 17:50
Got to watch the last race, missed it. Flash had an up and down day.

Rob
31st March 2013, 19:21
Just watched the final race. What a drive for Flash, last to 2nd.

Turks hasnt had the best weekends.