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Rob
4th May 2013, 11:58
Tordoff fastest in damp FP1
The first Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship session at Thruxton (4 May) was disrupted by rain showers making it very difficult for drivers to set competitive times. MG driver Sam Tordoff set the fastest time overall ahead of a trio of Toyotas – Ollie Jackson, Frank Wrathall and Dave Newsham.

The S2000 specification cars were the first to venture out and set flying laps, with Wheel Heaven / Houseman Racing’s Lea Wood fastest early on in his Vauxhall Vectra ahead of the Addison Lee Motorbase Ford Focus ST of Liam Griffin. David Nye also got some good track time in his Welch Motorsport Focus, and was also in the top five fastest cars for the early part of the session.

With 20 minutes to go, Dynojet Toyota’s Frank Wrathall was the first of the NGTC cars to set a benchmark, clocking his fastest time of the session – a 1:24.795. Ollie Jackson then snatched top spot in his Speedworks Motorsport Toyota shortly afterwards, 0.272 seconds faster than Wrathall. The Toyota 1-2 stood until the final ten minutes of the session, when Tordoff posted a time of 1:24.018 to go fastest in his MG6. It was a well-timed lap, as the rain began to fall heavily immediately after Tordoff’s flyer, preventing anyone from setting faster lap times.

Jeff Smith put in an impressive lap time right at the end of the session to go fifth fastest for Pirtek Racing on wet tyres. He was just ahead of the eBay Motors BMWs, which also waited until the closing stage to set a respective time. Local driver Rob Collard was the pick of the trio, setting the sixth fastest time overall in the rear-wheel drive 125i M Sport. Colin Turkington posted the eighth fastest time, with Foster a bit further back in 11th.

Many of the front-runners, including the likes of Jason Plato and Matt Neal, didn’t set a flying lap in the session. This makes second free practice and qualifying later today even more unpredictable.

You can watch today's BTCC qualifying session live on www.itv.com/btcc at 15:25 today

2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Thruxton - Free Practice 1
1. Sam Tordoff (MG KX Momentum Racing): +0.0
2. Ollie Jackson (Speedworks Motorsport): +0.505
3. Frank Wrathall (Dynojet): +0.777
4. Dave Newsham (Speedworks Motorsport): +1.417
5. Jeff Smith (Pirtek Racing): +1.793
6. Robert Collard (eBay Motors): +2.729
7. Adam Morgan (Ciceley Racing): +2.783
8. Colin Turkington (eBay Motors): +2.930
9. Will Bratt (WIX Racing): +3.405
10. Lea Wood (Wheel Heaven/Houseman Racing): +3.584
11. Nick Foster (eBay Motors): +3.954
12. Jack Goff (RCIB Insurance Racing): +4.349
13. Liam Griffin (Addison Lee Motorbase): +4.947
14. Rob Austin (WIX Racing): +4.993
15. Warren Scott (Team BMR Restart): +5.556
16. David Nye (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp): +5.747
17. Daniel Welch (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp): +6.276
18. James Cole (RCIB Insurance Racing): +6.289
19. Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa Racing): +6.904
20. Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing): +29.235
21. Aron Smith (Airwaves Racing): No time set
22. Mat Jackson (Airwaves Racing): No time set
23. James Kaye (AmDtuning.com): No time set
24. Matt Neal (Honda Yuasa Racing): No time set
25. Tom Onslow-Cole (PPCGB/Kraftwerk Racing): No time set
26. Jason Plato (MG KX Momentum Racing): No time set

Rob
4th May 2013, 11:59
Collard raring to go
It has been a season of mixed emotions so far for eBay Motors in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. The team celebrated a fantastic maiden win for the BMW 125i M Sport with 2009 champion Colin Turkington at the wheel in the final race at Donington Park. The other five races completed in 2013 have, however, been far more difficult for the West Surrey Racing-run outfit.

Turkington’s team-mate Rob Collard is one of the local drivers at this weekend’s Thruxton round, and is hoping to start his season in earnest in a car that had only finished being built the day before the first race meeting at Brands Hatch. Collard fell foul of the lack of time to test the car, with mechanical problems and difficulty finding set-up leading to two challenging weekends thus far, however the Hampshire-based driver is hoping that the mileage he’s now had in the car will bring a reversal in fortunes. We spoke to him ahead of the weekend’s action to get his perspective on the coming races and the season so far:

“Thruxton is a great circuit and I like racing here. We’ve not always had the best race weekends here in the past – we have had a few wins but we’ve also had some dreadful outings and some big crashes. I'm hoping that my luck changes this weekend and that I can get myself back in the championship hunt as it’s been a very tricky start to the season so far. We turned up at Brands Hatch with a car which had only finished being prepared the night before, we then had reliability issues in all three races which stalled our championship season before it had even got started. We tested the car before Donington – it was a tricky test because it was wet, but it was good to finally get some mileage in the car and sort out the reliability issues.

“At Donington we qualified twelfth which wasn’t bad but still wasn’t quite where we wanted to be. Then we spent the whole weekend battling with a few drivers in the mid-field that made my Sunday afternoon really difficult, so we didn’t quite get the results we were looking for.”

Collard feels buoyed by the gauntlet laid down by his team-mate’s victory at Donington Park, and in the naturally competitive atmosphere of the BTCC, sees this as further motivation for both he and Nick Foster to bring more good results for the eBay Motors team. He continued:

“Colin has been the quickest driver so far out of the three of us and he’s doing a really good job. He was fortunate in the reversed-grid draw to find himself sitting at the front of the field on the soft compound tyre which was perfect for the conditions. He delivered an exceptional race drive and totally deserved the win, which was a fantastic thing both for himself and for the whole team.

“He’s set the standard now that we all have to meet, there’s a lot of competitiveness in the team, and all three of us now want to get some great results for eBay Motors.”

http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=3404&month=0&year=2013&form=&searchterm=

Rob
4th May 2013, 17:22
May the fourth be with you
Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan claimed the fourth pole position of his BTCC career after a blistering last gasp qualifying lap at Thruxton today (4 May).

The 23-year-old – second in the current driver standings – waited until the final minute to set the ultimate pace that eclipsed the Honda Yuasa Racing pair of Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal.

Jordan continued his run of qualifying in the first three positions at each round so far this season and also starting from the second row or higher at Thruxton in each of the last four years. “The car was fantastic and I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” he said. “I was relaxed after the win at Donington and I love it here too. I was really hanging on during the lap but it was a lot of fun.”

Shedden looked set to secure his second pole position in as many rounds after an early dash of 1:16.894s saw the Scotsman beat Jordan’s pole time from 2012. Both he and team-mate Matt Neal ran in tandem during the early laps, looking to gain a slipstream advantage at the high-speed Hampshire circuit, but Neal had to wait until a later run to force his way up the order into third.

The MG KX Momentum team had to settle for fourth and fifth with Jason Plato and Sam Tordoff respectively, but championship leader Plato was reasonably happy with his position. “We’re still not quite there with the car but to set that time with maximum weight on board was a decent effort,” he said.

An exciting battle to get inside the top six ensued throughout the 30-minute session, as Jeff Smith, Tom Onslow-Cole and Frank Wrathall traded places on several occasions. It was Smith that eventually made the place stick, but the Pirtek Racing driver’s session ended off track after he ran wide at the ultra-fast Church corner and lost control of his Honda Civic.

Onslow-Cole produced an impressive performance in his VW Passat to hold off Wrathall’s Toyota for seventh. “It’s going really well and the progress of the car has been fantastic. I made a few mistakes on the lap and should have been a bit faster, but it’s a great place to start from tomorrow,” beamed the Team HARD. driver.

Dave Newsham and Colin Turkington rounded out the top ten – the latter completing a speedy spin that dislodged the windscreen from his BMW 125i M Sport just after he'd crossed the line to set his fastest time of the day.

Adam Morgan’s Toyota Avensis lines up on the fifth row of the grid after he pipped the Airwaves Racing duo of Aron Smith and Mat Jackson.

The battle for top spot among the Jack Sears Trophy runners ended in success for Joe Girling in his Chevrolet Cruze after a great late effort put him ahead of Lea Wood’s Vauxhall Vectra and James Kaye’s VW Golf.

All the action from rounds 7, 8, and 9 of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship taking place at Thruxton tomorrow (Sunday 5 May) will be screened live on ITV4 from 10:45.

2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Thruxton - Qualifying

1. Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing): 1:16.527
2. Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa Racing): +0.270
3. Matt Neal (Honda Yuasa Racing): +0.367
4. Jason Plato (MG KX Momentum Racing): +0.518
5. Sam Tordoff (MG KX Momentum Racing): +1.032
6. Jeff Smith (Pirtek Racing): +1.041
7. Tom Onslow-Cole (PPCGB / Kraftwerk Racing): +1.263
8. Frank Wrathall (Dynojet): +1.296
9. Dave Newsham (Speedworks Motorsport): +1.391
10. Colin Turkington (eBay Motors): +1.485
11. Adam Morgan (Ciceley Racing): +1.1.530
12. Aron Smith (Airwaves Racing): +1.874
13. Mat Jackson (Airwaves Racing): +2.053
14. Jack Goff (RCIB Insurance Racing): +2.253
15. Ollie Jackson (Speedworks Motorsport): +2.406
16. Rob Collard (eBay Motors): +2.947
17. Nick Foster (eBay Motors): +2.994
18. Will Bratt (WIX Racing): +3.385
19. Daniel Welch (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp): +3.505
20. James Cole (RCIB Insurance Racing): +3.707
21. Joe Girling (M247 Racing with Tech-Speed Motorsport): +3.842
22. Lea Wood (Wheel Heaven / Houseman Racing): +3.897
23. James Kaye (AmDTuning.com): +4.324
24. Liam Griffin (Addison Lee Motorbase): +4.716
25. Rob Austin (WIX Racing): +4.823
26. Warren Scott (Team BMR Restart): +4.973
27. David Nye (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp): +5.080

Julie B
5th May 2013, 12:16
Race 1 - Results

Matt Neal took his 50 British Touring Car race victory after a dramatic final lap at Thruxton.

The works Honda driver was briefly relegated to fourth on the first lap, before contact between Jason Plato's MG and Gordon Shedden allowed him into second.

Shedden had overtaken poleman Andrew Jordan (Eurotech) at the start and Plato tried the outside line for Campbell to give him the inside for Cobb to overtake Jordan.

That looked like being successful, but such was Plato's speed he nudged the rear of Shedden's Civic. The reigning champion held it, but then swept across the track, causing more contact with Plato that took the Civic off.

Jordan thus retook the lead, chased by Neal and Plato. Only Neal could stay with the Eurotech Honda as Plato started to fall back.

The lead gap hovered around a second and Jordan looked in control - and set to take the championship lead - until a front-left tyre blow-out sent him off on the final lap, relegating him to 11th.

Neal was left to take an easy win, while Plato held off a charging Tom Onslow-Cole to secure second.

Onslow-Cole ran fifth in the early stages before passing Sam Tordoff's MG at the chicane just before half-distance. The Team Hard VW Passat then closed on Plato, but could not find a way by the double champion.

Tordoff took fourth from Eurotech's Jeff Smith. After qualifying sixth, Smith fell to 10th on the opening lap but recovered to complete the top five.

A fast-starting Colin Turkington finished sixth in the lead WSR BMW, holding off a feisty Mat Jackson. The Motorbase Ford driver looked much more competitive in the race than qualifying, passing several cars on his way to seventh from 13th on the grid.

The S2000 class once again proved hard-fought. Joe Girling's Chevrolet Cruze led initially before being overtaken by Lea Wood's Vauxhall Vectra and the AmD VW Golf of James Kaye.

Girling then went off, Kaye overtook Wood, only for the VW to hit technical trouble, and Liam Griffin moved to the front in his Motorbase Ford Focus.

Griffin then kept the NGTC Audi of Rob Austin between himself and Wood for much of the race to secure Jack Sears Trophy honours.

2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Thruxton - Race 1

1 2 Matt Neal (Honda Yuasa Racing) +0.000
2 99 Jason Plato (MG KX Momentum Racing +6.663
3 6 Tom Onslow-Cole (PPCGB / Kraftwerk Racing) +7.522
4 88 Sam Tordoff (MG KX Momentum Racing) +9.579
5 55 Jeff Smith (Pirtek Racing) +10.205
6 29 Colin Turkington (eBay Motors) +14.803
7 7 Mat Jackson (Airwaves Racing) +15.454
8 17 Dave Newsham (Speedworks Motorsport) +15.899
9 8 Aron Smith (Airwaves Racing) +16.104
10 33 Adam Morgan (Ciceley Racing) +16.735
11 77 Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing) +19.579
12 31 Jack Goff (RCIB Insurance Racing) +24.298
13 5 Robert Collard (eBay Motors) +25.696
14 10 Daniel Welch (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp) +30.506
15 11 Frank Wrathall (Dynojet) +31.230
16 48 Ollie Jackson (Speedworks Motorsport) +34.999
17 20 James Cole (RCIB Insurance Racing) +49.959
18 14 Will Bratt (WIX Racing) +50.617
19 13 Rob Austin (WIX Racing) +53.876
20 66 Liam Griffin (Addison Lee Motorbase) +54.676
21 43 Lea Wood (Wheel Heaven / Houseman Racing) +55.845
22 12 David Nye (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp) +1:01.177
23 90 Joe Girling (M247 Racing with Tech-Speed Motorsport) +1:01.911
24 18 Nick Foster (eBay Motors) +1:06.255
25 1 Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa Racing) +1:20.151

Not Classified
- 39 Warren Scott (Team BMR Restart) +2 Laps
- 15 James Kaye (AmDTuning.com) +8 Laps

Julie B
5th May 2013, 14:26
Race 2 - Results

Honda Yuasa Racing's Matt Neal made it two wins from two attempts at Thruxton ahead of a fantastic scrap for second place. The VW Passat of Tom Onslow-Cole just managed to hold off the charging Honda Civics of Gordon Shedden and Andrew Jordan in a battle that went right down to the wire.

Neal controlled the race from start to finish, having had some early pressure from MG KX Momentum Racing’s Jason Plato who started second on the grid. He was delighted with the win, and said after the race, “The car was really sweet. I didn’t expect one win to be honest, never mind two!”

After a big crash for Daniel Welch on lap five that brought out the safety car it looked as though Plato and Neal would run away with the race, but Plato’s MG6 faded as time went on, and the PPCGB Kraftwerk Racing Passat closed the gap to pass Plato on lap 12. The MG then quickly lost out to both Shedden and Jordan going into turn one, and managed to maintain fifth place to the line ahead of Jeff Smith. Onslow-Cole is having a fantastic weekend so far after scoring a third place in the opener, made all the more impressive by the fact that the car has only contested a handful of races. The delighted Surrey driver said, “This is turning into a very good weekend – we’re wracking up quite an impressive points haul. We thought the car would be good here but I’d be lying if I said we were expecting two podiums. It’s a little too early to say if we’re here to stay but the pressure’s on now!”

After victory in race one was snatched from Jordan by a last lap puncture, he started the second contest from 11th on the grid. He carved through the field in the early stages, setting the fastest lap overall and moving up to fourth by the end of lap ten. The move by Plato followed but the VW of Onslow-Cole proved to be a bridge too far for the Pirtek Civic, however, as he pushed too hard going around Church corner for the final time and had a huge slide. Shedden took full advantage of Jordan’s lost momentum, and jammed his car up the inside going into the final chicane to take third. It was an impressive drive from the Scotsman, who fought all the way from the rear of the grid after contact with Plato in race one put him down in the order.

A number of incidents early on in the race resulted in a fantastic battle from eighth all the way down to 13th. Adam Morgan went off the track on lap one and fell right down the order, but got his head down and drove yet another mature race to bring the Ciceley Racing Toyota Avensis back up to eighth.

A bit further back, Jack Goff had his best drive of the season to finish 9th, and was rewarded for his efforts with a reverse grid draw that sees him on pole for the final race of the day. He crossed the line just two seconds ahead of a four-car scrap between Aron Smith, Colin Turkington, Dave Newsham and Rob Collard. Smith and his Airwaves Racing team-mate Mat Jackson looked set to finish higher up, but both had huge spins at the same point on the track that left them fighting further down the field.

It was a race of attrition in the battle for the Jack Sears Trophy, with four of the six cars retiring before the chequered flag. Lea Wood held on to take the win after pressure from Liam Griffin and James Kaye. Griffin still leads the class with three Jack Sears Cups, but this result puts Wood into joint second place with Kaye with two class wins apiece.

2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Thruxton - Race 2

1 2 Matt Neal (Honda Yuasa Racing) 0.00
2 6 Tom Onslow-Cole (PPCGB / Kraftwerk Racing) +1.468
3 1 Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa Racing) +1.676
4 77 Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing) +1.891
5 99 Jason Plato (MG KX Momentum Racing) +3.560
6 55 Jeff Smith (Pirtek Racing) +4.949
7 88 Sam Tordoff (MG KX Momentum Racing) +13.072
8 33 Adam Morgan (Ciceley Racing) +14.410
9 31 Jack Goff (RCIB Insurance Racing) +20.433
10 8 Aron Smith (Airwaves Racing) +22.457
11 29 Colin Turkington (eBay Motors) +22.950
12 17 Dave Newsham (Speedworks Motorsport) +23.190
13 5 Robert Collard (eBay Motors) +23.489
14 20 James Cole (RCIB Insurance Racing) +26.856
15 7 Mat Jackson (Airwaves Racing) +28.789
16 18 Nick Foster BMW (eBay Motors) +29.063
17 48 Ollie Jackson (Speedworks Motorsport) +34.230
18 13 Rob Austin Audi (WIX Racing) +36.554
19 11 Frank Wrathall (Dynojet) +39.421
20 43 Lea Wood (Wheel Heaven / Houseman Racing) +40.145
21 12 David Nye (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp) +44.379
22 14 Will Bratt (WIX Racing) +51.062

Not Classified
- 90 Joe Girling (M247 Racing with Tech-Speed Motorsport) +1 lap
- 15 James Kaye (AmDTuning.com) +4 laps
- 66 Liam Griffin (Addison Lee Motorbase) +9 laps
- 39 Warren Scott (Team BMR Restart) +14 laps
- 10 Daniel Welch (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp) +16 laps

Julie B
5th May 2013, 17:17
Race 3 - Results

Gordon Shedden won the final Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton, leading home an all-Honda podium in a thrilling contest.

Shedden benefitted from a late race puncture for long time leader Jason Plato and went on to take the win from team-mate Matt Neal and Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordon, who were incredibly separated by just 0.049s after 16 laps of racing.

The front row challenge of Jack Goff in the Vauxhall Insignia and Adam Morgan's Toyota Avensis didn't last long unfortunately as Goff got caught up in the hustle and bustle of the first few corners. He eventually went off and out of the race on lap two, whilst Morgan slid out of the lead on cold tyres at Church.

Jeff Smith took over the reins for the first half of the race, but the Pirtek Honda remained under intense pressure from Plato’s MG. His team-mate Sam Tordoff settled in behind as Tom Onslow-Cole struggled in the early laps with the heavier VW Passat in fourth.

Onslow-Cole was passed in quick succession by Shedden, Neal and Jordan, and the Honda trio immediately set about attacking those ahead. Plato eventually nipped by Smith and stretched out a significant lead before Shedden also followed through as Tordoff’s MG faded dramatically.

Smith held on to a podium position until late on as he tried to defend an attack from Neal at the final chicane. The Civics touched on entry to the corner and Smith spun his Pirtek Racing car mid-chicane.

Then came Plato’s dramatic puncture, which forced him out of race contention and down the championship order to third. Shedden had also suffered with bad luck earlier in the day, but this time went on to take his second win of the 2013 season.

Neal was equally pleased with second position and even more so when he found out he’d move to the summit of the drivers’ standings. “What a day indeed,” he said. “I never expected to win two races. There were a swarm of Hondas in the end there and Andy (Jordan) had a look a few times. He got his nose down the inside once but he let me go, which I’m really grateful for.”

A podium for Jordan was the least he deserved after his undoubted pace was blighted by misfortune in race one. Onslow-Cole took fourth, completing a sensational day after scoring a double podium from the first two contests.

Airwaves Racing enjoyed its most impressive weekend of the season so far with fifth and seventh for Aron Smith and Mat Jackson respectively, whilst the recovering Jeff Smith finished between the two Ford Focuses. Tordoff had to settle for eighth at the chequered flag ahead of Dave Newsham’s Toyota and the eBay Motors BMW of Colin Turkington.

Daniel Welch produced a stellar drive in his Proton Gen-2 from the rear of the grid to eventually claim 11th – lapping quicker than Newsham and Turkington ahead of him. Morgan recovered to finish 12th after pitting to remove grass from his radiator following his early off.

Lew Wood doubled up in the Jack Sears Trophy by claiming his second win of the day and his third of the season – he now moves level at the top of the standings with Ford Focus driver Liam Griffin, who retired from this race after early contact.

2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Thruxton - Race 3

1 1 Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa Racing) +0.000
2 2 Matt Neal (Honda Yuasa Racing) +0.643
3 77 Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing) +0.692
4 6 Tom Onslow-Cole (PPCGB / Kraftwerk Racing) +6.646
5 8 Aron Smith (Airwaves Racing) +8.202
6 55 Jeff Smith (Pirtek Racing) +9.167
7 7 Mat Jackson (Airwaves Racing) +9.506
8 88 Sam Tordoff (MG KX Momentum Racing) +13.600
9 17 Dave Newsham (Speedworks Motorsport) +13.962
10 29 Colin Turkington (eBay Motors) +17.289
11 10 Daniel Welch (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp) +26.120
12 33 Adam Morgan (Ciceley Racing) +31.720
13 18 Nick Foster (eBay Motors) +31.992
14 20 James Cole (RCIB Insurance Racing) +35.878
15 5 Robert Collard (eBay Motors) +39.372
16 43 Lea Wood (Wheel Heaven / Houseman Racing) +43.868
17 14 Will Bratt (WIX Racing) +49.258
18 12 David Nye (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp) +49.613
19 15 James Kaye (AmDTuning.com) +50.121
20 90 Joe Girling (M247 Racing with Tech-Speed Motorsport) +1:02.280
21 39 Warren Scott (Team BMR Restart) +1:05.150
22 99 Jason Plato (MG KX Momentum Racing) +1 Lap

Not Classified
- 48 Ollie Jackson (Speedworks Motorsport) +4 Laps 1:19.564
- 13 Rob Austin Audi A4 +8 Laps 1:20.429
- 66 Liam Griffin (Addison Lee Motorbase) +14 Laps 1:33.836
- 31 Jack Goff (RCIB Insurance Racing) +15 Laps 1:26.735
- 11 Frank Wrathall (Dynojet) +16 Laps