BTCC Croft 2013

[Rob]

Turkington takes epic pole
Colin Turkington took a sensational pole position after his last gasp flyer edged out Jason Plato's MG at Croft in North Yorkshire. Current Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship leader Matt Neal secured third for Honda Yuasa Racing ahead of his team-mate Gordon Shedden.

The action was frenetic from start-to-finish in what was arguably the most exciting qualifying session of the season so far. Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan led the way early on, whilst fellow Honda driver Shedden was lucky to escape without damage on his first run after locking up and running into the tyre barrier at the Complex.

Neal also made contact with a tyre wall as he made his way through the chicane but not before he’d lowered the ultimate benchmark – setting a time just 0.001s shy of Tom Chilton’s 2010 lap record.

It was a lap record that would be broken before the session’s end, however, as first Plato dipped under the time with a 1:24.465s. Neal, Shedden and Turkington followed, making it a quartet of BTCC champions in the top four positions, but the order would change again after late drama.

The session was stopped with just under four minutes remaining when Joe Girling lost control of his S2000 Chevrolet Cruze while exiting the chicane. The car made heavy contact with the barrier, firing debris across the circuit, before coming to a rest at the side of the track.

A brief pause in proceedings to clear up the accident was followed by a final two-lap dash as the entire field tried to improve their times. A number of drivers managed it with the best being saved until last as Turkington hooked up a quite brilliant lap – even avoiding a spinning Airwaves Racing Ford Focus in the process – to cross the line 0.148s quicker than Plato.

Neal and Shedden held off a late challenge from Jordan, who scuppered his final chance of moving up from fifth after running into the gravel at turn one.

It proved to be a double late celebration in the eBay Motors garage as Rob Collard improved to sixth in the final moments, securing his best grid position of the season.

Dynojet's Frank Wrathall proved the best of the Toyota runners in seventh, whilst MG KX Momentum’s Sam Tordoff had to settle for eighth after a relatively low-key run for the Yorkshireman at his home circuit.

Tom Onslow-Cole was another to set his best lap on his last attempt, which pushed his VW Passat up to ninth, ahead of the Ciceley Racing Toyota of Adam Morgan.

Jake Hill (Ford Focus) led the Jack Sears competitors for much of the running in his first ever BTCC qualifying session, before class leader Lea Wood (Vauxhall Vectra) came through to take the honours shortly before the red flag.

Colin Turkington said: "Croft has always been a good hunting ground for me and the rear wheel drive cars, so I knew that if we were going to go well it would be around here. The car has been competitive all day, and in qualifying I had a bit of drama before the red flag. I knew there was a time in the car if I could get a clean lap – it only happened once in that session but that’s all it takes! My first lap on the final run I was caught in traffic, then on the pole lap one of the Fords lost it in front of me and I thought I’d have to back out of it. Thankfully he just veered off line so I got a clean lap – it wasn’t perfect but it was good enough. Looking at tomorrow, we’re still very much in the dark if it rains – I have driven the car in the wet but in the race we’ll just have to suck it and see."

Jason Plato said: "It wasn’t a big surprise to see Colin up there – it has always been a really good circuit for rear wheel drive BMWs and as we’ve said many times before Colin is a class act. He’s going to be a tough man to beat tomorrow, and providing he doesn’t make mistakes – which he won’t because he’s one of the world’s best – then it’ll be difficult. Our plan is to go for the people who are ahead of us in the championship at the moment. Our immediate focus and target therefore has to be Honda. If we can out-perform them this weekend and close the gap up then it’ll be job done going into the summer break."

Matt Neal said: "I’m really pleased to get third place carrying maximum weight on the car. It’s handling really well – there might be a little bit more in it, but the session went really well. I’d used all my tyres up by the time the red flag came out so I didn’t have to worry about pushing too hard at the end. Wet or dry the car is good – but if it does rain tomorrow then we know we'll still be at the sharp end. Starting near the front is especially critical around here in the wet – the aquaplaning up to Tower Bend is really bad, and if you’re any further down than about sixth it’s pretty hard to pick the puddles out."

2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Croft – Qualifying

1 Colin Turkington (eBay Motors) 1:24.465
2 Jason Plato (MG KX Momentum Racing) +0.148
3 Matt Neal (Honda Yuasa Racing) +0.165
4 Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa Racing) +0.241
5 Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing) +0.291
6 Robert Collard (eBay Motors) +0.354
7 Frank Wrathall (Dynojet) +0.678
8 Sam Tordoff (MG KX Momentum Racing) +0.811
9 Tom Onslow-Cole (PPCGB/Kraftwerk Racing) +0.856
10 Adam Morgan (Ciceley Racing) +0.909
11 Mat Jackson (Airwaves Racing) +0.959
12 Nick Foster (eBay Motors) +1.038
13 Dave Newsham (Speedworks Motorsport) +1.126
14 Jeff Smith (Pirtek Racing) +1.127
15 Michael Caine (Addison Lee Motorbase) +1.320
16 Aron Smith (Airwaves Racing) +1.434
17 Jack Goff (RCIB Insurance Racing) +1.618
18 Rob Austin (WIX Racing) +1.647
19 Will Bratt (Rob Austin Racing) +1.736
20 Ollie Jackson (Speedworks Motorsport) +1.919
21 Daniel Welch (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp) +2.146
22 Lea Wood (Wheel Heaven / Houseman Racing) +2.281
23 Jake Hill (Addison Lee Motorbase) +2.743
24 David Nye (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp) +3.908
25 James Cole (RCIB Insurance Racing) +3.956
26 Joe Girling (M247 Racing with Tech-Speed Motorsport) +4.675
27 James Kaye (AmDTuning.com) +4.817
28 Warren Scott (Team BMR Restart) +4.857

[Julie B]

Whoooohoooo :nana

[Rob]

Turks pulled that 1 out. The first race is going to be good.

[Julie B]

C'mon Turkers :-E

[Julie B]

Race 1 - Results

Colin Turkington blitzed the field in race one at Croft by taking a dominant lights-to-flag victory ahead of Honda Yuasa Racing duo Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden.

Turkington’s eBay Motors team-mate Nick Foster claimed a memorable fourth place after a late race pass by the MG of Jason Plato. Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan completed the top six order.

Turkington held the lead off the line in his BMW 125i M Sport while Neal immediately squeezed his way by Plato. The BMW of Rob Collard tried to follow suit but was left on the outside at Hawthorn, and with little room to manoeuvre his car made contact with Plato’s MG. Collard was sent spinning to the rear of the field while Plato continued in third.

Jordan retook fifth on the opening lap after an initially sticky getaway left him behind the fast starting MG of Sam Tordoff. Shedden had escaped during the tussle behind and he immediately set about attacking Plato ahead of him. The two champions ran side-by-side for much of the second lap, giving each other ample room in the battle, before Shedden eventually slipped by and into third.

The two manufacturer-backed Hondas ran in tandem for the remainder of the race with championship leader Neal maintaining second until the finish, but he could do little about Turkington – the Northern Irishman also breaking the lap record on his way to his second win of the season.

“Everything just worked – it was a great performance and strategy from the team to use the soft tyre,” enthused Turkington. “Croft suits the rear wheel drive cars so it’s great to get another fantastic result here. I was able to manage the tyre pretty well being ahead with a clear track in front of me, so I’m hopeful that we have the same sort of performance in the other two races. I hope it doesn’t rain as these conditions suit us perfectly, but we’ll just have to see.”

Foster’s charge to fourth included eye catching moves by Tordoff, Jordan and Plato – highlighting the overall pace of the WSR-run BMWs. Team-mate Collard would have arguably been in the mix too had in not been for his earlier incident, but he still provided the fans with some fantastic action during his recovery drive.

The largely lonely races of Jordan and Tordoff in sixth and seventh respectively were followed by a pulsating battle for eighth.

Dave Newsham’s Toyota was seen off early on after contact damage forced him into retirement, which left the VW Passat of Tom Onslow-Cole to defend the position for much of the race. In the gaggle of cars behind, Michael Caine made his way by Ford Focus team-mate Aron Smith, whilst the sister car of Mat Jackson endured heavy contact with the tyre barriers after the Airwaves Racing driver lost control at turn one.

The recovering Rob Collard, plus the Toyota of Adam Morgan and Honda Civic of Jeff Smith were also in the mix before Caine made arguably the move of the race. As Collard lent on Morgan on the approach to the chicane, Auto Glym-backed Caine eyed his opportunity – squeezing by both in the process. He then went on to make a last lap manoeuvre by Onslow-Cole and was followed through by Collard as they took eighth and ninth ahead of the Team HARD. machine.

Jake Hill took a fantastic Jack Sears Trophy win on his debut in the series. The Addison Lee Motorbase driver completed an early move by class leader Lea Wood’s Vauxhall Vectra and the youngster never looked back – taking the victory by more than nine seconds from the other Focus of David Nye, who himself relegated Wood down the order.

"A huge well done to Addison Lee Motorbase," said Hill. "The car was mega and it's just a great start to the day. I am really going to enjoy this moment, but probably only for about ten minutes, before we turn our attention to the second race!"

That second race will get underway at 14:37 and the action from the entire day can be watched live on ITV4 now.

2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Croft – Race 1

1 Colin Turkington (eBay Motors) 15 Laps
2 Matt Neal (Honda Yuasa Racing) +9.334
3 Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa Racing) +9.552
4 Nick Foster (eBay Motors +12.819
5 Jason Plato (MG KX Momentum Racing) +18.580
6 Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing) +20.810
7 Sam Tordoff (MG KX Momentum Racing) +27.961
8 Michael Caine (Addison Lee Motorbase) +34.881
9 Robert Collard (eBay Motors) +35.040
10 Tom Onslow-Cole (PPCGB/Kraftwerk Racing) +36.176
11 Adam Morgan (Ciceley Racing) +36.640
12 Jeff Smith (Pirtek Racing) +36.943
13 Rob Austin (WIX Racing) +38.686
14 Aron Smith (Airwaves Racing) +41.608
15 Will Bratt (Rob Austin Racing) +45.050
16 Jack Goff (RCIB Insurance Racing) +56.267
17 Daniel Welch (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp) +58.775
18 Jake Hill (Addison Lee Motorbase) +1:00.819
19 James Cole (RCIB Insurance Racing) +1:02.934
20 Frank Wrathall (Dynojet) +1:08.478
21 David Nye (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp) +1:10.053

Not Classified

- Dave Newsham (Speedworks Motorsport) +9 Laps
- Mat Jackson (Airwaves Racing) +10 Laps
- Ollie Jackson (Speedworks Motorsport) +12 Laps

[Julie B]

Race 2 - Results
The second race of the day at Croft Circuit saw Colin Turkington take another victory in a weather-affected contest. Dark clouds gathered around the North Yorkshire track ahead of the race throwing the teams’ tyre choices into doubt. A short, sharp shower just before the pit lane opened prompted the MG KX Momentum Racing team to fit wet tyres to both of its cars while all the other front-runners opted to stay on slicks.

The early wet conditions saw Plato and Tordoff jump to the front of the field, but the gamble ultimately backfired and as the rain stopped the two slipped back through the field. Such was the drop-off in performance that the leaders lapped the two cars in the latter stages.

As MG faded it became a game of cat-and-mouse at the front between eventual winner Turkington and Honda Yuasa Racing’s Gordon Shedden, with the pair trading fastest sector times for much of the race. Shedden eventually had to give best to the Northern Irishman with a few laps to go, saying he “didn’t have an answer to Colin as it dried.” He crossed the line 2.987s behind.

The elated Turkington commented, “I’ve had to work really hard for both wins but it’s testament to the team in terms of the development we’ve made. When I saw the MGs get by I thought I was in a fight for third but as it dried I reeled them in pretty quickly and I knew that I had a fighting chance to win if I could get back by them, which thankfully I was able to do.”

After the early shuffling of positions it was Tom Onslow-Cole who perhaps surprisingly had the pace to run at the front in his PPCGB/Kraftwerk Racing VW Passat. As the track dried out he looked to be able to push earlier than the drivers around him, closing the gap to the Honda Yuasa Racing pair and making the pass on Matt Neal. He couldn’t quite find a way past Shedden and settled into a lonely yet fruitful podium position to take his third rostrum of 2013. After the race he told btcc.net, “We’re making improvements all the time so to get another podium is great for us. I knew I might be able to do something special in those conditions and on about lap seven I thought I was going to win. We might have had a chance if it had stayed damp but as it dried we just had to settle for third.”

Neal had to be content with fourth, a fair way back from Onslow-Cole, but it was another good points haul for the current championship leader. Behind Neal the good form of the other eBay Motors cars continued, as Rob Collard fought hard to come through the field to fifth after his disastrous spin in race one. He took the position with a rough move on Andrew Jordan at the final corner on the last lap. Behind the battling pair Nick Foster put in another good performance in the third eBay Motors BMW, and his seventh position ensured that all three cars were inside the top ten for the second time today.

As the battle at the front settled down in the latter stages, it was the S2000 cars that provided arguably the most exciting action. The top three runners of Lea Wood, Jake Hill and David Nye were locked in a bumper-to-bumper battle for the final five laps, with Nye leading the trio in his Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp Ford Focus. Behind him, Jake Hill was defending valiantly from current Trophy leader Wood, who consistently had better drive coming out of the final hairpin but was unable to get to the inside for Clervaux. Nye held on for the final thrilling lap to secure his first ever Jack Sears Cup, while Wood’s Vectra just had enough grunt to get past race one winner Hill’s car across the line by 0.046s.

After the race, the elated Nye said, “It has been a long time coming but it feels great. It was relentless pressure all the way and I really had to work for it. I had a few taps from behind by Jake Hill but it’s great to be fighting with another young driver in the Jack Sears Trophy. The guys at the front don’t know what they’re missing – all the action is at the back with us! I even passed the two MGs, which was a bit of a surprise.”

Adam Morgan’s consistency in 2013 continued with a solid eighth place, and Colin Turkington pulled his number out in the reversed grid draw putting the Ciceley Racing Toyota on the front row for the second time this season. Nick Foster will line up alongside him in second, and, perhaps critically, he will be on the standard compound tyre while most of the other cars will be running on softs.

After the race, the stewards awarded a one second penalty to Collard and a three second penalty to Jeff Smith - both for gaining an unfair advantage. Both drivers lost one race position in the final classification, whilst Smith was also handed a six place grid penalty as it was his third offence of the season.

2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Croft – Race 2 Result:

1 Colin Turkington (eBay Motors) 15 laps
2 Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa Racing) +2.987
3 Tom Onslow-Cole (PPCGB/Kraftwerk Racing) +9.035
4 Matt Neal (Honda Yuasa Racing) +12.012
5 Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing) +13.680
6 Robert Collard (eBay Motors) +13.785
7 Nick Foster (eBay Motors) +15.159
8 Adam Morgan (Ciceley Racing) +17.359
9 Dave Newsham (Speedworks Motorsport) +27.774
10 Jeff Smith (Pirtek Racing) +28.523
11 Daniel Welch (Welch Motorsport with Sopp+Sopp) +36.899
12 Aron Smith (Airwaves Racing) +37.285
13 Frank Wrathall (Dynojet) +39.380
14 Rob Austin (WIX Racing) +39.940
15 David Nye (Welch Motorsport with Sopp+Sopp) +51.970
16 Lea Wood (Wheel Heaven/Houseman Racing) +52.468
17 Jake Hill (Addison Lee Motorbase) +52.514
18 Will Bratt (Rob Austin Racing) +56.266
19 James Kaye (AmD Tuning.com) +1:04.126
20 Jason Plato (MG KX Momentum) +1 lap
21 Sam Tordoff (MG KX Momentum) +1 lap

Not Classified
- Michael Caine (Addison Lee Motorbase) +3 laps
- Jack Goff (RCIB Insurance Racing) +3 laps
- Mat Jackson (Airwaves Racing) +10 laps

[Rob]

Turks was on fire today. Rubbish weather, but good racing.

[Julie B]

Race 3 - Results
Honda Yuasa Racing's Matt Neal won the final race of the day at Croft in treacherous conditions to extend his lead in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at the midway stage of the season.

eBay Motors’ Colin Turkington narrowly missed out on a perfect pole position and three race victories as the Irishman had to settle for second at the finish. The Honda Civic of Andrew Jordan took third despite having to recover from a late excursion across the grass.

With heavy rain falling ahead of the race, all cars were fitted with Dunlop wet tyres and it was front row starter Nick Foster that made the best getaway in his BMW. He led the early running while pole-sitter Adam Morgan slipped back to second in his Ciceley Racing Toyota Avensis.

Double race winner Turkington was rapid in the opening laps and he made an opportunistic move by Jordan and reigning champion Gordon Shedden when the pair touched on the exit of Tower. Now running in fourth, both he and Neal ahead of him hounded down the Toyota of Morgan. In a similar incident to that of Jordan and Shedden, Neal edged out Morgan at Tower and Turkington nearly made another double pass. He got by Morgan but Neal held on to second and it proved to be the best opportunity for the BMW to pass the Honda.

Both Neal and Turkington made relatively light work of Foster who began to fade at the front of the field and the duo were rarely separated by more than two seconds as they romped to the first two places on the podium. There was a final scare for Neal, however, in what he called ‘two mighty moments’ on the last lap but the three time champion held on to win.

“I am over the moon and just relieved to get to the end,” said Neal, who now leads the championship by 19 points.

Jordan’s podium maintains his second place in the standings and Shedden’s late pass on Speedworks Motorsport’s Dave Newsham for fourth also helped him to pull level with the MG of Jason Plato in the championship.

The MGs of Plato and his young team-mate Tordoff were the fastest cars on the track for much of the race as they surged their way through the pack to claim an impressive sixth and seventh at the finish – the pair having started at the rear after a gamble to run the wet tyres in race two backfired.

Newsham’s fifth place was his best of the season and just reward for the hard work he and the team have put in to further improve his Toyota Avensis. His luckless team-mate Ollie Jackson had a day to forget, however, as race three ended after contact with Will Bratt’s Audi A4 at the final hairpin.

Foster eventually came home eighth ahead of the Airwaves Racing Ford Focus of Aron Smith, whilst Jeff Smith came out on top of a battle with Rob Austin for the final place in the top ten.

Lea Wood won the Jack Sears Trophy contest – making it three different winners on the day – as most of his competitors tripped up. Only the VW Golf of James Kaye could challenge Wood’s domination but he had two separate spins, with the second ending his race in the crop fields that surround Croft!

2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Croft – Race 3

1 Matt Neal (Honda Yuasa Racing) 15 Laps
2 Colin Turkington (eBay Motors) +0.631
3 Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing) +4.321
4 Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa Racing) +8.484
5 Dave Newsham (Speedworks Motorsport) +11.769
6 Jason Plato (MG KX Momentum Racing) +19.061
7 Sam Tordoff (MG KX Momentum Racing) +19.320
8 Nick Foster (eBay Motors) +23.463
9 Aron Smith (Airwaves Racing) +27.357
10 Jeff Smith (Pirtek Racing) +38.946
11 Rob Austin (WIX Racing) +40.430
12 Tom Onslow-Cole (PPCGB/Kraftwerk Racing) +42.739
13 Mat Jackson (Airwaves Racing) +42.879
14 Robert Collard (eBay Motors) +56.152
15 James Cole (RCIB Insurance Racing) +1:02.864
16 Lea Wood (Wheel Heaven/Houseman Racing) +1:21.965


Not Classified
- James Kaye (AmDTuning.com) +3 Laps
- Jack Goff (RCIB Insurance Racing) +6 Laps
- Adam Morgan (Ciceley Racing) +11 Laps
- Jake Hill (Addison Lee Motorbase) +13 Laps
- Daniel Welch (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp) +13 Laps
- David Nye (Welch Motorsport with Sopp + Sopp) +14 Laps
- Will Bratt (Rob Austin Racing) +14 Laps
- Ollie Jackson (Speedworks Motorsport) +14 Laps

[Sianellen]

That last race was brill :-)