BTCC 2014 - BRANDS HATCH

[Julie B]

QUALIFYING
Andrew Jordan has kicked off his title defence in fine style by securing the first pole position of the 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch.

Jordan took top spot in the same event last season, but the 24-year-old went event faster this time around to pip the MG of Jason Plato by 0.012s. Jordan left it extremely late to set his fastest flyer, as did eBay Motors’ Colin Turkington who claimed third on his final tour.

Incredibly close times has been the theme throughout the day on the tight 1.2 mile Indy circuit and qualifying proved no different with the top 23 cars covered by just over eight tenths of a second.

Honda Yuasa Racing’s debut with the new Civic Tourer proved fruitful and although they slipped back with Jordan and Turkington’s last gasp efforts, the squad will be content with its performance. It was Matt Neal who led team-mate Gordon Shedden and the duo will line up fourth and fifth for tomorrow’s season opener.

Arguably the performance of the day came from young debutant Tom Ingram, who backed up his top six practice pace with exactly the same result in qualifying. The Speedworks’ driver’s commitment through the legendary Paddock Hill Bend was there for all to see, and he set the third fastest first sector of any driver in the field.

Chrome Edition Restart Racing also deserve enormous credit with its pairing of Aron Smith and Alain Menu separated by just 0.028s in seventh and eighth respectively. The team certainly enjoyed less pre-season running than the majority of its rivals but the VW CC has proved immediately quick and Smith’s position equals the highest for the machine since introduction to the series last year.

Mat Jackson’s Airwaves Racing Ford Focus and the eBay Motors BMW of Rob Collard were ninth and tenth fastest – the former scoring his first top ten grid slot since the 2012 season finale. Rob Austin’s popular Audi will line-up on row six alongside MG’s Sam Tordoff, who himself endured his lowest qualifying position in his short BTCC career so far.

Notable absentees from the top order included the Mercedes A-Class of Adam Morgan, which had run extremely well during testing, and the Ford Focus of two-time returning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi.

Incidents were at a minimum, as were issues involving the newly introduced track limit regulations, with only drivers towards the rear of the field suffering. The Audi A3 of Rob Holland recovered from a minor spin, whilst Jack Clarke, James Cole, Glynn Geddie and Aiden Moffat were among those to have their quickest lap times removed after running off limits.

Now the attention turns to the opening three rounds of the 2014 BTCC season, which will take place at the Kent venue tomorrow. The first race gets underway at 11:45 with ITV4′s live and exclusive coverage commencing at 10:30.

Andrew Jordan said: “It was a really really good lap. It felt pretty quick but I had a little moment. It’s so close out there but it’s going to be cracking tomorrow. There’s going to be a load of fans here and the weather’s going to be great, so I can’t wait to get the racing underway.”

Jason Plato said: “I’m a little disappointed – I didn’t quite get the best time at the right moment. The car feels good and it was a good fight for pole. There was nothing in it but congratulations to Andy. The most important thing tomorrow is three good points finishes. I personally think that P2 is the best spot to start here at Brands Hatch so let’s spray some champagne tomorrow and go home happy!”

Colin Turkington said: “We’re in much better shape this year and I’m really pleased to be on the second row. We still haven’t completely pinned the car down and that lap didn’t come easy. The aim is to be first after 25 laps but if we get a good start then we could get into the lead early. With such a tight grid this year it makes qualifying even more important so I’m delighted with that.”

Pos Driver Car Time Gap Laps
1. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Honda 48.228s 21
2. Jason Plato MG 48.240s +0.012s 24
3. Colin Turkington WSR BMW 48.298s +0.070s 26
4. Matt Neal Honda 48.321s +0.093s 27
5. Gordon Shedden Honda 48.371s +0.143s 27
6. Tom Ingram Speedworks Toyota 48.404s +0.176s 27
7. Aron Smith BMR VW 48.419s +0.191s 24
8. Alain Menu BMR VW 48.447s +0.219s 21
9. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford 48.479s +0.251s 29
10. Rob Collard WSR BMW 48.487s +0.259s 30
11. Rob Austin RAR Audi 48.488s +0.260s 30
12. Sam Tordoff MG 48.506s +0.278s 23
13. Nick Foster WSR BMW 48.542s +0.314s 31
14. Adam Morgan Ciceley Mercedes 48.590s +0.362s 26
15. Jack Goff BMR Vauxhall 48.696s +0.468s 26
16. Marc Hynes MG 48.701s +0.473s 27
17. Martin Depper Eurotech Honda 48.842s +0.614s 27
18. Fabrizio Giovanardi Motorbase Ford 48.884s +0.656s 27
19. James Cole UA Toyota 48.921s +0.693s 26
20. Dave Newsham AmD Ford 48.936s +0.708s 18
21. Hunter Abbott RAR Audi 49.001s +0.773s 28
22. Warren Scott BMR Vauxhall 49.034s +0.806s 22
23. Glynn Geddie UA Toyota 49.053s +0.825s 23
24. Lea Wood Houseman Toyota 49.479s +1.251s 30
25. Simon Belcher Speedworks Toyota 49.733s +1.505s 25
26. Jack Clarke Motorbase Ford 49.767s +1.539s 15
27. Aiden Moffat Moffat Chevrolet 50.242s +2.014s 26
28. Robb Holland Rotek Audi 50.369s +2.141s 25
29. Olile Jackson Welch Proton 50.487s +2.259s 28
30. Chris Stockton BTC Chevrolet

[Rob]

:clap

great start for Andrew, shame about Gio. Full grid, be epic racing tomorrow.

(Got to record it, as Keiras 4th Birthday tomorrow)

[Julie B]

Race 1 - Results

Reigning champion Andrew Jordan has claimed victory in the season opening race of the 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship after fending off the challenge from fellow front row starter Jason Plato.

Matt Neal took the first ever podium for the all-new Civic Tourer as he crossed the line just 0.410s ahead of Honda Yuasa Racing team-mate Gordon Shedden. “It’s the first time an estate car has scored a podium in the BTCC,” noted Neal. “It was great to see Flash behind me too and great points for the team.”

It was Colin Turkington’s eBay Motors BMW that seemed set to challenge for the lead as the huge field blasted off the line, but he was expertly boxed in by Jordan’s Honda Civic and the MG of Plato. It was to be the closest the Ulsterman would come to troubling the lead order as his pace began to fade.

Neal muscled his way by the BMW at Clearways early on and Shedden repeated the trick at mid-distance, just when it had looked as though Turkington would reignite his challenge. His speed dropped off rapidly thereafter, and he was soon passed by the hard charging Rob Austin, who had hauled his Audi A4 up the order throughout the contest.

Team-mate Rob Collard and the VW CC of Aron Smith shuffled the 2009 champion further down the order in the closing laps, and Turkington had to settle for eighth at the finish.

Tom Ingram finished an impressive ninth after defending in a race-long tussle with fellow young gun Sam Tordoff. The Speedworks Toyota had been squeezed down from sixth on the run up to Druid Hairpin for the first time, but Ingram’s pace thereafter was solid.

Up at the front and both Jordan and Plato had pulled well clear of the chasing pack at the finish, with the former going on to score his first ever BTCC victory at Brands Hatch. “What a race,” beamed Jordan. “I got a bit sideways at Paddock but saved it with full lock and full throttle. Jason was strong in a few areas but I could gap him in others. It looked as though JP and I planned the start but in truth I just didn’t get away particularly well and Colin got boxed in. I’ve never won at Brands Hatch Indy so it was a great job and a massive thanks must go to the team.”

Plato was more than content to follow Jordan home, saying, “I had a bit more pace than Andrew but at this stage there’s no point in taking risks. I had planned to go again when the back-markers came into play but Jordan didn’t make any mistakes. It was a good race.”

Some well-known names endured dramatic opening races with Alain Menu spinning on the exit of Paddock Hill Bend on the first tour, whilst the Airwaves Racing Ford Focus of Mat Jackson was tipped into the gravel by Smith’s VW CC. Both recovered with Jackson scoring the final championship point on offer, although the multiple race winners will feel their respective pace deserved more.

The only other real incident of note was a clash between the Pirek Racing Civic of Martin Depper and United Autosport’s James Cole, leaving both cars pointing in the wrong direction after contact at Druids. Cole dragged his Toyota Avensis into the pit lane and into retirement, whilst Depper made the chequered flag on his return to the series.

Marc Hynes’ BTCC debut ended in disappointment as his MG pitted with a problem after the green flag lap, and he failed to rejoin.

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Honda 25m15.787s
2. Gordon Shedden Honda +0.505s
3. Colin Turkington WSR BMW +0.709s
4. Matt Neal Honda +1.742s
5. Nick Foster WSR BMW +2.094s
6. Rob Collard WSR BMW +2.519s
7. Aron Smith BMR VW +2.975s
8. Adam Morgan Ciceley Mercedes +3.524s
9. Tom Ingram Speedworks Toyota +3.822s
10. Fabrizio Giovanardi Motorbase Ford +4.146s
11. Jack Goff BMR Vauxhall +5.538s
12. Sam Tordoff MG +5.814s
13. Warren Scott BMR Vauxhall +6.377s
14. Jason Plato MG +6.623s
15. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford +7.027s
16. Dave Newsham AmD Ford +8.124s
17. Alain Menu BMR VW +8.367s
18. Hunter Abbott RAR Audi +8.740s
19. Jack Clarke Motorbase Ford +9.413s
20. Marc Hynes MG +11.490s
21. Glynn Geddie UA Toyota +12.855s
22. James Cole UA Toyota +13.256s
23. Robb Holland Rotek Audi +15.113s
24. Simon Belcher Speedworks Toyota +16.260s
25. Aiden Moffat Moffat Chevrolet +17.789s
26. Ollie Jackson Welch Proton +18.559s

Retirements:

Lea Wood Houseman Toyota 25 laps
Martin Depper Eurotech Honda 17 laps
Rob Austin RAR Audi 5 laps
Chris Stockton BTC Chevrolet 0 laps

[Julie B]

Race 2 - Results
Andrew Jordan has doubled-up at Brands Hatch after scoring a lights-to-flag victory in round two of the 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Honda Yuasa Racing’s Gordon Shedden took second after benefitting from Jason Plato failing to get his MG off the grid when the lights went out, and an early incident between his team-mate Matt Neal and the eBay Motors BMW of Rob Collard.

Shedden kept Jordan honest throughout, but the reigning champion held on to win from the Scotsman and the hard charging BMW 125i M Sport of Colin Turkington.

“This is what we do it for – to win,” said Jordan. “I could see one of the BMWs was coming strong, and thankfully the safety car backed Shedden up and kept him off my tail a bit. I’d already started to gap Gordon before it came out so knew I had the pace to stay in front as long as I didn’t make any mistakes. It’s another cracking result and one of the harder wins I’ve had to work for.”

Disaster struck third row starter Rob Austin when his car broke down on the grid ahead of the green flag lap, and he was unable to take the start. Plato’s MG6 then stalled as the lights went out, leaving Jordan to streak away with the early lead. His advantage was helped when Neal’s Civic Tourer lightly touched Collard’s BMW and both cars slid wildly through Paddock Hill Bent. Both recovered but not before Shedden slipped by into second and the impressive Nick Foster slotted himself between Neal and Collard. Plato did eventually get going but at the rear of the field – he would eventually finish 14th.

Chris Stockton’s Chevrolet had beached itself in the gravel before both Aron Smith and Sam Tordoff endured lurid moments before the first tour was even completed, and the first safety car of the season was deployed on lap two.

Turkington was immediately on the attack following the restart and pulled two almost identical moves out of the bag when he shot down the inside of his team-mates Collard and Foster at Paddock Hill Bend. The recovering Smith had his Dunlop Sport Maxx soft tyre-shod VW CC moving up the order as he passed Fabrizio Giovanardi’s Ford Focus and Tom Ingram’s Toyota in quick succession. The Irishman was back up to seventh but his progress was halted thereafter as he failed to haul himself inside the top six.

Neal succumbed to an attack from Turkington on the run up to Druids at the mid-distance stage of the race and that was to be the last change in the top order. “I was a bit downbeat after race one,” said Turkington after claiming his first podium of the season. “The BMW was on fire in that one though and I definitely had the pace to take it to the front two. I’m well chuffed for the eBay Motors team with this podium, and being on the soft tyre for race three could be interesting. We think our car will be one of the strongest on those tyres, but we’ll just have to wait and see!”

There was a further spell behind the safety car late on when Marc Hynes’ MG made contact with Martin Depper’s Honda at Graham Hill Bend, firing off the Civic and into the barrier at high speed. Hynes has been excluded from the race result following the incident.

Adam Morgan took eighth in the WIX Racing Mercedes A-Class from Ingram and Giovanardi, with the Italian getting the honours to pick out the ball for the reversed grid race three draw. Giovanardi said he could ‘kill his chances’ ahead of the draw and that’s unfortunately what he did when he picked out the No.6 ball, meaning Collard and Foster complete an all-BMW front row for the final contest of the day.

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Honda 25m15.787s
2. Gordon Shedden Honda +0.505s
3. Colin Turkington WSR BMW +0.709s
4. Matt Neal Honda +1.742s
5. Nick Foster WSR BMW +2.094s
6. Rob Collard WSR BMW +2.519s
7. Aron Smith BMR VW +2.975s
8. Adam Morgan Ciceley Mercedes +3.524s
9. Tom Ingram Speedworks Toyota +3.822s
10. Fabrizio Giovanardi Motorbase Ford +4.146s
11. Jack Goff BMR Vauxhall +5.538s
12. Sam Tordoff MG +5.814s
13. Warren Scott BMR Vauxhall +6.377s
14. Jason Plato MG +6.623s
15. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford +7.027s
16. Dave Newsham AmD Ford +8.124s
17. Alain Menu BMR VW +8.367s
18. Hunter Abbott RAR Audi +8.740s
19. Jack Clarke Motorbase Ford +9.413s
20. Marc Hynes MG +11.490s
21. Glynn Geddie UA Toyota +12.855s
22. James Cole UA Toyota +13.256s
23. Robb Holland Rotek Audi +15.113s
24. Simon Belcher Speedworks Toyota +16.260s
25. Aiden Moffat Moffat Chevrolet +17.789s
26. Ollie Jackson Welch Proton +18.559s

Retirements:

Lea Wood Houseman Toyota 25 laps
Martin Depper Eurotech Honda 17 laps
Rob Austin RAR Audi 5 laps
Chris Stockton BTC Chevrolet 0 laps

[Julie B]

Former British Formula 3 champion Marc Hynes has been excluded from the second British Touring Car Championship race at Brands Hatch, as several drivers were penalised.

The MG6 driver finished 20th in race two after a clash with Martin Depper's Eurotech Honda Civic at Graham Hill Bend, but has now been excluded and received four points on his licence.

"We came out of Graham Hill Bend side-by-side," Hynes told AUTOSPORT. "I got the cutback and, from my perspective, he jinked back in.

"It's quite close there and we made contact. We don't want to be firing anyone off into the wall.

"I thought it was a racing incident, but the stewards thought differently."

Team BMR drivers Aron Smith, Jack Goff and Warren Scott have also received time penalties for overtaking the Motorbase Ford Focus of Mat Jackson behind the safety car in race two.

Smith had received a five-place grid penalty ahead of the encounter for contact with Jackson in race one.

An appeal allowed him to start from seventh instead of 12th, but the appeal has been lost so he will take his grid penalty in race three.

[Julie B]

Race 3 - Results
Colin Turkington took his first win of the season in the final and thrilling Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Brands Hatch.

Old adversaries Matt Neal and Jason Plato hustled their Honda and MG machines respectively past Turkington’s two BMW team-mates to complete the podium.

It was a BMW 1-2-3 off the line as the rear wheel drive cars blasted their way down to Paddock Hill Bend for the first time. Rob Collard led from Nick Foster initially but Turkington eventually put both to the sword with separate moves, the final being a clever manoeuvre through Clearways and down Brabham Straight. Things worsened for Foster when he was handed a drive through penalty for lining up his car out of position at the start, which immediately ended his challenge to the top order.

The Honda Yuasa Racing duo of Neal and Gordon Shedden set about attacking Collard, before having to turn their attentions behind them as the charging MG of Jason Plato was surging through the order. The two-time champion made a hat-trick of eye catching moves at Paddock Hill Bend, as he relegated team-mate Sam Tordoff, the Mercedes of Adam Morgan and finally Shedden’s Civic Tourer down the order.

Plato attached himself to the rear bumper of Neal, which seemed to inspire the latter to a resurgence in speed. They both dragged themselves towards Collard’s BMW before nipping by together at Paddock on the penultimate lap.

Incredibly it was the returning legend Alain Menu who claimed fifth after a quite frenetic race for the Swiss driver. Starting down in 16th position he made a number of brilliant moves before an unfortunate incident with impressive young rookie Tom Ingram. The VW CC and Toyota Avensis had a coming together on the exit of Graham Hill Bend, which led to Ingram’s car hitting the barrier at high speed.

The safety car was immediately called for to retrieve Ingram’s stricken Avensis, which allowed Menu and others to catch up with the front-runners. Menu never looked back and as the leading car on the Dunlop Sport Maxx medium compound he began to haul himself by a series of cars, which finally included passes by the Ford Focus of Mat Jackson and Shedden’s fading Civic Tourer. There wasn’t enough time for further gains but his performance proved to be one of the highlights of the day to the tens of thousands of fans at the legendary Kent venue.

Jack Goff’s Vauxhall and the Focus of Dave Newsham took eighth and ninth respectively, ahead of the fast starting A-Class of Morgan, which dropped back late on. Rob Austin came from the rear of the grid to take 11th ahead of Tordoff, whilst reigning champion Andrew Jordan had to settle for 13th despite early double glory. James Cole earned United Autosports’ first ever drivers’ points in the BTCC with 14th, whilst debutant Hunter Abbot also chalked up his first score.

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Colin Turkington WSR BMW 24m21.546s
2. Matt Neal Honda +1.114s
3. Jason Plato MG +1.446s
4. Rob Collard WSR BMW +2.432s
5. Alain Menu BMW VW +2.660s
6. Gordon Shedden Honda +3.378s
7. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford +3.550s
8. Jack Goff BMR Vauxhall +3.803s
9. Dave Newsham AmD Ford +6.395s
10. Adam Morgan Ciceley Mercedes +8.728s
11. Rob Austin RAR Audi +9.632s
12. Sam Tordoff MG +10.173s
13. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Honda +10.761s
14. James Cole UA Toyota +11.184s
15. Hunter Abbott RAR Audi +13.357s
16. Fabrizio Giovanardi Motorbase Ford +13.548s
17. Jack Clarke Motorbase Ford +19.228s
18. Marc Hynes MG +19.461s
19. Nick Foster WSR BMW +19.838s
20. Robb Holland Rotek Audi +20.336s
21. Simon Belcher Speedworks Toyota +24.898s
22. Ollie Jackson Welch Proton +26.349s
23. Warren Scott BMR Vauxhall +31.083s
24. Aiden Moffat Moffat Chevrolet +1 lap
25. Glynn Geddie Speedworks Toyota +3 laps
26. Chris Stockton BTC Chevrolet +5 laps

Retirements:

Aron Smith BMW VW 15 laps
Tom Ingram Speedworks Toyota 11 laps
Lea Wood Houseman Toyota 6 laps
Martin Depper Eurotech Honda 0 laps