Turkington extends BTCC lead with Oulton Park double

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BTCC Oulton Park

Colin Turkington

Triple champion secures 50th career win, while Jake Hill is denied his first after being penalised for a mid-race clash

Team BMW racer Colin Turkington extended his points lead in the British Touring Car Championship with an emphatic double victory at Oulton Park, including his 50th race win.

While the triple champion was largely untroubled on his way to victory in the opening two races at the Cheshire track, the day’s final race contained far more drama. Pole-sitter Jake Hill finished third on the road in his Audi S3, but a penalty for a mid-race clash with Matt Neal handed the victory to BMW 1 Series racer Stephen Jelley.

Turkington set the pace in qualifying in his BMW 330i M Sport, and quickly pulled a out lead on works Honda Civic Type R driver Dan Cammish at the start of the opening race. Cammish spent much of the race worrying more about the BMW behind him, with Andrew Jordan – fresh from a double win in the most recent event – pressuring him throughout the race before settling for third. 

Rory Butcher finished fourth in a Civic Type R, just ahead of team-mate Sam Tordoff, who had qualified second but slipped back early on.

Having secured his 49th BTCC race win in the first race, Turkington added his 50th with another dominant drive in the second. This time he led home Jordan, who jumped Cammish at the start. Once again, Cammish found himself surrounded by BMWs, with Tom Oliphant taking fourth in the third WSR-run machine.

Hill was drawn on pole for the reverse grid final race, with former champions Matt Neal (Civic Type R) and Jason Plato (Vauxhall Astra) behind him on the grid.

While Hill made a strong start, he was soon under immense pressure from Neal, with the triple champion squeezing past on the main straight on the first lap. Hill tried to fight back exiting Old Hall but tagged the back of the Civic, pitching Neal into a wild spin through a cloud of tyre smoke.

Neal somehow emerged unscathed, albeit well down the order, but several cars were damaged in the ensuring mayhem, including Plato’s Astra, which dropped a line of oil down before the hairpin.

Hill was left in a clear lead, but Butcher and Jelley closed in on him near the end. Butcher looked at a move in the hairpin, but hit the oil and slithered wide, allowing Jelley through for second.

Jelley would move up again following the race, inheriting the win when stewards handed Hill a 20-second penalty for the clash with Neal. Oliphant picked up second ahead of Tordoff and Jordan.

Turkington followed up his two wins with a solid ninth place, extending his championship lead over team-mate Jordan.

The next BTCC event is at Snetterton in Norfolk on August 3/4.

Read more

BTCC 2019: why the championship is back to its best

BTCC 2019: Jordan takes another double at Croft

BTCC 2019: Turkington takes Donington double

 


Source: Autocar

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