BTC Racing’s Josh Cook scored an eye-catching victory in the second summer BTCC bout at high-speed Thruxton in Hampshire.

The Honda Civic Type R driver made one of the moves on the season on lap 4 as he went from third to first in the blink of an eye at the final chicane. 

The success ballast-laden AmD car of Sam Tordoff held the advantage in the early running but the Yorkshireman had Adam Morgan’s Mercedes and Cook’s car swarming all over the back of him. 

Morgan made his attempt down the inside having exited Church – the fastest corner in the country – while Cook tried the outside on the run down to the chicane. All three cars made it without any contact and emerged across the start/finish line with Cook leading the way.

Cook never looked back, winning from Morgan by more nearly two seconds at the finish.

“That went to plan!” said Cook. “It was a bit hairy at the start and the overtake into the chicane was too! I was clear of Sam (Tordoff) and had to outbrake Adam (Morgan). I was on the outside and had to brake as late as I dared and made it stick.

“I was working hard out front because of Adam and I had to be mindful of the tyres around here too. We’ve had a few rounds where we’ve struggled with the weight but we’ve gone well here. Credit to the team. We’ve had our heads down working hard.”

The eventual race winner brought Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport’s Morgan along with him as the Lancastrian scored his second successive podium of the day.

“After our recent form, I wasn’t expecting this,” said Morgan. “The car’s on rails this weekend. We’re carrying P3 weight and you’re careful over the first couple of laps with kerbs and getting on the power but I settled into it and kept pushing and pushing.

“It feels like the car used to. I saw I’d got a good run on Sam (Tordoff) then Josh (Cook) appeared to my left. It was a mega run for him. Fair play!”

A huge scrap for third ensued behind the lead duo with Tordoff often having a line of nearly ten cars stacked up behind him. Unfortunately for the race one winner, the pressure eventually told on lap 11 as he was shuffled down the order.

Team BMW’s Tom Oliphant and Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal ran in third and fourth respectively until late on with the final place on the podium being decided at the last corner. Neal’s Honda Civic Type R got a great run on the 3 Series ahead of him and the triple BTCC champion nipped through to reach the rostrum through the final chicane – crossing the line just 0.080s ahead of Oliphant.

Honda man Dan Cammish had to settle for fifth – paying the price for a poor getaway from the front row – whilst Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing’s Rob Collard claimed sixth. The Hampshire driver’s top six result was further rewarded post-race as his number was chosen at random for pole position for today’s final race.

BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan edged out title rival Colin Turkington as he did in race one. Jordan grabbed seventh, with Team BMW’s Turkington two spots back  – the Toyota Corolla of Tom Ingram wedged between them in eighth.

Tordoff eventually had to settle for tenth after his early race efforts at the head of the field.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 20 – Thruxton

1 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing 16 laps
2 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +1.973s
3 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +8.360s
4 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +8.440s
5 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +9.022s
6 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +9.608s
7 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +10.082s
8 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +10.666s
9 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +10.823s
10 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +13.823s
11 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +13.917s
12 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +14.388s
13 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +15.272s
14 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +15.782s
15 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +15.935s
16 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +19.060s
17 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +19.871s
18 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +20.370s
19 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +22.848s
20 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +23.483s
21 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +23.732s
22 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +28.647s
23 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +31.178s
24 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +32.127s
25 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +35.956s
26 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +38.793s
27 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +40.558s
28 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +43.805s
29 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +52.412s
30 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1 lap