FOR TEAM RAC AT A WET DONINGTON
Team RAC experienced a day of mixed emotions during a rain-plagued third round of the 2009 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championships at Donington Park, Leicestershire.
Colin Turkington drove superbly following disappointment in race one to secure a second placed finish in the final race of the day. A fifth place in race two meant Turkington ended the day still in second position in the Drivers' Championship on 76 points, 13 behind overall leader Matt Neal.
Teammate Stephen Jelley topped the timesheets in both of Saturday's practice sessions and was confident of his first podium at this his home circuit. However his weekend ended in race one as a coming together with Matt Neal spun the BMW into the wall at over 125kph. Although Jelley was unharmed, the car was too badly damaged to be repaired for the remaining races.. Jelley sits in 9th place overall with 29 points.
Team RAC lie in second position in the Overall Teams' Championship with Colin Turkington leading the Independent Drivers� Championship.
Round 1
A torrential downpour shortly before the first race meant treacherous track conditions for Team RAC. Having qualified in fifth and seventh on the grid respectively, both Jelley and Turkington got away well, with Turkington impressively taking three places before the first corner.
In a race where the rear wheel drive cars struggled for grip on the wet track, Jelley got tapped by Championship leader Matt Neal as the pair battled for sixth place. The Team RAC man ended up in the concrete wall as a result and his race was over.
Similar misfortune awaited teammate Turkington five laps later. With the car improving as the race progressed , Turkington got a knock from Jones, which sent him spinning into the gravel trap and out of the race.
Round 2
A fantastic start once again from Colin Turkington set the tone for an impressive race from the Northern Irishman.
Starting in 19th place on a dry track, Turkington made up seven places on lap one. An incident involving Matt Neal and Rob Collard combined with a passing move on Adam Jones saw Turkington climb to seventh.
With six laps remaining, the Team RAC man was able to use the BMW's superior handling to pass Mat Jackson before reeling in Jonathon Adam's BMW to claim a splendid fifth place.
Round 3
Damp conditions once again faced Colin Turkington as he lined up �sixth on the reverse grid in the Team RAC BMW.
As the track began to dry out, Turkington found some extra pace and began his attack on the leaders. On lap 13, a slick move saw Turkington move up to second position, passing Jackson, Plato,Vaulkhard and Giovanardi in the process.
Turkington expertly held off the challenges of both Plato and Jackson in the dying laps to secure his fourth podium of the season.
Colin Turkington said: "The start of the day obviously didn't go to plan through no fault of our own but as the weather improved so did our performance. It ended well for me and it's always great to hit the podium.
"We knew we would be quick if the conditions were favourable, but everyone started on wet tyres in the final race and I wasn't expecting just how much pace we would have as the track dried."
Stephen Jelley said: "Obviously it's disappointing to have only completed four racing laps at my home circuit. The Donington circuit is always slick and the heavy rain didn't help us. We were doing a good job keeping the car in a straight line, but I got a tap from behind and ended up in the wall.
"I was fastest in practice on Saturday, and in race two Colin showed just how fast the BMW was on a dry track. Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to compete, as I'm sure we would have been up there.
WSR Team Principal Dick Bennetts said: "It was a difficult start to the day with both drivers going out in the first race. Stephen was very unlucky to have been hit from behind and the crash put him out for the day, which is very disappointing for him having been quickest in both practice sessions.
"Colin drove brilliantly in race two to fight his way from 19th to finish fifth. He got boxed in at the start of race three but fought up to second and was catching the leader quickly, which showed just how much pace the Team RAC BMW has."
Kerry Gazzard, RAC Sponsorship & PR Consultant, said: "It was a tough day for the team, especially Stephen who is luckily unharmed after his collision into the concrete wall. As always, even in bad weather the support we get from fans trackside amazes me, it shows true dedication. Let's hope that Oulton Park brings more luck for the Team"
