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 racetrack 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 their 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 grid, 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 Racings 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 didnt have an answer to Colin as it dried. He crossed the line 2.987s behind.
The elated Turkington commented, Ive had to work really hard for both wins but its testament to the team in terms of the development weve 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 couldnt quite find a way past Shedden and settled into third position to take his third podium of 2013. After the race he told btcc.net, Were 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 settle for 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. Jordan looked threatening throughout the race but didnt quite have the outright pace to hold a top five finish. 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 chicane 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 Woods Vectra just had enough grunt to get past race one winner Hills 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 its great to be fighting with another young driver in the Jack Sears Trophy. The guys at the front dont know what theyre missingall the action is at the back with us! I even passed the two MGs, which was a bit of a surprise.
Adam Morgans 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.
Tune in to ITV4 HD to see the final race of the day from Croft. The lights go out at 17:10
