"In qualifying we could only manage 15th because we took slick tyres too late on a drying track - it was new territory for me, I had never driven the Astra in those sort of conditions and the tyres just never got up to temperature in time," says Bentwood.

In the first race Bentwood was running in tenth when he ran wide trying to avoid a spinning Colin Turkington, “I had nowhere to go,” says Mike, “Turkington span in front of me and forced me off, and that was the end of that.” "Because of the reverse grid for the 2nd race We knew we could rescue the weekend by finishing in the top 10, but it wasn't meant to be!"

Bentwood started at the back for the second race but made the most of it when he shouldered past Rob Collard at Becketts on the penultimate lap for twelfth place.

In the final race of the day Bentwood got as high as eighth before a last lap tangle demoted him to tenth. “After such a dreadful time at Brands, it’s good to get some points,” says Michael.

“It was important to come down here and get on with it, finish some races and get the team’s moral back ready for Oulton Park in two weeks.” "Its been a tough weekend and not  being able to finish the first race made our weekend an up hill struggle from then," "It was action from start to finish and even a desperate Luke Hines tried to pass me on the last corner of the last lap."

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