Derek Palmer delivered Support Our Paras Racing's best result of its debut season in the British Touring Car Championship when he finished 15th in today's second race at Snetterton. And the 28-year-old Scot, who started from 25th on the grid, secured it despite his Infiniti Q50 having no power steering for the entire 12-lap race.

 "We had no power steering turning right, and maximum power steering turning left, which was far from ideal … and knackering," Palmer, who scored the team's first Championship point with his result, explained. "In fact, I did the whole race without power steering because I felt it go on the warm-up lap. I was stewed in the car this morning, so thankfully we ran with the windows open a bit in Race 2, otherwise I think I'd have passed out with the effort.

 "It was carnage out there over the opening couple of laps. It was  a case of making sure I didn't get caught up in somebody else's accident. "But it's a real pity. I'm obviously stoked to have got our best finish of the season, and score our first overall championship points having finished 15th, but it should really have been 13th … or better.

 "Through the long sweeping right-hander at Coram, and through the right-hander at Turn 1, I was being mullered by the two cars behind me. "I was able to fight them off for most of the race, but the more tired I got the easier it became for them to close up on me.

 "Eventually they got passed because they were able to get the run on me on the approach to the Hairpin. "It's the team's best result of the season, so I'm pleased with that: I'm just sorry I couldn't have done a bit more for the boys.