Reid And Turkington Lead Independents Trophy
Green Flag MSA British Touring Car ChampionshipRounds 22, 23 & 24 Brands Hatch
Race 1Weather / Track: Cloudy/ DryCar no. 6 Anthony Reid Position: 12thCar no. 8 Colin Turkington Position: 11th
Qualifying and racing with maximum ballast was more difficult than expected as WSR drivers Anthony Reid and Colin Turkington struggled with disintegrating tyres towards the end of the race. It looked as though Colin would benefit from the reverse grid rule when running in 10th place with only one corner to execute before the chequered flag. But then, the Vauxhall of Michael Bentwood made what can only be described as an ‘audacious move’ demoting Colin to 11th place.
Anthony finished in 12th, a stark contrast to his recent success last time out at Knockhill. Anthony explained:" I’m absolutely baffled as I didn’t expect the car to be effected by the weight in this way. Knockhill circuit is very different as you have tight, slow corners compared to the longer sweeping bends of Brands Hatch. With the additional weight and excessive tyre wear it was difficult to make up places. But, with the weight off now I’m hoping we can turn the results around this afternoon."
NOTE: Following an investigation by the clerk of the course the result for race one was amended. Michael Bentwood was issued with a one second time penalty resulting in Colin Turkington being promoted to tenth place, taking pole position for race two.
Race 2Weather / Track: Cloudy / DryCar no. 6 Anthony Reid Position: D.N.FCar no. 8 Colin Turkington Position: 2nd
Colin Turkington got a good start from pole but unfortunately couldn’t keep the lightweight SEAT of Jason Plato at bay. Following two safety car periods and two race re-starts Colin defended hard retaining a second place overall and also claiming the Harrier Zeuros Independents win. After the race Colin said: "We made a few changes to the car after the first race and it’s working a lot better. I had enough pace in the car to keep me in second place and I’m pleased to get the Independents win. I’m lining up on the front row of the grid again, so if I can get another good start I’m in with a shout."
Anthony’s day didn’t improve with the second race, due to no fault of his own. From the start, he headed into Paddock Hill Bend where the Vauxhall of Michael Bentwood made contact with the MG ZS. The result was front suspension damage and a broken steering rack. The extent of the damage meant that Anthony took no further part in the race.
Race 3Weather / Track: Sunny / DryCar no. 6 Anthony Reid Position: 6thCar no. 8 Colin Turkington Position: 11thColin got a good start on Jason Plato to take the lead on the opening lap. Following a safety car period Colin was unable to retain the lead as Plato went through. His MG ZS also picked up a few battle scars during the race resulting in rear end damage affecting the performance of the car. It what turned out to be a difficult race with Colin completing the race in 11th place.
Anthony drove valiantly from the back of the grid to take 6th place overall and retain his lead in the Independents Trophy. In a race that witnessed three safety car periods in was the last lap which resembled a demolition derby after the re-start. Anthony said: "At least I’ve salvaged something from the weekend. You could say it’s been a bad day at the office but at least I’ve picked up a few more points. A lot still hangs on the next six races and I’m certainly not giving up."Dick Bennetts said: "We’ve certainly had better weekends although Colin’s result in race two was a positive. I’m also pleased with the pace that Anthony’s car showed in race three, which is promising for Snetterton. It’s disappointing that Brands Hatch has historically been our strongest circuit but it’s not been kind to us this weekend. We’re still leading the Independents Trophy and Anthony is still in with a shot of the Drivers Championship. We’ll go back for a debrief at WSR and devise our plan of attack for Snetterton."
Next round of BTCC: Snetterton Sunday 6th September, 2004.
