Adrian Flux Subaru Racing’s Ash Sutton had seemingly scored his second victory of the day in a shortened Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Knockhill, before both he and second placed Tom Ingram were excluded post race (see separate bulletin below ), handing victory to Andrew Jordan.
Treacherous conditions – and a number of incidents – eventually put paid to an exciting contest which Sutton led on the road from start-to-finish. The reigning champ had to contend with two safety car periods as a number of drivers had trouble mastering the slippery surface with heavy rain falling throughout.
Ollie Jackson’s Audi was the first casualty as the mid-pack bunched up on the opening lap and then a further delay followed when Tom Oliphant’s Mercedes and Carl Boardley’s VW both found themselves in trouble off-track.
The race was eventually red flagged after 20 laps when Sam Smelt’s Audi A3 went straight on at the chicane and made heavy contact with the barrier. Smelt emerged completely unharmed but the decision was made to stop the race early.
“Safety first,” said Sutton prior to his exclusion. “It’s a shame things ended early but it has to be the way. The guys came over the radio and asked if I was happy to continue. I was but I know I had a clear view without the spray. I was just controlled and managed the gap. No point setting the world alight and having an off. It was just about keeping the car on the track. We were in control and could push it when required.”
The main moves of the race came on that final lap of racing action as Ingram’s Toyota sliced down the inside of Andrew Jordan’s BMW across the start/finish line to take second, whilst almost simultaneously Colin Turkington was being shuffled down to sixth.
“It felt good,” said Ingram prior to his exclusion. “The weight obviously came out and it felt more alive as we know the Avensis is when it’s low on weight. It was good to get ahead of Colin (Turkington) as well and we’ll see what we can do with the weight back in for race three. Ash (Sutton) is a quick lad in the wet and that car’s a quick car in the wet so I think second was all we could hope for. This weather’s going to stay all through the day.”
“That was wet,” responded overall victor Jordan. “It was the right call to stop it as we were aquaplaning all over the place. I was glad to get to the end of it as it was so wet. I had a few moments on the brakes into turn one which knocked my confidence so I wasn’t going to fight Tom (Ingram) too hard. If we can have another strong finish in race three that’d be a good day for us.”
Power Maxed TAG Racing’s Josh Cook was first to nudge past Team BMW’s Turkington and Honda’s Dam Cammish immediately eyed his opportunity to follow suit, the latter having previously lost places when he outbraked himself into the final hairpin.
Despite the positions on-the-road it would eventually be Jordan who was classed as the record equalling 13th race winner of this BTCC season so far when Sutton’s Subaru and Ingram’s Toyota both failed a post-race ride height check.
Adam Morgan (Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport) and Tom Chilton (Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher) finished fifth and sixth respectively with the latter also getting the reversed grid pole position for today’s final race.
2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 23 – Knockhill
1 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +1.222s
2 Josh COOK (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +1.835s
3 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +2.577s
4 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +3.077s
5 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +3.659s
6 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +4.305s
7 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +6.981s
8 Jack GOFF (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +7.653s
9 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing +8.239s
10 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +8.586s
11 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +8.913s
12 Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +9.413s
13 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +10.083s
14 Dan LLOYD (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +10.522s
15 Glynn GEDDIE (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +11.107s
16 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +11.755s
17 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +12.219s
18 James COLE (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +12.585s
19 Brett SMITH (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +14.839s
20 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +14.839s
21 Ollie PIDGLEY (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +16.001s
DNF Sam SMELT (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +11.553s
DNF Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +18.962s
DNF Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +3 laps
DNF Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +3 laps
DNF Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +10 laps
DNF Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +10 laps
DNF Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +14 laps
DNF Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +20 laps
EXCL Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing
EXCL Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport
* Adrian Flux Subaru Racing’s Ashley Sutton and Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram, who finished first and second on the road respectively in Round 23 of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, have been excluded after both cars failed a post-race ride height check.
Both will start from the rear of the grid for Round 24 later today but will carry success ballast matching their on the road position. As a result BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan inherits the race victory in Round 23. Jordan becomes a record-equalling 13th race winner so far this season.
