Turkington and Jordan amongst chief title protagonists at Brands Hatch
Oliphant similarly chasing the crown in Jack Sears Trophy battle
BMW and Team BMW bid to defend Manufacturers’ and Teams’ laurels
BMW enters this weekend’s British Touring Car Championship finale chasing a quartet of crowns in the UK’s premier motor racing series, as Brands Hatch’s legendary GP circuit gets set to stage a captivating conclusion to a hard-fought campaign.
Five drivers remain in contention for the biggest prize in British motorsport, with Team BMW’s Colin Turkington and BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan amongst the best-placed. As he has done since Thruxton back in May, defending title-holder Turkington leads the way in the standings, with a 16-point margin over his closest pursuer.
Fellow former champion Jordan is just a single point further in arrears in third, and with 67 points remaining up for grabs and the BTCC renowned for its twists-and-turns, there remains plenty to play for around a track that hosted Formula 1’s British Grand Prix on 12 occasions between 1964 and 1986.
Both men are well-versed in the pressure-cooker situation of a tense title showdown, and both have promised to fight flat-out to the finish in pursuit of honours this weekend behind the wheel of the potent, race-tuned BMW 330i M Sport.
Turkington’s Team BMW stablemate Tom Oliphant has his sights set on glory, too, in the Jack Sears Trophy for competitors without a podium finish to their name at the start of the campaign. The second-year BTCC driver has already added two rostrums to his career CV this season, and the 28-year-old is chasing his maiden crown in the series while simultaneously targeting a place in the top ten in the overall standings.
Two further championships are similarly still to be decided, as BMW seeks to protect its 36-point advantage in the Manufacturers’ classification and overturn a 22-point deficit in the Teams’ table. All of the race day action will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4 on Sunday, 13 October, beginning at 10:30am.
