The 2017 BTCC season is all set to be one of the best for many years with a full grid and 5 factory teams.

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is speeding into 2017 with its most successful grid in history, as an extraordinary 16 race-winners and a whole host of eager challengers prepare to go head-to-head for the most coveted crown in UK motor sport.

For the second year in succession, a capacity 32-strong grid has been unveiled during today’s (16 March) annual Season Launch at Donington Park. Half of the drivers on the entry list are previous visitors to the top step of the podium, totalling an astonishing 329 victories between them – testament to the strength-in-depth of the series and proving that the BTCC continues to attract the crème de la crème of driving talent.

 

There are two new manufacturer entries on the list – with Vauxhall making an eagerly-anticipated comeback with Power Maxed Racing and BMW bolstering West Surrey Racing’s bid. These two marques will do battle with Honda, Subaru and MG for manufacturer glory, with 11 independent outfits joining the fight for outright Teams’ honours.

The BTCC is renowned for its close competition, bumper-to-bumper action and delivering drama and excitement by the bucketload. The 2016 campaign was no different, as the scrap for supremacy went right down to the wire in a three-way final race showdown between Gordon Shedden, Sam Tordoff and Colin Turkington, with the Scot digging deep to successfully defend his Drivers’ title.

The 2017 season sees the advent of the second phase of the current generation of NGTC rules – as all 32 cars will now run with common RML Group components – a new TOCA engine and new Dunlop tyres.

All of the high-octane entertainment will continue to be broadcast live, free-to-air and in high-definition on ITV4, with the championship’s loyal long-term partner additionally producing extensive highlights programmes.

This year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will again comprise 30 races across ten events at nine venues around the UK, with the season commencing at Brands Hatch on 1/2 April and concluding on the legendary Grand Prix circuit at the same venue on 30 September/1 October.

In the starting blocks

Half of the drivers in the 32-strong field in 2017 have won at least one race in the series –underscoring the sheer unpredictability of the BTCC – while there are a whole host of young pretenders and seasoned chargers eager to join the winners’ club.

Having lifted the Drivers’ laurels in both 2015 and 2016 in nail-biting last-minute fashion, Gordon Shedden will be looking to draw level with the legendary Andy Rouse on four titles – as, indeed, will Halfords Yuasa Racing stablemate Matt Neal, who demonstrated last year that experience counts as he fought for the crown right the way down to the final weekend.

Neal will head into his 27th BTCC season in 2017, and both he and Shedden will be behind the wheel of the potent and proven Honda Civic Type R, sporting a bold new, inverted black-and-orange livery as the Japanese marque bids to regain the Manufacturers’ trophy.

Defending title-holders West Surrey Racing have similarly upped the ante, with BMW providing manufacturer backing, and the squad enter the forthcoming campaign rebranded as Team BMW for WSR returnee Colin Turkington and mainstay Rob Collard. New recruit Andrew Jordan will compete under the BMW Pirtek Racing banner.

Turkington’s off-season defection from Subaru to his former home of WSR sent shivers down the spine of many of the Northern Irishman’s rivals, as last time he drove a BMW – in 2014 – he piloted it to his second BTCC crown. Renowned as a rear-wheel drive specialist, he will doubtless be a leading threat – as, too, will Collard, who enjoyed his finest year to-date in 2016 as he led the championship during mid-season and was one of eight late-season title protagonists.

It will be fascinating to see how Jordan adapts to rear-wheel drive machinery, and the 2013 champion and reigning Independents’ title-holder is bullish about his prospects following an encouraging winter testing programme.

Subaru’s entry onto the BTCC grid last year caused quite a stir, with the Japanese marque taking a quantum leap forward mid-season as both Turkington and Jason Plato vied regularly for race wins. Whilst the former has since departed, Plato remains, and the record race-winner in the series’ history is hungrier than ever to clinch his third championship, having been a top three contender in practically every season since making his bow back in 1997.

Alongside ‘JP’ this year will be one of the BTCC’s brightest young prospects in the shape of Ashley Sutton, who enjoyed an outstanding rookie campaign in 2016 with MG Racing RCIB Insurance, notably conquering the elements at Croft to claim a superb maiden victory. As he heads into his sophomore season, the 23-year-old will be keen to learn from old master Plato and continue his upward progression with Adrian Flux Subaru Racing.

Team-mate James Cole is eager to build upon his learning season in the rear-wheel drive Levorg, while a newcomer to the grid for 2017 will be 17-year-old Renault UK Clio Cup graduate Josh Price, who advances to the pinnacle of British tin-top competition under the BMR Racing Academy banner and will join the five-driver rookie battle for the Jack Sears Trophy.

Manufacturer-backed Power Maxed Racing’s Vauxhall Astra is one of the most intriguing propositions in the pack, with Tom Chilton rejoining Britain’s premier motor sport series six years on from his previous stint as one of three returning race-winners in the field. Alongside the Surrey star will be Senna Proctor, who will make his BTCC debut at Brands Hatch next month as he jumps up from Clio competition.

Last year’s Independent champions Motorbase Performance have undergone a rebrand – with a striking new look – following the addition of Shredded Wheat as title sponsor across all three cars. Mat Jackson – the most successful driver in the field yet to lift the laurels – returns for an eighth consecutive season with the Kent-based operation with his eyes fixed firmly on the ultimate prize, and he will be accompanied by the experienced Martin Depper and new boy Luke Davenport, who steps up to the championship from the supporting Ginetta GT4 SuperCup.

MG Racing RCIB Insurance will have an all-new line-up in 2017, with Aron Taylor-Smith and Daniel Lloyd pairing up at the Triple Eight-run outfit. Taylor-Smith moves over from BKR, with Lloyd preparing to embark upon his first full season in the championship. Taylor-Smith is already a race-winner, and Lloyd proved in a part-season with Eurotech Racing last year that he has the pace to compete right at the sharp end, so hopes are high.

Tom Ingram enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2016 with independent squad Speedworks Motorsport, winning the curtain-raiser at Brands Hatch and tallying a brace of pole positions behind the wheel of his Toyota Avensis – with even loftier ambitions for 2017. Another Toyota driver to feature up at the pointy end over the second half of the season was Rob Austin, who increasingly got to grips with front-wheel drive after years of racing rear-wheel drive Audis. The Handy Motorsport ace was a regular podium threat in the closing rounds and will be keen to pick up from where he left off.

Adam Morgan’s Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes A-Class will carry a completely new livery in 2017, having changed from yellow to red in deference to new title sponsor Mac Tools. The Lancastrian has won at least one race in each of the last three seasons and is targeting an all-out title challenge this year. In the sister Laser Tools Racing A-Class, Aiden Moffat has edged consistently closer to the front of the field and now has the top step of the podium firmly in his sights.

Jack Goff has traded rear-wheel drive for front-wheel drive as he moves from WSR to Eurotech, where he will partner team owner Jeff Smith in the squad’s brace of Honda Civic Type Rs. Team HARD has switched its trio of Toyota Avensis’ for three Volkswagen CCs, with Jake Hill remaining on-board to pilot the TAG Racing entry and fellow returnee Michael Epps driving one of two Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing-branded cars alongside rookie Will Burns.

Matt Simpson is preparing for his second season in his eponymous Simpson Racing Honda Civic Type R, which is now being run by Honda powerhouse Team Dynamics. Two-time race-winner Stephen Jelley is a welcome ‘comeback kid’ eight years on from his last BTCC start as he lines up for Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport alongside Josh Cook, who claimed a brace of rostrum finishes in 2016 and is chasing his first victory in the series.

Ollie Jackson is back in AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts’ distinctive Audi S3, and he will be joined by reigning Renault UK Clio Cup champion Ant Whorton-Eales, who will be eager to make a speedy impression. BTC Norlin Racing, meanwhile, completes the field with its brace of Chevrolet Cruzes, and whilst the entry might be new, the backbone of the team isn’t, having previously competed in the BTCC from 2006-2008 and again in 2014 as BTC Racing. The driving strength blends the experience of Dave Newsham with the potential of Chris Smiley, and hopes are high of springing a surprise.

In total, there will be a full grid of 32 drivers with Audi (AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts), BMW (Team BMW, BMW Pirtek Racing), Chevrolet (BTC Norlin Racing), Ford (Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo, Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport), Honda (Halfords Yuasa Racing, Eurotech Racing, Simpson Racing), Mercedes (Ciceley Motorsport, Laser Tools Racing), MG (MG Racing RCIB Insurance), Subaru (Adrian Flux Subaru Racing, BMR Racing Academy), Toyota (Handy Motorsport, Speedworks Motorsport), Vauxhall (Power Maxed Racing) and Volkswagen (TAG Racing, Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing) all represented.

One step beyond

The second phase of the BTCC’s NGTC regulations is well underway with all 32-cars carrying the latest specified RML chassis, suspension and associated components for the first time this season, whilst the all-new TOCA engine has also been introduced.  

Series organiser TOCA awarded the two vital Technical Partner contracts to the RML Group and Swindon Engines as part of its ‘mid-term’ evaluation of the NGTC regulations.

The upturn in car performance will be further bolstered by the debut of the brand new Dunlop Sport Maxx BTCC tyre range – the series’ title sponsor forecasting lap time improvements of up to one second per lap at some circuits in 2017.

Dunlop had already predicted a significant increase in grip and traction with bigger tyre sizes and new constructions for the forthcoming campaign, and initial winter testing has corroborated the expected performance gains (see separate release).

Whilst the series goes from strength-to-strength on-track, it remains in rude health off-track, too, with both ITV and Dunlop signed up until at least 2022.

The ITV network’s new agreement with the BTCC commences in 2017 – the largest TV contract in the BTCC’s history and also the longest sports broadcasting contract into which ITV4 has entered. ITV’s live and free-to-air coverage will take the partnership with the BTCC into an incredible 20th year.

At least seven hours of live coverage will be screened from each race day. Highlights programmes will also continue to be aired on ITV4, whilst qualifying will be shown via ITV’s dedicated BTCC website – www.itv.com/btcc. All transmissions will be streamed ‘live’ via itv.com, with highlights programmes available to watch via the ITV Hub.

Dunlop similarly committed to a further five-year agreement – the contract extending both the title sponsorship and official tyre supplier partnership into a third decade.

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow said: “We are delighted to have officially launched the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship here at Donington Park.

“We believe this season will set the bar even higher, with 16 race-winners highlighting the strength in depth throughout the field. Furthermore, attracting two new manufacturers to the grid demonstrates the ever-growing appeal of the BTCC both on and off track.

“As I noted last season, this truly is a golden era for the BTCC and again proves it is the only show in town in British motor sport. With so much quality amongst drivers and teams alike, unpredictability is very much the name of the game and that is what keeps the fans coming back for more – in increasingly greater numbers.

“With the unstinting support of our title sponsor and loyal broadcaster, tyre and technical partners, the BTCC is set to deliver in spades once again and judging by today’s attendance, the level of interest is sky-high and everybody is excited to see how things shake out in the opening round at Brands Hatch. It’s going to be an absolutely stellar season.”

With the BTCC heading to the last three races it is all for the taking with EIGHT drivers in contention to take the title.

Sam Tordoff holds standings advantage after Silverstone action

A thrilling win for reigning champion Gordon Shedden rounded out the action at Silverstone on Sunday (18 September), setting up an incredible eight-driver showdown for the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

An unprecedented number of drivers will challenge for the title on finals day at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time, with Team JCT600 with GardX’s Sam Tordoff currently holding the advantage by 11 points.

The drama at Silverstone commenced in typically frenetic fashion with Tom Ingram claiming the opener, following a post-race exclusion for Ash Sutton and Josh Cook due to a technical infringement.

Both MG Racing RCIB Insurance drivers had to fight back from minor setbacks off the line, with Sutton losing P1 to Ingram and Cook being demoted down to fourth by Andrew Jordan’s Pirtek Racing Ford Focus.

Slight contact between Cook and Jordan followed on lap four and the MG6 was back through into third.

Sutton was by Ingram for the lead at the start of lap eight and Cook was soon joining them in the scrap. Cook got into Ingram’s Toyota at Maggotts four tours later and despite a valiant effort from the Speedworks man, it was the MG pairing that assumed control for the remainder of the race.

Post-race, however, both MGs were excluded from the result due to their rear wings being outside of the permitted tolerance. This handed victory to Ingram, although MG Racing RCIB Insurance has appealed the Cook decision, which will be heard at a later date. Subsequently, Jordan and Handy Motorsport’s Rob Austin inherited the remaining podium positions.

Motorbase Performance driver Jordan kept his championship chances alive with victory in race two, after fending off the attentions of Adam Morgan and Speedworks Motorsport’s Ingram.

The 2013 champion started on the front row and initially hounded Ingram’s Toyota Avensis, before storming down the inside going into Becketts on lap seven.

Morgan’s WIX Racing Mercedes nipped into second as Ingram’s pace faded, but he wasn’t able to trouble Jordan’s Pirtek-backed Ford for the win.

West Surrey Racing’s Rob Collard blasted his BMW 125i M Sport into the lead off the line in the final race, as his rear-wheel drive machine launched past Shedden’s Honda Civic Type R on the run down to turn one.

Shedden would not be denied, however, as the Halfords Yuasa Racing man produced a stunning move on the second lap. As Collard braked into Maggotts, Shedden stormed around the outside and back into the lead. He went on to extend his advantage and claim his fourth win of the season.

Motorbase’s Mat Jackson relegated Collard further down the order on lap three, but the latter was able to stem the flow thereafter and make the podium.

With just one event and three highly-anticipated BTCC races remaining this season, it is Tordoff leading the standings from the Honda duo of Shedden and Matt Neal. Incredibly Collard, Jackson, Jordan plus the Subarus of Colin Turkington and Jason Plato all remain in contention to claim the most coveted prize in British motor sport. Just 37 points separate the top seven with 67 still on offer at Brands Hatch.

West Surrey Racing/BMW continues to lead the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ standings, whilst Team JCT600 with GardX recaptured top spot in the Teams’ table.

Jordan cemented his position at the head of the Independents Drivers’ classification, and Motorbase Performance holds an unassailable points lead in the Independents Teams’ order.

Michael Epps was the Jack Sears Trophy winner at Silverstone, although Sutton is still in charge of the category’s proceedings.

Rounds 28, 29 and 30 of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will take place at the legendary Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit on 1/2 October.

Championship Leader

Sam Tordoff said: “From the off here we’ve had problems, so to come away having extended our lead from five points to 11 is quite frankly ridiculous! For me, the pressure is off as nobody expected this at the start of the year. I’m picking points up as we go along and seeing how we go from there really. It could be difficult at Brands with the ballast – it’s undulating, so we have to be wary. There are a lot of corners and stop-starts, though, which should suit the BMW.

“There are seven or eight guys taking points off each other out there as well as off of me, so we’ll see what happens. Regarding the competition, Honda has been up there for many years as the benchmark. I think the biggest threat comes from them – they’re experienced guys who have been there and done it. My team-mate’s there in the mirrors too, and you can never discount the Fords. It’s going to be a strange two weeks. I’ll try to keep myself sharp with BMW in the meantime, and Brands Hatch GP is my favourite circuit. I’m looking forward to it. I’ll go there the same way I did this weekend. I’ll prepare, do the simulator work and walk the track three times if needs be. Hopefully we’ll qualify well, which will be really important, and we’ll go from there.”

Silverstone Race Winners

Tom Ingram said: “Obviously it wasn’t the way we’d have liked to have won the race and it would have been nice to cross the finish line first on the road, but a win is still a win and we had the speed to run right at the front throughout. If it hadn’t been for Josh Cook’s robust move, I think we could have taken the fight back to Ash Sutton again, but we got the result in the end anyway, and it proved we are right back on the pace after recent events.”

Andrew Jordan said: “That was hard work. I think I’ve done myself a bit of an injury celebrating! We needed that. I’ve read in places that I’ve lost my mojo, well I’ll just remind them that I haven’t at all. After the safety car, I was trying to go as fast as I could to get a gap. I wasn’t worried about the tyres. I was controlling them well. I’ve perfected a technique to look after them from back in 2013. I could see Adam Morgan was using his fronts a bit harder. We’re back in the number one spot where we should be.”

Gordon Shedden said: “The rear-wheel drive cars made a good start and I had Mat Jackson on the inside as well. I thought ‘oh no’, but my car was right on it – there was an amazing amount of grip. I got my head down and made it back past Mat and then I nipped back past Rob Collard too. I could have gone another ten laps after the chequered flag, as I was absolutely loving it. We needed that so much, it was great. It’s going to be an amazing weekend next time out at Brands Hatch. Without a shadow of a doubt, I’ll be doing everything I can to retain my title. I think the last person to do it was Fabrizio Giovanardi back in ‘07/08. I’ve been on the back foot all season really and I’ve never given up. I’m delighted to go to Brands with a chance – that’s all I ask for.”

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 25 – Silverstone:

1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport 21m49.891s (99.18 mph)

2 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance +3.478s

3 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +7.464s

4 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing +10.121s

5 Jake HILL (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +16.570s

6 Aron SMITH (IRL) BKR +18.131s

7 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +18.307s

8 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +18.431s

9 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +18.554s

10 Jason PLATO (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +18.785s

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 26 – Silverstone:

1 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance 26m44.945s (91.99 mph)

2 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing +0.884s

3 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +2.456s

4 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +2.662s

5 Jason PLATO (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +3.001s

6 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +3.253s

7 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +3.471s

8 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +4.409s

9 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +5.043s

10 Hunter ABBOTT (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +5.993s

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 27 – Silverstone:

1 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 21m54.766s (98.81 mph)

2 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.668s

3 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +1.087s

4 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +2.009s

5 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +2.426s

6 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +2.586s+

7 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +5.399s

8 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance +7.119s

9 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +7.914s

10 Ash SUTTON (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +9.275s

The last triple race weekend at Rockingham was one of teh best so far this year in the British Touring Car Championships.

Gordon Shedden, Sam Tordoff and Aron Smith scored a win apiece at Rockingham on 28 August, with the latter’s victory making it a record 12 different winners from eight different marques in the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The title picture was further shaped during the three races with Tordoff leaving the Northamptonshire circuit just five points clear of triple champion Matt Neal in the overall standings.

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Shedden secured a lights-to-flag victory in the opener, after fending off fellow front-row starter Mat Jackson in the early stages.

Jackson soon fell back into the clutches of the Subarus, however, after both Jason Plato and Colin Turkington blasted by Josh Cook’s MG off the line.

An incident on the opening lap led to a brief safety car period, but reigning champion Shedden produced a stellar restart before gradually pulling away from the chasing pack. The Honda Civic Type R took the chequered flag with Shedden having completed the perfect pole position, fastest lap and race win treble.

Jackson delivered a textbook defensive drive to keep Silverline Subaru BMR Racing duo Plato and Turkington at bay to second, whilst the MGs of Josh Cook and Ashley Sutton recovered from relatively slow starts to finish close behind. Post-race, however, Turkington was penalised and demoted to fifth by officials for gaining an unfair advantage in his tussle with Sutton.

Team JCT600 with GardX driver Tordoff won the second contest with an impressive performance.

Tordoff had earlier fought back from 28th on the race one grid to finish tenth, and he continued his surge through the order by picking his way past several rivals in the early stages of the second bout.

Running in third place by mid-distance, Tordoff then cruised up behind the Motorbase Performance duo of Andrew Jordan and Mat Jackson. He disposed of Jordan with consummate ease before repeating the trick by Jackson on lap nine.

The ballast-laden Ford of Jackson couldn’t hang on to second either as he was first relegated by team-mate Jordan, with West Surrey Racing’s Rob Collard following suit in the closing stages.

Sutton took another top five finish for MG Racing RCIB Insurance, although his stablemate Josh Cook was caught up in unfortunate first lap drama – contact between the MG6 and Plato’s Levorg forcing both cars out of contention.

Neal maintained his consistent championship challenge with sixth, ahead of Aron Smith – the BKR man enjoying one his most competitive meetings of the season.

Smith then made it an incredible 12 different winners in the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – a record number in the illustrious 59-season history of the series – after the Irishman soaked up race-long pressure to win the final encounter.

The VW driver had to contend with three safety car periods and two double champions in his rear mirrors, but he dealt with every challenge superbly on his way to a first ever victory for the fledgling Team BKR outfit.

Neal and Jackson initially pressured Smith off the line, but the pair would later succumb to the charging Shedden and Turkington – both running the medium Dunlop SportMaxx compound.

The Team JCT600 with GardX BMW of Collard also looked to be a contender but he couldn’t keep pace with Shedden’s charge, as the Honda man disposed of Sutton, Jackson and team-mate Neal in quick succession.

Turkington was busy scything his Subaru through the order from 16th on the grid and when the dust settled during a third and final safety car period the Ulsterman found himself in a podium position.

The battle between Shedden and Turkington over the final three-lap shootout aided Smith’s cause with the trio eventually crossing the finish line separated by just half a second.

Neal and Jackson held on to fourth and fifth respectively while Collard had to settle for sixth.

Tordoff failed to score in the finale but the Yorkshireman maintained his standings lead, albeit by a reduced five point margin. Honda’s Neal and Shedden are next up in the order with Motorbase’s Jackson also closing in. Collard and Turkington have drifted slightly after mixed results although the top 13 drivers all have a mathematical chance of winning the title.

WSR/BMW remain the leading Manufacturers’ although Halfords Yuasa Racing has returned to the top of the Teams’ table.

Motorbase Performance has surged into an unassailable points lead in the Independent Teams’ standings, with Jordan topping team-mate Jackson in the Independent Drivers’ championship.

Ashley Sutton further extended his advantage over Michael Epps in the Jack Sears Trophy.

Two events remain on the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship calendar with the penultimate weekend taking place at Silverstone in three weeks time (17/18 September).

Gordon Shedden said: "I’m dead chuffed with that weekend. I broke the slipstream to the guys behind in race one and then focussed on keeping everything nice and smooth. In race two, I was on a bit of a hiding to nothing on the hard tyres with maximum ballast, and I really had to get my elbows out at the end because I wasn’t going very fast at all by then! It would have been nice to win race three, but Aron (Smith) drove really well and didn’t make any real mistakes and it would have required a fairly monumental lunge to try to get past. Then when Colin (Turkington) caught up during the final safety car period, I had to keep an eye on my mirrors too because he clearly had some good pace. Still, points make prizes as they say and we’ve closed back up to the top of the championship table. We will keep working hard and fighting to the very end."

Sam Tordoff said: "It’s been a fabulous day, and a great recovery from free practice and qualifying. I made a mistake in FP1 which left us unprepared going into qualifying and that was reflected in the result. We took a bit of a gamble with the set-up for race one and it turned out to be an inspired decision that paid dividends. We made the car even better for race two, and I think that was the first time in a long time that we’ve seen the BMW’s true pace. All credit to the WSR guys – for us to only lose a handful of points in the championship having started today 28^th on the grid is incredible."

Aron Smith said: "It was unbelievable. We were down in the dumps a little bit after qualifying in the wet yesterday – we struggled a bit. Hats off to everyone at BKR today. They made it happen. They made it all come alive. The safety cars did give me a bit of a run for my money! Every time I saw a car go off I knew I’d have to be right on it at another restart. Luckily I was. Then, when I saw Colin Turkington at the back of Gordon Shedden, I was happier. I knew he’d have his hands full there. I’m absolutely over the moon, this was what we all needed."

Mat Jackson said: "Race two was a good race for us, obviously. The Subaru didn’t look as if it had the legs through the corners but in traction they definitely had the advantage that comes with the rear-wheel drive. Every lap he (Jason Plato) was within striking distance of going up the inside at turn two but he couldn’t quite make it past. That was a good result for us as a team really and it's certainly been a good weekend for our championship challenge."

Matt Neal said: "Rockingham is always a tough challenge physically, and in truth, we weren’t too sure what to expect coming here but we kept our heads down, plugged away and came away with a solid bagful of points. The first two races were pretty heavy going, but when I got some clear air, the car felt really strong. ‘Flash’ warned me that I would be up against it on the hard tyres in race three, so I was over-the-moon to finish fourth – I really didn’t anticipate being able to hang on as well as that. To come away with both of us firmly in the thick of the title fight is a great outcome. The pressure is mounting in the championship now with just two weekends to go and Silverstone could be a tricky one for us, but believe me, we’ll be giving it everything we’ve got."

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 22 – Rockingham:

1 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 26:36.324 (78.75 mph)

2 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +2.561s

3 Jason PLATO (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +2.869s

4 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +3.165s

5 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +8.741s

6 Ash SUTTON (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +12.144s

7 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance +14.072s

8 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +18.224s

9 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +23.899s

10 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +24.168s

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 23 – Rockingham:

1 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX 22m44.838s (81.87 mph)

2 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance +2.886s

3 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +3.085s

4 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +6.863s

5 Ash SUTTON (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +15.027s

6 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +18.661s

7 Aron SMITH (IRL) BKR +21.341s

8 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing +22.624s

9 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +25.489s

10 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +28.536s

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 24 – Rockingham:

1 Aron SMITH (IRL) BKR 29m49.905s (74.13 mph)

2 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.400s

3 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +0.572s

4 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +3.491s

5 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +4.519s

6 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +4.936s

7 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing +5.686s

8 Jake HILL (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +6.227s

9 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +10.578s

10 Jason PLATO (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +10.899s