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.”

jason Plato wins his 500th BTCC race in style and over the three races, the team took a large haul of points and podium placings.

Silverline Subaru BMR Racing driver Jason Plato started the weekend on a high qualifying with pole position for what would be his 500^th race of his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship career.

He set an impressive lap time during the final seconds of the qualifying session on Saturday afternoon and came out on top with team mate Colin securing his place in the top five with James setting the fourteenth quickest time and Warren twenty first.

Race One saw Jason take a lights to flag victory and his first race win of the season in his all new Subaru Levorg GT bringing his total wins to a staggering ninety-five.

Jason led the race throughout managing to hold off the threatening BMW of Jack Goff who took second place with Colin bringing his Subaru Levorg home in third and taking the final spot of the podium.

James brought his car home in a point scoring position of fifteenth but there was dismay for Warren who was tapped into a spin and subsequently forced into retirement from the race.

Race Two once again saw Jason lead the race from the off until the chasing pack of Jack Goff in the BMW and Colin in his Levorg were bunched up behind him during a safety car period.  Colin endured a race long battle with the BMW’s of Goff and Tordoff and then Jordan.  The Honda of Matt Neal passed both Colin and Goff and into third after contact was made between the pair at the hairpin. 

With 75kgs on board Jason was eventually passed by both Tordoff and Neal and finished in third position having held them of until the final two laps with Colin was just behind in fourth.

There was disappointed for both James and Warren who had incidents with James being sent into a spin due to contact but managed to bring his machine home in 21^st and Warren was tapped from behind and put into the gravel trap and had to retire from the race for the second time of the day.

The Silverline Subaru BMR Racing drivers were lucky in the reverse grid draw for the third and final race of the day with Matt Jackson’s number being drawn from the barrel, promoting Colin up to third and Jason to fourth.  James started from 21^st and Warren 27^th.

Colin got a good start retaining his position whilst Jason lost a place to the BMW of Rob Collard on the run down to the first corner.  After a brief safety car period allowing the cars to bunch up, Colin was on the attack of the Collard, and the BMW of Goff was in turn on the attack of Colin, bringing yet another Subaru and BMW battle.  Then disaster struck when there was contact between Collard and Colin sending them both into a spin and ending their races.

Jason then enjoyed a third place battle with the Honda of Scotsman Gordon Shedden but managed to keep him at bay.  Jackson took the lead, Tordoff came in second and Jason brought home the Subaru Levorg in third for the final podium spot.

James finished in his second point scoring position of the weekend in thirteenth with Warren completing the race in twenty fifth.

Rounds 22, 23 and 24 of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship take place at Rockingham on 27/28 August, we hope to see you all in the stands.

Silverline Subaru BMR Racing comments from Knockhill:

Paul Tunnicliffe, Managing Director of Subaru UK commented:  "Another good day's work for the team, with steady progress continuing to be made.  I was particularly delighted for Jason, who, in true JP style, marked his 500th BTCC race with a pole, and a lights to flag victory.  Colin continues to show gritty determination, carrying out crucial overtaking manoeuvres to keeps his title hopes alive.  Personally, I wouldn't bet against us being there or thereabouts come Brands Hatch.  Roll on Rockingham."

Jason Plato commented: “What a fantastic weekend!

“It was great to get back to standing on the top step of the podium especially as it was on such an amazing milestone in my career. I was on Pole and finished second in my first ever BTCC race in 1997 and nineteen years later went one better in my 500^th BTCC race with Pole and a Win.

“To leave Knockhill as top points scorer with a first and two third places was a fine reward for all at Silverline Subaru BMR Team, they have worked so so hard.

“Race One was pretty straight forward, I nail the start, built up a lead and then controlled the pace, but, the safety car was deployed late in the race which eroded my lead and produced a tense last few laps.

“Race Two on the other hand was tense throughout, laden with 75kgs of success ballast I couldn’t breakaway and was under severe pressure throughout the race until I lost rear grip with four laps to go, as it turned out the one of the other cars was laying oil around the circuit and I lost the lead and slipped back to third when Matt Neal rattled inside me at turn seven. Still a good result.

“Race Three was all about being patient and letting the race come to me, I was sat in fifth keeping a watchful eye on the leading three starting to get a bit feisty and slightly desperate as Jackson was holding them up. Turkington made a last minute silly lunge on Collard which resulted in him taking both of them out of the race, and nicely promoted me to third. I then got onto the back Tordoff and we both applied serious pressure to the leader Jackson for some eighteen plus laps. Despite all our efforts neither of us could get past the “Slow in the corners, too fast on the straights’’ Jackson. A second third place podium of the day was a great reward.

“Rockingham can’t come soon enough, hopefully we should be on the pace but we are all very nervous about not having enough straight line speed for the flat out sections to combat the Ford and BMW cars.”

Colin Turkington commented:  “I come away from Knockhill focusing on the positives and another strong weekend for the team.  We were fast in every session and I was pleased to qualify strongly with championship ballast in the car for the first time.  This was the best the car has felt all season in race trim and I was really able to bring the fight to the table.  We're moving the Subaru forward at a fantastic rate each time out and considering this was our first time at Knockhill we can all be pretty satisfied. I really enjoyed the intensity of the racing at Knockhill.  I had a car that I could push to the limits and there is no better feeling.

“I’m confident about the remaining three events and I'm committed to giving my best.  We may have lost the points in Race Three but nothing changes – I’m here to challenge for the title."

James Cole commented:  “Before we get onto my weekend I first want to once again congratulate Jason Plato and Colin Turkington on another mega weekend. 

"My own weekend was filled with positives and frustrations. The team prepared a perfect car both days. Myself and my engineer, Richard Owen, are now getting into the nitty gritty of the Subaru's performance to best suit my driving style. 

“Our times in Race One showed real top ten pace, which is where I feel I now should be. Sadly driving standards outside the top ten are in my opinion the worst I've ever seen. A distinct lack of respect between a few of the drivers is really ruining it for most. 

“It only takes a few to spoil the party. Hopefully we will start to see improvements in the next round as having your own race ruined by the actions of others is tiresome. 

“My speed is increasing, my knowledge of the car is improving and I'm certain all of this will be reflected in the results if we can all race properly.”

Honda has a great weekend at Knockhill, the latest three rounds of the B.T.C.C.

• Matt Neal produces storming drive for third triumph of 2016
• Gordon Shedden fights hard to stay in the hunt on home turf
• Honda keeps pressure up in chase for Manufacturers’ crown

Matt Neal tallied his third victory of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship campaign at Knockhill this weekend (13/14 August) as the three-time champion maintained his bid for a fourth tin-top crown north of the border.

 

  

An impressive qualifying effort with 57kg of success ballast on-board his Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda Civic Type R saw Neal line up seventh on the grid for the opener, with team-mate and home hero Gordon Shedden just a tenth-of-a-second back in 11^thafter suffering turbo trouble.

From there, the duo raced in tandem to eighth and ninth on the harder-compound Dunlop tyres. Having switched to the more favourable softer rubber for race two, Neal went on a charge, scything his way through the field and taking advantage of the leaders’ scrapping to move up to third on lap 22, second two laps later and snatch the lead at the hairpin a lap later still, subsequently easing clear to secure his third triumph of the season.

After crossing the line a solid ninth in race two, it was Shedden’s turn to bolt on the soft tyres in the day’s finale, swiftly advancing five spots to run fourth before setting off in pursuit of the leaders. Although he soon caught them, there was no way past around the tight-and-twisty Fife circuit, but the Scot did snare an additional point for posting the race’s fastest lap.

On maximum ballast following his earlier race win, Neal completed an excellent weekend with a strong fifth place, consolidating his second spot in the Drivers’ standings – just nine points adrift of the lead – with Shedden similarly well in touch in fourth. Honda maintained second position in the Manufacturers’ classification, with Halfords Yuasa Racing continuing to narrow the gap to the top of the Teams’ table.

Matt Neal:

“Both of us took the pain on the hard tyres in the first race, but I really enjoyed race two; being on the soft tyres, I thought we would have a chance from where we were starting and after catching the leaders, I could see they were beginning to struggle a bit and I was able to capitalise upon their battle. The Halfords Yuasa Racing Civic Type R was monstrous right the way to the end. With 75kg of ballast in the car in race three, I honestly thought a top ten finish would be a good outcome so I was really pleased to take fifth. We came to Knockhill anticipating a tough weekend with the weight we were carrying and its reputation as a rear wheel-drive circuit, so to leave with a win and still sitting second in the championship is fantastic.”

Gordon Shedden:

“The dice never really rolled my way this weekend, right from qualifying. The first two races involved some typically tight Knockhill battling, and then the reversed grid worked against me with a couple of quick cars on soft tyres ahead. I pushed as hard as possible and the Honda Civic Type R was quick, allowing us to make decent progress at the start, but we just couldn’t keep up in a straight line which prevented us from attacking into the corners, so that was mightily frustrating. With Knockhill being my home track, I’d obviously hoped for more but we salvaged the best we could and we’re very much still in the hunt. We’ve clearly got some work to do, but we’ll head to Rockingham next with everything to play for.”

Subaru leaves Snetterton, older and wiser and with a large haul of points to assist in the championship lead.

The return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship was one filled with drama for the start of the second half of the series but it was one that brought fantastic results for Silverline Subaru BMR Racing with us accomplishing four of Subaru Levorg GT’s in the top ten.

Free Practice One was all about trying to get the right balance for the Subaru Levorg GT’s with the cars having not completed many miles during the annual Dunlop tyre test. 

The session saw Colin Turkington once again dominate for the first of the two free practice sessions and topping the times, as the machines of Jason Plato, James Cole and Warren Scott all improved for the Silverline Subaru BMR Racing quartet into the second session of the day with Colin remaining the quickest of the four Subaru Levorg’s.

The afternoon’s qualifying session saw Honda’s Gordon Shedden secure his first pole position since Donington Park in 2014 with Colin setting the setting quickest Subaru time just 0.015s short, placing his Subaru Levorg GT on the front row.  

However it was disappointing for Jason as he couldn’t get a clear run away from traffic on track and qualified in eleventh spot. James qualified in the top half of the field with a thirteenth place as did Warren who still managed to set the fifteenth quickest time after an excursion off the track.

With huge crowds flocking into a sunny Snetterton on Sunday, the first of day’s three races got underway with all four cars getting a good clean getaway. Shedden held the lead into the first corner with Colin hot on his heels in 2nd position, with Jason making fantastic progress up to seventh place, as James moved into eleventh and Warren up into twelth by the end of the opening lap. 

All four drivers held their positions for several laps and by lap eight Colin had almost glued his Levorg GT to the rear of Shedden’s Honda as the duo approached Palmer, when Colin pounced and took the lead of the race. Warren and James gained a place each and moved up into tenth and eleventh after eight placed Josh Cook received a puncture in his MG. Jason kept the pressure piled on the Toyota of Tom Ingram seeking any opportunity to pass.

Jason, Warren and James all gained another place each moving up to sixth, ninth and tenth after Sutton followed in Cook’s footsteps and also pitted with a puncture on lap ten placing all four of the Subaru Levorg GT’s up into the top ten.

After a near race long battle Jason made a stellar move on Ingram at Agostini placing him fifth and Colin extended his lead out in front and brought the car home to take the win for Silverline Subaru BMR Racing. 

Jason came home in a superb fifth place after a fantastic drive, with Warren matching his career best of ninth and James placing the fourth car in tenth. All of us at Silverline Subaru BMR Racing are absolutely delighted with our strongest result so far in 2016 and to have all four of the Silverline Subaru Levorg’s in the top ten for the first time.

There was disappointed at the start of race two as James Cole retired on the out lap with a broken drive shaft and had to abandon his stricken car between the Bomb Hole and Coram. 

Moments later the lights went out all three made great starts, but Warren was spun after turn one as he took a hit from behind spinning him across the track. 

However for once lady luck was on his side and the chasing pack all avoided further contact enabling him to continue albeit a lot further down the order than he had started.  Colin then ran wide at the newly named Wilson bend allowing the Ford Focus of Mat Jackson to nip up the inside and into the lead. Jason also ran wide onto the grass dropping down a spot to sixth.

As the leaders headed down the Bentley Straight, Ollie Jackson in the Audi ran wide and made contact with Dan Welch kicking up a cloud of dust as the duo speared across the track. Unfortunately several unsighted drivers including Sutton, Alex Martin and Hunter Abbott ploughed into the accident ahead of them which blocked the track bringing a red flag to the proceedings. 

Thankfully although the cars were a bit worse for wear all of the drivers escaped without injury. The marshals and officials then had the mammoth task of retrieving the damaged cars and repairing the barriers ready for a restart.

As there was less than a lap contested the grid would line up in the same order as they originally started throwing Colin a lifeline and back to pole position. 

As the lights went out for the second time the remaining three Silverline Subaru BMR Racing drivers got off to a good starts as the mayhem unfolded behind him them once again as Mark Howard’s VW and Martin Depper’s Honda both going off the circuit.

With all three Subarus’s safely through the Ford Focus of Jackson on the softer tyres took the lead from Colin, with Jason and Warren holding station in fifth and ninth by the end of the opening lap.

When the pack arrived at Wilson on lap two, Colin escaped a nudge from Shedden’s Honda who subsequently received contact from the Mercedes of Adam Morgan creating a slight gap giving Colin a little breathing space for the remainder of the lap. 

However the chain reaction of events caused the chasing pack to bunch up that held up Jason dropping him back down the order to seventh. More contact ensued between Morgan and Shedden that allowed Jason to regain the advantage and into fifth. 

Unfortunately it was Warren that was this time held up as he received contact from the Ford Focus of Andrew Jordan dropping him back down into eleventh, it was then elbows out as everyone sorted themselves out and into their solid positions. Warren was then sent tumbling down the order to sixteenth by the end of the second lap. 

On lap three Collard, in his weight free BMW, took fifth place from Jason at Nelson. The remaining three Silverline Subaru Levorg’s proceeded to hold onto their positions throughout the remainder of the race with Colin gaining his second podium of the day in a superb second place. Jason come home in sixth with Warren just out of a point scoring position in sixteenth.

The luck of the reverse grid draw didn’t swing our way and the highest placed Subaru driver for race three would be Jason on the second row in third position as Sam Tordoff was awarded Pole Position in his BMW. Colin would start in seventh, with Warren sixteenth as James joined the gird all the way down in in twenty seventh after the team made repairs to his car. 

With the officials hoping for an incident free race after the drama earlier on in the day unfortunately the worst was yet to come. As the lights went out for what was set to be the final time of the day all the front runners made a clean getaway when disaster would strike for a second time. 

On the main straight as the cars towards the rear of the field went past the pit garages, contact was made between Howard and Martin forcing several cars to take to the grass in avoidance. 

Luckily for us the last gap through was James, and as Hunter Abbot tried to sneak through he clipped the side of Howard’s VW that forced his Chevrolet into a violent series of rolls, whilst he was rolling an unsighted Ollie Jackson hit Abbott’s car mid roll pushing it up onto the barriers and into the ITV camera crew tower sending it and the cameraman toppling in the process. 

The race was immediately stopped and remarkably the cameraman had a very lucky escape as did all of the drivers involved in the incident. The circuit officials then had a huge operation in front of them to clear the start line of the stricken cars and repair the barrier.

With the remaining cars re-joining the grid yet again in their original grid positions, pole position man Sam Tordoff was missing from the start line with a component failure creating a clear gap in front of Jason for the start. 

The lights went out with Jason getting a great start off the line and a good run up on the inside on Ingram and into the lead by the first corner with Collard following him through into second position. 

Colin also had a good start making up two places and into fifth with Warren fifteenth and James twentieth by the end of the opening lap. Jason however was struggling to hold onto the lead out in front allowing Collard to pass him on the inside at Williams as he defended from Jackson. 

There was further disappointment on lap three when Jackson finally made the move stick on Jason sending him down the order to third and now under the attack from the Honda of Gordon Shedden with contact being made several times allowing the Scotsman to take the third place away by the start of lap four with Rob Austin also going through placing Jason in fifth with Colin now hot on his heels in sixth.  

Warren also dropped down the order to seventeenth and James eighteenth, when disaster would strike for Jackson moving all four Levorg’s up a further place in the race.

For the remainder of the now ten lap race there were no further gains to be made with Jason being the lead Subaru in fourth place as Colin passed Jordan to finish sixth. James brought the third Levorg GT home in nineteenth with Warren retiring with a boost leak on lap seven.

Colin remains the lead Silverline Subaru BMR Racing driver in the championship standings having moved up a staggering six places from eleventh to fifth and just 34 points adrift of new championship leader Rob Collard, with Jason eleventh and a further 29 points behind. Warren took his first points of the 2016 season so far in twenty fourth and James right behind him in twenty fifth.

Silverline Subaru BMR Racing also picked up the Team Trophy for outscoring all the other teams over the weekend.

Racing resumes north of the border at Knockhill in Scotland on the weekend of 13/14 August.

Silverline Subaru BMR Racing driver quotes:

Colin Turkington commented: “I’m extremely satisfied with another strong performance and claiming my third win of the season was definitely the highlight. We thought that it could potentially be a tricky weekend for us, but all the summer test miles and hard work really paid off and that is incredibly rewarding.

“Coming from P2 to win in race one was a special moment and it was made even more significant as the whole team finished inside the top ten. I gave it my all throughout the three races and despite some pretty scary moments I was able to take home a big haul of points. I’ve been looking forward to Knockhill for some time and my aim is to build on this momentum and see how far up the leader board we can climb.” 

Jason Plato commented: "Snetterton produced another mega milestone for Silverline Subaru BMR Racing with all 4 cars finishing in the top ten, a truly fantastic reward for the team for all the hard work everyone has put into our Subaru project. 

“Personally Snetterton was a disappointment for me as we struggled to find the sweet spot on setup. We were close but not totally in the groove, I'm looking forward to making progress at Knockhill. 

“Huge congrats to Colin, he is certainly on a roll at the moment.”

James Cole commented: “I was very happy with my performance over the Snetterton weekend. The two day tyre test certainly helped me get a deeper understanding of the Subaru Levorg. I am now starting to extract the last little bits, which has improved my pace. 

“Finishing P10 in race one should have been only the start of what looked to become a successful weekend. Saving my soft tyres for race two and the potential of a reverse grid upset for race three was certainly on the cards. Sadly a drive shaft failure on the warm up lap in race two put an end to my weekend early. 

"As much as the weekend ended in disappointment there is still so much potential to extract from the package we have. I'm very optimistic for the future and understand that first year cars have their issues from time to time. I'm prepared to endure some pain now and reap the rewards in the future!”

Warren Scott commented: “I am very pleased with the team’s performance as a whole over the weekend and I am overjoyed with my own performance. To qualify one second off pole position on a two second lap is something I’m delighted with.

“My first race went extremely well with my ninth place finish, I had a difficult start in race two and finished just outside the points and there was obvious disappointment in race three with having to retire but overall I am extremely pleased the move forward in my own personal speed. 

“Snetterton was great for the team and with Colin now lying fifth in the championship and us moving up the overall team’s order I am very much looking forward to an exciting to finish to the year.”

Maddy Turner