24 SEPTEMBER : BTCC SILVERSTONE
In a day of ups and downs for drivers using Cobra seats, four times BTCC Drivers Champion Colin Turkington won the third race of the day to give BMW their 150th BTCC win.
In fact, the day got off to a very promising start for Cobra drivers with Jake Hill taking a win in Race 1 to strengthen his challenge for this years BTCC Drivers Championship and give BMW their 149th BTCC victory.
Hill effectively won the race before the flag dropped for the start: Steady drizzle on the grid meant drivers had a call to make and while the majority of the top 10 chose to stick on slicks, Hill chose to switch to wet tyres – a decision that was fully vindicated when, just a few minutes before the flag dropped, the rain began to get heavier and heavier.
Hill’s elation turned to despair in Race 2 with a combination of bad luck and a stunning drive by Ash Sutton ending his chance of picking up his first BTCC Drivers Championship.
Hill looked to be cruising to a second victory of the day while his two title contenders were battling their way from the back of the grid - that was until a safety car bunched the pack.
At the restart Hill’s BMW 330e M Sport slowed dramatically with a misfire problem pushing him dramatically down the order and out of the Championship race.
Hill was forced to watch on helplessly as ahead of him Sutton produced one of the finest performances of his career, fighting from 23rd on the grid to score an extraordinary victory while a similarly impressive drive by Tom Ingram took him up to third at the flag.
While Colin Turkington took a hard earned victory in the final race of the day, fighting his way through from fifth on the grid, joining him on the podium were Tom Ingram in second and Ash Sutton in third – ensuring that Ingram and Sutton would take the battle for the Driver’s Championship to the season finale at Brands Hatch.
