A double-podium finish kept Team BMW on top of the British Touring Car Championship on an action-packed day of racing at Knockhill.
Colin Turkington twice finished second at the Scottish track to leave with an 11-point lead in the Drivers’ standings, while three strong points finishes for Tom Oliphant helped to extend the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championship advantages of the WSR-run team.
“It’s been another very good team effort,” commented Dick Bennetts, Team Principal. “Six finishes from six starts, two podiums and an increased lead in the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championships too.
“Colin and Tom have both driven very well today, given great feedback to get the BMWs dialled in more and more, and made up positions from where they started, and the result is more strong finishes.
“We’re looking forward to the three-week break and giving the team a bit of a breather, because four events in five weekends has been tough on everyone and we want to come back fully refreshed for Thruxton.”
Having qualified third carrying the maximum 60kg success ballast in his BMW 330i M Sport, Colin moved into second spot on the opening lap of Race One; the Northern Irishman unable to prise an opening that would give him a shot at taking the lead.
A repeat performance in Race Two netted the four-time champion his eighth podium finish of the season – the same number that he recorded across his entire 2019 title-winning campaign.
Starting 10th on Race Three’s partially-reversed grid, and with 54kg success ballast on board, Colin finished ninth, two places ahead of his chief title rival, to keep himself ahead in the points race.
Team-mate Tom made the most spectacular passing move of the day, launching up onto two wheels on the kerb at Duffus Dip in Race Three to steal fourth place.
That was his best result of the day, added to eighth and sixth places in the earlier races. Tom’s 32-point haul for the weekend keeps him fourth in the Drivers’ points and on course for his best-ever finish in the Championship.
The BTCC now takes a three-week break before resuming at the UK’s fastest circuit, Thruxton, on September 19-20.
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