Team BMW target big points on Thruxton raceday

Colin Turkington and Tom Oliphant have targeted a big British Touring Car Championship points haul on Sunday after the Team BMW duo qualified in mid-pack at Thruxton.

The pair will start eighth and 12th in their WSR-run BMW 330i M Sports after delivering the best performance of any team running rear-wheel-drive cars at the Hampshire Speedbowl and setting themselves up for a successful day of racing.

Championship leader Colin, who – for one day only – was engineered by Team Principal Dick Bennetts, found his car more to his liking as the day progressed.

“It’s been a new experience for me today, working as Colin’s Race Engineer while John’s unavailable, but it’s been enjoyable,” commented Ram Principal Dick Bennetts. “Colin was the fastest rear-wheel-drive competitor with maximum ballast, and Tom’s up there in the same part of the grid. To be there when the lightest front-wheel-drive cars are 90kg lighter than us shows what a good job the whole team is doing.

“The difference in qualifying and race pace is bigger here than anywhere else. The final five laps tomorrow are going to be the best time for us to make gains because the BMWs keep their tyres in good shape across a race distance. We just have to be patient, stay reliable and take what we can get.”

After going 15th in final practice with 60kg success ballast on board, further adjustments helped the Northern Irishman to eighth spot in qualifying – ahead of his nearest title rival – and made him the fastest of the rear-wheel-drive runners.

Team-mate Tom has 42kg ballast on his BMW due to his fourth place in the championship and will carry it into tomorrow’s opening race. He qualified 12th, but was pleased with the progress made with the car since its last appearance at Thruxton in 2019.

The Leamington Spa-based racer, who claimed his first BTCC win at Brands Hatch in July, had served notice of his race pace with fourth place in the opening practice session.

Sunday’s three races, which make up the fifth event in the 2020 BTCC, will all be broadcast live in HD on ITV2 from 1140.