BTCC: Jordan Wins Two at High-Speed Thruxton

Andrew Jordan bounced back from his horror British Touring Car Championship weekend at Donington Park to claim two race victories at Thruxton in his BMW 330i driving for West Surrey Racing.

He becomes the first driver to win three races this season, as Colin Turkington and Rory Butcher leave the Thruxton weekend as the joint points leader. Josh Cook would win the final race of the round, moving up to third in the standings.

Jordan set himself up perfectly on Saturday, as he qualified third alongside his teammate and reigning champion Turkington but it was an all-Honda front row, with AmD’s Sam Tordoff taking the older shaped Civic to pole position from Dan Cammish’s new model.

Race One

As expected, Jordan got a flier from third on the grid and passed Cammish with ease but Tordoff did brilliantly to hold the lead off the line. Tordoff-Jordan-Cammish-Turkington was the running order for the majority of the race at the front whilst Matt Neal and Ash Sutton went to war behind them for P7, the Honda of Neal getting sideways into the chicane but the 52-year-old pulled off the save of the day to not only keep facing the right way but overtake the Subaru of Sutton in the process. Back at the front, Tordoff made a critical error on lap 13 at church which opened the door for Jordan’s rapid BMW to cruise by down the back straight.

Jordan pulled a gap and took the chequered flag on his return to the driving seat after he was ruled out of races two and three at Donington on medical grounds. Tordoff held onto second despite power steering issues with Cammish in third.

Podium: Jordan, Tordoff, Cammish

Race Two

Once again, Jordan got a lightning start to take a commanding lead as Turkington passed Cammish off the line and then Tordoff into the complex on the opening lap to tuck in behind his teammate. Tordoff and Cammish then made contact at the chicane on lap five with both drivers having to take an alternative route through with the Dynamics driver taking third as he set about the leading duo. Tordoff was again under fire as a mistake at the chicane on lap eight let Jason Plato through at Allard with Neal following his arch-nemesis through a couple of corners later.

Despite spots of rain late on, Jordan took another commanding victory, this time with Turkington following him home for second as Cammish took a second third-placed finish of the day.

Podium: Jordan, Turkington, Cammish

Race Three

The reverse grid draw saw Sutton put on pole position in front on his good friend Josh Cook who had disappointed throughout the weekend, Jordan started down in 11th and was in trouble at the start as he had to take to the grass to avoid a spinning Rob Collard, Adam Morgan’s Mercedes was unable to do the same and collided with the Vauxhall to bring out the safety car. But not before Cook overtook Sutton as the chaos ensued behind them. When the safety car pulled in it was very tight at the front with Cook, Sutton and Rory Butcher nose-to-tail with the Scotsman Butcher overtaking Sutton for second at church. Tordoff’s day took a turn as he slowed over the start/finish line and was forced to retire when running in fourth. Carl Boardley found himself facing the wrong way with damage at Goodwood after contact with Michael Crees and Rob Smith, bringing the safety car back out on track once again.

It was lap 12 before the racing finally got back underway and Jordan’s difficult third race continued as he was tagged by Stephen Jelley in the complex which led to the Pirtek-liveried car doing a 360 and dropping to the back of the running field.

But from there, nothing changed at the front and Cook took his second win of 2019 from Butcher and Sutton.

Podium: Cook, Butcher, Sutton

Colin Turkington and Rory Butcher are now joint-leaders of the championship with the former ahead on countback (two wins to one) with Cook just two points further back.

The BTCC returns to Thruxton for a second round later in the year (17-18 August) but next the circus heads to Yorkshire and the Croft circuit (15-16 June) where the rear-wheel drive BMW’s and Subaru’s are expected to be fast.