Drama was the order of the day at the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season finale at Brands Hatch at the weekend.
Colin Turkington became a four time British Touring Car Champion but that was not straight forward for the Northern Irishman who started on pole position for the opening race of Sunday’s thrilling action.
There were twists and turns in all three races, that saw the championship slip from Turkington’s grasp to Dan Camish, with Andrew Jordan lurking, before one final swing back to Turkington in the final race of the season.
Race one saw the rain come down and this caused absolute chaos with Turkington looking strong enough to take the win until the rain came and then Matt Simpson’s accident brought out the safety car. It saw Turkington slip down the order as his rear wheel drive BMW struggled in the rain and with cold tyres.
Cammish roared his way through to the front and with that took the victory from teammate Matt Neal who was one of a number that pitted for wet tyres. That victory put Cammish back in the hunt. Jordan would finish in eighth place in the opening race.
Starting from fifth on the grid Turkington got an absolutely lightening start and was up challenging Cammish for the lead by the end of the first corner. Drama would then ensue for Turkington as he had a coming together with Matt Neal at Graham Hill Bend, with Neal turning Turkington round, which left him in last place. He gambled and pitted for slicks, which didn’t really work for him and he came home in 25th place, with him thinking his title shot was over.
Cammish however finished in third place and took the championship lead, with Jordan finishes one place ahead of him and closed in on the duo in front. Going into the final race of the season, Cammish led the title race by ten points.
A dry race for the season finale was always going to make it interesting with tyre choices going to play a part and then the million dollar question what can Turkington do from P25 on the grid, and how close can he take the fight to Cammish?
As the race got underway it was Jordan in the sister BMW who got an absolute flying start and ahead of Cammish, who knew he just had to bring the Honda home and not let Jordan get away and keep Turkington behind him. Turkington was doing his part by the end of the first lap he had made up an amazing ten places. He continued to pick his way through the field and was soon up behind Tom Ingram who had Cammish in front of him and Jordan just down the circuit. It was still looking impossible for Turkington.
There was time for yet one more twist in the championship fight, two laps from the end of the race and with Turkington through and chasing down Ollie Jackson for sixth place, Cammish was battling Tom Ingram when he hit the brakes and something in his suspension went and spun him round into the wall. Which swung the title back to Turkington as long as he could keep the car on the road and cross the finish line, which he did. It also meant the fourth place finish for Jordan saw him draw level in the championship with Cammish and finish just two points behind Turkington.
Elsewhere for the Kent contingent it was an up and down weekend for both Team Shredded Wheat and Team Hard. Top ten finishes were the order of the day for Team Shredded Wheat on their last outing in the BTCC. Team Hard had some solid point’s finishes, as well as their fair share of drama for Jack Goff and Michael Crees throughout the day.
As the dust settles on another entertaining BTCC season, everyone’s thoughts turn to 2020 and whether Turkington can make it five titles, or can Cammish comeback and win the debut title that eluded him on the final day of the 2019 season?
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