MotorSportVoice - 2008 - BTCC - Brands Hatch (Round 1)

As the BTCC enters its 50th season, a brief look down the entrants list shows a whole host of names that could realistically challenge for race wins, and indeed the championship, whether it be the overall title or the independents title. The strong field is a mix of seasoned BTCC racers, and a vast number of debutants, meaning only one thing - more exciting action from Britain’s premier racing series.

Mat Jackson set the pace in qualifying, pushing his BMW Dealer UK backed 320si to the front of the grid for round 1, with reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi was alongside him in second. The highest placed new boy was Steven Kane in his Motorbase BMW 320si, in eighth place, having made the switch from the BTCC supporting Porsche Carrera Cup UK. Probably the most noticeable name lower down the list, was Matt Neal in tenth. Having struggled somewhat in the weekend’s previous sessions, he could only manage a row five start. Starting positions aside, the weather forecast for the race day was for changeable weather, as well as a possibility of rain, meant that anything could, and probably would happen.

Weather wise, race 1 began with an overcast outlook, and some earlier rainfall had dampened parts of the circuit, but the earlier support races and warm ups had produced a drier line around the circuit. The start for Mat Jackson was perfect, pulling away to maintain first place, as a fast starting Colin Turkington moved up to second from third, as he passed the poor starting Giovanardi. To make matters worse for Giovanardi he was again passed by last years sparing partner Jason Plato as the pair went into Paddock Hill Bend, but the reigning champion held his line and nerve to retake third as they negotiated Druids. As Jackson and Turkington were pulling away from the field, Giovanardi was left on his own with a clear gap both in front, and to the chasing pack led by Plato. Matt Neal was struggling in the race as h had in qualifying, but was doing his best to try and salvage a result by just getting his head down and keeping out of trouble. The race went bad for Colin Turkington who had a spin as he headed down from Druids into Graham Hill bend, and took a slow detour over the damp grass, rejoining much further back in the pack. The lead was still the same, with Jackson clear at the front, with Giovanardi alone in second. The threat of more rain became more than that, as light rainfall spread over the Kent circuit. As it got heavier, it seemed to swing the pace in favour of second placed Giovanardi who could afford to use his front wheel drive advantage to maximum effect, as he chased the now somewhat cautious rear wheel driven BMW of Jackson. Another driver using the adverse weather to his advantage was Vauxhall’s Matt Neal, who was beginning to find his racing feet, and put pressure on those in front of him. As Giovanardi closed the gap noticeably, it was only a matter of time before he made a move to take the lead of the race. In spectacular style he moved up alongside Jackson on the entry to Clearways, and even though he carried a lot of speed into the corner and put the car slightly sideways, he powered through the corner and took the race lead. This was perfect timing as the rain began to ease off and Jackson was again the one on the move, as he tried to regain the first place he had held for over half of the race. Meanwhile Matt Neal was still charging, and as he pushed the car he drove last year, the Honda Civic now driven by Tom Chilton. Contact was made, albeit negligible, and Neal took the position. Darren Turner was clearly faster than team mate Plato at this point, but could not find a way past, no mater how hard he tried. Contact was made between the two, but it was minimal and both continued as they had been. The final two laps saw Jackson pushing Giovanardi on the, drier track, but it was the Italian who took the chequered flag and victory in the first race of the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship. Matt Neal managed to take a well earned fifth place, which made up for the poor qualifying.

The second race saw a simply stunning start from Gordon Shedden, taking his Honda Civic from sixth into third. Giovanardi made up for his poor start in race one and held his first place from the line into corner one, defending well from the rear wheel drive start of Mat Jackson. Colin Turkington was attempting to make up for the awful opening race, and was moving up through the field well, moving from 20th to be ahead of his team mate Stephen Jelley who started in 14th. In last season’s opener from Brands Hatch, an accident going into Paddock Hill Bend saw Mat Jackson make contact with Colin Turkington, causing the Irishman to spin off into the outside wall. This year saw an almost carbon copy, again with two BMWs. This time it was Rob Collard and Stephen Jelley, Collard was on the outside of Jelley with a half car overlap, as the two made contact, resulting in Rob Collard spinning into the gravel trap, but luckily avoided the wall. The location of the car resulted in the Safety Car being deployed by race control, closing up the field. It stayed out for three laps, meaning the race distance would be increased by those three laps. As the safety car peeled off into the pits, leader Fabrizio Giovanardi made a brilliantly timed restart and drew out a big advantage even before he had crossed the line. Mat Jackson was passed first of all by Gordon Shedden into Paddock Hill Bend, and then by Jason Plato into Druids. An intriguing battle was evolving between Mike Jordan and newcomer Steven Kane further down the field, but as the pair exited clearways, Jordon’s overlap was about half a car length. As the two entered the Brabham Straight they touched, causing Steven Kane to spin into the pit wall on the inside. Luckily the incident wasn’t as bad as it first looked, and Kane walked away from the incident unharmed. The car had come to rest alongside the pit wall on the straight, and the race continued with no safety car intervention, but under waved yellows in that one place. Another intriguing battle was forming between Turkington and Tom Chilton. Turkington’s BMW having the advantage through the latter half of the lap, but Chilton’s Civic clawing that back in the first half of the next. Eventually Chilton left a slight gap coming along Cooper and into Surtees, allowing Turkington to make a very strong and successful pass, but as he entered Clearways Chilton attempted to seize the moment, but they made contact. Turkington nearly spun, but he caught it well and moved away without losing his newly gained place, but it was race over for Chilton who suffered damage to the front left of his car in the incident. The win for Giovanardi was never really in doubt, as he took the flag for the second time out of two. A delighted Gordon Shedden claimed second spot, and Plato took another third. Colin Turkington finished in a fantastic eighth place, after starting the race from near the back of the grid.

As per last season, the starting order for the third and final race of each weekend is determined by a lottery system. The numbers 6 to 10 inclusive are placed into a hat, and one is drawn at random to determine how many of the top 10 are reversed. Fabrizio Giovanardi drew ball number 9, meaning Mike Jordan started from pole position for the final race of the day. Alongside him would be Colin Turkington, but Giovanardi would begin in ninth.

As expected, the rear wheel drive BMWs of Colin Turkington and Mat Jackson had fast starts to move into first and second respectively. Mike Jordan settling for third place by the time they reached Druids. As the pack moved around behind them, a three way coming together between Tom Onslow-Cole, Gordon Shedden and Jason Plato caused Onslow-Cole to spin violently into the wall at high speed, just before Surtees. Thankfully he was not injured; however the safety car was deployed, whilst the debris was cleared. The safety car period lasted for a number of laps, and when it was called into the pits, Colin Turkington led the restart closely followed by Jackson, and Mike Jordan was keeping up with the front pair. Winner of races one and two, Fabrizio Giovanardi was struggling to make any ground up on the leaders after starting in ninth due to the reverse grid. Soon after the restart Gordon Shedden was making a detour to the grass and into the wall on the exit of Druids. The Safety Car was again, somewhat hastily, deployed. Shedden managed to drive the car down the hill and parked it in a safe place, but the safety car remained on track for some more laps. The race distance had already been increased from 24 laps to 27 as a result of the first safety car intervention, meaning no more laps were added the second time. As the race restarted again, it was a similar story with Turkington moving away well, followed by Jackson. They soon left Mike Jordan behind, and he himself was being reeled in by Matt Neal in the highest placed Vauxhall. His team mate Giovanardi was chasing Matt Allison and Stephen Jelley, but as the pair were having a private battle both ran wide along Cooper, Giovanardi took the smallest of chances and passed both on the inside, going into Surtees with space between himself and the battling pair. Into the closing stages of the race, Matt Neal passed Jordan with a trademark move into Clearways. A tiny opening was left by Jordan, and Neal duly slotted his car into it to snatch third. Once past he was chased by Jordan to the finish. Neal held on to claim a podium in his first BTCC weekend with Vauxhall. Just as the battle for third was causing excitement, the fight for first was warming up too. Jackson was very fast and aggressive as he closed up behind Turkington on the final two laps. He could not find a way past, as Turkington provided a brilliant demonstration of defensive driving to close out the race. This was not without incident, and on the final time into Clearways, Turkington broke early, and the opportunist Jackson tried to go around the outside. He didn’t have the drive to do this, and Turkington pulled out of the corner in the lead to take the race win.

The next round of the BTCC is from Rockingham on 12th and 13th April, when Team 48 Motorsport expect to make their BTCC debut with a two car team of Darelle Wilson and Matthew Gore both driving Alfa Romeo 156s.