Jake Hill won a thrilling last race of the day for Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport at a scorching hot weekend at Oulton Park to take the lead of the British Touring Car Championship heading into the summer break.
The Kent driver, who earlier in the day scored his 50th career podium, made it five wins from the past nine races and heads the standings at the end of a weekend for the first time.
Jake made a great start from seventh on the grid in Race One in his WSR-run BMW 330e M Sport and quickly moved up the order. However a lock-up at the Island hairpin cost him a position and he fell behind Team BMW’s Adam Morgan.
Adam had a great first race and showed strong pace, staying ahead of Jake after his error and pressuring the cars ahead all the way to the finish. He crossed the line fourth to match his season’s-best result at his home circuit.
Colin Turkington’s race was a lot more difficult; the high temperatures affecting his clutch and preventing the Northern Irishman from getting off the line at the start. From a pitlane start he had a quiet run to finish 20th.
In Race Two, Adam had a slow start due to a turbo issue and was attacked by two cars on the inside at Old Hall Corner, spinning the 11-time BTCC race winner down to last place.
Jake ran fifth; dived up the inside of one of his key title rivals to claim fourth with a third of the race to go and then made another superb move into the Knickerbrook chicane on the last lap to claim the final podium position.
Colin put on a terrific performance from 20th; fighting his way through the pack with the target of grabbing a strong grid spot for the reversed-grid final race.
After making it up to seventh with a daring move on the penultimate lap, Colin had gained 13 positions in 15 laps, but lucked out when only the top six were selected to be reversed.
Jake started the final race from fourth spot and was upto third within three corners. He snatched second at the hairpin on lap 10 and then chased down the leader; seizing the advantage at Knickerbrook on the final lap to take a 17th career victory.
Adam made a brilliant charge through the order to finish the race seventh, while four-time champion Colin had a race to forget. Running on the slower hard tyre, he was spun out twice by rivals on lap four and dropped to the back of the pack, recovering to claim a single point in 15th.
His efforts, along with those of Jake, helped BMW claim the Manufacturers’ Trophy win for Race Three.
Jake takes a four-point lead in the Drivers’ Championship into the summer break while Colin and Adam are both strongly placed in sixth and joint-seventh in the standings.
What they said…
Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport
Adam Morgan, Team BMW
Colin Turkington, Team BMW
Dick Bennetts, Team Principal