WSR and BMW continue their fight for the British Touring Car Championship this weekend at the UK’s fastest circuit, Thruxton, as the battle for supremacy intensifies.

With just three triple-header rounds remaining of the 2022 season, the fight for the crown has never been more closely fought with four drivers just 25 points apart at the top of the table.

Two of these are BMW 330e M Sport drivers Colin Turkington and Jake Hill, who lie first and third in the standings with a combined five wins and 19 podium finishes from the opening 21 races.

Four-time champion Colin arrives in Hampshire off the back of a superb double win at Snetterton and holds a 15-point advantage over his nearest rival, Tom Ingram, in the standings.

The Northern Irishman, who started his 500th BTCC race in Norfolk is a four-time winner at Thruxton and memorably triumphed by more than 11 seconds in 2006. 

WSR stablemate Jake twice finished second at Snetterton for ROKiT MB Motorsport and sits third in the standings – 24 behind Colin – as he continues to enjoy the best season of his BTCC career.

The Kent racer was second in both races at Thruxton when the BTCC made its first visit of 2022 to Hampshire in May, each time less than a second away from victory.

Stephen Jelley’s recent strong form, which included a pair of top-five finishes last time out, allowed Team BMW to take the lead of the Teams’ Championship for the first time in 2022.  

The Leicester racer is seeking to add to his Oulton Park victory and to move up from his current 10th place in the Drivers’ points.

Sunday’s three races will all be broadcast live in HD on ITV4.

Colin Turkington (Team BMW) said: “There are still nine races left and that’s a lot of opportunity for the taking, so it’s crucial we keep the momentum going and push on with the progress we made at Snetterton. You don’t often unlock something at this stage of the season so it’s up to me to make it count. I’ll be throwing everything I have into ensuring we maximise everything. Thruxton is high-speed with long, fast turns so if you have your car hooked up, a driver can make a difference. That’s the aim. The motivation internally is fantastic right now and we’ll be using this to maintain our high standards and hold onto the edge we have as a team.”

Stephen Jelley (Team BMW) said: “I’m looking forward to going back to Thruxton. When we were there in May, the BMW worked better than previous times, so I think we’ve got over it being a track that doesn’t suit us. I still think it’s a front-wheel-drive track, but we’ve reduced the gap and that means we can go there – and to every circuit – with a chance of a podium. I’ve learned quite a lot from Jake [Hill] and his driving style. He had a great result last time out – especially in qualifying – by driving a slightly different style to me, which I’ve been trying to emulate. I think it’s working. We were unlucky last time at Thruxton through factors outside my control, but that’ll happen to other drivers too, so I’m sure we can get some solid results.”

Jake Hill (ROKiT MB Motorsport) said: “We’ve been in really good form since the summer break and my ROKiT MB Motorsport and WSR team have delivered me a fantastic BMW, which I’ve been able to get some strong results with. We’ve been on the podium in five of the six last races, so the goal is to continue this form as we hope to move even higher up in the championship. The standings are really tight, so we can’t afford to drop any points and will need to maximise the potential this car has!”

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “This is the business end of the season, and while you still get the same points for a win or a fifth place in any one of the 30 races, it feels like every position is that bit more valuable and that lost points are magnified now. That’s especially true when you have multiple cars in the thick of the title battle and are in a strong position in the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championships, as we are. The team and drivers have performed magnificently since the summer break and we’re looking to continue that at Thruxton. It’s a circuit that has usually favored front-wheel-drive cars, but we’ve proven the BMW 330e M Sport can be competitive everywhere this season. BMW UK’s headquarters is in nearby Farnborough so the aim will be to reward their fantastic support for our program with more strong results this weekend.”