Click here for full Round 21 Results.

More to follow…

Click here for full Round 20 Results.

Jason Plato, winner of the opening race of the day, had been set to start the race from pole position but pulled into the pit lane after the formation lap reporting an engine misfire. This left Gordon Shedden effectively starting from pole position and the Scot led the race for the first seven laps.

On lap eight however Shedden locked a brake going into the hairpin and was then nerfed wide by Giovanardi, who had taken second place from Jackson earlier at Clark curve. Mat Jackson also managed to slip through to take second place, his second podium result of the day. Shedden then proceeded to slip backwards and ultimately would finish in ninth position.

The drive of the race came from Matt Neal who, after crashing out of race one, started from the back of the grid. The Vauxhall driver worked his way up through the field with some fine overtaking to take fourth position by the time the chequered flag came out.

There was a brief safety car period after race officials decided that a tyre stack that had been knocked onto the racing line at the chicane should be put back in place. ‘Conveniently’, this also closed the pack up, undoing the work of the leaders in establishing their advantage.

Paul O’Neill put in another strong drive to take fifth, with James Thompson finishing in sixth. Johnny Herbert, who will replaced Thompson for the next round at Silverstone, drew the random reverse grid and luckily selected Thompson to start from pole position for Round 21.

Finishing seventh was Jonny Adam. Shedden finished ninth, just two tenths of a second ahead of tenth-placed Andrew Jordan.

Rob Collard will have been hoping for a stronger race after his earlier disappointment, but his day did not improve. He finished in 12th after contact from Shedden pushed him into the gravel on lap 23.

Click here for full Round 19 Results.

Championship leader Colin Turkington finished in fourth, despite having run through the gravel at turn one whilst battling with Rob Collard. Unfortunately for the Airwaves BMW driver he would once again fail to finish the race, suffering an accident that began as he suffered a slide through the chicane on lap 15. With the cars behind forced to slow to avoid hitting the back of Collard, Matt Neal took to the grass approaching Clark curve and was helpless as he then speared into the right-rear corner of Collard’s car, forcing both drivers out.

With the safety car coming out to clear the cars of Collard and Neal, the field bunched up once again. At the restart Plato made sure that second-placed man Gordon Shedden wouldn’t have it easy challenging him for the lead, slowing right down through the hairpin and being able to stretch clear along the start straight. Whilst Plato took his second win of the year, Shedden was forced to defend hard from Jackson behind.

The remaining Airwaves BMW car of local driver Jonny Adam finished in fifth, despite the Fife racer having had a disastrous getaway from third on the grid. Fabrizio Giovanardi finished in sixth, ahead of team-mate Andrew Jordan.

James Thompson had looked set for an eighth placed finish until he slowed and came to a stop on the final lap of the race. Eighth instead went to Stephen Jelley, followed by Paul O’Neill and Harry Vaulkhard in tenth. Tom Chilton just missed out on a point for Team Aon by finishing in eleventh. Martin Johnson, 12th, and John George, 13th, completed the race finishers.

Click here for full Round 19 Qualifying times.

Impressively Shedden’s second placed grid position marks the first time that his Cylde Valley Racing team will have started from the front row for a race. It signifies a positive result from a weekend that began on a bad note for the local team, after Adam Jones was forced to pull out of the event due to technical issues with the car.

Starting from third will be Airwaves BMW’s Jonny Adam who put in his best qualifying effort of his short BTCC career to date. The local driver was extremely pleased to be starting so close to the front for his home event.

“It’s great to be right up there in the top three with Jason Plato and Gordon Shedden,” said Adam. “I had a small off into the gravel early in the session but managed to recover and get quicker and quicker as the session went on. It’s nice to have two Scots in with a great shout of going for a win tomorrow.”

Adam admits he faces a difficult task against the experience of the front row men, but will be giving it his all around the twisty Knockhill circuit.

“I’ll be looking to attack the guys in front but it will be really tough as they are both so experienced and know their way around Knockhill,” he added. “I’ve put myself in a good position to do something special in front of my home fans though I will be giving it one hundred percent all the way.”

Starting from fourth will be championship leader Colin Turkington who goes into the first race carrying maximum success ballast. The Team RAC driver was only 0.170 seconds off the pace set by Plato.

Rob Collard completed a strong qualifying session for the team by ensuring that both Airwaves BMW cars will start the first of tomorrow’s races inside the top five. ” I think both Jonny and I have done well to put ourselves right in the mix for a win in the first race if it all goes to plan,” said Collard. “I’m really looking forward to the first race now and if we get a good start there’s no reason Jonny and I can’t be right up there.”

Mat Jackson, who had set the pace in the day’s opening practice session, was sixth fastest followed by the second Vauxhall of Matt Neal. Andrew Jordan was eighth fastest, with Stephen Jelley ninth and Paul O’Neill making it inside the top ten.

Turkington’s main championship challenger Fabrizio Giovanardi suffered a difficult qualifying session, only managing 11th fastest. The Italian hinted that the lack of pace may have been due to the cooler conditions not suiting the car’s tyre set-up. “I don’t think we had enough temperature in the tyres and that’s part of the problem,” said the reigning champion. “At the beginning of the season we had the car working well in cooler conditions, then in the last few weekends we’ve got the car working for the hotter weather, now we’re back to cooler conditions and maybe we need to bring the car back too, but we just didn’t get it there today.”

James Thompson was only 13th fastest in his Team Dynamics Honda Civic having suffered suspension damage earlier in the session following contact with a tyre stack.

Tom Chilton showed improved pace in the Team Aon Ford Focus ST, qualifying 12th fastest although he had earlier set the seventh fastest time in the wet opening practice session. His team-mate Alan Morrison will not be racing this weekend, despite the team saying otherwise following the Snetterton meeting. Also missing are Martyn Bell, who continues to recover from a knee injury, Liam McMillan and James Nash, who has opted to miss this weekend’s meeting due to budget constraints.

Despite making one of the longest trips of any team competing, when it travels from its base in Kent, the squad will be looking to ride on the wave of support for its Scottish star Jonny Adam.

The Fifer has enjoyed a fine rookie season in the UK’s leading racing series so far, and has already notched up podium finishes against some of the most seasoned drivers in motorsport.  The determined youngster is never content to stand still however, and is keen to secure his first BTCC win in front of the many supporters who will turn out to watch him make his Knockhill debut in the Airwaves BMW 320si.

However, the Airwaves BMW team will not only be looking to its Scottish driver to provide success on Scotland’s national circuit.

Team-mate Rob Collard hails from far-away Hampshire, but has enjoyed some of his career’s finest moments at Knockhill and loves to race at the picturesque Scottish track.  He has also been in outstanding form for much of the 2009 season, taking two wins and mixing it with the title contenders.

In the previous round at Snetterton Collard was once again fighting for victory in race three before a major shunt effectively put him out of the running for the championship crown.  The experienced racer is eager to show he is capable of taking more race victories during the season run-in, and will be keen not to let his team-mate steal all the limelight come raceday at Knockhill.

The duo’s friendly rivalry will be given extra spice this weekend with a couple of special additions to the livery of the team’s BMW 320si race cars.  Adam will carry a Saltire across the roof of his machine while Collard will sport a St George’s Cross.  Each of Sunday’s races will then count towards a ‘Best of Three’ England vs Scotland shootout, with the winner receiving a very special prize selected by team principal David Bartrum.

Those wishing to see Airwaves BMW’s Jonny Adam in action prior to the weekend can catch the rising star at the Dunlop British Touring Car Festival in Edinburgh tomorrow (Thursday, August 13).  Adam will join a host of stars from the HiQ MSA Touring Car Championship to sign autographs for fans and demonstrate their cars along Johnston Terrace in the heart of the Scottish capital.

Airwaves BMW Team Principal David Bartrum said:

“We always have a great time when we come to Knockhill and I hope this weekend will be no exception.  Obviously we’re looking forward to seeing Jonny going out there and performing well in front of his home crowd.  I was delighted to get our first BTCC win at Brands Hatch earlier this year as it is the team’s home circuit.  It would be great for Jonny to get his first BTCC win at his home round as well because he wants it badly, and we will work as hard as we can to give him the car capable of doing it.  Rob Collard is in with a real shout this weekend too.  He has a history of being very good round Knockhill, and after being knocked about in the last round he is determined to get right back into it and go for a win again.  Hopefully we can come away from Knockhill with some strong results from both of our drivers, and preferably a little less damage compared to the last round at Snetterton.”

Airwaves BMW Team driver Rob Collard said:

“I’m fit and ready for the weekend and can’t wait to get back in the BMW.  I was pretty sore after Snetterton, but I managed to get away for a break and after a few days went back to the gym and worked off the aches and strains, so now I’m really looking forward to going back to Knockhill.  I’ve always enjoyed it in Scotland and scored some of the best results in my career there over the years.  I stood on the podium at Knockhill last year when I finished second, and there’s no reason why I can’t be right up there again this season.  I’m confident the BMW will be strong on this circuit and we’ll be able to fight at the front of the field.  Although I’ve had to concede winning the championship after what happened at the last round I can still finish right up there in third or fourth, so I want to push for some big results and add more wins to my tally for this season.”

Airwaves BMW Team driver Jonny Adam said:

“Knockhill is my local event so it’s a big weekend of racing for me.  There’s obviously a lot of expectation on me because of that, but actually the more experienced drivers in the field such a Jason Plato, Matt Neal and my team-mate Rob Collard have all got a lot more racing laps under their belt here than I have.  I’ve never driven the BMW here either so it’s going to be a new experience.  I’m looking forward to it though and I think the car will go really well here.  I will be pushing hard to qualify well.  That’s very important at Knockhill because the track is so tight that overtaking can be tricky.  I had three points finishes at the last round and I’m always looking to progress, so bagging some good scores here is my minimum aim but I really want that first BTCC win here in front of my home crowd.  That would be a bit special.  The fans are always great at Knockhill and really enthusiastic about Touring Cars, so hopefully we will get some good weather and a really big crowd.”

Source: Airwaves BMW PR

With Italian Giovanardi having now taken three wins in the last four races, and a second placed finish in the previous race, the reigning champion is now the man to beat in the HiQ-backed championship. Giovanardi has reduced his gap to championship leader Colin Turkington by 29 points after Croft to just 18 points now following the Snetterton meeting.

Despite the gap from Giovanardi back to third placed Matt Neal being some 29 points and to fourth placed Jason Plato being 39 points, Giovanardi still believes that the championship battle is wide open.

“The title is still a four way fight with Colin, Matt, Jason and myself all very evenly matched,” said Giovanardi. “I don’t mind that I’m not currently leading the championship; I just need to be leading it when we reach the last round. Colin might think he has the upper hand but I’m not about to give up my title this season.”

Giovanardi has once again revealed that he is hoping for rain at this weekend’s races, as he believes the Vauxhall Vectra is at its strongest in the slippery conditions.

“Knockhill is a very unique and special circuit, it’s very narrow and a cross between a rally and a road circuit at times which makes it very challenging. I’m sure we can win again this weekend, but it would help if the weather was bad, as we know we’re strong in these conditions.”

Meanwhile Neal, who has won at Knockhill three times in the past, is expecting to be challenging for victories this weekend as he attempts to get his season back on track. He has only won once this year and after having led the championship for most of the first half of the season, he has slipped back in recent races.

“Knockhill is a great location for a BTCC round as it is such a different track to all the others which we race on,” said Neal, 42. “It’s tight and twisty with plenty of elevation changes. It’ll be the usual adversaries vying for the front and I expect to be there. We didn’t have a good start to the Snetterton weekend but ended on a positive note, so if we can carry this through the Knockhill round we’ll be in the thick of it and taking points.”

Andrew Jordan, racing the third Vauxhall, says that he enjoys the Knockhill circuit and expects some close battles with the rear-wheel drive BMW’s. In his debut season in the BTCC last year, Jordan took his second-ever podium in the series at the track.

“I really like the Knockhill circuit as it’s the sort of track that you really have to be on the edge with the car to be quick there. I think we will be fast, although I’m sure the BMW’s will be good through the hairpin and up the hill, but I’m confident the Vauxhall will also work well.”

Last time out at the Norfolk circuit Jelley only finished one of the three races, after having previously secured three podiums in a row at the meeting before at Croft. In the second race at Snetterton Jelley was turned around at the Esses and dropped to the back of the pack, whilst the third race of the day saw him involved in an unavoidable accident with Rob Collard’s Airwaves BMW.

The Leicester driver admits that he wants to move on from his disappointing weekend and focus on racing at Knockhill, a circuit he enjoys.

“Hopefully I can build on the results from Croft and put the misfortune of Snetterton behind me,” said Jelley. “I’m very much looking forward to Knockhill as it’s a unique place and always an enjoyable weekend. It’s a very undulating track and it’s important to use the curbs well.”

Team principal Dick Bennett’s is confident of more strong performances this weekend as the team work flat out repairing and rebuilding Jelley and Turkington’s cars respectively.

The event will take place to promote the forthcoming rounds of the championship at Knockhill on the 15th and 16th of August. Entry to the Edinburgh city street demonstration, which will take place in front of the castle, will be free to the general public and will allow spectators to get close to the stars and cars of this year’s championship.

There will also be an autograph session taking place at mid day, just before the car’s take to the streets.

The full line up is:

Colin Turkington, Team RAC
Fabrizio Giovanardi, VX Racing
Andrew Jordan, VX Racing
James Thompson, Team Dynamics
Jonathan Adam, Airwaves BMW
Gordon Shedden, Cartridge World Carbon Zero Racing
Tom Chilton, Team Aon
Harry Vaulkhard, bamboo engineering
Martin Johnson, Boulevard Team Racing
John George, Team JAG

Sarah Moore (Ginetta Junior Championship)
Fulvio Mussi (Ginetta G50 Cup)
Barry Horne (Porsche Carrera Cup)

For more information on the event visit the championship’s OFFICIAL website, www.btcc.net.

In the first practice session of the day Vaulkhard demonstrated the pace of his car around the fast Snetterton circuit, lapping seventh fastest and benefitting from superior straight line speed - the Lacetti would be the fastest car through the speed traps all weekend. He went eighth fastest in the second practice session although by qualifying the pace had moved up a notch and Vaulkhard could only manage eleventh on the grid despite going faster than in practice.

In race one Vaulkhard was running in the points when Gordon Shedden tagged the rear of the Lacetti on lap six, which dropped him down to last place. A solid drive thereon in meant that Vaulkhard was able to finish in tenth by the end of the race, securing bamboo engineering’s first point in the championship.

Race two started extremely strongly for the fledgling new team as Vaulkhard emerged in sixth at the end of the opening lap. However tyre wear as the race went on meant that the position wouldn’t last and Vaulkhard crossed the line in ninth. He would then prove lucky enough to be selected for pole position from the random draw for race three, marking the second time this season that Vaulkhard will have started from pole position.

Unfortunately for Vaulkhard race three would prove to be another dreadfully unlucky race - after losing out to Rob Collard and James Nash at the start he then had a high-speed off at Coram, hitting the tyre barriers hard. Thankfully the damage to the car was not too significant, although it marked the end of another initially promising race for Vaulkhard.

“Once again we’ve had a promising start to the weekend with some good speed and once again I just can’t seem to get any good luck with incidents,” said a disappointed Vaulkhard. “Some people always seem to get the rub when things like this happens but I always seem to come off worse whenever this happens. It’s enormously frustrating but we’ll battle on and look forward to Knockhill – a circuit I really like and again I’ll say I hope that my luck will change and we’ll get the result we deserve”

Team principal Richard Coleman echoed Vaulkhard’s comments, adding that the team have more pace than the results show at the moment.

“We’re very pleased to be here under the new bamboo engineering banner,” said Coleman. “A lot of hard work has been done to get everything sorted for this weekend. The whole team has worked very hard. Once again Harry has shown that he and the car have the pace which was shown in race one with the third fastest time. Although early incidents saw him at the back of the field a great drive back up to tenth was just reward. As for the third race – well, what can you say, disappointing doesn’t really cover it. Never the less we’ll bounce back and be ready for Knockhill in two weeks time.”

Race one saw Colin Turkington starting from an impressive second on the grid, alongside pole man Jason Plato, despite carrying maximum success ballast. Going into the Esses on the first lap Plato made contact with Turkington, spinning him around and dropping him to eighth position. However a fighting drive from the Ulsterman, helped out by the retirement of James Thompson and the spin of Andrew Jordan, meant that he worked his way up to fifth by the end of the race.

“There was a real chance of a win in race one but the coming together with Plato set us back a bit,” Turkington said after the race.

Stephen Jelley was able to follow his team-mate home in the opening race, although his day would become more troublesome for the following races.

Race two saw Turkington starting from fifth and working his way up to second by the chequered flag, passing Paul O’Neill and Jonny Adam on the way to his ninth podium of the season. Jelley, on the other hand, was tagged by Adam Jones at the Esses on the opening lap and could only recover to 13th by the end of the race.

For race three, Turkington would find himself starting from eighth on the grid, whilst Jelley would start where he finished the previous race, in 13th.

It was a somewhat lucky race for Turkington as he made up four places on the opening lap thanks to his BMW’s brilliant traction off the line. He moved up to fourth when Harry Vaulkhard crashed out on the opening lap, before passing Adam for third. When second-placed James Nash tangled with race leader Rob Collard, Turkington was the biggest beneficiary, whilst team-mate Jelley was not so lucky. As Collard spun back across the track, Jelley was an unfortunate victim when he crashed into Collard, unsighted by Matt Neal. The move also meant that Turkington would take his sixth win of the season after Nash was later excluded for the incident.

“To hit the podium twice is very pleasing considering the start we had to the day,” said Turkington. “The Team RAC BMW gave us a platform for strong performances in races two and three. The racing was very intense so we’re pleased to come away with a good points haul.”

Stephen Jelley was frustrated with his luck at the weekend and believes that he could have been on the podium again but for a few incidents in races two and three.

The day started well but once again that little bit of luck was absent. The car was quick and a sixth place finish in the first race was a good result having started tenth.

“I was going well in race two but got a tap from behind at high speed which sent me off the track and out of contention,” admitted Jelley, 27. “We got a great start in the final race and a podium was a real possibility but the collision with Collard’s car was really unfortunate. Hopefully luck will improve at Knockhill.”

With only two weeks to go before the next rounds at Knockhill in Scotland the team will be busy preparing and repairing the cars in time.