Sam Tordoff has taken the lead in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, bringing to a close a day of exciting racing at Oulton Park, which also saw Subaru claim its first victory.
In the opening race of the day, the new Subaru Levorg BTCC racer claimed its first victory with former title-holder Colin Turkington at the wheel.
The rear-wheel drive Subaru Levorg estate endured a difficult time last time out at Thruxton last month, when the Silverline Subaru BMR Racing Team was forced to withdraw due to fuel system problems. But prior to Oulton Park the team was able to make some technical modifications and carried out a productive test session.
Why Subaru has entered the BTCC with the Levorg
Showing the step forward made by Subaru, Turkington planted the Levorg on pole position for the opening race and never lost the lead. Sam Tordoff finished second in his Team JCT600 with GardX BMW 125i M Sport, while Jason Plato finished third, also in a Subaru Levorg.
Turkington’s win in the opening race also marks the first time that Subaru has ever won a BTCC event. Subaru’s tin-top victory comes one day after rally ace Mark Higgins set a new lap record for cars around the Isle of Man TT course in a WRX STI.
“We knew the soft tyres would work well in the heat,” said Turkington. “There was a stage in the middle of the race when I could see Sam was reasonably fast in the BMW, but I had a super car right until the end. We hit the jackpot.”
In race two at Oulton Park, Tordoff got the drop on Turkington at the start and quickly established a lead of almost one second. Turkington, meanwhile, had his rear-view mirrors filled with the sister Subaru of Plato, the Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda Civic Type R of Gordon Shedden and Tom Ingram’s Toyota Avensis.
That’s the way it remained until the end, with the two Subarus unable to make inroads into Tordoff’s lead. The real entertainment was behind this group, where a determined Josh Cook kept his MG Racing RCIB Insurance MG 6 ahead of a huge gaggle of potentially faster cars.
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Hi Matt Burt
" In the opening race of the
The rear-wheel drive Subaru Levorg estate had been due to make its debut at Thruxton last month, but the Silverline Subaru BMR Racing Team was forced to withdraw due to fuel system problems. "
Errr Matt do you actual follow the BTCC?! If you did you know this was wrong, the Subaru Levorg made it debut at the first meeting of the season at Brand Hatch! Then Donington the withdraw from Thurxton due to safety issues with the fuel rail. Oulton was the first time the car was competitive this season tho.
" Shedden then benefitted from Cook sliding off the track in his MG6, leaving him clear to take second position. "
Also wrong Shedden push him off wide, tho not as bad as Neal rear ending Cook's MG so hard in race 2 that he lift the rear wheels clear off the deck!
Hi ProjectSixtyOne,
Hi ProjectSixtyOne,
Thanks for pointing that out - and the strange thing is I didn't write that at all... Another hack updated the report with the race three result and saw fit to rewrite my copy from races one and two. I've reverted it back to the original and changed the race three reference you mention too.
Regards,
Matt
how things change