The WSR BMW team enjoyed a perfect weekend in the British Touring Car Championship round at Croft, with three of its drivers each taking a race win.
Former world touring car champion Andy Priaulx opened the weekend with his first victory in the BTCC since he returned to it at the start of this season.
Priaulx first had to find a way past pole man and team-mate Sam Tordoff, finding a way past on the sixth lap after the leader made a mistake at the chicane. He then had to soak up enormous pressure for the rest of the race, and for a period the WSR team had three cars line astern as team-mate Rob Collard joined in the battle until his tyres faded.
Tordoff got his revenge in race two, leading from lights to flag and never coming under pressure as he eked out a comfortable gap to the Team BMR Volkswagen CCs of Jason Plato and Colin Turkington.
In the final race of the weekend, it was Collard’s turn to enjoy the top step of the podium, although it was only after a thrilling tussle with the consistent Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic Type R), who now leads the championship.
Shedden battled from third to first early on in the race, and stayed out front until there were just three laps left to run. However, with the Honda running soft tyres to Collard’s more durable hard set, the BMW driver was able to pass. Meanwhile, the tracking Priaulx was able to make a last-lap dive to depose Shedden to third.
The result leaves Shedden 10 points clear of erstwhile championship leader Plato and a further 12 points clear of Honda team-mate Matt Neal.
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