BMW TURNS THE SCREW IN SCOTLAND
The twists and turns of Knockhill were matched by the shift in the British Touring Car Championship points table last weekend.
On a circuit where rear-wheel drive usually dominates, only champion Ash Sutton was a thorn in their sides. He followed MB Motorsport BMW man Jake Hill across the line in the opener, and then the places were switched in race two.
In the reversed grid encounter, maiden winner George Gamble took his Ciceley Motorsport BMW to the win but fourth and a fifth for Colin Turkington (WSR BMW 330e M Sport) and Sutton meant that the two old foes have now truly launched their title campaigns.
Turkington has eclipsed Tom Ingram (Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N) at the head of the table while Sutton is up to third. The old hands are coming.
Race 1
Reigning champion Sutton knew that if his chance was to come to win his maiden race of the year, it would come early. While the BMWs all around him were likely to make strong starts, the German cars take time to get heat into the Goodyears. That is their weak spot.
Starting alongside poleman Hill, the Motorbase driver made a superb getaway to match the launch of the BMW ahead, but was in Hill’s wheeltracks going into Duffus Dip.
He wasn’t there for long. At the end of the opening tour, Sutton took a wider line into the hairpin and blasted alongside his rival cresting the rise on the start-finish line.
By the entry to Duffus Dip for the second time, the move was completed and he was in the lead. Hill chased hard and by the time his rubber had warmed
