BTCC: Tordoff, Cook & Cammish Victorious at Thruxton

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Craig Brewer
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The British Touring Car Championship produced another great showing for fans at Thruxton. Image sourced from btcc.net

The trio of Sam Tordoff, Josh Cook and Dan Cammish all claimed victories at the British Touring Car Championship returned to Thruxton.

Tordoff Starts The Day With Top Honours

 

Race One Winner Sam Tordoff on the podium at Thruxton. Image sourced from btcc.net

Tordoff described his victory as ‘redemption’, after failing to do the same earlier in the season:

“I’m relieved as that’s probably long-overdue,” Tordoff said after the race.

“A bit of redemption after what happened here a few months ago. It was one of the longest 16-lap races I’ve done!”

Whilst Tordoff remained untroubled, his fellow front row starter Jason Plato fell foul of the rules once again. The former champion was handed a drive-through penalty when he was found to have started the race out of position.

The TV cameras showed that Plato’s Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall was ahead of his grid box. Consequently, his challenge for the lead was over before it began, despite a thrilling side-by-side run down to the complex on the opening lap.

As the drama unfolded at the front, fans were treated to an excellent battle between the BMW’s Andrew Jordan and Colin Turkington and the Subaru of Ash Sutton.

The trio touched and swapped positions around the fast sweeper, though the BMW’s pace was short lived, with the pair finishing in 12th and 13th.

Cammish & Morgan Best of the Rest

Dan Cammish put in a sterling effort to finish in second ahead of Adam Morgan, who stood on the podium for the first time since the Brands Hatch opener.

Josh Cook took fourth place, with just a second separating the trio of them at the finish line.

Tordoff’s team mate Rory Butcher finished in seventh, behind Team BMW’s Tom Oliphant and Power Maxed Racing’s Rob Collard.

This was in spite of some late drama as Chris Smiley went wide at the final chicane and clattered into Butcher’s Honda.

Matt Neal came home in eighth with Sutton and Smiley rounding out the top ten.

Cook Comes Good in Race Two

Josh Cook got the better of Sam Tordoff and Adam Morgan in Race Two at Thruxton. Image sourced from btcc.net

The second race at Thruxton saw Josh Cook claim victory with what can only be described as the overtake of season.

Race One winner Sam Tordoff led, Adam Morgan and Cook looming behind him. As Morgan went to the inside of Tordoff after exiting Church, Cook saw an opportunity and slipped round the outside.

As they ran down to the final chicane, neither driver budged and somehow, all three cars made it through without contact.

As they exited the corner, Cook come out with the lead and went on to win by over two seconds. Morgan who achieve his second podium of the day in second place

Speaking after the race, Cook was ecstatic with the victory: “That went to plan! It was a bit hairy at the start and the overtake into the chicane was too!”

“I was clear of Sam [Tordoff] and had to out-brake Adam [Morgan]. I was on the outside and had to brake as late as I dared and made it stick.”

Neal Beats Oliphant to the Podium

The battle for third that followed became too much for Tordoff and by Lap 11, the pressure got to him as he dropped down the field.

As a result, Tordoff would eventually bring the car home in tenth.

Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal took the final spot on the podium, pipping Tom Oliphant by just 0.080 seconds.

Behind them, Dan Cammish finished in fifth after a rather poor getaway from the front, ahead of Rob Collard. Tom Ingram was a rather anonymous eighth, sandwiching title rivals Andrew Jordan and Colin Turkington.

Toyota’s Tom Ingram and the BMW of Colin Turkington battle for position during the second BTCC race at Thruxton. Image sourced from btcc.net

Cammish Holds His Nerves in Changeable Conditions

Dan Cammish ended the day with an impressive victory in the wet at Thruxton. Image sourced from btcc.net

Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish put his poor start in Race Two previous behind him as he lined up at the front row for the reverse grid race.

His first win of the season didn’t look likely as he fell to third at the start, with Rob Collard leading the pack. Tom Oliphant also produced a sensational start to move into second.

Midway through the sixteen lap race, Cammish slipped ahead of Oliphant into second before the much anticipated rain began to fall.

On Lap 11, Collard’s Astra had a moment through Church and dropped a wheel onto the grass. With the loss of momentum he was a sitting duck at the final chicane and Cammish threw his Honda around the outside and into the lead.

Cammish then managed to keep his car on the tarmac and take the chequered flag.

“A few hours ago I thought this was never going to happen,” said Cammish.

“We dug deep all day today, worked hard on the car in qualifying and we’ve chased the car all day today! Rob [Collard] was good on the brakes, where we usually are, so it made it doubly tough.

Cammish added: “When the rain started coming down, I was thinking ‘do not drop this’. I wanted to know from the team just how much rain was coming down, and to do it with 30kgs on-board – that’s even better.”

“My best ever weekend with first, second and fifth. The last lap was an ice rink, but Rob had it all on trying to keep it on the road himself!

Collard & Neal On Podium as Plato Fights Back

Collard held on to second, with Matt Neal joined team-mate Cammish on the podium in third.

Adam Morgan can be satisfied with his form for Ciceley Motorsport after rounding off the day in an impressive fourth.

Elsewhere, Jason Plato fought hard from 13th to fifth, still hunting his first win of the season.

Race two winner Josh Cook came home in sixth, while Oliphant struggled in the conditions. He couldn’t podium spot and eventually finished seventh ahead of Tom Ingram.

The Team Toyota GB driver managed to take eighth after an exhilarating duel with Adrian Flux Subaru Racing’s Ash Sutton.

Andrew Jordan rounded out the top ten, once again pipping Colin Turkington, who ended a different weekend in 13th. As a result, Turkington gap at the top of the championship table has been reduced even further.

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