Andrew Jordan takes the crown in the first weekend of the BTCC 2014 Championship
By Jamie White – Head of Communications
Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan enjoyed a stellar start to his British Touring Car Championship title defence after scoring victories in the opening two rounds of the 2014 championship at Brands Hatch.
The reigning champion didn’t have it all his own way, however, as the eBay Motors BMW of Colin Turkington took the honours in the final thrilling encounter at the legendary Kent circuit.
Andrew said: “I knew I had the pace to stay in front as long as I didn’t make any mistakes. It’s another cracking result and one of the harder wins I’ve had to work for.”
Two podiums for MG KX Clubcard Fuel Save driver Jason Plato and promising results for Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal on the debut of the Honda Civic Tourer mean just nine points separate five drivers after the opening weekend.
Starting from pole position in races one and two, Jordan fended off separate challenges in each from two former champions. Plato’s MG6 kept the Honda Civic honest in the season opener, whilst Shedden’s Tourer latched on to Jordan’s title-winning Pirtek car in the second contest.
Despite growing pressure in each race, Jordan produced mature drives in both to take the wins and put himself in an early lead of the standings.
Neal claimed the first ever BTCC podium for an ‘estate’ style car when he hauled his all-new machine to third place in race one, whilst Ulsterman Turkington made the rostrum in the next race with a hard-fought third place.
The 2009 champion enjoyed an even better end to the weekend when he passed his BMW team-mates Rob Collard and Nick Foster to a claim victory in the final contest.
Old adversaries Neal and Plato eventually hustled their respective Honda and MG machines past Turkington’s two team-mates to complete the podium positions, ending an exciting opening day of the season. Plato set the fastest lap of the race along the way, but couldn’t quite manage to pass Neal’s Honda.
Matt said: “It’s the first time an estate car has scored a podium in the BTCC! We’ve really peppered the top step of the podium today but not quite made it there. To get three podiums from the Tourer in its first weekend is fantastic though.”
Jason said: “We were the quickest car on the soft tyres in the last race that’s for sure. I didn’t have weight on which helped me pick my way through the field, but it was great racing – really great! I actually wanted to have a go for the lead, but Matt knows how to drive a wide line and he does it very well. I like racing through the field like that – it’s good fun!”
Britain’s biggest and best championship now rolls on to Donington Park where the next three rounds take place over the Easter weekend (April 19/20).
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