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Jake Hill dominates Super Touring Power 2 at Brands Hatch before Nissan Primera withdrawn

08:28, 02 July 2024

updated: 10:33, 07 July 2024

Jake Hill was on course to repeat last year's clean sweep of Super Touring Power victories at Brands Hatch before his car was withdrawn from the event.

The current British Touring Car Championship leader, 30, won both races on Saturday aboard Laurent Aiello's 1999 title-winning Nissan Primera, owned by Essex-based Richard Wheeler.

Hill, piloting the ex-Laurent Aiello Nissan Primera, enjoyed a close battle with tin-top favourite Steve Soper in the first Super Touring race on Saturday. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Hill, piloting the ex-Laurent Aiello Nissan Primera, enjoyed a close battle with tin-top favourite Steve Soper in the first Super Touring race on Saturday. Picture: Simon Hildrew

But Hill, of Platts Heath, was unable to compete on Sunday after Wheeler decided to pull his cars from the meeting following a heavy crash with touring car legend Steve Soper in the first race.

Wheeler received two penalty points on his licence after officials found he was "predominantly at fault" for the clash at the exit of Druids, which left both drivers with bruising.

Hill, who scored four victories at last year's event, said he was "sorry to all the fans" who attended on Sunday but "unfortunately it was out of my control".

He comfortably claimed pole position by 2.8sec on Saturday and enjoyed a close battle with Soper in race one after deciding "not to go off into the distance".

As the two ran together, Wheeler closed in aboard his Primera - the sister car to Hill's - but collided with Soper's Italian championship BMW E36 M3 on the final lap.

Hill scored two Super Touring wins on Saturday, but sat on Sunday’s races after his car was withdrawn by owner Richard Wheeler. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Hill scored two Super Touring wins on Saturday, but sat on Sunday’s races after his car was withdrawn by owner Richard Wheeler. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Richard Wheeler's ex-David Leslie Nissan Primera after his clash with Steve Soper. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Richard Wheeler's ex-David Leslie Nissan Primera after his clash with Steve Soper. Picture: Simon Hildrew

Soper bounced off the tyre wall and swiped Wheeler's ex-David Leslie machine, causing extensive damage to both cars.

The race was red flagged with Hill declared the winner ahead of Jason Hughes (Vauxhall Vectra) and Alex Morgan (Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch).

"I wanted the fans to enjoy it - everyone came to see the Super Tourers race door to door and that's what we wanted to give them," Hill said.

"We had a bit of fun and enjoyed it. Steve is a legend, a genuine superstar, so to race in these cars, and on this circuit, was just brilliant.

"In race two, I thought there may be a chance I wasn't going to necessarily get to drive it on Sunday, so I had a good proper go on the last lap just for my own personal satisfaction, and it was a nice way to end.

“I've now had six wins out of six in the Primera at this event, so it was another great day in the car.”

Hill leading the Super Touring pack before the start of Saturday’s second race. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Hill leading the Super Touring pack before the start of Saturday’s second race. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Vauxhall racers Jason Hughes and Alex Morgan were left to fight it out in Sunday’s first Super Touring contest following the withdrawal of Hill’s Primera. Morgan and Ford Mondeo racer AJ Owen won the races on day two, which were held on the Indy circuit. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Vauxhall racers Jason Hughes and Alex Morgan were left to fight it out in Sunday’s first Super Touring contest following the withdrawal of Hill’s Primera. Morgan and Ford Mondeo racer AJ Owen won the races on day two, which were held on the Indy circuit. Picture: Simon Hildrew

Hill, who met Aiello on Saturday afternoon, pulled clear of Hughes’s ex-Jason Plato Vectra to win race two by almost six seconds on the Grand Prix circuit, setting a new lap record of 1min 33.857sec.

He will now head to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex on July 11-14, driving a Ric Wood-prepared Calsonic Nissan Skyline R32 GTR in the timed shootout.

In the BTCC, Hill currently holds a four-point lead over former Ginetta rival Tom Ingram, but the championship is currently on its summer break.

"The tough part of the season starts after that," said Hill, who drives a Laser Tools-backed BMW 330e for West Surrey Racing.

"It's going to become really difficult and we've just got to keep our head down and stay focused."

In the support races, Bill Sollis, from Hildenborough, won both of Sunday’s Pre 66 contests in his Mini Cooper S. Picture: Simon Hildrew
In the support races, Bill Sollis, from Hildenborough, won both of Sunday’s Pre 66 contests in his Mini Cooper S. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Byron Aldous, from Cobham, took his VW Corrado to four class victories in the Pre 93 D category. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Byron Aldous, from Cobham, took his VW Corrado to four class victories in the Pre 93 D category. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Holden racer Alex Sidwell, from Sevenoaks, finished first, second and fourth in class in the Classic Thunder races. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Holden racer Alex Sidwell, from Sevenoaks, finished first, second and fourth in class in the Classic Thunder races. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Rod Birley, from West Kingsdown, handled a BMW E30 M3 in the Pre 93 races on Saturday. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Rod Birley, from West Kingsdown, handled a BMW E30 M3 in the Pre 93 races on Saturday. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Pat Kenneally, from Sheerness, retired from the second Pre 66 race on Saturday in his Lotus Cortina, with smoke pouring from his engine. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Pat Kenneally, from Sheerness, retired from the second Pre 66 race on Saturday in his Lotus Cortina, with smoke pouring from his engine. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Tunbridge Wells-born Charles Rainsford scored three Pre 83 race victories in his Ford Capri. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Tunbridge Wells-born Charles Rainsford scored three Pre 83 race victories in his Ford Capri. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Jake Swann, from Sheerness, finished first in the US class aboard his Chevrolet Camaro in the Bernie's V8s and Historic Outlaws races. Picture: Simon Hildrew
Jake Swann, from Sheerness, finished first in the US class aboard his Chevrolet Camaro in the Bernie's V8s and Historic Outlaws races. Picture: Simon Hildrew

The next BTCC round will be held at Croft in North Yorkshire on July 27-28, with the Brands Hatch Grand Prix loop hosting the season finale on October 5-6.

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