Motorbase Performance's Rory Butcher claims British Touring Car Championship win and there's a podium for Kent's Jake Hill
06:00, 31 August 2020
updated: 08:49, 31 August 2020
Rory Butcher clinched victory for Kent team Motorbase Performance in the British Touring Car Championship at Knockhill.
There was plenty of drama in Sunday’s final race, which was red flagged after a crash involving fellow Motorbase driver Ollie Jackson, but Butcher build a sizeable lead from the restart to take the chequered flag.
Scottish racer Butcher had started second on the grid in race three. A great start saw him lead on lap one but an incident at the chicane ended Jackson’s race and the red flag meant a restart.
While Jackson underwent precautionary checks at the medical centre, Butcher once again led the way in his home race to claim a second win of the season. He sits third in the driver standings.
The rear-right wheel of Jackson’s Ford Focus had locked, leading to a spin into oncoming traffic, and while he came away relatively unscathed, race rival Mike Bushell dislocated his shoulder as well as suffering ligament damage to his wrist.
Butcher’s previous win at Oulton Park came when on-track victor Josh Cook was later excluded from the result after his car failed a post-race ride height check. It meant promotion for the Motorbase driver but he was glad to have won under his own steam this time around.
He said: “I felt after Oulton, Josh drove so well in that race and I got handed the win; I didn’t want to take my first victory in the new car in that way. So to do what we just did there on home ground has made up for it.
“I’ve been getting superb starts this year, doing a lot of studying into how to launch the car best and I was confident going into that race that I could lead going into turn one.
“We’ve won on-the-road and I’m so proud.”
The 33-year-old had lined up sixth on the grid for race one after qualifying and made a solid start to the weekend racing with a fifth-placed finish. Andy Neate’s race was over following an incident during the safety car period which had seen him receive contact from James Gornall.
Ollie Jackson, starting 21st, made up five places to finish in 15th.
Third on the podium was Kent’s Jake Hill, bringing in his Honda Civic in behind race winner Ashley Sutton and second placed driver Colin Turkington.
The Motorbase team worked hard to get Neate out for race two following his collision. Gornall was officially reprimanded after the race one incident, fined the sum of £500 and had his license endorsed by the addition of three penalty points.
Butcher made a good start in the second race, starting in P5, but came off worse following a move on Hill and dropped to 13th.
Neate ended up with another DNF after an off in the gravel while Jackson took 13th and Butcher climbed his way back up to 10th.
Broadstairs racer Michael Crees took two 17th place finishes and a 16th.
Finishing just outside of the points, Crees’ 16th place spot in the final contest of the weekend saw him claim the Jack Sears Trophy class win – extending his advantage at the top of the class standings to a comfortable 14 point lead.
Crees said: “After a tough weekend, we’ve come away having extended our lead in the Jack Sears Trophy. So all-in-all it’s not a bad result."
Maidstone’s Team HARD weren’t able to compete following incidents in the previous round at Oulton Park.
Driver Ollie Brown withdrew on medical grounds after sustaining a hairline fracture of the rib in an incident with Nicolas Hamilton and Stephen Jelly on lap 10. Hamilton’s car sustained substantial chassis damage during the incident and it couldn’t be fixed in time.
The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship now enjoys a three-week break before resuming at Thruxton on September 19/20.
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