eBay Motor’s Tom Onslow-Cole shone in the final qualifying
session of the year and took pole position for the team however couldn’t hold
on to his lead during the first race of the day. Matt Neal fought back from a
torrid weekend at Silverstone to take the first win, with championship
contenders Shedden and Plato finishing fifth and eighth respectively.
The new liveried KX Momentum MG wasn’t performing to its
highest standard in the damp conditions that at made their presence for the
finale, and struggled to make up places through the field.
Andrew Jordan clinched second place ahead of Tom
Onslow-Cole, with the Pirtek driver closing in on the Independent’s
Championship. A new driver making his debut with Team HARD at Brands Hatch was
Aaron Williamson, who in his first tin-top race, finished in fourteenth place
having had a good run through the field, staying out of trouble where it
mattered.
The second race of the day saw Gordon Shedden clinch the
2012 British Touring Car title – becoming the first Scotsman to take the title
since John Cleland in 1995. Andrew Jordan also wrapped up the Independent
Championship after Rob Collard retired after contact on the first lap, but was
aware that he needed to stay focussed to claim the Independent’s team title for
Pirtek Racing.
Aron Smith sails to his first BTCC victory in race two. Picture Credit: Marc Waller |
Not set on setting his stamp on the BTCC podium at
Silverstone, Redstone Racing’s Aron Smith had a spectacular race to claim his
first ever win in the championship.
At last: Gordon Shedden finally claims the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship crown. Picture Credit: Marc Waller |
Retirements from the race included Dan Welch, who suffered
from heavy damage after contact with Nick Foster. Dave Newsham was lucky to
escape terminal damage after a big shunt with the tyre wall coming out of
Druids. In an attempt to recover after a slide, Andy Neate collected Adam
Morgan during the race, with Tom Onslow-Cole and Aaron Williamson also becoming
innocent victims after trying to avoid the incident.
Race three saw another brand new winner to the championship,
with Dynojet’s Frank Wrathall taking to the top step of the podium. Anguish for
Mat Jackson saw him troubled with the same throttle issue that haunted him at
Silverstone, forcing him to pull over and retire from the race.
Delight: Frank Wrathall takes a maiden win for the family-run Dynojet team in race three. Picture Credit: Marc Waller |
With Jason Plato still struggling in the wet conditions that
continued at Brands Hatch, Matt Neal took the second place spot in the
standings, with Plato having to settle for third – a great result for a team
that started the year with only a fifteen minute shakedown session under their
belts.
Pirtek Racing secured the Independent’s Team’s Championship,
making it a good year all round for Honda. Honda Racing stomped to victory in
not only the driver’s championship, but also the manufacturers and team’s
championships.
After such an exciting season, the countdown now starts for
the 2013 season, which is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever before.
Honda Yuasa Racing celebrate their fantastic string of results. Photo Credit: Marc Waller |
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