Sport   Other Sports   Touring Cars

British Touring Car Championship
Croft - Race 3 Report - 29/6/14

By MJP Media | 29 June 2014

Andrew Jordan wins the final race of the day from Croft. Colin Turkington still heads the Drivers' Championship however Gordon Shedden is only 5 points behind as the BTCC starts its summer break.

Andrew Jordan with Gordon Shedden (left) and Rob Collard (right)
Andrew Jordan with Gordon Shedden (left) and Rob Collard (right)

Shortly before the start of the final race of the day from Croft it was announced that Matt Neal had been excluded from the results of the second race for failing a ride height check and would have to start race three from the back of the grid. It was also announced that Jason Plato had received a 10 place grid penalty for his move in race two that sent Alain Menu off into the barriers. With Neal's penalty, the reverse grid for the final race saw Jack Goff in pole position for RCIB Insurance Racing with Fabrizio Giovanardi 2nd. Tom Ingram started on row 2 alongside Sam Tordoff with Mat Jackson and Andrew Jordan on row 3.

Jack Goff got a good start to the race in his Vauxhall Insignia as did Tom Ingram in the Speedworks Toyota Avensis, passing Fabrizio Giovanardi's Airwaves Racing Ford Focus ST. Giovanardi then took the lead as both Goff and Ingram fell off the track. Goff managed to keep going but for Ingram, the race was over. Giovanardi suffered extensive front end damage as he spun off the track. After an action-packed first lap, Andrew Jordan was now in the lead with Goff 2nd. Rob Collard was now running 3rd having started 7th on the grid.

Andrew Jordan in his Pirtek Racing Honda Civic
Andrew Jordan in his Pirtek Racing Honda Civic

After a brief period under Safety Car conditions, racing resumed but the damage to Fabrizio Giovanardi's car meant he was unable to continue and he retired a couple of laps later. By now, Rob Collard was chasing Jack Goff for 2nd place but Goff was defending his position well. Meanwhile, Matt Neal was swiftly making his way up from the back of the field when contact between Warren Scott's Vauxhall Insignia, Rob Austin's Audi A4 and Neal's Honda Civic Tourer sent all three into the gravel trap with only Warren Scott managing to continue in the race.

Disaster struck Colin Turkington on lap 8 when he was forced to retire his eBay Motors BMW 125i M Sport with clutch problems while at the front of the field, Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan was extending his lead over Jack Goff who was coming under increasing pressure from Rob Collard. Goff lost 2 places on lap 11 after being passed by Collard and Mat Jackson. He lost another place to Gordon Shedden on lap 13, dropping to 5th place ahead of Adam Morgan in the WIX Racing Mercedes Benz A-Class.

Gordon Shedden chasing Mat Jackson for 3rd place
Gordon Shedden chasing Mat Jackson for 3rd place

In the closing laps, Honda Yuasa Racing's Gordon Shedden was chasing Mat Jackson for 3rd place, eventually taking the position on the penultimate lap. The race victory went to reigning BTCC champion Andrew Jordan with Rob Collard 2nd, Gordon Shedden 3rd, Mat Jackson 4th, Adam Morgan 5th and Jack Goff 6th.

At the half way point in the 2014 BTCC season, Colin Turkington still leads the championship however Gordon Shedden is now only 5 points adrift with Andrew Jordan 3rd, Jason Plato 4th and Rob Collard 5th. The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship now takes its summer break and will return to action at Snetterton in Norfolk on the weekend of August 2nd and 3rd. If the second half of the season is anything like the first, we're in for some fantastic racing from Britain's premier motor sport series.

Touring Car content supplied by MJP Media

Olympus Camera

A VIEW FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT

A regular account of life in the British Touring Car Championship from the driver's point of view


The highs and lows of touring car racing - all in 24 hours! The highs and lows of touring car racing - all in 24 hours!
In just 24 hours at Oulton Park we went from a truly fantastic high to a gut wrenching low - and all of this in less than 1 lap of the picturesque Cheshire circuit!


Oulton Park - here we come! Oulton Park - here we come!
Aiden Moffat can't wait to race at Oulton Park this weekend and looks forward to developing the car and building on the team's performance from the first three races of the season.


Thruxton - the fastest track on the calendar Thruxton - the fastest track on the calendar
Thruxton - the fastest track on the calendar and I can't wait to put things right after last time.


Donington Park - a step forward, but we are not getting carried away! Donington Park - a step forward, but we are not getting carried away!
Aiden Moffat looks back at the Donington Park meeting which was affected by rain and other outside influences.


It's back to Donington Park for the second time in a month! It's back to Donington Park for the second time in a month!
After the hectic time at Media Day where we had to launch the team, the sponsors and the car itself, it's back to Donington Park in anger this weekend.


We came to Brands Hatch with a plan... We came to Brands Hatch with a plan...
Aiden Moffat looks back at the first meeting of the 2014 BTCC season and looks forward to Donington Park.

 


TOURING CARS - LATEST NEWS

Race reports and previews from the British Touring Car Championship plus British interests in other international Touring Car series


BTCC - Croft - Race 3 Report - 29/6/14 BTCC - Croft - Race 3 Report - 29/6/14
Andrew Jordan wins the final race of the day from Croft. Colin Turkington still heads the Drivers' Championship however Gordon Shedden is only 5 points behind as the BTCC starts its summer break.


BTCC - Croft - Race 2 Report - 29/6/14 BTCC - Croft - Race 2 Report - 29/6/14
Colin Turkington takes another victory at Croft with a second outstanding performance for eBay Motors.


BTCC - Croft - Race 1 Report - 29/6/14 BTCC - Croft - Race 1 Report - 29/6/14
Colin Turkington dominates the first race from Croft with a lights-to-flag victory for eBay Motors.


BTCC - Croft - Qualifying - 28/6/14 BTCC - Croft - Qualifying - 28/6/14
Colin Turkington takes pole position for eBay Motors in the qualifying session from Croft and will start the first race tomorrow on the front row of the grid alongside Jason Plato.


BTCC - Croft - Free Practice - 28/6/14 BTCC - Croft - Free Practice - 28/6/14
Colin Turkington and Sam Tordoff top the time sheets in the free practice sessions at Croft.


BTCC - Croft Preview - WIN TICKETS! BTCC - Croft Preview - WIN TICKETS!
Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire is the venue for the next meeting of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship on June 28th and 29th.