Collard takes first win for Airwaves BMW

Rob Collard gave the Airwaves BMW team their first ever BTCC win, squeezing past Colin Turkington to give the Motorbase team victory at their home circuit in the second race of the new season. Turkington followed Collard home to take his second podium of the day, with race one winner Matt Neal coming home third, inheriting the position after a puncture struck team mate Fabrizio Giovanardi.

“Finally it’s happened. My first win in four years, the team’s first ever win and on home ground – what a result!” said Collard, amid wild celebrations in the pit lane from his Airwaves BMW team.

The Motorbase driver made a great start to the race, leaping from fourth to second behind Turkington as pole man Neal bogged down on the start line.

Collard followed the Team RAC BMW for much of the race, before nosing down the inside of the race leader at Druids on the penultimate lap, to ease him out of the way and set up his first BTCC victory for four years.

Behind the sparring duo came Neal, who was promoted to third when Giovanardi slowed suddenly on the Cooper Straight with a left-front puncture. The Italian immediately pitted for repairs, but with only five laps remaining the 2008 champion could only finish in 16th position, one lap down.

Turkington’s West Surrey Racing teammate Stephen Jelley came home in a career best fourth place, despite having visited the gravel at Clark early in the race while fending off Giovanardi, while Andrew Jordan and Gordon Shedden rounded out the top six, with strong drives from the tail end of the grid.

The Cartridge World Carbon Zero Racing pairing of Adam Jones and Dan Eaves were 7th and 8th, the second Airwaves BMW of Jonathan Adam in 9th, with Jason Plato’s Lacetti behind them in tenth, good enough for him to pick up pole for the reverse grid third race, even after a mid-race off following contact with Shedden.

Stay tuned for the third race of the day.