Photo: PSP Images

Turkington wins second BMW Sports Trophy

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BTCC champion Colin Turkington was last night presented with his second BMW Sports Trophy title at the BMW Motorsport awards ceremony in Munich. The Northern Irish driver, who was presented with his award and a cheque for 30,000 Euros by BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, said that the award was “the perfect end to what has been a very successful season for me.”

The title is added to the BMW Sports Trophy Turkington collected in 2007, though this year’s award came as a result of winning the overall BTCC title for the first time in the 27-year-old’s career. With 610 points, Turkington held of the challenges of 2004 BMW Sports Trophy winner Richard Göransson and fellow Swedish Touring Car Championship driver Thed Björk, who finished second and third respectively.

“Winning the BMW Sports Trophy is the perfect end to what has been a very successful season for me”, said the Team RAC driver, “BMW offers great support to us privateers, and I am pleased to be able to say thank you this year with the BTCC title.”

“The BMW Sports Trophy is becoming more and more popular,” said Theissen at the award ceremony in Munich’s “Kesselhaus” venue.

“This year 198 drivers from 24 countries scored points towards the overall standings in 29 international racing series. As in 2007, Colin Turkington came through to win the trophy. His performance deserves the utmost respect: thanks to him a BMW driver has won the British Touring Car Championship for the first time since Joachim Winkelhock last achieved this feat 16 years ago.

“I would like to say a big thank you to all participants in the BMW Sports Trophy. Their performances in a diverse range of racing series around the world make them the best possible ambassadors to demonstrate the capability of our cars.”

Runner-up Göransson also left Munich better off, with a cheque for 25,000 Euros thanks to his fourth place in the STCC in a WestCoast Racing run BMW 320si E90 as well as successful outings in the VLN Endurance Championship that left him with 488 points in the BMW Sports Trophy.

Despite finishing above Göransson in the end-of-season STCC standings, Björk finished one place lower in the BMW competition, but had the consolation of 21,000 Euros after collecting 465 points in the Trophy.