James Nash wins the independents’ Championship

Triple Eight Race Engineering’s James Nash has won the 2011 British Touring Car Championship’s independents drivers’ Championship with two races remaining after title rival Mat Jackson picked up a puncture whilst battling for the win with Matt Neal.

Nash’s seventh independents’ class victory of the season was enough to secure the 25-year-old the title, now on 268 points with a 32 point lead over Jackson with 30 points available in the final two rounds.

“Yeah, I’m really happy,” said Nash to TouringCarTimes. “Mat Jackson obviously went out to win the main Championship against the might of the Hondas I think was a bit daft, he should have gone for the independents’ Championship that he could have got and played it a bit more safe.”

“(We’ve) just got to work on the (independent) teams’ Championship now to get Triple Eight Champions in that one and go for third in the main Championship as well.

Nash is now up to fourth place in the overall standings on 191 points, though will need to win at least one of the remaining two races and finish second in the other whilst setting the fastest lap in both races with Plato not scoring to take third from the Chevrolet driver.