Jack Clarke “buzzing” after first podium result

Jack Clarke said he was “buzzing” after scoring his first ever BTCC podium in a drenched Brands Hatch finale, spending his post-race worrying that he would “wake up any minute”.

Clarke inherited the reverse-grid pole position after post race penalties pushed the Motorbase Performance driver in to tenth place and in a prime position for the final race.

Having lost the lead to Nick Foster off the start line, Clarke battled back, retaking the lead before valiantly trying to hold back the charging Gordon Shedden. Shedden eventually made his way past the Ford Focus, with Clarke holding on to second to take a popular first podium of his BTCC career.

“I’m buzzing, I don’t think anyone saw it coming,” Clarke told TouringCarTimes. “We pulled pole out the bag, it was wet, had it been dry I don’t think we’d have fared quite as well. We had a great car, everything fell really nicely in to place. I’m just really worried I’m going to wake up in a minute because we haven’t been here. To pull up in front of number two, to take second, actually get a trophy and all that is getting really realistic now. I’m just buzzing and I’m gonna get really drunk!

“It was tough, Gordon was really quick and I had to sort of concede it in the end because we were under threat. Third wasn’t too far down the road at this point and I wanted to get to the end, I wanted to get a podium.”

There was some confusion ahead of the final race as to who would be lining up on pole, with the debate over Jason Plato’s race two finishing position, and resulting starting position for race three, still being decided just 15 mintues before the lights went out.

“I didn’t know if we had pole or Foster was pole and I was 10th so as soon as I got it I was like this must mean something and I’ve got to go out and deliver. I just gave 110 per cent as opposed to the 100 per cent we’ve given all year, it was really good. I know this place in the wet, I’ve been here since I was a kid in the wet. I’ve won races here in the wet, I was like this could work. Really, really good news when the rain came down.

“I’m pretty confident we’ll be here next year, we’re working really hard. I’m more confident than I’ve ever been in October, beginning of next season. I’m looking at it – there’s a good way to end this season, but a great way to start next season. That’s how I want to look at it as I really want to be here next season.”