Rob Collard confident after strong weekend at Snetterton

West Surrey Racing’s Rob Collard leaves Snetterton celebrating a “fantastic” weekend for BMW with two podium finishes in his 125i M, and is just four points behind championship leader Gordon Shedden.

The 14-time winner is also just two points behind his team-mate Colin Turkington as the BTCC heads to WSR’s happy hunting ground of Knockhill in two weeks’ time.

Collard qualified tenth at Snetterton and moved up one spot to ninth in the race, while in the second race and with the success ballast loosened, he drove though the field up to second, but lost a position to team-mate Turkington late in the race.

In the final race, starting from sixth, he charged forward again, passing Shedden at Hamilton, before forced to cede back the position due to the yellow flags, which after team-mate Andrew Jordan’s retirement late in the race, could have meant a second victory of the season as well as the championship lead.

“(In Race 2) we had very little weight, and the soft tyre, and the car was stunning actually,” said Collard to TouringCarTimes. “It was a little disappointing not to get second in Race 2, we obviously dropped a place to Colin, but it’s still a fantastic result for BMW to be second and third.

“In Race 3, we made a cracking start. I thought I made a brilliant move on Gordon, but I didn’t see the yellow flag at the hairpin. I saw it at the exit, but I was in front at the point…so I had to concede the place and give it back to him.

After that I kept trying to pressure him, but he kept trying to back me up into Colin, but Colin didn’t have the pace when Gordon put his foot down.”

With a lap to go, Collard switched from attack to defence to keep his team-mate at bay, scoring key points in the championship as the BTCC heads to the rear-wheel drive favouring Knockhill circuit.

“I had to go a bit defensive on the last lap…I thought I’d just do the right thing and protect my second place, and that’s what we did and brought the car home for another BMW double podium.

“We go to Knockhill with a lot of confidence,” he added. “Last year it was a bit of a bogey circuit for me; I’ve had podiums there for many years, and more wins than any other BTCC driver there, so it was actually ironic I was taken out by Colin last year when I was running in second, so let’s hope there’s no repeat of that and we can get a good strong three races.”