Colin Turkington confident of strong start

Colin Turkington says he feels confident about his chances when the new BTCC season kicks off this weekend at Brands Hatch.

The WSR driver goes into the new season aiming to go one better than in 2017, when he finished as runner-up to Ash Sutton after a dramatic season finale on the longer Brands GP loop.

Turkington arrives at Brands Hatch on the back of a solid winter testing programme at the wheel of his BMW 125i M Sport and will hope for better fortune than twelve months ago when a start-line accident in the opening race put him immediately on the back foot.

Having shown the pace in the car in the way in which he fought back for a podium finish last year, Turkington will now seek to secure three strong results to kick-start his campaign as he bids to lift the title for a third time.

“We had a competitive car here last year and even though I suffered some terrible luck in race one, we turned it around for a podium in race three,” he said. “Based on our recent test results I’m confident we wont be too far away this time around and I’ll be aiming for three consistent top ten finishes.

“Success in the BTCC requires a melting pot of many things and I believe the consistency with Team BMW and West Surrey Racing are two of the key ingredients.

“There’s a long season ahead and I’m sure we’ll all face our fair share of challenges throughout the year, but the aim is to arrive at the season finale with a shot at the title.”