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Jessica Bäckman “hits her target” with Brands Hatch podium

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Jessica Bäckman has said she’s hit her 2018 TCR UK target after taking her first podium result in Race 2 at Brands Hatch, following championship leader Dan Lloyd across the line to complete a WestCoast Racing 1-2.

Bäckman took her best finish in Race 1 with fourth, while in Race 2 she worked her way past the BMR Honda of Josh Price and the Maximum Cupra of Carl Swift to take her first podium finish, while team-mate and older brother Andreas Bäckman came close to completing a top three lockout for the Swedish squad until he suffered a puncture.

“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. I’m so happy and already made my goal not so long into the season,” she said to TouringCarTimes.

“It was a shame as we nearly had a top three for WestCoast in the race, but Andreas got a flat tyre. I have to say thanks to Dan (Lloyd) who has really helped a lot, and if he wasn’t here I wouldn’t be so far up, and a big thanks to him and all the team.

“It was a quite a difficult race, as there were some drivers in front of me who weren’t really that quick, so at the start of the race I needed to overtake while the tyres were fresh. Once I got passed them i was able to build a gap.”