Photo: PSP Images

Stephen Jelley “ecstatic” after inheriting maiden Team Parker win

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Stephen Jelley admitted he was ecstatic after securing a maiden win for Team Parker in the BTCC after Jake Hill was hit with a penalty in race three.

Jelley had crossed the line in second spot behind the Trade Price Cars Racing Audi but then inherited his third career victory after Hill was hit with a time penalty for the contact that saw Matt Neal dramatically spin out of the lead.

It marked a first success for Jelley since Rockingham 2009 although he admitted there were mixed emotions over the nature of the success.

“Jake’s dad has just given me the trophy and whilst I’m ecstatic inside, that meant a lot to Jake and Simon,” he said. “It means a lot to me too and of course I’ll take the win, but I appreciate the huge disappointment that they’ll be feeling right now and I understand what it will be like – it’s horrible.

“However, on the other side, Team Parker had never won a BTCC race before and now they have done. To get that having started the day 17th on the grid in race one is fantastic, and hopefully it won’t be the last victory we are able to secure.”

Having been one of the cars running just behind the fight for the lead prior to the contact between Hill and Neal, Jelley admitted he hadn’t been aware of exactly what had happened between the pair having come through the smoke that enveloped the circuit unscathed to suddenly find himself running in third spot.

“I didn’t see anything of what happened with Jake and Matt, there was just a load of smoke and a Honda doing the rounds,” he said. “I was going to go the right and then Matt drifted back towards the track and I just jumped on the brakes because I’ve got a wife and kids at home – I wasn’t just flying into that smoke! It’s great when you watch racing on TV and they have a spotter in their ear to guide them but we don’t have that!”

Jelley’s success with the older BMW 125i M Sport meant a single manufacturer took wins with two different models for the first time since Silverstone 2005, when Tom Chilton and Gareth Howell took wins in a Honda Civic Type R and a Honda Integra respectively.