Colin Turkington grabs 60th BTCC win in Donington finale

Colin Turkington grabbed a 60th win in the British Touring Car Championship to remain in contention for for the title in the final race of the weekend at Donington Park.

The race kicked off with Turkington’s BMW on pole and he made the most of the starting prowess of the rear-wheel drive car to hold the lead into turn one ahead of Dan Rowbottom and Jake Hill.

The Northern Irishman was unable to build a lead however, as a clash between Carl Boardley and Sam Smelt exiting turn one saw Smelt’s Toyota turned into the Hyundai of Jack Butel – putting both out of the race.

On the restart in lap four, Turkington blasted away from the pack behind, with Rowbottom holding second until lap eleven when Hill managed to get ahead at McLeans.

Josh Cook then tried to follow through at Coppice but tagged Rowbottom’s car, which enabled Aiden Moffat to jump the pair on the run to the chicane.

There, Rowbottom dived back ahead of Cook, who was delayed enough to give Rory Butcher the chance to nip between the pair into fifth. Dan Lloyd’s Vauxhall would be close behind as he maintained his solid weekend, with a gap behind to Tom Ingram’s Hyundai.

Ingram had managed to jump ahead of Ash Sutton at the start but the extra weight on his car would cost him dear as a train of cars developed behind, with Sutton battling ahead at McLeans on lap twelve.

Stephen Jelley would also clear the Hyundai three laps later to grab ninth but out front it was the sister BMW of Turkington that was untroubled as he took his 60th career win from Hill and Moffat.

Butcher took fourth ahead of Cook thanks to a five second penalty for Rowbottom for a false start, with Lloyd picking up the same penalty but having enough in hand to just retain his place ahead of Sutton, Jelley and Ingram.

The end result means Sutton holds the points lead from Turkington going to the Brands Hatch finale, with five drivers still in contention for the title.