BTCC 2021: Turkington takes milestone win at Knockhill

Sutton and Turkington

Four-time champion scores WSR's 100th win; title rivals Ash Sutton and Tom Ingram also score victories

Four-time champion Colin Turkington scored West Surrey Racing's 100th British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) race win at Knockhill, before Ash Sutton claimed victory in the second race to bolster his bid for back-to-back titles.

BMW driver Turkington qualified on pole and dominated the opening race at the Scottish track but couldn't resist the charging Laser Tools Racing Infiniti Q50 driver Sutton in the second outing.

ExcelR8 Hyundai i30 Fasback N racer Tom Ingram won the third race to bolster his title bid.

*BMW's return to form*

Perennial championship frontrunner Turkington has struggled in the last two events, with a best result of eighth from the six races at Brands Hatch and Oulton Park. But the BMW 330i M Sport racer was back on top form at Knockhill, claiming pole position and quickly pulling clear of his rivals to take a comfortable win in the opening race.

The win was Turkington's 57th, but more significantly was the 100th BTCC success for West Surrey Racing, which has been competing in the championship since 1996, when it ran the works Ford team.

Will Hoy claimed WSR's first BTCC win in a Mondeo at Silverstone in 1998, and 75 of the teams successes have come with BMWs of various forms.

Senna Proctor was second ahead of his BTC Racing Honda Civic Type R team-mate Josh Cook.

*Sutton keeps on charging*

Sutton is one of the most dynamic and combative drivers in the BTCC, and he put in a typically dashing performance at Knockhill. Having fought his way through the field to claim fourth in race one despite running on maximum success ballast, the two-time champion quickly moved up to second behind Turkington in the second outing.

The pair had a brilliant scrap, with Sutton constantly pressuring Turkington on the undulating circuit. The fight was ultimately decided when Turkington ran briefly wide, allowing Sutton through. The result boosted Sutton's lead in the championship.

Turkington held onto second and a welcome haul of points, ahead of Jake Hill (MB Motorsport Ford Focus), Cook and Team Dynamics Honda Civic Type R racer Gordon Shedden.

*Ingram keeps up the pressure*

Ingram has entered the weekend just a point adrift of Sutton in the standings but had lost ground after 10th and sixth-place finishes in the first two races. But he scored a vital win in the final race of the day - and in brilliant fashion.

The Hyundai man started the reverse grid fourth and worked his way past Proctor and Jason Plato (Power Maxed Vauxhall Astra) to run second behind BMW's Stephen Jelley. Ingram them pulled off an inspired pass at Knockhill's tight hairpin to grab the win.

Proctor also worked past Jelley to claim second, while Sutton and Turkington finished fifth and ninth respectively.

Ingram's win meant he's now 14 points behind Sutton in the championship race, with Turkington a further 20 points back.

The next round is at Thruxton in Hampshire on 29 August.

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