BTCC @ BRANDS HATCH // TURKINGTON IN THREE WAY FIGHT

Colin Turkington heads to Brands Hatch this weekend knowing that with three solid points paying race finishes the 2009 crown should be his. The 27 year old from Northern Ireland who has led the series since June takes a 13 point advantage into the final three races of the season around the legendary Brands Hatch GP circuit. The three way title fight will be the one of the closest championship deciders in the series history with reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi and 2001 champion Jason Plato both still in the running. Should the man from Newry, County Down succeed aboard his Team RAC West Surry Racing BMW it will mark the first time a rear wheel drive car has taken the championship since 1993 which saw "Smokin" Jo Winklehock triumph, again in a 3 series BMW.

Turkington who began his race career in Karts told BTCC.net: " I am just going to take it one race at a time, we should be able to qualify nearer the front than at Rockingham and the fast to mid-speed corners of the GP should suit us quite well". West Surrey Racing, the team that have helped the RAC backed car make leaps and bounds in the last two seasons, have plenty of title credentials with team boss Dick Bennetts, who famously oversaw title winning British F3 drivers including the late Ayrton Senna before turning his skills to tin tops... [read more]

With 45 points on offer for the three race wins Italian Fabrizio Giovanardi knows he still has a major part to play come Sunday. The multiple touring car champion is no stranger to pressure and believes he can still make it three back to back BTCC titles. Giovanardi who will be making his last appearance for the "Works" VXR Vauxhall squad as they are leaving the series has not driven the full GP circuit at Brands since his days in FIA F3000 almost 20 years ago.

Hoping to, as usual, "through a spanner" in the works will be 2001 BTCC champion Jason Plato who has a distant chance of claiming his 2nd crown. Plato's RML Chevrolet Lacetti has been the car to beat at the last few meetings and should go well over the open expanses of the GP loop. Plato said "Colin should go for the wins, you can't just drive for points in these situations as anything can happen". He added "If Colin sees me in his rear view mirror he knows I have nothing to lose and as usual I will be driving hard"

With the weather over in the UK at this time of year pretty unpredictable Sunday's races may become even more exciting than usual. CTD's tip for the title is Turkington, given that he has matured into a much better all round racer than a few years ago and has recent experience with the WSR BMW around the GP circuit when they were a "wild card" entry at the WTCC meeting there in 2008, but in this sport anything can and usually does happen! Remember Silverstone in 1992 and those last infamous few laps!

Photo/Editorial: Neil Tozer