Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images
Tom Chilton made full use of reversed-grid pole position to lead all the way for victory in the final British Touring Car Championship race of the day at Croft.
While Chilton made hay in his Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N Fastback, he did appear to be under threat for a long period of the race from the trio behind.
Dan Cammish had worked his Alliance Racing Ford Focus ST into second place on lap two, while championship leader Tom Ingram came through to third in his Excelr8 Hyundai.
In turn, a fired-up Colin Turkington, who started nine on the grid, was homing in at the wheel of his West Surrey Racing BMW 330e M Sport.
Turkington appeared to be the fastest of the quartet, despite Cammish setting fastest lap, and made a brave move on Ingram on the ninth lap.
They ran side-by-side through the Jim Clark Esses and were still alongside each other at the fast Barcroft right-hander, with Turkington marginally ahead but on the outside.
Contact between the Hyundai and the BMW fired Turkington into the barrier, although remarkably he extricated the battered machine and continued to finish 17th.
Turkington hit the barrier after contact with Ingram
Photo by: JEP/Motorsport Images
That appeared to take the sting out of the contest, and Chilton was able to maintain his margin to Cammish to win by 1.504 seconds. In turn, Cammish kept at bay Ingram, whose points lead over Jake Hill has extended to 21.
Hill was one of the stars of the race. After his removal from contention from race two by contact with Chilton, he started from 16th on the grid, but scythed his way up the order to fifth.
Over the closing laps Hill put massive pressure on the Alliance Ford of reigning champion Ash Sutton, who held on for fourth.
Rob Huff completed the top six in his Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Corolla GR Sport ahead of the sister car of Josh Cook, while Dan Rowbottom claimed eighth in his Alliance Ford.
Adam Morgan ended a disappointing weekend on an upturn with ninth in his WSR BMW, while Daryl DeLeon finished 10th in his Unlimited Motorsport Cupra, but a penalty for a false start lifted Ronan Pearson (Excelr8 Hyundai) to that position.
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Source: Autosport