Three top 10 results, the Jack Sears Trophy Won and technical difficulties across tricky wet conditions on the circuit; the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this weekend down at Brands Hatch had it all!
Adam and George had to keep their wits about them when the first race of the weekend arrived as an unexpected downpour created a new challenge for the grid. Despite this and an additional hurdle in the guise of the new hybrid system malfunctioning, Adam still qualified an outstanding fourth fastest and George a hugely impressive seventh in his second-ever BTCC qualifying session.
Race one got underway, and the wet conditions added a new element to the first bout for both Adam Morgan and George Gamble who got to battle it out through the opening race. Both finished in points and with great fortune brought both their cars back in one piece. Adam solidly secured place 6 with George snatching place 14.
“It was really slippy,” remarked Adam after the opening race. “The track was changing constantly and that was our first time in the wet with this set up so I’m quite happy overall.”
Said George: “It was my first time in the wet and I made a good start but then got caught up in traffic and I couldn’t get through and got roughed up a bit! That was a bit of a welcome to touring car racing I think, but the car felt good.”
George had to take race two alone as the mechanics were hard at work trying to correct a technical problem with Adam’s vehicle. George upheld the team’s honour, keeping his head down and blasted from 14th to ninth to secure a top 10 finish in greasy conditions once again.
“I made a good start again and then the pace tailed off a bit, but some more rain came and that helped us find pace. In the end, though, the rear tyres seemed to drop away and that made it difficult towards the end, but I gained places and it was all good experience,” he said.
For the final race, broadcast to a live ITV1 audience, George started fourth on the reversed grid with Adam 28th and last. Both charged into battle, with Adam picking off the traffic ahead and caught the similar BMW 330e M Sport of Stephen Jelley on the line, missing 13th place by just six-hundredths of a second. In doing so, Adam incredibly overtook 14 cars! George ran fourth early on with a gaggle of front-wheel drive cars around him and eventually the traction that they boasted allowed them to move ahead of him, seventh place being his reward, along with the Jack Sears Trophy win for the weekend.
“That was an enjoyable race,” said Adam, “because it showed what we are capable of and how good the car is. Missing race two was obviously disappointing and as it affected the race three grid it was always going to be tough, but the car was mega in the last race. I’m feeling really positive about things.”
Adam lies eighth in the championship standings, with George ninth and Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport is fourth in the BTCC Teams Championship. The Independents Championship has George second and Adam fourth, with Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport second in the Independent Teams title race. The Jack Sears Trophy, for drivers who hadn’t scored an overall podium result before this season, is led by George after three JST wins thus far.
The next three races in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship are at Thruxton, Hampshire, on May 28/29, with qualifying on Saturday shown on itv.com and the raceday action live on ITV4.