Hill saves his best for last
Kent’s Jake Hill enjoyed another podium finish as the British Touring Car Championship continued at Brands Hatch on Sunday.
The Platt’s Heath charger, a winner at Donington last month, took second place in the final race for West Surrey Racing ROKiT MB Motorsport. Rain just minutes before the start of Sunday’s first race saw the majority of runners start on wet tyres. Launching from the front row, Hill entered the first corner side-by-side with WSR team-mate Colin Turkington.
A small error at Clearways allowed the Honda of Josh Cook to sneak through before a trip through the gravel relegated the Brit to fourth behind Cook, Tom Ingram and Dan Cammish of Wrothambased Motorbase NAPA Racing. A lightning start from fourth in race two saw Hill up to second before even reaching Paddock Hill Bend, which placed him on the rear bumper of Cook.
But too much kerb at Druids with two laps to go sent Hill into a spin - dropping him to seventh. Cook claimed his second win of the day just 0.2sec ahead of Cammish and Rory Butcher.
Lining up sixth for the final race, a sensational getaway allowed Hill to surge past Daniel Lloyd and George Gamble before the first corner and a number of decisive moves, including around the outside of Tom Chilton and Bobby Thompson, soon brought him up to second. Bunched back together following a late safety car,
Hill followed Turkington line astern to the finish to record his 20th career BTCC podium. Thompson completed the top three with Ash Sutton sixth and Cammish 10th. Motorbase’s two other drivers, Ollie Jackson and Sam Osborne, struggled with only Jackson scoring points with 14th in race two and 12th in race three.
Broadstairs’ Michael Crees (Vauxhall) was 12th in race one but a retirement in race two with a damaged roll-cage ended his weekend.
The championship resumes at Thruxton on May 28-29.