BUTCHER DELIGHTED BY BTCC TROPHY DOUBLE
Amdtuning.com Honda Civic driver praises his team after impressive 2019 season
New British Touring Car Championship Independents Trophy winner Rory Butcher has praised the teamwork of the Amdtuning.com squad after clinching the crown by just two points in the final race at Brands Hatch on Sunday.
The Honda Civic Fk2-driving Scot, brother-in-law of threetime BTCC winner Gordon Shedden, clinched the accolade with a third place finish in the final encounter after fending off a race-long attack from
BTC Racing Honda FK8 of Josh Cook, who was his strongest championship rival.
Butcher, who is in his second full tin-top season and has won three races outright this term, also claimed the Jack Sears Trophy, which is awarded to drivers who had not had a podium before the start of 2019.
The 32-year-old said: “It was a bit of an uphill battle coming into Brands Hatch, but we just dug our nails in and it was great that it came down to that final race and it was between me and Josh. I am just blown away. It was an amazing year.
“For the team it means so much as well to achieve what they have done and it just has been a massive effort from everybody. We have got fantastic engineers, great team-mates and it is a collection of everyone’s efforts.”
Team boss Shaun Hollamby, whose squad also collected the Independents Teams’ spoils, added: “Next year we will come back stronger. That is the strange thing about motorsport, once you get the first win, you want more. You are never happy unless you are building towards the next win or title. My biggest thing I am happy about is being third in the teams’ championship because to finish behind Team Dynamics and WSR is quite something – they are teams I have huge respect for.”
Honda Yuasa Racing clinched the BTCC teams championship at Brands Hatch, while BMW fended off Honda to claim the manufacturers’ crown after the final round. Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes-benz A-class driver Adam Morgan won the Dunlop Forever Forward prize for the driver who had made up the most positions during 2019.