The Motorbase Ford team is back in the hunt for the British Touring Car Championship after Matt Jackson’s Focus dominated round 9 of the series at Thruxton.
The team, the dominant force in the BTCC during the second half of 2015, leaves the Hampshire circuit with its first two victories of the season, Jackson’s team-mate Andy Jordan having triumphed in the second race of the day.
Pole-sitter Andy Welch, promoted to the top spot by the reverse grid draw, predicted that his Proton Persona would be passed before the first corner, and fellow front-row man Jackson duly obliged, powering ahead, Welch also falling behind the the BMW of Sam Tordoff until the latter ran across the grass and dropped back.
As Jackson built his lead, Welch came under pressure from the second BMW of Jack Goff, which in turn was being pressed by the Honda of a fired-up Gordon Shedden. Welch was able to stay ahead, until with five laps down the Proton plunged off the circuit at the Complex, having appeared to suffer a suspension failure. Meanwhile race two victor Jordan also exited, his Focus suffering a rear tyre failure and spinning twice.
Next to hit trouble was Shedden, a touch with Goff pitching the Honda into a half spin and dropping it back to fifth behind the now disappearing Jackson, Goff, the second Honda of Matt Neal and race one victor Adam Morgan.
Neal went into second and Shedden quickly reclaimed fourth, finding himself again challenging Goff. The BMW touched the edge of th...