Colin Turkington clinched his maiden HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship title with a stunning display of sheer courage that has underpinned his 2009 season.
In a sensational day of classic touring car racing in front of a crowd in excess of 30,000 spectators, the Team RAC man sealed the title with a brave second finish in the last race of the season, staving off the challenge of nearest championship rivals Fabrizio Giovanardi and Jason Plato.
Turkington, who takes the title by five points from Plato, becomes the first man from Northern Ireland to lift the coveted trophy and also wins the Independents Trophy.
To cap a memorable day for Team RAC, the West Surrey Racing ran team were confirmed as Independents Team Trophy Champions for 2009, winning 348 points.
Stephen Jelley enjoyed mixed fortunes throughout the day but ended the 2009 season strongly, finishing sixth in the final race of the season to cement his seventh place spot in the overall Drivers Championship standings with 137 points.
Team-mate Anthony Reid claimed his first points of the season, achieving a hard-earned tenth place finish in the opening race and seventh in the final race of the season.
New BTCC Champion Colin Turkington said: “The third race was probably the greatest I have driven in my life. After the second race I felt so emotional, so it was a case of pulling my shoulders back and getting on with it having come so far.
“I probably got as much as I could out of the car in the first race with the success ballast, but I did well to get podium finishes in the last two rounds of the season. In the final race, I was in the worst position with [Vauxhall’s] Matt Neal and Fabrizio Giovanardi in front and behind but I had to be brave and not panic.”
Turkington added: “The team has done a magnificent job this season and I am so, so delighted with this trophy. It’s the one I have waited for all my life.”
WSR Team Principal Dick Bennetts said: “Colin has really lifted his game this year and fully deserves the BTCC title. He has been a model of consistency this season and doesn’t panic when things don’t necessarily go his way. Make no mistake, this is a tough series to win.
“Like Colin, Stephen has also raised his level of performance this season. That display at Rockingham will live long in the memory.”
On Team RAC’s Independents Team Trophy success, Bennetts commented: “The team has been awesome, simply fantastic. We have had 100% reliability in all races and this has been the foundation for our season.”
To read the Press Release or race reports please click here.
