BTCC Brands Hatch 2016

BTCC Finale 2016

Mark

Last weekend saw the culmination of this season’s British Touring Car Championship, with the BTCC Finale 2016 at Brands Hatch.  The event was always going to be exciting, with an incredible eight drivers who could still take the title as the teams headed to the Kent circuit for the final three races.

 

The weekend started with a wet day on Saturday, and the mixed conditions saw Colin Turkington put himself on pole, still with a outside chance of the title in eighth position in the championship.  He continued to give himself every chance of taking back the crown he last won in 2014 with a win in race one, with Jason Plato in 4th, Gordon Shedden in 5th, Matt Neal in 7th, and Sam Tordoff in 10th.

BTCC Brands Hatch Finale Weekend October 2016

BTCC Brands Hatch Finale Weekend October 2016

 

Tarkington’s win gave him pole position for the second race of the day, which he converted to a second win of the day, ahead of rivals Jason Plato and Gordon Shedden, with Sam Tordoff in fifth.  The title had gone down to the final race of the season.

BTCC Brands Hatch Finale Weekend October 2016

BTCC Brands Hatch Finale Weekend October 2016

 

The sun was low in the sky as the final grid of the 2016 BTCC season formed up, which saw Mat Jackson start on pole from Aiden Moffatt, then Sam Tordoff in third, Gordon Shedden in fifth, and Colin Turkington seventh.   Could Tordoff keep his rivals behind him and take the title?

 

Shedden passed Tordoff in the race, as did the Wix Racing car of Adam Morgan, which would give the championship to the Halfords Yuasa driver.  Morgan got close to Shedden, and had he passed him, the title would have swung back in favour of Tordoff, but Flash held him off to take third place and his third BTCC championship, managing back to back titles.

BTCC Brands Hatch Finale Weekend October 2016

BTCC Brands Hatch Finale Weekend October 2016

 

Ashley Sutton took the Jack Sears Trophy as the best rookie.

 

As normal, the support races for the BTCC Finale 2016 included British F4, the Ginetta Supercup, the Ginetta Juniors and the Porsche Carrera Cup.

 

The 2017 season will see a launch at Donington Park on the 16th March, before the first races at Brands Hatch on the weekend of the 1st & 2nd April.

 

Meanwhile, here are some photos from the BTCC Finale 2016.