Colin Turkington savoured a “super bounce-back” in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Knockhill in Scotland as the 42-year-old bagged an all-important race victory and a top-three finish.
After rounds 19, 20 and 21, Turkington has gained a place and now occupies fifth in the standings on 224 points – 54 behind leader Tom Ingram (Team Bristol Street Motors), 51 in arrears of Jake Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) and 34 shy of four-time title holder Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK).
Starting from pole in Race One – his third front-row start of the 2024 season and the 30th of his tin top racing career – Turkington was never headed for the soft tyre option as he pulled clear of the chasing pack to score much-needed maximum points.
His margin of victory over Josh Cook (LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ) was eight seconds, with Team BMW team-mate Adam Morgan coming home in third. Sutton had to settle for sixth, while Ingram was a notable retirement due to a bruising encounter after 10 laps.
Colin Turkington celebrates his race victory at Knockhill on a successful weekend’s work
Using the medium tyre for Race Two, Turkington lost out to a hard-charging Hill and NAPA Racing UK’s Dan Rowbottom, both of whom had a generous amount of hybrid to deploy to claim first and second.
In the final reversed-grid contest, Turkington lined up from the fifth row in 10th alongside Cook and always knew capping a strong day off with silverware was going to be a tall order – and so it proved.
He could only gain a solitary place at the end of a yellow-flag-interrupted sprint that was eventually won by the Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla GR Sport of Rob Huff.
His second visit to the top step of the podium was achieved by 1.395 secs from the Hyundai i30 Fastback N belonging to Ingram.
Colin Turkington in action in his Team BMW machine during the British Touring Car Championship event at Knockhill
“It has been a brilliant weekend for me – super bounce-back after the disappointment of Croft,” said Turkington.
“Pole position, a win in Race One, a podium in Race Two and to finish Race Three P9 in the points, I think we are in a really good place with the BMW and I am really excited about the rest of the season.”