Anybody who reckons modern British touring cars lacks drama should watch yesterday's final races from Brands Hatch. There were thrills and spills, shocks and scraps and, um, scintillating racing. At the end of it all, the BTCC champion for 2019 was... well, we won't spoil it just yet, for those that don't know.
The day began with Colin Turkington leading the way on 297 points, Dan Cammish in second on 281, Andrew Jordan just a point further back, then Josh Cook and Tom Ingram on 263 and 236 points respectively.
The first race could hardly have gone better for Dan Cammish, who took the lead in a spectacular move around the outside of Paddock Hill Bend and stayed there for the win. With teammate Matt Neal in second and reigning champion Turkington only mustering a fifth-place finish, the gap had been closed.
Round 29 saw Turkington's superb start - leaping from fifth to second - squandered as he spun at Graham Hill Bend. The Northern Irishman would eventually finish 25th, with Cammish keeping his Civic Type R out of trouble and securing a third place - it was all to play for going into the final round.
Following a door-to-door battle with Turkington, Dan Cammish suffered brake failure around the back of the Brands GP circuit, careering into the tyres at Hawthorns. The Team Dynamics driver tweeted: "Wasn't to be but I can hold my head high."
That sort of settled the title, then, but it wasn't the end of the drama. With Andrew Jordan having finished fourth, following second in round 29, ended up level on points with Cammish on 318 - just two off the championship itself. It was some finale, with Turkington now a four-time champion, the best bits of which can be watched below. If next season can match 2019's championship, we're in for another vintage year of BTCC.
1 / 2