Hill Battles to BTCC points in the Park
Maintaining his 100% finishing record in the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, and his lead in the Dunlop #ForeverForward category for most places gained, Trade Price Cars Brisky Racing’s Jake Hill battled into the championship points in the final race of the weekend at Oulton Park.
Having qualified a season’s best P21 Hill struggled in race one with the balance of the car, finishing P23, and heading to the pitlane minutes before race two had the car’s differential fail.
Incredibly Hill’s crew sprinted into action and with just seconds to spare managed to change the ‘diff’ and get Hill into the pitlane, being allowed to join the grid, but start P31and last.
“As frustrating as it is to have a failure, at least it happened when and where it did. I could not believe the job the boys did - Jamie, Josh, Carl, Nathan and the rest of the lads were amazing - I can’t thank them enough - even my Dad helped - admittedly only by holding up the bonnet! - but they got me out there and that was incredible!”
Determined to make up places on a circuit notoriously difficult to pass, Hill had a sensational start - moving up 7 places by the first corner - and gaining further places when Oliphant, Cook and Jelley hit problems. Later as Boardman dropped back, it meant a further gain, and a final finish of P21, again fighting hard.
So for there final race of the weekend, BRDC ‘Rising Star’ Hill was determined to score some points, however was fortunate not to be caught up in a spectacular start-line accident which saw Oliphant, Butcher, Smiley and Lloyd all tangle and retire with massive damage - fortunately all were ok - but the race was stopped to clear up the debris.
Having qualified a season’s best P21 Hill struggled in race one with the balance of the car, finishing P23, and heading to the pitlane minutes before race two had the car’s differential fail.
Incredibly Hill’s crew sprinted into action and with just seconds to spare managed to change the ‘diff’ and get Hill into the pitlane, being allowed to join the grid, but start P31and last.
“As frustrating as it is to have a failure, at least it happened when and where it did. I could not believe the job the boys did - Jamie, Josh, Carl, Nathan and the rest of the lads were amazing - I can’t thank them enough - even my Dad helped - admittedly only by holding up the bonnet! - but they got me out there and that was incredible!”
Determined to make up places on a circuit notoriously difficult to pass, Hill had a sensational start - moving up 7 places by the first corner - and gaining further places when Oliphant, Cook and Jelley hit problems. Later as Boardman dropped back, it meant a further gain, and a final finish of P21, again fighting hard.
So for there final race of the weekend, BRDC ‘Rising Star’ Hill was determined to score some points, however was fortunate not to be caught up in a spectacular start-line accident which saw Oliphant, Butcher, Smiley and Lloyd all tangle and retire with massive damage - fortunately all were ok - but the race was stopped to clear up the debris.
Oulton Park Gallery
BTCC Qualifying charge from Hill at Oulton Park
Blasting around the picturesque 2.23 mile sweeps of Oulton Park, Trade Price Cars Brisky Racing’s Jake Hill felt he ‘got the maximum’ from the Team HARD 2018 Edition VW CC, qualifying 21st, the highest of the team’s four drivers.
“We worked hard on set-up in practice, unfortunately we lost most of session one with a technical issue, but session two gave us some very useful data, so we made some ‘tweeks’ and felt confident for qualifying”
In a typically close-fought 30 minute session around the top 24 cars of the bumper 32-car grid lapped within one second of debut Pole-man Matt Simpson, with Hill one of four drivers including team-mate Mike Bushell that lapped at 1.27.7 - Hill’s 1.27.713 just 0.036 quicker than Bushell but three places further up the grid!
“It’s always mega close here, to put it into perspective championship leader Adam Morgan, Tom Ingram and Josh Cook are immediately in front of me - so it should be a fun race one with those guys!”
We have our fantastic partners from Trade Price Cars, Ooodle, Click Dealer, Brisky Racing, Ecoflam…our new partners ABGO, plus my friend Graham Saul from Cloud 9 Hosts all joining us in our VIP Hospitality - so I am going to put on a show for them all and am determined to increase my lead in the ‘Dunlop Forever Forward’ Championship for most places gained!”
Race one is this Sunday 10th June at 12.20pm - race two at 14.50 and race three at 17.05 - all shown LIVE on ITVHD
“We worked hard on set-up in practice, unfortunately we lost most of session one with a technical issue, but session two gave us some very useful data, so we made some ‘tweeks’ and felt confident for qualifying”
In a typically close-fought 30 minute session around the top 24 cars of the bumper 32-car grid lapped within one second of debut Pole-man Matt Simpson, with Hill one of four drivers including team-mate Mike Bushell that lapped at 1.27.7 - Hill’s 1.27.713 just 0.036 quicker than Bushell but three places further up the grid!
“It’s always mega close here, to put it into perspective championship leader Adam Morgan, Tom Ingram and Josh Cook are immediately in front of me - so it should be a fun race one with those guys!”
We have our fantastic partners from Trade Price Cars, Ooodle, Click Dealer, Brisky Racing, Ecoflam…our new partners ABGO, plus my friend Graham Saul from Cloud 9 Hosts all joining us in our VIP Hospitality - so I am going to put on a show for them all and am determined to increase my lead in the ‘Dunlop Forever Forward’ Championship for most places gained!”
Race one is this Sunday 10th June at 12.20pm - race two at 14.50 and race three at 17.05 - all shown LIVE on ITVHD
"Jake is one of UK Motorsport’s brightest young prospects"
- Matt James - Editor - Motorsport News
