Colin Turkington (Portadown) secured an Independents Trophy win on what was once again a difficult weekend for the Team RAC driver. The BMW 320si showed its start line prowess at the Thruxton circuit and Colin went on to secure a fourth and fifth place. But it was in the third race of the day when he suffered a puncture that has dented his Championship race.

Tom Onslow-Cole (New Malden) gave another solid performance in the second of the BMW’s finishing all three races in the top ten but struggled with finding the optimum set-up for his car.

The WSR-run squad leave the Hampshire circuit heading up the Independents Team Trophy with Colin Turkington and Tom Onslow-Cole now fifth and ninth in the overall Drivers Championship.

Race 1

Team RAC driver Colin Turkington took to the podium following the first of today’s three races when winning the Independents Trophy.

He got a great start from the rear-wheel drive machine moving into second by the first corner behind race leader Fabrizio Giovanardi. With increasing competition from behind Colin eventually brought his WSR built BMW 320si home in fourth place overall improving his starting position and with it collecting some valuable Championship points. After collecting his silverware he said: "I got a really good start off the line but then I had quite a few difficult laps early on. I settled nicely into the race and managed to keep the pressure on. It was great to get another Independent win and pick a few more points for Team RAC."

Team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole gave a solid performance to bring the second of the Team RAC BMW’s home in eighth place, also improving on his 10th place grid slot. Following the race, he said: "That was a hard first race. The set-up of the car still doesn’t feel quite right so the boys will be making a few tweeks. I’ve improved on my grid position for the next race which I’m happy with."

VX Racing’s Giovanardi led the race from start to finish with SEAT duo Plato and Turner joining him on the podium.

Weather / Track : Cloudy / Dry

Race 2

Despite an additional 18kgs of success ballast added to the BMW 320si of Colin Turkington, following his fourth place finish in Race 1, he got a great start and moved into the lead by the first corner.

Under pressure from Giovanardi, Colin drifted wide exiting Church corner and slipped down to sixth place as a tightly fought pack went through. With the deployment of the safety car on lap five the pack closed and following the re-start on lap nine Colin pushed hard to bring the BMW home in fifth place. Commenting on the race, he said: "I was really pleased with my start. I ran wide at Church, which dropped me down the field, which I’m really disappointed about. I was struggling a bit with under-steer, which is something we’ve got to look at before the final race. I’m still hopeful of a good result."

Tom Onslow-Cole went one place better in the second race of the day when finishing seventh. At times putting his team-mate under pressure, Tom was also under pressure himself from Plato for fifth place. On taking the chequered flag, he said: "It was a really good race for me and I feel as though I’m getting to grips with the car. I’m also finding out how it reacts to the smallest of changes. The set-up feels right now and I should be able to progress in race three."

Weather / Track : Bright / Dry

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Race 3

With the reverse grid rule coming into play for the final race of the day, Tom Onslow-Cole and Colin Turkington lined up fourth and sixth respectively.

Once again a great start from Colin Turkington saw him settling into second place behind race leader Dave Pinkney, who’d taken advantage of the reverse grid. A puncture on the third lap laid to rest any chances of the Irishman achieving the podium finish he so desperately needed. Changing the rear left hand tyre he rejoined the race to finish in 17th place. Upon leaving Thruxton, he said: "It’s been a very difficult day and its frustrating that I don’t seem to have the consistency that I need. I’m just hoping that I can turn things around at Croft in order to keep any Championship hopes alive."

It was also a difficult race for Tom Onslow-Cole. Despite getting a good start and running well in sixth place he was over exhuberant on entry into the chicane and lost the rear end of the car. He recovered well but has dropped down the field to re-emerge in 14th. He battled hard and managed to regain places with him finishing the race in tenth. He said: "There’s still a lot to learn with the car but I feel that we’re definitely moving forward. The last race was a frustrating end to the day but I remain positive and look forward to Croft."

Weather / Track : Dry / Bright

With the Thruxton circuit notorious for tyre damage, WSR team principal, Dick Bennetts commented: "It’s the first time we’ve used the special Dunlop tyres (supplied for the Thruxton rounds only) and we struggled to get the ultimate set-up on the car to suit. Overall it’s not where we want to be at this stage in the Championship and we need to work hard to get back on track for Croft. We know the car has the potential so we should be able to win races."

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Championship now takes a four-week break with the action returning to Croft on 2/3 June.