Strong qualifying for HIll in final round of the BTCC

Taking his fourth top-ten qualifying spot of the ten race Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, 23 year-old BRDC Rising Star Jake Hill swept his TAG Racing VW CC to a superb 8th overall at the Brands Hatch series finale.

Hill built on his 7th place in practice, and worked on improving the Team HARD-run machine, and in a chaotic session which started with rain falling, featured Red Flags for Brett Smith and Josh Cook’s incidents, saw race-winner Rob Collard withdraw on medical grounds, and mechanical dramas for championship contender Colin Turkington, Hill knew it would be tough to challenge at the front.

“I’m working with my first-ever BTCC engineer - Andrew Dean - this weekend, and his input and process has given me such confidence. The boys worked so hard as always - thanks to Kingsley, Kieren, Gav, Ryan, Alex, B rad and the whole team - but it was tricky with the rain and then the Red Flags to get into a rhythm. Once I got a clean run the car felt really good - I think there may have been a little more to come - but to qualify P8 - just 0.004 behind Tom Ingram and within 0.158 of P2 - this was so rewarding and puts us in a solid position for the races”.

Brands Hatch is Hill’s local circuit - living just 25 minutes away in Goudhurst in Kent - so has a huge contingent of friends, family and sponsors coming to support him.

“It’s been a really challenging year. We’ve shown some great pace - qualifying in the top-ten at Brands in April, Donington, Oulton Park, Silverstone and here. Some really strong results like at Oulton Park and Snetterton, but a lot of frustration and cases of ‘what might have been’…

"I have made a few mistakes as have the team, and sometimes we’ve just been plain unlucky, like at Silverstone last time out. But I’ve learned a lot and feel I’ve progressed and shown I can qualify well and race well - my team-mates have been strong so that’s pushed me on, and of course we’ve had to learn a new car - but if we can have three trouble-free races and finish my second full-season in Touring Cars well that would mean so much”

“We have guests from Sportifcars, Brisky Racing, Ecoflam, Danfoss, Bill Rawles Classic Cars, Model World, Zynth and of course TAG Racing, plus lots of friends and family coming along. I’m so, so grateful to have had the support I’ve had from so many incredible folks - Rolec Racing and AWS Appliance Spares, ICLWMI, JD Pierce, OnLine Media, Robin, Jason, Midhurst Electrical and so many others - and the main man Tony Gilham for believing in me and supporting me. I am so determined to get a good finish to the year. Should be fun!” smiled Hill.

Report courtesy of Simon Hill

Image provided by Jakob Ebrey Photography