Team RAC team boss Dick Bennetts has admitted that the Rockingham weekend was a frustrating one for his team after both
Colin Turkington and Stephen Jelley were in the wars during the second round of the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship.
Having qualified in seventh place, Turkington looked set for a good result in the opening race having made the most of the starting prowess of the rear-wheel drive
BMW to make up places when the race kicked off. However, contact from a rival damaged his car and meant he slipped down the order to finish 16th.
Coming through the field in race two, Turkington finished race two in sixth place, which in turn gave him a second row start for race three under the reverse grid rules. In what looked like being a distinct case of déjà vu following a similar set of circumstances at
Brands Hatch, Turkington then led the final race before a Safety Car period eradicated his lead and, struggling for visibility in the wet conditions, he could do little to stop cars behind from finding a way through as he slipped back to seventh place by the finish.
Having only arrived at the track minutes before the opening practice session following his GP2 Asia commitments, Jelley qualified in a solid 13th place and ran well in the opening race to eleventh despite contact with
Jason Plato that damaged the steering on his car.
A stunning start in race two saw him jump up to fifth on the opening lap but power-steering issues – coupled with contact from both
Matt Neal and Stephen Kane – saw him eventually finish in 15th. Unfortunately, he then missed out on the points in race three after taking the flag in eleventh, completing a trying weekend for the WSR-run team.
