Cook doubles up in race two after defensive masterclass

BTC Racing's Josh Cook makes it two victories from two races after holding off Dan Cammish and Jake Hill at Brands Hatch.

Simon Evans

15 May 2022

Josh Cook (GBR) - Rich Energy BTC Racing Honda Civic Type

Rich Energy BTC Racing's Josh Cook produced a defensive masterclass to take his second British Touring Car Championship race victory of the day ahead of Dan Cammish at Brands Hatch.

With the weather still not having completely cleared up from the morning's earlier rain, race two once again took place under damp conditions, meaning the whole field elected to run the wet tyre.

And it was Cook who once again handled the conditions best, although the Honda Civic Type R driver didn't quite have it all his own way.

Cook led every lap from pole position, but had to call upon all of his defensive arsenal to keep the chasing pack behind him.

For much of the race, it was the ROKiT MB Motorsport BMW of Jake Hill who threw most of the pressure towards the race leading BTC Racing prepared Honda.

On a number of occasions, Hill was able to draw alongside Cook and came perilously close to moving ahead of the Honda, but a costly spin on the penultimate lap of the race dropped the BMW driver out of contention and down to an eventual seventh place finish.

That spin paved the way for Motorbase Performance's Dan Cammish to make one last play for Cook's race lead. Cammish came alive during the tail end of the race and was already catching the two leaders hand over fist before Hill made his unforced error.

With Cook seemingly struggling at Clearways corner, Cammish almost seized the initiative on the final lap of the race, but Cook's positioning of his Honda did enough to prevent Cammish from out-dragging him to the line.

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK's Rory Butcher further profited from his race one tyre gamble to score his first podium finish of the year in third ahead of a resurgent Ash Sutton in fourth.

Like Cammish, defending champion Sutton grew in stature as the race progressed, resulting in the sister NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus ST setting the fastest lap of the race.

Sutton also demoted championship leader Tom Ingram late in the race to fifth.

Team Dynamics Honda's Gordon Shedden scored further points in sixth position, ahead of the recovering BMW 330e M Sport of Hill in seventh.

Dan Lloyd and George Gamble finished in eighth and ninth, while Team BMW's Colin Turkington endured another trying race in the greasy conditions, dropping from fifth to tenth.