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Marcus Simmons

BTCC Croft: Lloyd beats Turkington for emotional win in Race 1

Both drivers bounced back from their massive accident at Oulton Park to provide a compelling opener on the North Yorkshire circuit, from which Lloyd prevailed to claim his second BTCC race win.

Key to Lloyd’s win was a superb opening lap. From third on the grid, his Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N slipped down the inside of Dan Rowbottom’s Team Dynamics Honda Civic Type R for second at the first turn at Clervaux.

Turkington’s West Surrey Racing BMW 330e M Sport had converted pole into the lead, but the rear-wheel-drive cars take longer to warm their tyres, and Lloyd drew to the outside into Tower bend.

He then got a cutback on exit, and Lloyd completed his pass for the lead by holding a slide around the outside into the Jim Clark Esses.

An early safety car, caused by Ollie Jackson’s Ford becoming embedded in the tyre wall at Sunny Out, eliminated Lloyd’s advantage, and he then faced seven laps of Turkington breathing down his neck until a second neutralisation, triggered by Aron Taylor-Smith spinning his Team Hard Cupra into the barriers on the exit of the chicane.

There were three laps of racing to go when the race went green, and Lloyd had to resist Turkington, 13 times a winner at this circuit.

Colin Turkington, Team BMW BMW 330e M Sport (Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images)

Turkington’s final gambit was to draw to the outside into the complex on the last lap, but somehow Lloyd held on and took the flag 0.377 seconds in front.

“Oh my God, I’m an emotional wreck, I really am,” said a tearful Lloyd.

“The last two weeks have been hell, and to come back and do that after the team have rebuilt the car, I’m just lost for words.

“It was really hard work. I said I’d give it my all and that first lap was the representation of it.

“After that we didn’t have the ultimate pace, especially in the final sector.”

Turkington was not only attacking but defending through the middle portion of the race, with Rowbottom right on his bootlid.

But a messy final restart from Rowbottom sent the Honda through the gravel at Clervaux, and from then to the finish he had to concentrate on fending off the second Excelr8 Hyundai of Tom Ingram, who set fastest lap in the early stages as he latched onto the leading trio.

Jake Hill in his WSR BMW completed the five-car train for the lead during the middle of the race, but a lock-up entering the complex on the penultimate lap dropped him away from Ingram and into the clutches of Ash Sutton’s Motorbase Performance Ford Focus, which he narrowly beat to fifth.

Tom Ingram, Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com Hyundai i30N (Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images)

Rory Butcher made good progress early on from outside the top 10 to take seventh in his Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Corolla ahead of Aiden Moffat (Laser Tools Racing Infiniti Q50), George Gamble (Ciceley Motorsport BMW) and Tom Chilton (Excelr8 Hyundai).

Gordon Shedden went out on the first lap with suspension damage to his Dynamics Honda, while championship leader Josh Cook was a lowly 15th in his BTC Racing Honda.

BTCC Croft - Race 1 Results

Cla Driver Chassis Laps Interval
1 United Kingdom Daniel Lloyd   18  
2 United Kingdom Colin Turkington   18  
3 United Kingdom Daniel Rowbottom   18 0.402
4 United Kingdom Tom Ingram   18 0.388
5 United Kingdom Jake Hill   18 1.042
6 United Kingdom Ashley Sutton   18 0.525
7 United Kingdom Rory Butcher   18 0.713
8 United Kingdom Aiden Moffat   18 0.300
9 George Gamble   18 0.598
10 United Kingdom Tom Chilton   18 1.049
11 United Kingdom Stephen Jelley   18 0.275
12 Bobby Thompson   18 0.693
13 United Kingdom Dan Cammish   18 0.412
14 James Gornall   18 0.621
15 United Kingdom Josh Cook   18 0.504
16 Michael Crees   18 1.050
17 United Kingdom Jason Plato   18 1.156
18 United Kingdom Ash Hand   18 0.629
19 United Kingdom Adam Morgan   18 0.274
20 Dexter Patterson   18 0.173
21 United Kingdom Sam Osborne   18 2.255
22 Jade Edwards   18 0.829
23 Nicolas Hamilton   18 1.422
24 United Kingdom Ricky Collard   17  
  Ireland Aron Taylor-Smith   12  
  Will Powell   11  
  United Kingdom Ollie Jackson   1  
  United Kingdom Gordon Shedden   1  
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