BTCC Donington Park: Chilton wins bizarre wet second race

The Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N benefited from being one of those to pit at the end of the green-flag lap for wet-weather Goodyear tyres when rain made the going slippery.

Chilton was able to defeat Adam Morgan – the West Surrey Racing BMW 330e M Sport newcomer was another to pit at the same time – by 7.394 seconds as the rain increased, making it impossible for those on slick rubber.

The race began with first-race winner Dan Cammish keeping Tom Ingram at bay for the lead, but when Ricky Collard parked his Toyota on the track at McLeans with suspension damage that triggered the safety car, it gave those on grooved tyres even more of an advantage as they were able to close the gap to the stricken slicks runners in front.

Once the field was released again it took little time for Chilton and then Morgan to carve their ways to the front, and it was just a matter of time before those who had started on slicks eventually gave up the struggle and pitted.

As the race settled down, Chilton was leading Morgan and Scottish BTCC debutant Ronan Pearson, who had also pitted his Excelr8 Hyundai at the end of the green-flag lap.

In fourth spot was Nic Hamilton, with his brother Lewis watching on from the pit garage and with rain tyres he’d had fitted to his Team Hard Cupra Leon before the green-flag lap even began.

Hamilton soon fell victim to the Motorbase Ford of Sam Osborne and Stephen Jelley’s WSR BMW, but he was still leading the Independents class as the race went into its closing stages.

Nicolas Hamilton, Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown Cupra Leon

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Catching Hamilton was Power Maxed Racing’s Mikey Doble, making his BTCC debut, and the Vauxhall Astra passed the Cupra into Redgate at the start of the penultimate lap, only for Hamilton to get back ahead at the top of the Craner Curves.

Hamilton’s bid for Independents victory became the focal point, but it was Doble who snatched it – and sixth overall – into the chicane on the final lap.

Nick Halstead (Excelr8 Hyundai) was a lonely eighth, while Colin Turkington was the best-placed of those to pit for wets after the safety car, bringing his WSR BMW home in ninth.

The top 10 was completed by Ingram, who got ahead of Bobby Thompson (Team Hard Cupra) and Rowbottom in the final laps.

Rowbottom finished 12th, but got consolation in the reversed-grid draw when he was given his second pole position of the day.

Cammish, Ash Sutton and Jake Hill were among those to lose time in the pits and finished off the lead lap.

BTCC Donington Park - Race 2 results (21 laps)