Kent’s Michael Crees got his 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season up and running with two points finishes at Donington Park.
It was the first time that the Broadstairs racer had been able to get behind the wheel of the BTC Racing Honda Civic Type R and go racing. In qualifying on Saturday afternoon he put the striking liveried car on 18th spot on the grid for the opening race on Sunday.
Come Sunday morning and the first race of the season, he lost a couple of spots off the line, although Crees quickly made amends as he found his feet in the Clever Baggers-backed Type R. Running as high as P13 and holding off challenges from experienced BTCC stalwarts, he, unfortunately, picked up damage in the closing laps and he finished just outside the points in P16.
Race two was far more competitive with a solid performance by Crees as he was rewarded with a 14th place finish, collecting his first points of the season on only his second competitive run in the #777 machine.
A weekend best position of P13 in the final race of day netted a delighted him his first BTCC silverware since joining the grid last year. Securing top honours in the illustrious Jack Sears Trophy, the Clever Baggers and Rich Energy-backed racer showed promising pace and a clear head to take his second points score of the weekend and now tops the Jack Sears standings with an eight-point lead.
Speaking after a decent opening weekend, Crees said: “When I started in the Ginettas three years ago, I never thought I’d be on the BTCC podium winning the Jack Sears trophy. It’s incredible. It means so much to me. It was the perfect end to my first weekend in the Honda with the BTC Racing Team. I made a few mistakes early on, but I got my head down and came through.
“Although Brands GP is my home track it’s never been my favourite. I’ve just got to keep focused on bagging the points and winning the Jack Sears Trophy. This weekend has given me a lot more confidence in the car and my abilities.”
Image courtesy of Phil Laughton