Team Shredded Wheat Racing with DUO endured a tough weekend at the ‘Home of British Motorsport’, Silverstone during rounds 25, 26 and 27 of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship over the weekend.

Despite showing impressive race pace, the Kent-based team suffered an incredible run of bad luck, recording two DNF’s during Sunday’s action, with Mat Jackson collecting the squad’s highest score of the weekend with a P10 finish in race 3.

Changeable weather conditions made for a less than ideal qualifying session on Saturday. A historic session ended with the entire field of 32 BTCC cars all within 1 second of each other. The close nature of the timings however, meant that in spite of being under 4 tenths off pole, Rory Butcher was the best placed Focus in P14, with team-mates Jackson and Martin Depper in P17 and P23 respectively.

Early hopes of a podium finish in race 1 were sadly short-lived. An outstanding start from Jackson on the opening lap saw the #3 Focus leap up into P9 by the end of the first tour of the circuit. Setting his sights on the lead pack, the 36-year-old continued his charge through the pack to take 5^th off Turkington on lap 7 before catching Neal’s Honda on lap 8. With a podium shot in range, Jackson challenged the works-Honda for fourth; unfortunately heavy contact resulted in a puncture forcing him off track and into the pits. Jackson re-joined the race, albeit a lap down and eventually crossed the line in 24^th.

Butcher’s steep BTCC learning curve continued with the #6 Focus ST picking up extensive damage in the mid-field and the Scotsman had to nurse the battle-scarred Ford home in P20. Team-mate Depper also struggled to find the pace running on the hard option tyre, and did well to hold on to take P22 at the flag.

Jackson’s woes were compounded in race 2 after his impressive start and move up into 14^th by lap 5 was cut-short by a heavy shunt from behind just two laps later. The race-ending result came just as Jackson had set the fastest lap of the race so far and looked sure to break into the top ten for hopes of a race 3 reverse grid result. With the #3 Focus stricken at the side of the track with broken suspension, Jackson was forced to watch the remainder of the race from the garages.

Butcher and Depper endured their own encounters, with early contact dropping the #6 Focus down to P24. The team-mates worked hard together out on track, managing to end the race in P20 and P19.

The final race of the day brought mixed fortunes for the Motorbase-run squad. With Jackson starting from the back of the grid, the Warwickshire-man delivered yet another overtaking masterclass. Carving his way through the field, the #3 Focus ended race 3 in P10, collecting some vital championship points along the way.

Depper almost secured another points finish for team, just losing a place on the final lap to end in P16 in the #30 Focus. Unfortunately Butcher’s day ended prematurely with the #6 Focus picking up steering damage on lap 12 and the 30-year-old was unable to re-join the race.

Having dropped down to third in the Independent Teams’ Championship standings, all eyes now turn to the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season finale at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time. With 60 points on offer over the weekend (Sept 30/Oct 1) the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with DUO squad will be looking to make amends from a tough Silverstone weekend and hold on to its Independent Teams’ Championship Title.

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