Power Maxed Racing's Michael Crees escapes last lap crash at the British Touring Car Championship season finale at Brands Hatch without injury
THERE was a dramatic end to the British Touring Car Championship season for Bidford-based Power Maxed Racing’s Michael Crees at Brands Hatch.
Contact at the final corner on the last lap in the final race of the 2022 campaign saw the Kent driver’s Vauxhall Astra flip onto its roof.
The PMR driver escaped from the scary incident without a serious injury. Thankfully, the 39-year-old emerged with only a stiff neck and was left a little winded.
Meanwhile, team-mate Ash Hand ended the third and final race in 15th, the last points-paying position available.
The weekend had started with Crees lining 20th for the first of the three races after posting a time of 1:30.688, with Hand slightly further up the order in 16th in 1:30.429.
Eager to get going, Crees jumped the start and was handed a five-second time penalty for the offence, meaning he was classified 20th after crossing the line 19th. Hand, meanwhile, endured a difficult race and dropped back down the order, coming home in a disappointing 18th.
Race two proved to be equally frustrating for the PMR pairing, with Hand just missing out on the points in 17th and Crees slightly further back in 21st.
Hand and Crees ended the season 19th and 20th in the BTCC drivers’ standings with 55 and 50 points respectively.
In the independents’ trophy, Crees settled for eighth with 253 points, with Hand just behind in ninth with 247 points.
PMR finished 11th in the teams’ standings with 53 points and sixth in the independents’ championship with 313 points.
Meanwhile, Southam-based Laser Tools Racing concluded their BTCC campaign with a string of points finishes across the three races at Brands Hatch.
For the opening race of the weekend Dexter Patterson lined up in seventh and team-mate Aiden Moffat in 19th.
Hopes of a good finish for Patterson were dashed when he retired on lap 14, while Moffat made up a few places to cross the line in 15th to pick up a solitary point for his efforts.
Moffat continued his charge through the field in the second race, making up three places to take the chequered flag 12th.
Patterson, who started the race in 28th, also worked his way steadily through the field to come home in 20th place.
The pair made more overtakes in the third and final race of the weekend, with Moffat picking up a solid haul of points for finishing in tenth, while Patterson charged through from 20th to cross the line in 14th.
Moffat and Patterson ended the season 18th and 23rd in the drivers’ standings with 69 and five points respectively.
In the independents’ trophy, Moffat was sixth with 283 points and Patterson 11th with 182 points.
Laser Tools Racing, who were teams’ and independent teams’ champions last season, had to settle for tenth (74 points) and fourth (359 points) in both championships this time around.
