Hill leads the way as drivers head to Silverstone

JAKE Hill and his Southam-based Laser Tools Racing BMW lead the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship going into the final two rounds after an impressive series of drives at Donington Park over the weekend.

And there was also success for Árón Taylor-Smith and Mikey Doble of the Bidford-based Power Maxed Racing team as they edged ever closer to landing the Independent drivers’ and Jack Sears Trophy crowns.

Hill claimed third in the opening two races around the Leicestershire circuit and then finished fifth in the final event of the weekend to take him nine points clear of Tom Ingram and 20 points ahead of Ash Sutton going into the penultimate round at Silverstone on 21st and 22nd September.

Taylor-Smith steered his Vauxhall Astra to a second top three finish of the year and he is now clear among the independents while Doble was also among the points.

Taylor-Smith said: “It’s crazy to think that we have now completed eight of the ten race weekends and we continue to go from strength-to-strength as a team. I’m so immensely proud of everyone for their efforts; we’re operating at a really high level.

“Weekend’s like this are what make all the long hours, days and months in the off-season worthwhile. The car was on absolute rails from the moment we rolled it out the garage and to come home with another podium and three more independent wins is huge.

“I’m really excited to see what we can do at Silverstone because that is another circuit that has been strong for the car and the team down the years.”