[woodcote]

Yes, nine very fine festive  jumpers on the grid...

   

... but did they give a performance boost to their wearers?

BTCC Qualifying & Race One

Everyone had a BTCC car, so it was a busy three groups qualifying to set the Race One grid and a bonus championship point for the pole-sitter. The top 5 in the championship table - Alex, Ryan, Mike, Jeremy and Ash - had the added challenge of 'success ballast', limiting their top power by differing amounts. This certainly had an impact on the standings - championship leader Alex doing well to qualify fourth - but is was ballast-free Simon who set the pace with the new Civic FK8, just pipping Mike to pole by the smallest of margins...

   


   

Four step-up finals started with five racers in the D Final battling for the top two places to progress. Duncan and Andy put themselves out front at half distance and clinched those vital top spots. Behind, Daniel kept things smooth to grab the single championship point for 15th place, Isaac was next, setting the fastest lap and beating his dad.

   

Terry dominated the C Final, but it was Andy who grabbed second, just ahead of Rob and Stephen. Not bad for his first BTCC race in absolute ages. Those two stepped up to the B Final, where Round 3 winner Ryan was languishing after a tricky qualifying and a big power reduction. Although he couldn't match the ballast-free Dean, who won the final, Ryan did beat Jeremy for the second step-up spot, having trailed at half distance. Jeremy finished only just ahead of the impressive Andy, both on 15 laps. Terry and Matthew came home fifth and sixth, a further lap down...

   

That left us with a six-way battle for the race win - Alex, Mike, Ash and Ryan still with power reductions. As expected it was a very tight race, everyone apart from Dean finishing on the same lap. At the front was Alex, ahead of Mike, Ryan, Ash and Simon...

   
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Congrats to Alex on a third win out of four, plus another podium for Ryan to keep the championship very much alive...

   

That was it for the morning session. The afternoon would feature two more BTCC races, a debut of the Carrera Classic Nascars and the Muscle Car Mondiale format.