WSR and BMW continue their push for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at one of the UK’s most demanding circuits, Oulton Park, this weekend.
With 20 wins at the Cheshire track, WSR are the most successful team in BTCC history at Oulton Park.
Coming off the back of six wins from the past nine races for the BMW 330e M Sport, the intention is to maintain the momentum and continue BMW’s push for a record 10th Manufacturers’ crown.
Jake Hill is the BTCC’s in-form driver, winning four of the last six races and top-scoring at both Snetterton and Thruxton in a range of weather conditions aboard his Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW 330e M Sport.
The Kent ace, who is targeting a 50th career podium finish this weekend, has won more races than anyone else this year and lies second in the Drivers’ standings – just five points away from the championship lead. Jake was a double-winner at Oulton Park last year on a day when WSR BMWs scored a triple win and locked out the podium positions in Race Three.
It was Team BMW’s Colin Turkington who won that final race in 2023 to cap off an incredible race-day performance that began with a back-of-the grid start in Race One and showcased the speed of the WSR-designed, built and run BMW. The Northern Irishman is an 11-time winner at the track and was triumphant there in each of his record four title-winning seasons in the BTCC.
Oulton Park is team-mate Adam Morgan’s local circuit and was the scene of the Lancashire racer’s maiden BTCC podium finish in 2013. A winner at the track in 2020, Adam finished on the podium there last year and has done so four times in total in the series.
Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said: “I couldn’t have asked for much more over the past couple of rounds. The Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW has been such a strong package and we’ve found a set-up that’s allowed me to push to the limit and win races. Oulton Park was where our 2023 season really kicked into life, but we’ve started much better this time so I’m optimistic that – even though I have less hybrid for qualifying and Race One than at any other time this year – we can be in the mix and push for the championship lead.”
Colin Turkington, Team BMW, said: “Oulton Park’s always one of my favourite places to race. There’s usually a good number of fans from Northern Ireland and I do enjoy the atmosphere that creates. It’s also been a very successful circuit for me with a lot of wins and podiums and last year we went from zero to hero on race day after starting at the back and then winning Race Three. The past two rounds haven’t delivered what we wanted points-wise, but we’ve examined everything and want to start the weekend on the front foot with the BMW.”
Adam Morgan, Team BMW, said: “Thruxton was the first weekend when we had a consistent balance throughout race day and now that we’ve had that, I think we can take another step forwards with the BMW and turn what have been some really good qualifying performances into solid race results. I’ve won at Oulton before and was on the podium last year so we should have a pretty strong base to start from. It’s my local track and we always get fantastic support from the fans here so I’m planning to give them something to celebrate come Sunday evening.”
Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “Oulton Park is traditionally a circuit that’s suited our rear-wheel-drive BMWs very well because the types of corners here mean that the a excellent slow-speed traction is more advantageous than at other tracks. Last year’s event was one of the best in our 40-plus-year history with three wins and a podium lockout in Race Three. While it feels like we’ve taken a step forward with the BMW since then, the fight for the championship is very close between the top drivers so repeating what happened in 2023 will be extremely tough and will take a lot of hard work from everybody in the whole team.”
