TEAM JCT600 with GardX increased their lead at the top of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with a third win of the season at Croft in North Yorkshire on Sunday.

Rob Collard’s victory in Race Two and a second place for home hero Sam Tordoff in a wet Race Three ensured that the pair head into the summer break first and second in the drivers’ championship.

The performances of Rob and Sam ensured that Team JCT600 with GardX hold a 52-point lead in the Teams’ Championship while Sunbury-on-Thames-based WSR, who run the BMW 125i M Sports, pulled away at the top of the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ standings.

Having started Race One – his 400th in the BTCC – from 13th, Rob carefully picked his way through the pack to finish seventh.

A strong start brought him up to fourth at the start of Race Two, and when the race leaders collided at two-thirds distance, the Hampshire driver was in a perfect position to capitalise on their mistake and take his second victory of 2016 and the 50th podium of his BTCC career.

Sam, who was carrying a special platinum livery in honour of JCT600’s 70th anniversary, was forced to take evasive action in the Turn 1 gravel to avoid getting caught up in a collision between the leaders. He finished 13th, slowed throughout by damage to his engine sustained in the incident.

With a fresh power plant in the car for Race Two, Sam attacked and brilliantly climbed to eighth place by the finish, which gave him pole position for the reversed-grid final race.

A hard-fought second place in wet weather conditions – two places ahead of Rob – enabled Sam to increase his advantage at the top of the championship standings.

The BTCC now takes break for the summer and resumes at Snetterton, Norfolk, on July 30-31.

Sam Tordoff said: “All things considered, it’s been a great weekend. After what happened in Race One with the incident at Turn 1 and the damaged engine, it’s been a great recovery by the whole team to end up with a second place and an increased championship lead in all three championships. WSR did an amazing job to get the engine changed in time for Race Two and that, ultimately, was the difference between a good weekend and a bad one. It’s also great to get a strong podium with the platinum livery on the BMW and celebrate that milestone.”

Rob Collard said: “What a difference a day makes. After what happened in qualifying, I was thinking ‘what do I have to do to get some luck’? But we worked hard on our race set-up overnight and today has been fantastic. To get a win, a fourth and a seventh is fantastic, and on a day when I’ve achieved my 50th podium in the BTCC too. I’ve closed the gap to Sam in the championship, the Team JCT600 with GardX BMWs are first and second overall and leading the teams’ points, WSR head the manufacturers’/constructors’ standings and now we can go into the summer break very happy indeed.”

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “I’m very pleased with the performance of the Team JCT600 with GardX drivers today. To have had the problems Rob experienced in qualifying and then the engine damage for Sam in the first race, it’s a real testament to everyone at WSR that we’ve managed to turn things around and get a win and a podium. Sam and Rob are now first and second in the drivers’ championship and we lead both the Teams’ and Manufacturers’/Constructors’ points as well. The BTCC is a very tough championship and we won’t be taking anything for granted, but it’s a very good position to be in heading into the summer break.”