CBT driver Jordan claims his fifth BTCC podium finish / British Touring Cars

CBT-backed Andy Jordan returned to the British Touring Car Championship podium at the weekend (26/27 September) at Silverstone, but was left pondering what could have been had not a puncture intervened in race two…

The weekend started well, with Jordan securing a second-row start slot for Sunday’s opening 22-lap encounter. Expectations were high in the team with Silverstone having been a happy hunting ground for the Triple Eight-engineered MGs in recent years. Both Jordan and his team-mate Jack Goff opted for the soft tyre in the opener and from the off it looked like a good decision, Jordan making a strong start to slip down the inside of Sam Tordoff as the field streamed into Becketts. He was soon filling the mirrors of Gordon Shedden.

A good run through Copse corner allowed Jordan to replicate his move on Tordoff, this time on Shedden for second. From there on the quest to close the gap to leader Mat Jackson began, but with the soft tyre performance to contend with the former BTCC champion elected to look after his position. Coming under intense pressure from Shedden, Jordan drove a stunning race in the latter stages to make his MG as wide as possible and fend off Shedden to claim his fifth podium of the season.

Jordan pushed hard throughout race two and remained fifth in the opening laps, before being promoted to fourth when Jackson dropped down the order. All was seemingly going to plan until a puncture blighted his race two corners from the flag and Andy was left to nurse his MG home to 19th.

As usual, race three was a frenetic encounter, and the 1.64-mile circuit threw up no end of door-to-door battles. Jordan advanced quickly, moving from 19th to 12th on the opening tour but, try as he might, Andy could not overcome Aiden Moffat and Tom Ingram, who were embroiled in a battle for 10th. Using the best of his experience and guile, Jordan ultimately settled for 12th.

Said Andrew: “It was a weekend of what could have been; the puncture in race two ruined it for us. I had made it my target this weekend to finish the season third in the points but I really don’t think that will be possible now. I’ve been happy with the MG, that is the most I could have achieved and I feel we made another step forward from Rockingham. Two more corners in race two and it would have been a completely different weekend. It was nice to get back on the podium in the first race; it was all about taking advantage of the soft tyres in the early laps and the moves on Sam and Gordon were pretty well thought out. Race three was one of those races where we made progress and then suddenly hit a wall of traffic. We go away from here with some positives, but it could have been better.”