Way back in March when the 2014 BTCC season started 1992 champion Tim Harvey said ‘Pinch me I’m absolutely so excited’ and he was as always right to be.
I’ve got to start by saying in my eyes no one deserved the title more this season than Colin Turkington, not just for the way he drove but the way he conducted himself in every interview, media appearance and with his fans. He was phenomenal on every level.
The first weekend of the year was a massive improvement from 2013 when Turkington started third compared to the previous year when he started just 25th. Race 1 didn’t quite go to plan after contact caused to damage to the car he finished eighth, race 2 being the class driver he is managed to finish third and claim his first podium of the year. Race 3 saw Turkington claim his first win of the season and left him happy with a good points haul for the start of the season. Donington saw him get a fifth, sixth and a second. Thruxton saw a very bad qualifying session by his standards he started 13th, in race 1 he made it up to eighth place, in race 2 he made up another two places and finished sixth. The reverse grid was kind to him as he started on the front row for race 3 and lead from the front to get his second race 3 win of the season.
Next came his overall best weekend of the season, Oulton Park was always going to be a circuit that suited the BMW even on the longer circuit for 2014 so he put the car on pole claiming his best start of the year and won races 1 and 2 in dominating fashion and even managed to get a third place podium in race 3 showing he was the class of the field that day. More of a surprise Turkington also managed to put the car on pole in the next round at croft, and again won races 1 and 2 however race 3 saw his first retirement of the season as the changes were brought in for RWD to change their gears and a failure led him to retire. Snetterton was always an MG circuit but Turkington managed minimise the damage getting two second places in races 1 and 2. Race 3 was tense for his fans and team but what a race, he managed to take a third podium of the day on the last lap finishing third.
Knockhill should have been his best weekend of the year due to the track suiting the BMW, and even if it didn’t turn out to be the best in terms of results it was season defining. He qualified on pole but was given an 8 place grid penalty for contact in race 3 in Snetterton. Eighth on the grid is a danger place and once the race got underway, Jason Plato decided to do his normal racing ‘tactic’ by backing everyone up so they can’t race and it led to Turkington getting spun and into the gravel and in that moment momentum in the championship could of swung but only someone with Colin’s willpower and skill wouldn’t let that happen. Race 2 saw him start last on the grid and work all the way up to fourth. This was without doubt the drive of the season and a race that had a massive impact on the title. Having never won at Rockingham Turkington broke that duck and won twice and got a fourth place to round off the weekend. Silverstone was similar to Snetterton he got two important second places but once again 3 will be looked back on as the next defining race, in a tough battle with Plato he finally made his move and despite getting hit by Plato, he managed to keep the car planted on the track and finished ahead of title rival to get another podium.
Going into Brands Hatch GP, Colin Turkington had an amazing eight wins, 18 podiums, three poles and 10 fastest laps and a 50 point lead over Plato. Getting a third place in race 1 and more importantly fastest lap gave him the exact gap he needed to be crowned the 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Champion.
Watching Colin Turkington progress over the last two years after being faced with such diversity at the beginning of 2013 made his second title even more special and emotional. Not just down to him of course and I’m sure he’d be the first to say this because he is the most humble driver on the grid, without his wife Louise, his two children, his amazing team WSR, Dick Bennetts and his parents he wouldn’t of achieved what he did. One thing is for sure is that this year hasn’t been down to the fact that he drove a rear wheel drive car or luck it’s down to the pure class of a world class driver who could drive any car and get the same results. He is the model professional in the BTCC and anyone who’s seen him drive, met him or even knows off him surely can see he is the best inspiration for hard work and determination and just being an all-round good person.
‘The emotion is hard to describe, it’s like no other feeling in the world and I’m a happy man now’ – Colin Turkington 2014 Champion.
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