Butcher bags first BTCC win of career 07 | 04 | 2019

    FIFER RORY BUTCHER was handed the first British Touring Car Championship win of his career, after a penalty saw him promoted from second place hours after the chequered flag at Brands Hatch. (Related: Rory Butcher confirms 2019 BTCC race seat)

    The 31-year-old from Kirkcaldy, driving his new Cobra Sport AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing Honda Civic Type R for the first time competitively, had crossed the finish line just 1.995secs behind the Ford Focus of Tom Chilton.

    But Chilton was subsequently handed a five-second penalty by the stewards for contact he made when overtaking the Honda of former champ Matt Neal.

    “Getting what was the first podium finish of my BTCC career was great, but to be promoted to the win is fantastic,” a delighted Butcher, who finished eighth and 10th in the day’s two earlier races, said afterwards.

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    “Obviously it’s disappointing for Tom, and it isn’t the way you want to win a race, but you need a bit of luck in the BTCC sometimes and I’ll certainly take it. (Related: Butcher targets home BTCC success)

    “It’s a brilliant way to start the season. I’m so pleased to be the person who gives the AmD team its first win, and it’s an amazing feeling to be able to call myself a BTCC race winner.

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    “I’m delighted with the weekend as a whole as we battled back from qualifying,” Butcher, who left Brands Hatch fourth in the title race, just one point off third, continued.

    “I stayed calm and tried to progress in each race, but because we knew the car was fast. We were confident that at some point over the weekend we’d be in a position to fight at the front.

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    “I can’t thank the team enough and we showed strong pace in each race in different conditions. The only mistake was not to roll the dice on the tyres in race one, but it’s a nice feeling to have some silverware and I’m buzzing about the way things have gone.

    ”Hopefully this will be the first of many wins. To get the win in the first weekend of the season is fantastic and sets me up brilliantly for the next round at Donington.”

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    It was a mixed day for fellow Scot Aiden Moffat. The Dalkeith racer narrowly missed out on a  podium in the opening race, when he brought his Mercedes A-Class home in fourth. The BTCC race winner then finished 17th in Race 2, before bouncing back to cross the line ninth in the final encounter.

    Two former champs won the first two races, with Ash Sutton claiming the opening race in his Subaru, and Andrew Jordan powering his new BMW 3-Series to victory in race 2.

    Related: Butcher confirms 2018 BTCC campaign

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    Jim McGill

    All photos copyright of Jakob Ebrey and LAP 

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