Turkington: Double race distance 'new territory'

Team BMW's Colin Turkington says going twice the distance during the special anniversary 'Double Diamond' third British Touring Car Championship race at Snetterton 'will be new territory for both the driver and car'.

The BTCC will celebrate its 60th anniversary of existence during this weekend's Snetterton meeting and in honour of its landmark milestone, a double points race, running twice the usual distance, will replace the reverse grid race for this weekend only.

Instead of the grid order being determined by a reverse grid draw following race two, a separate ballast-free qualifying session will determine the grid on Saturday.

Turkington arrives into the second half of the season as the championship leader with a 19-point lead over Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram in second.

“We’re well prepared and looking forward to the challenge this weekend. Our crucial two-day test at Snetterton earlier in the month was extremely valuable and has provided fresh impetus ahead of the second half," said Turkington.

“I’ve done everything possible to prepare as best as I can. I feel fitter than ever and I’m hungry for further success. Going double race distance in race three will be new territory for both the driver and car, but I’m going to embrace that.  We have to do 20 laps on the standard medium tyre, so we’ll need to be clever to manage that correctly.

“There’s a huge buzz about the diamond jubilee celebrations and the ‘Diamond Double’ race has been a hot topic throughout the summer."

With a number of elements providing a unique challenge, Turkington says Snetterton 'will be a game of strategy' as the two-time champion looks to defend and increase his own and BMWs championship lead.

“This is my 14th year in the BTCC and I know the effort and dedication required to make sure I deliver my best performance over the next 15 races.  There are so many elements of this championship that are outside your control, so I need to remain focused on delivering the best version of me. 

“We’re exactly where we need to be at this stage leading both the drivers and manufacturer’s standings, but it’s only by working harder than the competition that we’ll stay there. Snetterton will be a game of strategy and it’s up to us to ensure we get that right.