Adam Morgan has claimed his first win of the 2021 BTCC season as well as the maiden effort for the new BMW 330i M Sport ran by the Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport squad.
Morgan was picked out for the reverse grid race and produced a superb effort to finish ahead of Jack Goff who had Team HARD. Racing’s best result in their new CUPRA Leon with Aiden Moffat edging a drag race to the line ahead of Jason Plato for the final podium spot.
This was ahead of Josh Cook, Senna Proctor, Rory Butcher, Ash Sutton, Dan Lloyd and Chris Smiley who made up the top ten.
Sutton takes the championship lead away from the Kent circuit once more three points ahead of Tom Ingram after finishing inside the top ten, while Colin Turkington made sure it wasn’t his first non-points scoring weekend since 2003 at Mondello Park by bagging two in an otherwise poor effort from the four time champion who is now well adrift.
Off the line, Morgan got a superb start with Goff, Moffat and Plato the top four going into first corner at Druids. The former set a fastest lap but locked up twice on two separate occasions giving some potential worries, but he did not lose any ground to the Cupra Leon in second.
Plato jostled with Proctor as he aimed to rejoin the leading trio with a change in second seeing Moffat through past Goff.
Butcher with no weight in his Toyota Corolla was up four place into 10th as he looked to get past Sutton into 9th which he did with the latter joining the fellow contenders of Ingram and Rowbottom.
Morgan wasn’t disappearing with Moffat ready to pounce and Goff setting the fastest lap as he looked to return towards the front.
Goff did take second place finally inside at Clearways surging past the Infiniti Q50 of Moffat on the start finish straight as he looked to head towards Morgan in the lead and challenge for the first victory in the new car for the Team HARD. Squad for this year.
There were spots of rain falling as Lap 15 began but Morgan and Goff opened their own respective gaps and it was Moffat who looked most likely to lose position with Plato looking to move onto the podium.
Proctor and Cook tapped each other as well as Plato as they also sat frustrated behind Moffat. But Plato and Moffat dropped the BTC Racing Honda’s and the former was crawling over the back of Moffat once more.
Up front, Morgan still held a lead by +1.388secs to Goff with the duo firmly away up the road ahead of Moffat and Plato. While Cook forced himself up past Proctor going into the final lap.
Plato was trying everything for a late surge into third and he prized open the door but in a drag to the line, Moffat took the final podium spot only just as Morgan and Goff took the chequered flag.