Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport enjoyed another triumphant weekend in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship as Jake Hill took two victories and a fifth-place finish to move himself up to second in the Drivers’ Championship.
Arriving for the fourth round of the season at Thruxton, the team was looking to continue their winning momentum from Snetterton, where Jake Hill took pole position and two victories around the Norfolk circuit.
Kicking the weekend off at the fastest circuit in the UK, Jake Hill and the team were instantly up to speed as they finished the opening practice session in first place before following up with a sixth-place finish in the second and final practice session.
Another strong qualifying session saw Jake progress through the first two stages of the new-for-2024 qualifying format, and in the ‘Quick Six’ qualifying, Jake was able to secure a third-place starting position, marking his third top-four qualifying result of the season.
Sunday’s opening race saw Jake line the grid from the second row, and he was able to get past both Cammish and Ingram off the line to take the lead of the race. As Jake began to stretch a healthy gap at the front of the field, the safety car was then called into action, and his almost two-second gap at the front was taken away as the pack formed behind the safety car.
Managing the safety car restart perfectly, Jake remained in first place and stayed there until the finish, taking the chequered flag and claiming the fastest lap to secure his third win of the season and a pole position start for the second race of the day.
Leading the pack away from the start lights, Jake was able to hold onto first place despite pressure from behind going through the first complex. Jake stayed at the front of the field until the halfway point of the race when he was passed by Tom Ingram, who had the hybrid advantage, and was demoted to second place.
Remaining in second place until the finish, Jake was then given the victory after Tom Ingram was handed a post-race penalty.
This victory marked Jake’s fourth race win of the season and his fourth in five races, shooting him up the championship standings and making him the most successful driver so far this season!
For the final race of the day, Jake was given an 8th-place starting position in the reverse grid draw and got a good launch off the line but was boxed out as he tried to manoeuvre past the cars ahead.
With several great on-track battles, Jake progressed up the order to take the chequered flag in fifth place to round out a sensational race day at Thruxton.
Two victories and 54 points collected on Sunday saw Jake depart Thruxton second in the Drivers’ Championship, just five points adrift of the top of the standings, as the championship heads for Oulton Park for the fifth round of the season (22-23 June).
“What a weekend! We came to Thruxton expecting it to be one of our weaker circuits and departed with it being our most successful round so far this season. All of the hard work is starting to pay dividends, and the balance of the car gave me so much confidence in qualifying and the races, so a huge thank you to Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, WSR, and my engineer Craig Porley.
There’s a long way to go in the championship, so we can’t get carried away with our recent successes. We just need to take it one weekend at a time and make sure we are bringing our best to every circuit to stay in this championship fight.”
“We can all be very proud of our trip to Thruxton. We knew the challenges the circuit possesses, and Jake and the team finely rose to the occasion. The margins in the championship are so fine, and since Brands Hatch, everyone in the team has worked so hard to ensure we maximize every bit of potential.
Now we must ensure that we’re performing at this high level at every circuit to remain competitive in the championship race. There will be many challenges ahead of us, but I’m fully confident in our ability as a team to keep this momentum rolling.
A huge thank you to all of the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport and WSR team for their efforts this past weekend and, of course, to all of our fans and partners that keep us on track.”
