The Motorbase Performance team were over the moon after two podium finishes on the first weekend of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

The Kent team, who topped the timesheets during the official test at Snetterton a month ago, were giving a race debut to their freshly built Ford Focus ST at Donington Park.

Rory Butcher was the main man for the team, leading them to a second and third place finish.

Scottish driver Butcher started the opening race sixth on the grid, moving up a place in the first lap. After avoiding a spinning Ashley Sutton he moved up to third and held his spot after a safety car period to clinch his first podium of the weekend.

Ollie Jackson took 17th and Andy Neate 20th.

From third on the grid in round two, Butcher moved up to second after passing Daniel Cammish and held on to make it back-to-back podium finishes.

There were improvements all round with Jackson finishing 11th and Neate taking 18th place.

Jackson started the final race in P2 and he took the lead after a great start before dropping back to fifth midway through the race, which is where he finished. Butcher, racing with ballast and starting 11th in a reverse grid, finished 11th while Neate took 19th.

The two podiums for Butcher leaves him fourth in the driver standings after the opening three rounds.

He said: “It’s been an incredible weekend and after race two, once we had bagged that second podium, it hit me what we have achieved with the new car and how much potential it has going forward.

“The boys have done an incredible job. We are all so delighted with the car’s performance and it bodes well.

“We are up against some stiff competition. We just need to stay focussed. It is a long and tough season ahead.”

Team boss David Bartrum added: “He has paid us back for all of that work we have done! We’re over the moon.”

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