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Knockhill BTCC: Rob Collard scores his first win of 2014

Rob Collard scored his first victory of 2014 in the reversed-grid British Touring Car finale at Knockhill

The WSR BMW driver went from sixth to fourth at the start and then dived by Dave Newsham's AmD Ford Focus at the hairpin on the first lap.

Collard, running on the softer Dunlop tyre, robustly fought by Fabrizio Giovanardi's Motorbase Ford Focus at the same place on lap two and then closed in on team-mate and leader Nick Foster.

After tracking Foster for a few laps, Collard got a run out of the hairpin and completed the move into Duffus Dip at around one-third distance.

Newsham followed Collard through but could not stay with the number 10 BMW 125i M Sport .

Championship leader Colin Turkington was also moving forward. After starting seventh, he took Giovanardi for fifth at Clark's corner but contact forced both wide and allowed Adam Morgan's Ciceley Mercedes to pass them.

Once back ahead of the Mercedes, Turkington swiftly overtook Tom Ingram's Speedworks Toyota and Foster before closing on Newsham.

While Collard pulled clear into a race of his own, Turkington and Foster put Newsham under huge amounts of pressure. But the AmD Ford driver held on to score a fine runner-up spot just days after his mother passed away.

"I really needed that," said Newsham. "I wasn't going to give away the podium for anyone."

Turkington's third place extended his title lead, while Foster's drive meant the three WSR BMWs finished in the top four.

Further back, Andrew Jordan (Eurotech Honda Civic) and Gordon Shedden (works Civic Tourer) both charged through from row six to finish fifth and sixth.

They were helped by Rob Austin's Audi being spun around while running ahead, and a clash between Giovanardi and Matt Neal's Honda that put the Ford out.

Morgan and Ingram fell back in the late stages and were split at the finish by eight-placed Alain Menu, who came through from 15th in his soft tyre-shod BMR VW.

Jason Plato's Triple Eight MG appeared to struggle on the soft rubber and completed the top 10, just ahead of Neal.

Results - 24 laps                                   
                                                    
Pos Driver            Car                Time/Gap   
 1. Rob Collard       WSR BMW            21m21.475s 
 2. Dave Newsham      AmD Ford           +6.083s    
 3. Colin Turkington  WSR BMW            +6.294s    
 4. Nick Foster       WSR BMW            +6.441s    
 5. Andrew Jordan     Eurotech Honda     +11.057s   
 6. Gordon Shedden    Honda              +11.495s   
 7. Adam Morgan       Ciceley Mercedes   +14.501s   
 8. Alain Menu        BMR VW             +15.157s   
 9. Tom Ingram        Speedworks Toyota  +16.962s   
10. Jason Plato       MG                 +20.409s   
11. Matt Neal         Honda              +20.862s   
12. Jack Goff         BMR VW             +21.145s   
13. Sam Tordoff       MG                 +22.267s   
14. Jack Clarke       Motorbase Ford     +23.757s   
15. Marc Hynes        MG                 +23.856s   
16. Hunter Abbott     RAR Audi           +25.163s   
17. Mat Jackson       Motorbase Ford     +28.532s   
18. Robb Holland      Rotek Audi         +30.659s   
19. Glynn Geddie      UA Toyota          +30.671s   
20. Martin Depper     Eurotech Honda     +31.000s   
21. Aiden Moffat      Moffat Chevrolet   +32.172s   
22. James Cole        UA Toyota          +37.935s   
23. Simon Belcher     Handy Toyota       +40.228s   
24. Lea Wood          Houseman Toyota    +44.133s   
25. Chris Stockton    BTC Chevrolet      +51.680s   
                                                    
Retirements                                         
                                                    
    Aron Smith           BMR VW          14 laps    
    Fabrizio Giovanardi  Motorbase Ford  11 laps    
    Rob Austin           RAR Audi        10 laps    
 

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