AUTOSPORT Awards 2014: Colin Turkington wins National Driver
British Touring Car champion Colin Turkington has been named as the National Racing Driver of the Year at the 2014 AUTOSPORT Awards
Autosport Awards
The Autosport Awards are a series of awards presented by motor racing magazine Autosport to drivers that have achieved significant milestones each season. Some of the presentations are selected by the general public via a reader's poll.
Having eight victories and 434 points, Turkington finished the season as the most dominant BTCC champion since Fabrizio Giovanardi in 2008.
The Northern Irishman became a two-time series champion and added his second title to his 2009 crown.
Turkington managed to finish on the podium at least once at every race meeting and that relentlessness allowed the WSR BMW driver to edge out rival Jason Plato by 35 points.
"British Touring Cars is never easy, never straightforward, and it always goes down to the last round," said Turkington after receiving the award from Williams Formula 1 deputy team principal Claire Williams and driver Valtteri Bottas.
"This year was no different - seven champions on the grid, it was more difficult than ever."
Turkington benefited from the rear-wheel-drive-friendly layouts at Oulton Park, Croft and Rockingham to secure double victories at those meetings. But it was his triple podium performance at Snetterton, where FWD cars were expected to be dominant, that boosted his championship hopes.
Clashes with Matt Neal at Snetterton, and the resulting grid penalty, and Jason Plato at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix meeting cost Turkington chances to add to his win tally.
But his drive from 27th on the grid to fourth in the second Knockhill race and his passing efforts at Silverstone were two outstanding efforts and kept the points rolling in.
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