Jenson Brickley takes victory in dramatic second TCR UK race at Knockhill

Jenson Brickley came out on top in a dramatic second TCR UK race at Knockhill as on-the-road winner Carl Boardley was again denied victory due to a post-race penalty.

The Cupra León Competición driver held second for the majority of the race and made an aggressive move on long-time leader Alex Ley on the penultimate lap to hit the front.

Boardley moved into second as a result of contact between Brickley and Ley at the Hairpin and then profited from a mistake from Brickley at the same turn on the final lap to cross the line first.

However, a track limits penalty dropped race one winner Boardley to fourth, handing Brickley the win.

JWB Motorsport’s Matthew Wilson started the reversed grid race from pole position and led initially before being usurped by Chris Smiley’s Restart Racing Honda Civic Type-R. Further back in the field, points leader Bruce Winfield was tipped into a half-spin at Butchers, dropping him down the order. He pitted twice before retiring.

But Smiley’s miserable season continued after a broken damper forced him into the pits on the second of 29 laps. He retired soon after.

That put Wilson back in the lead but the Cupra soon came under immense pressure from Ley, who had leapt ahead of Callum Newsham to second.

Smiley said: “I was getting away at the start and something broke at the front. The front damper broke but we’ll hopefully be able to get it out for race three.”

With pace in hand, Ley then closed in onto the back of Wilson and made a lunge under braking for the Hairpin to seize the lead. Wilson then tumbled down the order after coming under pressure from Brickley.

Brickley had his fair share of action earlier on in the race too, running side by side with Jac Constable and Adam Shepherd on the run towards the Hairpin. Contact was made and Constable was sent sliding down the grass verge on the Railway Straight, filling his raidator and forcing the Audi into the pits.

With Brickley up to second at the expense of Wilson and Newsham – the latter retired after being called into the pits by the stewards with a loose exhaust – he piled on the pressure on the back of Ley for multiple laps.

Boardley displayed the superior pace of the Cupra and worked his way up to third, making it a three-car scrap for the lead entering the final stages.

Brickely was the faster driver heading onto the penultimate lap and he forced his way by Ley under braking for the Hairpin, with contact forcing Ley deep into the corner.

That gave Brickley the lead and Boardley profited from a slow exit from Ley to grab second. The race one winner then got a superb run on Brickley after JBM Cupra locked up at the Hairpin on the final tour and got alongside on the run to the flag.

But with his five-second penalty applied, Boardley was demoted and Brickley came out on top.

Wilson finished fifth ahead of Marshall and Brad Hutchison, with Scott Sumpton recovering from a penalty to end up eighth.

Darrelle Wilson was ninth with Constable fighting back to complete the top 10.

The final race at Knockhill is scheduled to take place later on today at 13:55 local time (14:55 CEST).