Andrew Jordan enjoyed great pace from his Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra but was left frustrated from the day's three races after a pair of left-front punctures struck at Brands Hatch.
Jordan had been on the pace all weekend, leading both Saturday's practice sessions before qualifying second. Though he lost positions in the opening laps, being shuffled back after finding himself on the outside for the hairpin at Druids on lap one, Jordan fought back, displaying both typical Touring Car aggression and quality race craft to pass first Tom Boardman then Alex MacDowall to move into fifth place.
However, with just a few laps remaining a piece of debris caused a puncture which dropped him out of the points. That left Jordan starting race two from down the order, but the 21-year-old was able to put the Vectra's turbocharged pace to good use, marching through the field to claim sixth position, and put himself back on the front row of the grid for the final race of the day whilst again proving the car to be among the best on the grid.
From there it was a depressingly familiar story. Running in second Jordan felt he was able to match leader Matt Neal and was planning an attack to on the lead when the blue Vectra slowed again, with another flat tyre. Unlike his race one misfortune, Jordan took full responsibility for this puncture, running over the kerbs one time too many proving too much for the tyre.
The Brands Hatch races also saw the race debut of Jeff Smith in a second Pirtek Racing Vectra. In the very first race of the day Smith took his first BTCC points, finishing ninth.
Smith, Jordan and the rest of the Pirtek Racing will be hoping for more of the same speed, with fewer problems in two weeks when the BTCC reaches Donington Park for round two of the championship.
