James Nash en route to his first BTCC win (Photo Credit: btcc.net)
Five men will begin this weekend's British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) finale still with a mathematical chance of taking the title.
In the immediate build-up to the race weekend The Checkered Flag look back at the journey the five drivers have made through 2011 to arrive at Silverstone chasing the championship.
James Nash is the lowest placed of the title contenders in the overall standings, starting the Judgement weekend on 181 points. A clean sweep of the weekend, claiming all 52 points on offer would move the Triple Eight driver onto 233 points, just eight more than Matt Neal will start the weekend with.
All five title contenders have led the overall championship at some point this season. For Nash that moment came after the meeting at Donington Park in April. Nash claimed a podium in each of the three races at the East Midlands track, and added to an already promising start at Brands Hatch Nash headed to Thruxton with the championship lead.
However, a poor outing at the Hampshire track – which started with only qualifying in tenth – dropped Nash back to third in points.
Though, as the teams with newer cars began to accelerate their development and the constant restrictions on the turbo engine runners began to bite, the Vectra fell away from the very front of the field Nash remained a constant fixture in the points, picking up a smattering of podiums.
However, the definite highlight of Nash's 2011 has to be his maiden BTCC win at Rockingham after he passed Rob Austin early on and held off the Audi driver in the later laps despite his tyres struggling for grip.
Though he trails Mat Jackson by eight points in the overall standings Nash actually holds a seventeen point advantage over the Airwaves Racing driver in the Independents' drivers championship. It is this championship where Nash's, and Triple Eight's, focus will lie while they are at Silverstone.
James Nash 2011 Results:
Points: 181
Poles: 0
Wins: 1 (Rockingham R3)
Podiums: 8 (Brands Indy R1; Donington R1, 2, 3; Oulton R2; Snetterton R2; Rockingham R3; Brands GP R3)
