1 – Jordan recovers from only non-finish to become champion
Andrew Jordan realised his dream in 2013, with a championship-winning performance which all season proved worthy of the accolade.
However, he was forced to fight for it in a nerve-jangling conclusion to the season at a sodden Brands Hatch GP circuit, after his only non-finish of the year in race two took the scenario into a last race showdown.
Finding himself stuck in the middle of a feisty battle for fourth place in race two, the Pirtek Racing Honda Civic was forced to take avoiding action as Aron Smith tried to complete a three-car overtake at Surtees on Rob Collard and Jordan, which did not pay off.
The Airwaves Ford Focus tipped the RWD eBay Motors BMW of Collard into a spin, Jordan’s avoiding action taking him into the side of fellow Civic rival Matt Neal. The whack bent Jordan’s left-rear suspension and left him a retirement as he spun at Hawthorns nursing it back to the pits in desperation.
Jason Plato won his second race of the day to close a 49-point deficit to just 15 heading into the decider, the MG driver starting seventh in the final race while Jordan started on the back row in 24th.
Worse was that his other title challenger, Gordon Shedden, started on pole, and duly won the race after a titanic battle with Jack Goff, the Team HARD rookie capping his year off in style with a podium despite a spirited attack of Shedden almost gifting him a surprise victory.
Jordan’s charge from the back was calm and metronomic, working his way up to 10th place safely where Plato – running sixth for much of the race – soon slipped back and behind him to 10th spot, his title dreams now over.
Shedden beat Goff for the win, but ninth was enough for Jordan who crossed the line with tears filling his eyes, the realisation that the 24-year-old had clinched the British Touring Car Championship by seven points finally displayed.
