BTCC: Butcher fends off Cook after thrilling final lap duel

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK's Rory Butcher secures the double at Silverstone after holding Josh Cook at bay during the second BTCC race.
iRory Butcher (GBR) - Toyota Gazoo Racing UK Toyota Corolla
iRory Butcher (GBR) - Toyota Gazoo Racing UK Toyota Corolla
© JEP

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK's R𒊎ory Butcher secured his second British Touring Car Championship race victory of the day after holding off Josh Cook𝔉 following a thrilling final-lap during race two at Silverstone.

Despite carryingཧ full success ballast and having to contend with two safety car periods, Butche𒅌r led every lap from pole position, but came under severe pressure from BTC Racing's Cook during the final few laps of the race.

Once Cook had dispatched the Excler8 Motorsport Hyundai of Tom Ingram for second position at the end of lap 17,📖 the Honda Civic Type-R driver rapiꦡdly closed to the race leading Toyota Corolla.

By the end of the penultimate lap, Cook found himself right on the rear o𒆙f Butcher. However, Butcher held his nerve despite an audacious last-lap lunge from Cook at Brooklands.

Cook dived on the inside of Butcher, but carried far too much speed to maintain the line of the corner, whicꦇh allowed the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK driver to scythe his way back underneath the Honda.

Butcher's 11th career BTCC race victory has moved him up to seventh in the drivers' st🌃andings.

Cook settled for second following his last lap heroics, while Ingram💧 clung o𒆙nto third ahead of fellow title challengers Colin Turkington and Ash Sutton.

Team BMW's Turkington spent the majority of the race perilously nestled between the 🅷two Laser Tools Racing Infinitis before making a crucial pass on Aiden Moffat for fou♛rth position on lap 23.

Moffat fell to sixth by the end of the race with Dan Rowbottom following up in seve𒁏𝔉nth.

Chris Smiley scored further points in eighth position, while Stephen Jelley a🌠nd Jake Hill completed𝄹 the remainder of the top-ten in ninth and tenth.

Despite just missing out on the top-ten, two-time champ🃏ion Jason Plato has been drawn to start the reverse grid race from pole position after finishing race two in eleventh.

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