Dorlin Claims Jack Sears Trophy Victory at Brands Hatch

James Dorlin delivered a standout performance during a dramatic race day at Brands Hatch, securing overall Jack Sears Trophy honours after three hard-fought races in the British Touring Car Championship.

The weekend began in difficult circumstances after an engine change forced Dorlin to miss valuable running in free practice, leaving the team on the back foot heading into qualifying and race day. Changing weather conditions added another layer of difficulty, with intermittent rain and cool temperatures creating a constantly evolving track surface throughout Sunday’s races.

Starting 18th on the grid for Race 1, Dorlin immediately began making progress in the challenging conditions. Battling through a tightly packed midfield, he showed strong pace and determination despite being forced wide late in the race. Recovering quickly, he crossed the line in 15th place to secure a valuable championship point.

Race 2 saw another impressive recovery drive from the young Brit. After losing positions during the opening stages, Dorlin fought back with a series of decisive overtakes, carving his way into the top ten before a red flag brought the race to an early conclusion. Classified eighth at the chequered flag, it marked another strong result and continued momentum heading into the final race of the day.

For Race 3, Dorlin lined up on pole position following the reverse-grid draw, although he faced the additional challenge of running the slower medium tyre compound against rivals on the faster soft tyre. Making a clean start, he confidently led a British Touring Car Championship race for the first time in his career while defending brilliantly from reigning champion Tom Ingram and four-time champion Ash Sutton.

As the race progressed, the advantage of the soft tyre runners began to take effect, but Dorlin continued to fight hard throughout the closing laps. A determined drive to eighth place capped an outstanding recovery weekend and secured overall Jack Sears Trophy victory at Brands Hatch.

James said:“So that’s a wrap for Brands Hatch. Yesterday was tough with the engine failure, and we were literally starting from the back after qualifying.

To come away with the Jack Sears Trophy win, and to have led a race in the British Touring Car Championship for the first time, I’m really, really happy.