MOTORSPORT: AmD with Cobra Exhausts team enjoyed a barnstorming start to the new Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season with a fine podium finish at Brands Hatch.

Ollie Jackson moved up 18 places to finish third in race two, having also impressed in the first race.

The West Thurrock-based team went into the opening meeting of the campaign eager to impress, with the returning Jackson keen to push for points and series debutant Sam Smelt targeting valuable mileage to build his experience.

And Jackson picked up some early season points as he moved up from 23rd to 12th in the standings in consistently rainy conditions.

But the best was yet to come as Jackson fought his way up from 21st at the end of lap 12, into the top eight and finally into the podium places when one of those cars ahead of him ran off the track.

The podium was Jackson’s first since in the BTCC, while it was a first for the Audi S3 and the team’s first since Knockhill in 2014.

Jackson finished race three in 14th place.

Smelt was 24th and secured two 25th place finishes in the two races.

“It’s been an emotional weekend,” said Jackson. “We’ve worked so hard as a team to improve the Audi and have been getting quicker and quicker, and we’ve been able to fight for strong results across all three races.

“The car was absolutely fantastic and to bring home a podium was beyond our expectations coming into the weekend.”