Tarporley racing driver Tom Oliphant found himself in the wars and out of luck at Snetterton in a British Touring Car Championship meeting to forget.
He had hoped to close the gap on the top five but found himself on the receiving end of collisions in each race, scuppering his chances of a top result.
The 30-year-old had powered his BMW 330i M Sport to the seventh fastest time for fourth row on the grid.
But in race one he suffered contact with Aiden Moffat and was sent into a spin and tumbling to the back of the pack.
He eventually took the chequered flag in 14th.
In the second encounter he fought his way through the pack but suffered more contact as he attempted to move forward, crossing the line in 11th.
And in the final race, Oliphant was pushed as far back as 15th at one point but showcased his determination by fighting back to cross the line in 12th.
He remains sixth in the BTCC Drivers’ Championship but has dropped out of contention for the overall title.
Oliphant said: “It’s been a weekend to forget, simple as that.
“Some of the driving standards out there were just despicable and I just found myself in the wrong place at the wrong time in every race, getting hit.
“We left it late to get into the top ten showdown in qualifying but I think seventh was a good effort.
“Contact at the first corner of race one dictated the rest of the day.
“I think I drove well and the pace we had in the car was really strong.
“It was a shame we couldn’t show how strong we were though and we’ve ultimately come away with three results outside the top ten.
“We’re out of title contention now but fifth place in the points is a very real possibility.
“Achieving that and helping BMW win the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championship’s is the aim going into the season finale at Brands Hatch.”
The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will cap off its condensed 2020 campaign with three races around the Indy layout of Brands Hatch on November 14/15.
(The images included are from Jakob Ebrey Photography)
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