Ipswich-based former hot rod champion Carl Boardley competed in the fourth round of the Ginetta GT4 Supercup as part of the British Touring Car Championship at Croft at the weekend and landed a hat-trick of race wins in a maximum points haul, as he closed within seven points of leading the Championship, writes Dean Cox

Official qualifying on Saturday saw Boardley in P2 for race one on Saturday afternoon which saw Boardley heading the pack into the first corner and putting in a confident drive to take the win from championship leader Charlie Ladell.

By Sunday afternoon, with Boardley off the Pole this time, he raced Ladell to the first corner and pushed out into the lead again and despite some thrilling racing between the two, Boardley’s strong first two sectors each lap, in front of the ITV4 Cameras, made sure he was going to make the result stick with Ladell second and Angus Fender third.

With the grid drawn for race three, Boardley was off P4 but was second to Ladell going into the first turn.

As the drivers struggled on wearing tyres, Boardley managed to get past Ladell and go into a commanding lead.

Just when it was thought the result would stick, there was a caution car period and upon the restart.

Harry King on superior tyres made a class move on Boardley to take the lead and the win while Boardley limped home in second with a rear puncture.

Post-race investigation however saw King removed from the result following an earlier altercation in the race and thus the win was awarded to Boardley to claim his third win of the weekend.

Boardley now sits in an even stronger second place in the Ginetta GT4 Championship, just seven points behind Ladell as he prepares for the next round when the BTCC visits Boardley’s local circuit, Snetterton on Croft on July 28 and 29.

Before then, Boardley will be behind the wheel of a 2018 Team Hard British Touring Car Championship Car on July 12 as he takes part in an official tyre testing with his team.

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