COLIN Turkington is tonight celebrating becoming the 2009 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Champion following a nail-biting final race of the season on the world-famous Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit today. Three drivers - Turkington, Fabrizio Giovanardi and North-East raised Jason Plato - all went into the race with a chance of lifting the title.

But second place for Team RAC BMW driver Turkington behind Plato was sufficient for the 27-year-old from Portadown to clinch the first BTCC Drivers' crown of his career.

Plato's win, incidentally, means he becomes only the second driver in history to win all three races in a day - the result means he has beaten Giovanardi to second in the final Drivers' standings. Watching Turkington win his title were four generations of his family, including grandfather Harry and baby son Lewis.

In beating former title-winners Giovanardi and Plato, Turkington's name is now etched on to the coveted BTCC Champion's trophy - one of world motor sport's most prized pieces of silverware - alongside those of other great past champions such as Jack Sears, Jim Clark, Andy Rouse, John Cleland and Alain Menu.

"It's everything I've worked for," said the elated Turkington,"But I couldn't relax at all. The pressure coming into the day was already immense. Then after the first two races the emotion inside me was something else - I knew I was close, but that it could still be taken away from me.

"After leading the season for so long I don't think I could have taken that."