CRUEL luck robbed Tom Boardman of his chance to close in on third position in the Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship BTC Production class at Brands Hatch yesterday (Monday, August 26).

In the penultimate meeting of the season, he was on course to reduce the gap to Spencer Marsh in third to just 12 points but fate was against him.

After qualifying fifth for both Rounds 17 and 18, Boardman was perfectly placed to challenge for honours and improve his championship standing.

And that's exactly what he did in the first race of the day, the 25-lap Round 17.

A good start saw him stay ahead of main rival Marsh as well as get past Scotland's Gavin Pyper as he slotted into third by the end of the first lap.

With title contenders Norman Simon and James Kaye battling it out for the race win, the 18-year-old was happy to hold third to boost his points tally and maybe gain the lead if the front two tripped each other up.

But two Safety Car periods spoiled his rhythm and he lost out to Pyper at one of the re-starts, dropping to fourth.

However, he closed in again on the Scot, who began to slow in the closing stages, and the final podium place was his for the taking.

Then his luck changed - a two-car collision ahead forced the race to be stopped three laps short of full distance and he had to settle for fourth.

His performance in the 40-lap Round 18 was very similar.

He overtook Marsh (who started fourth) at the start and fell in behind Pyper, Simon and Kaye.

And with Marsh behind him, the Forton based driver was content to let the battle in front unfold while holding on to his position that would have given him a valuable eight championship points.

Then, with just nine laps to go, the bad luck struck again and this time with terminal consequences.

The fight for the outright lead of the race between Warren Hughes and Paul O'Neill caught up with the BTC Production leading quartet and Boardman was forced to move aside to let them through.

Hughes went by without a problem, but an over-eager O'Neill unfortunately tried to go through Boardman's BMW instead of past it in his attempt to pass Hughes.

That smashed the Lancashire teenager's front wheel and broke his steering, putting him out of the race and, more hurtful, out of the points.

Boardman, now joint fifth in the standings with Pyper, said: "I was fuming after Paul put me out.

There was no need for him to do that.

I had moved out of the way and all he had to do was go down the inside, but I think he was too concerned with trying to catch Warren and he wasn't bothered about where I ended up.

"I lost eight points there and two in the first race because Pyper was definitely struggling.

So I'm very disappointed because had the luck gone my way I would be fourth in the championship now with every chance of moving up to third in the final two races.

I can still do it, but it needs Marsh to not finish both races so it's going to be an uphill struggle I'm afraid."