The 26-year-old Team Hard Cupra Leon driver saw off strong opposition from rookies George Gamble and Ash Hand, at the wheel of Ciceley Motorsport BMW and Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall respectively, to wrap up the JST in the first of the three races at last weekend’s Brands Hatch finale.
The JST is the sub-class for those who, before the season, have never finished on an overall BTCC podium or won the JST title. Previous champions include Ash Sutton (2016), Dan Cammish (2018) and Rory Butcher (2019).
Thompson was in a strong position to win the JST title late in the 2020 season before he barrel-rolled his Trade Price Cars Audi at Croft, and was unable to return to the BTCC until 2022 due to the damage to his finances.
He was eyeing a move to GT racing for this season, thanks to his network of clients as a driver coach, and started the year competing in the Dubai 24 Hours.
“This [his drive with Team Hard] came around about three weeks before the start of the season,” Thompson told Autosport.
“To be honest, I thought I was having a year out – I do a lot of coaching and thought that’s what I’d be doing.
“These guys asked me to do a test of some dampers at Brands and I thought, ‘Why not? A free go in a touring car.’
“We matched some pole times, and then one thing led to another.”
Thompson, who was racing the Cupra driven by Jack Goff in 2021, scored his first overall podium in the second round at Brands.
He was running second in the finale at Brands last weekend, after battling with the overall title contenders during the earlier races, when he retired with engine failure.
“The GT stuff is still a potential for next year, but that all depends on the customers I’ve got,” he added.
“This [the BTCC] is now most likely where I’m going to stick – for a driver in the UK who doesn’t come from money, you can’t sell any other series.”
Thompson says this will most likely be via remaining at Team Hard for 2023, and believes there is more pace to unlock from the Cupra.
“There are lots of rumours – the silly season has started extra-early this year,” he said.
“Of course we all know each other [the teams and drivers], but there’s no need to go anywhere else – these guys have given me a top-10 car each weekend.
“This is year two of development on the Cupra, and you’ve got the Fords on year three or four, the Beemers on year four or five – we’re playing catch-up.
“In my first years in touring cars I felt I was playing catch-up too, but now the team have found their feet they’re a top-half-of-the-grid team.”
