Four wins and 12 total podiums through 14 races. That is what led to a TC America championship season for BimmerWorld Owner and Driver James Clay in 2020. Clay was Mr. Consistency in 2020, proven with a string of seven straight races where he did not finish lower than second position from Rounds 6 through 12.
The TC-class title did not come easily though. Season-long battles with Toby Grahovec and Johan Schwartz, the 2019 champion, saw the Hard Motorsports driver lead the title race early in the season, with Grahovec nipping at the heels of the championship all season long.
It was Clay’s consistency that won out, earning him the title-winning 251 points over Grahovec’s 237 points and Schwartz’ 205. After a season-opening win at Circuit of the Americas, Clay said, “I knew Toby and Johan were going to be tough and I couldn’t make any mistakes today. I was able to capitalize on a few opportunities to get by, but then I was lucky those two battled because I was able to get a few car lengths on them. It was really great racing with Toby and Johan today.”
That would set the stage for an extremely competitive and fun 2020 TC America season ending with Clay wearing the crown.
“This has been a season of really tough and competitive racing, and I'm thrilled I was able to close out the Championship in Indy,” Clay explained. “Every single race and weekend was a scrap and as tight as the field was, even on the weekends I felt we had a better car I could never anticipate how the race would finish or be even slightly complacent. This series was highly competitive and I really enjoyed the chess game with some excellent players in the field.”
Clay concluded, “When I first started racing Touring Car in 2003 I certainly didn't anticipate winning a championship, but coming back to the series full time this season and crowning the year with this achievement is huge for me personally as well as our BimmerWorld team that put in all the work to make it happen. I'd like to also acknowledge my sponsors - PORQ Snacks, OPTIMA Batteries, Red Line Oil, PFC Brakes, Lifeline, Fire and Safety Systems, and Diffsonline.”