Author: Chris Ashby

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship brought the curtain down on its 2023 season in style at Brands Hatch this past weekend (October 7/8) as NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton was crowned champion for a record-equalling fourth time. 

On what proved to be a momentous final day of the season around the Grand Prix circuit, the Ford Focus ST driver held his nerve in front of a capacity crowd to cement his place as one of the greatest ever drivers in the UK’s premier motorsport series. 

Arriving at the Kent venue holding a commanding 45-point lead, Sutton stormed to victory in the opening encounter around the iconic Grand Prix circuit, which was enough for him to clinch the coveted crown.

With the title secured, the 29-year-old then went on to win the penultimate race of the season before concluding a quite incredible campaign with a points-paying finish in the finale.

Sutton’s path to a fourth title has been nothing short of impressive with six pole positions, 12 wins and a further eight podium finishes being tallied over the course of the ten event campaign. 

In addition to now tying Andy Rouse and Colin Turkington for the most BTCC titles ever, Sutton has also become the first driver to win the prestigious accolade in both front and rear-wheel-drive machinery. 

Whilst being unable to stop Sutton from triumphing, outgoing champion Tom Ingram ultimately settled for runners-up laurels whilst Jake Hill, Turkington and Josh Cook completed the top five in the standings.

Elsewhere, NAPA Racing UK and Ford claimed the Teams’ Championship for the second season in-a-row and they were also able to overhaul BMW to wrap up the Manufacturer-Constructor Championship for the first time too.

Cook retained his Independent Drivers’ title in comfortable fashion, and his performances also played a critical role in helping his One Motorsport with Starline Racing squad go back-to-back in the Independent Teams’ category. 

Rounding out this year’s title winners was CarStore Power Maxed Racing’s Andrew Watson who triumphed in the Jack Sears Trophy ahead of his Vauxhall Astra team-mate Mikey Doble.

Sutton’s charge to the coveted crown began on Saturday afternoon as he scooped a sensational sixth pole position of the season. Pacing the opposition by more than two tenths of a second, that success also clinched him the Goodyear Wingfoot Award.

In a season in which he has largely reigned supreme, it was somewhat fitting that Sutton became the youngest ever four-time champion with a superlative lights-to-flag victory in the opening contest.

Blasting away from the front row, the Alliance Racing driver was wheel-perfect throughout the 18-lap bout as he led home his chief championship rival this season, Ingram.

With the championship secured and the pressure off, Sutton then produced a carbon copy performance in race two as he charged to an unprecedented 12th victory of the year – which tied the record set by fellow multiple champion Alain Menu more than two decades ago.

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s Hill then brought the curtain down on the season with victory in a thrilling finale, as he came out on top of a captivating battle for the lead which inclued Honda ace Cook and BMW stablemate Stephen Jelley.

To view the full classification of results from all BTCC sessions at Brands Hatch, as well as the final championship standings, CLICK HERE.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will return in 2024, with the start of the brand-new season poised to start around Donington Park’s National layout on April 27/28.

Ash Sutton and Tom Ingram will head into the final three races of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship in contention to be crowned champion next month following an action-packed weekend (September 23/24) at Silverstone. 

Brands Hatch’s world-famous Grand Prix circuit will once again provide the setting for this year’s closer in less than two weeks’ time with three-time title winner Sutton heading there with a commanding 45-point lead at the top of the standings. 

With 67 points set to be on offer at the famous Kent venue, reigning champion Ingram now remains the only driver in mathematical contention to capture the biggest prize in the UK motorsport. 

The penultimate event of the season at the Home of British Motor Racing saw its fair share of thrills and spills as Sutton, Jake Hill and Colin Turkington shared the spoils on what proved to be a spectacular race day in Northamptonshire. 

Running under the ‘Top Ten Showdown’ format for the final time this season, qualifying on Saturday proved to be ultra-competitive with less than a tenth of second blanketing the top five. 

Following a frenetic opening segment it was anybody’s guess as to who would grab pole position but CarStore Power Maxed Racing’s Mikey Doble duly stepped up the mantel to blast his Vauxhall Astra to the top of the timesheets.

Team BMW’s Turkington came to within 0.012 seconds of Doble’s pole time but the rear-wheel-drive ace had to settle for runners-up laurels whilst championship protagonists Ingram, Hill and Sutton completed the top five.

Doble’s delight sadly turned into despair in race one as a miscommunication by the team led to him completing an additional green flag lap, which relegated him to the rear of the field.

With drizzly conditions throwing a spanner in the works, tyre strategy proved crucial and it was Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s Hill that rolled the dice correctly to leave his rivals in his wake as he claimed a commanding victory. 

Blasting into the lead off the line, Hill was in a league of his own out front whilst Dan Rowbottom and Andrew Watson diced for second and third all the way to the chequered flag. 

Further down the order, both Sutton and Ingram found themselves in the thick of the action as they tumbled backwards before pitting for wet tyres. The pair would ultimately go on to finish the race in 22nd and 23rd. 

That result set up two of the finest performances that the BTCC has seen in recent years as Sutton and Ingram carved their way through the order in race two, with NAPA Racing UK’s Sutton clinching a famous tenth win of the season.

As soon as the lights went out the champion duo were on the move and whilst they progressed forward, Hill looked to be cruising to victory out front. That was until a safety car neutralised proceedings. 

On the restart, a mechanical issue appeared to hamper Hill’s pace and he soon began to drop places, which promoted Aron Taylor-Smith into the lead. Holding firm out front for a number of laps, the Vauxhall driver soon had Sutton bearing down on him and the inevitable happened.

Sutton’s move for the lead came on the penultimate lap as he bravely dived down the inside of the Irishman at Woodcote and once clear, he cruised home to notch yet another win whilst Taylor-Smith and Ingram completed the podium. 

Four-time champion Turkington then brought the curtain down on the weekend in style as he scored BMW’s 150th victory in the BTCC. 

Starting fifth, the rear-wheel-drive ace wasted no time in making progress and he soon hauled himself into a lead that he was ultimately never challenged for. Behind, Ingram and Sutton had everyone on the edge of theirs seats again as they clawed their way onto the rostrum.

Turkington’s win ensured that BMW remain on course to secure the Manufacturer-Constructors for an eighth consecutive season whilst NAPA Racing UK are holding firm at the top of the Teams’ Championship.

Josh Cook has provisionally wrapped up the Independent Drivers’ Championship for the second year in succession whilst his One Motorsport with Starline Racing squad have edged closer to retaining their Independent Teams’ crown. 

In the Jack Sears Trophy, Watson now sits on the cusp of clinching the title after enjoying a stellar weekend which saw him extend his lead over the chasing pack.

To view the full classification of results from all BTCC sessions at Silverstone, CLICK HERE.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will bring the curtain down on its 2023 season at Brands Hatch on October 7/8.