Six drivers will head into the final three races of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship next month in mathematical contention to be crowned champion following an action-packed weekend (September 21/22) at Silverstone.
Jake Hill and Tom Ingram head to Brands Hatch in less than two weeks’ time tied on points at the top of the standings while reigning champion Ash Sutton is 33 points in arrears in third place.
With a total of 67 points set to be on offer around the Grand Prix layout of the Kent venue, the trio of Dan Cammish, Josh Cook and Colin Turkington also remain in contention to lift the biggest prize in UK motorsport.
Qualifying around the Home of British Motor Racing on Saturday saw no end of drama as three drivers, including pole sitter Aron Taylor-Smith, fell foul of post-session ride height checks and were excluded from the classification.
Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing’s Taylor-Smith mastered the wet conditions to clinch his first pole position in almost a decade however it was soon cruelly stripped from him as he, team-mate Mikey Doble and Hyundai’s Dan Zelos failed to meet the required parameters in parc ferme.
Taylor-Smith’s demise boosted championship contender Ingram to the top of the times while four-time champion Turkington and Cook also gained vital ground, moving up to second and third on the grid for race one.
Both Ingram and Hill emerged as the toast of the BTCC field on race day as they mastered the extremely wet conditions to take a share of the spoils, with 2022 title winner Ingram claiming an impressive brace.
Race one saw Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS’ Ingram hold off a late charge from Hill – who had hustled his way from fifth on the grid – and Cammish in race one to claim a pivotal fourth win of the season in his Hyundai i30 N.
Hybrid deployment became the narrative of the contest for the top two as Hill used a majority of his allowance to close in on Ingram, while the latter held back some additional power to ensure he could hang on in the latter stages.
The weekend’s second contest saw Hill and Ingram renew their battle however this time it was the BMW driver that reigned supreme as he found a way past Ingram at mid-distance and then pulled clear to triumph for the seventh time this year.
Ingram would be unable to hang on to second place with both Turkington and Cook finding a way past. Further down the order, Sutton saw his title aspirations dealt a blow as he was forced to serve a drive through penalty after running as high as third at one stage.
More rain hit the circuit for race three and after just nine laps the red flag was waved with driving conditions deemed impossible. After a lengthy delay, racing did resume and those in attendance were treated to another captivating contest as Ingram triumphed again.
Working his way into an early lead, Ingram looked fairly comfortable out front however the looming presence of Sutton – who had made his way forward from 12th – set up a thrilling finish; Ingram though was able to hold on.
With that victory and Hill finishing fifth, the pair now head into the final three rounds of the campaign dead-level on points, although Hill holds first place having won more races over the course of the season.
Alliance Racing/Ford top the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ Championship by just four points from BMW, whilst NAPA Racing UK holds an extremely healthy lead in the Teams’ table.
Taylor-Smith and Power Maxed Racing have moved into an unassailable points lead in the Independents’ championships, while team-mate Mikey Doble has provisionally clinched the Jack Sears Trophy.
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 2024 campaign at Brands Hatch on October 5/6.
