Author: Chris Ashby

Rory Butcher and Jake Hill scored victory at Silverstone in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this past weekend (September 25/26) whilst reigning champion Ashley Sutton extended his advantage at the summit of the standings.

On what was a pivotal visit to the Home of British Motor Racing, the Laser Tools Racing driver produced a measured drive in races one and two before charging to the podium in race three to bolster his lead to 36 points.

Saturday around the 1.64-mile National layout arguably belonged to Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Butcher. Topping the times in both practice sessions, the Scotsman then went on to set the pace in Q1 of qualifying before claiming pole position in the Top Ten Showdown.

In what proved to be an ultra-competitive qualifying session where 29 of the 30 cars were covered by less than a second, Butcher charged to top spot ahead of Tom Ingram, Aiden Moffat and Josh Cook.

Butcher and Speedworks Motorsport’s remarkable weekend in the UK’s premier motorsport series continued on Sunday as they bagged a brilliant pair of wins.

Losing the lead to Ingram off the start in race one, the Corolla driver wasted no time in clawing it back as he lunged down the inside of the Hyundai driver at Brooklands on lap three. There was contention surrounding the move as Butcher was adjudged to have completed the pass under yellow flags however officials ruled that the move was legal.

Once out front, Butcher pulled clear to net his second win of the season whilst Ingram resisted the challenge of Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing’s Daniel Lloyd – who producing his best performance of the season to clinch third.

Race two saw Butcher take a more routine victory despite a late charge from BTC Racing’s Cook. Pulling clear of the competition, the race one victor held his nerve to withstand late pressure from the Honda driver.

Sadly, Cook would be disqualified from second place for failing the post-race ride height which promoted Ingram and Team BMW’s Colin Turkington into second and third.

The final bout of the weekend belonged to MB Motorsport’s Hill as he completed a sensational Sunday recovery. After qualifying outside the top 20, the Ford Focus driver fought his way to the front to triumphed in the reverse grid contest.

Starting third, Hill – who was a winner at Croft last time out – got the jump on Jason Plato and then set after pole sitter Lloyd, finally making a move stick at half distance heading into Copse.

Hill couldn’t relax however as the Vauxhall Astra driver remained a constant threat in his mirrors for the remainder of the race. Completing the podium was championship leader Sutton who charged from eighth to third.

Alongside two other top six finishes, the two-time champion left Silverstone having opened up his lead at the standings summit to 36 points with just six races remaining.

The pairing of Sutton and Laser Tools Racing also rule the roost in the Teams’ and Independents’ tables, whilst BMW heads the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ order. Halfords Racing with Cataclean’s Daniel Rowbottom remains in control of the Jack Sears Trophy.

Elsewhere, the weekend also saw history made as the BTCC Hybrid era began with Andrew Jordan piloting the all-new Hybrid Toyota Corolla, competing in all sessions as part of a development demonstration ahead of next year’s full introduction.

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

Donington Park provides the next stop on the calendar for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship as it stages the penultimate event of the 2021 season on October 9/10.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has announced its commitment to using a more sustainable fuel from the 2022 season and beyond.

Opening a tender process for the supply of a more sustainable fuel to the series from 2022-2026, TOCA chose Haltermann Carless, who have been supplying the unbranded TOCA control fuel to the BTCC for some 26 years, as the successful submission.

The BTCC’s new-for-2022 fuel – designated Hiperflo® R20 – has a total of 20% renewable components, comprising 15% second generation ethanol content and 5% of renewable hydrocarbons.

It is calculated by the manufacturer that this will give approximately an 18% reduction in greenhouse gasses when compared to current pump fuel, significantly lowering the fuel’s impact on the environment. In addition, the selected fuel is more sustainable than that which has recently been introduced to petrol stations throughout the UK.

The introduction of the new fuel next season will coincide with beginning of the BTCC’s Hybrid era.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “As the premier motorsport series in the UK it is only right that the BTCC continues to navigate a more sustainable pathway and we are pleased to be introducing a cleaner fuel from the 2022 season onwards.

“Congratulations to Haltermann Carless on its successful tender and we look forward to continuing our working relationship over the next five years.”

Mike Jardine, Haltermann Carless Racing Fuels Division, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by the BTCC to supply our new renewable and sustainable control fuel to the Championship for the next 5 seasons.

“This is an exciting time for our company as we are working hard on the development and implementation of renewable and sustainable fuels in all areas of our business. Supplying our fuels to the pinnacle of British motorsport only adds to the credibility, pedigree and innovative nature of our products.”

Aiden Moffat, Jake Hill and Colin Turkington scored a win apiece as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship took centre stage at Croft this past weekend (September 18/19).

For the first time in more than two years, thousands of fans descended on the North Yorkshire venue for a full-throttle trio of races from Britain’s premier motorsport series – and they were given plenty of entertainment.

Two red flag stoppages meant qualifying on Saturday proved to be a truncated affair however it ultimately wouldn’t stop Aiden Moffat from scoring a maiden BTCC pole position.

With a flurry of improvements coming late in the session, the Laser Tools Racing driver set a sensational lap to pip MB Motorsport’s Jake Hill to top spot whilst Colin Turkington and local driver Senna Proctor locking out the second row.

Leading from the front, Moffat didn’t put a wheel wrong in the opening encounter to score his first win of the season. Holding the lead off the line, the Infiniti Q50 driver fended off the race-long challenge from Jake Hill to score his first victory since 2018.

Yorkshire’s own Senna Proctor gave the local fans plenty to cheer about too as he rounded out the podium in third. The BTC Racing driver got the jump on Colin Turkington during the opening lap and held position for the remainder of the 18-lap bout.

Race two saw Hill come to the fore as he cruised to a commanding win. Muscling his way past the pole sitter Moffat heading into the Complex on early on, the MB Motorsport drove got his head down and pulled clear as action ensued behind.

With Hill making his escape out front, an almighty battle for second place played out with Moffat – now ladened with 75kgs – fending off the chasing pack of Josh Cook, Colin Turkington, Senna Proctor, Gordon Shedden, Ashley Sutton and Tom Ingram.

As positions changed hands, Moffat continued to hang on to second with the Honda of Cook managing to clinch the third ahead of fellow title contenders Ingram and Sutton.

The reverse grid race would see West Surrey Racing celebrate their 700th race in the series in style as ‘King of Croft’ Turkington charged to his 13th victory at the venue.

Drawn onto pole position after finishing seventh in the previous race, the Northern Irishman produced a measured drive as he pulled clear of the chasing pack to record his third win of the campaign.

Behind, fans were captivated by the battle for second place between Shedden and Sutton. Despite showing his nose on a number of occasions, the championship leader couldn’t find a way past the Scotsman and ultimately settled for third.

Leaving Croft, Sutton’s advantage at the summit of the standings now sits at 29 points ahead of Hill, who has moved into second.

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

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship heads to the Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone, this coming weekend (September 25/26) for the eighth event of the 2021 campaign.

Croft Circuit provides the next stop on the calendar for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this weekend (September 18/19) and its set to see the battle for supremacy in the fight for the title only intensify.

Entering the business end of the 2021 season, the North Yorkshire venue will play host to Rounds 19, 20 & 21 and every point and position is set to be pivotal for those aiming to maintain their title challenges.

After being forced to stage the BTCC behind closed doors last year, this weekend is set to be a significant one for Croft as it gets set to welcome an expected bumper crowd trackside to watch Britain’s premier motorsport series in action for the first time in more than two years.

Reigning champion Ashley Sutton enters the seventh event of the year as the driver to beat having extended his lead in the championship to 30 points last time out at Thruxton. Chalking up his fourth win of the season, the Laser Tools Racing driver has been in superlative form and he shows no sign of letting up.

Since debuting in 2016, Croft has proven to be a happy hunting ground for the double champion and despite carrying 75kgs of success ballast, the Infiniti Q50 driver will be optimistic of extending his lead on the chasing pack once more.

Behind Sutton, just 11 points split four drivers. Tom Ingram leads the chase for Sutton in his Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com Hyundai ahead of BTC Racing’s Josh Cook, MB Motorsport’s Jake Hill and Team BMW’s Colin Turkington.

Adam Morgan, Rory Butcher and Daniel Rowbottom have all stood on the top step of the podium this year and each one of them will be keen to do so once more as they bid

One driver that is still chasing a win this year is triple champion Gordon Shedden. The Halfords Racing with Cataclean driver has endured a rollercoaster campaign however the Scotsman can never be counted out.

Local fans will have two homegrown heroes to cheer on too in the shape of Senna Proctor and Daniel Lloyd. Despite missing the season-opener, BTC Racing’s Proctor has proven to be one of the form drivers this year with a pole, win and three further podiums his reward.

Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing’s Lloyd meanwhile has endured his fair share of highs and lows this year but three races on home turf – at the venue where he scored his maiden BTCC win back in 2018 – could be just what he needs.

Beyond the top ten in the standings, a number of drivers will be keen to make their mark around the 2.1-mile circuit, including double champion Jason Plato who continues his quest to reach a century of BTCC victories.

Elsewhere, the likes of Tom Chilton, Aiden Moffat, Jack Goff, Tom Oliphant, Stephen Jelley, Jade Edwards and Aron Taylor-Smith will all be worth keeping an eye on.

To find out more information on this weekend’s meeting at Croft, including links to the timetable and live timing, CLICK HERE.

Tickets to the BTCC’s only north-eastern event of the year can be purchased on the gate over the course of the weekend priced at £15.00 for Saturday entry, £35.00 for Sunday and £43.00 for both days. Children 12 and under accompanied by an adult are admitted to the circuit free of charge, whilst teens will need to purchase a ‘teen ticket’.