Tag: BTCC

The battle for supremacy in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship saw more twists and turns play out this past weekend (August 26/27) as Ash Sutton, Tom Ingram and Rory Butcher charged to victory at Donington Park. 

Entering the business end of the 2023 season, the UK’s premier motorsport series took centre stage on the Leicestershire venue’s GP layout for the first time in more than two decades – and the frenetic tin top action that followed didn’t disappoint. 

With every point proving to be crucial in deciding the destiny of this year’s title, qualifying on Saturday afternoon saw an almighty battle for pole position take place; with Sutton ultimately claiming bragging rights.

In what proved to be a ding-dong battle between the series’ leading title contenders, Sutton and Ingram spent a majority of the session trading fastest times before the NAPA Racing UK stamped his authority on proceedings to clinch his fifth pole of the year.

Had it not been for a slight lock-up on his final flying lap, Ingram could have clinched top spot however he settled for second ahead of Ricky Collard, Colin Turkington and Aron Taylor-Smith – who completed the top five.

Sutton made history in a wet opening encounter as he charged to an impressive ninth victory of the season, which in-turn saw him set a new record for the most wins in a single season in the current NGTC era.

Despite dropping to third on the opening lap, the Ford Focus driver took just two laps to power back into the lead and once out front, he paced the opposition to comfortably triumph ahead of a charging Jake Hill and Ingram. 

Reigning champion Ingram showed that he won’t be giving up his title without a fight however as he produced a battling performance to score victory in race two. 

Blasting away from third, the Hyundai driver wasted no time in muscling his way past Hill and then set off in pursuit of Sutton, making a brilliant pass on the run down to the Old Hairpin a few laps later.

Despite coming under pressure from Sutton in the subsequent laps, the 2022 champion got his head down and soon stretched his advantage to cruise to the top step of the podium. Behind, Sutton fended off the advances of Hill to clinch second.

Race three saw Toyota Gazoo Racing UK’s Butcher claim his first win of the season after long-time race leader Dan Lloyd endured heartbreak on the final lap, when a driveshaft snapped and sent him spinning out of contention.

Pole-sitter Lloyd had dealt with everything that was thrown at him in the reverse grid bout however with half a lap remaining, the Team HARD driver spun wildly into the gravel on the approach to McLean’s.

Lloyd’s despair was Butcher’s elation as he claimed a much-needed victory ahead of CarStore Power Maxed Racing’s Taylor-Smith – who was back on the podium for the first time in seven years – and Team BMW’s Adam Morgan.

Heading into the penultimate event of the season at the end of September, Sutton holds a 42-point advantage at the top of the Drivers’ Championship ahead of Ingram, with Hill, Turkington and Dan Cammish round out the top five. 

NAPA Racing UK continue their march at the summit of the Teams’ Championship, whilst BMW narrowly edge Ford in the battle for the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ title. 

Josh Cook and One Motorsport with Starline Racing remain close to retaining their respective Independent Drivers’ and Independent Teams’ crowns, whilst Andrew Watson sets the pace in the ultra-competitive Jack Sears Trophy. 

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

The penultimate event of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will see Rounds 25, 26 & 27 play out around the Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone, on September 23/24.

Jake Hill and Ashley Sutton blasted their way to victory at a wet and wild Knockhill this past weekend (August 12/13) as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship delivered its most thrilling event of the season to-date.

Approaching the business end of the 2023 campaign, the annual trip north of the border had everyone on the edge of their seats as the country’s best tin-top drivers went wheel-to-wheel in remarkable weather conditions – with Hill and Sutton ultimately coming out on top.

As expected, Saturday’s qualifying session around the undulating 1.27-mile proved to be an ultra-competitive affair with more than half the grid covered by less than a second. At the top of the times, Sutton emerged as the driver to beat as he charged to pole position in style.

Despite encountering a few troubles in practice, the NAPA Racing UK driver progressed into  the Top Ten Showdown and then punched in a superlative lap to pip One Motorsport with Starline Racing’s Josh Cook to top spot by just 0.006s.

The session – which saw conditions improve from wet to dry – saw Hill bounce back from an earlier off to clinch third whilst home hero Rory Butcher and reigning champion Tom Ingram completed the top five.

Race one will undoubtedly go down as a modern day BTCC classic as Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s Hill inherited victory. Sutton had looked on course for a comfortable win after Cook had crashed out but the tide – and the weather – soon changed. 

Heavy rain battered the circuit and within a minutes drivers began heading for the pit lane for wet tyres. Despite conditions continuing to worse, Sutton remained on slicks, showcasing sensational car control but it proved unsustainable and he too pitted after a brief safety car period.

Ingram had been one of the first front runners to dive into the pit lane and when the tyre change shuffle was complete, he emerged out front and cruised to victory ahead of Hill and team-mate Tom Chilton.

Unfortunately, Ingram’s joy soon turned to despair in parc ferme as both he and Chilton failed post-race ride height checks and were disqualified from the result. That gave Hill the win whilst Andrew Watson and Ricky Collard were promoted to complete the podium. 

Hill doubled up in a breathtaking race two as the BMW ace held off the charging Ford Focus of Sutton to clinch his fourth victory of the season.

Held in much drier conditions, Hill quickly established a commanding lead out front but all eyes were on Sutton as he carved his way up the order from sixth, moving into second and then setting off after the race one victor.

Closing down a two-second lead in a matter of laps, Sutton spectacularly launched his car all over the famous Knockhill kerbs but Hill’s defence was resolute throughout and they remained in position all the way to the chequered flag. Stephen Jelley completed the podium in third.

The weekend’s third and final race then belonged to three-time champion Sutton as he obliterated the field to clinch his eighth win of the season in appalling wet weather conditions.

Starting sixth, Sutton scythed his up to second with relative ease and then made a pass for the lead on home hero Ronan Pearson at mid-distance. From there, the championship lead splashed off into the distance to triumph by more than nine seconds.

Cook completed a remarkable turnaround to finish second having finished race one in the tyre wall. The Honda Civic ace emerged as one of the fastest on the grid all weekend as he battled back to salvage some silverware.

Completing the podium in race three was Ingram, who like Cook fought his way back from despair to maintain his championship hopes. Ingram had had to pass team-mate Pearson on the final lap, denying the young Scotsman a maiden BTCC podium. 

Heading back down south, Sutton now leads Ingram by 37 points in the Drivers’ Championship with BMW and NAPA Racing UK topping the Manufacturer-Constructor and Teams’ categories respectively after seven events. 

Josh Cook and One Motorsport with Starline Racing continue to close in on retaining their Independent Drivers’ and Independent Teams’ crowns, whilst Mikey Doble is the current pace-setter in the Jack Sears Trophy. 

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

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season continues in less than two weeks’ time when the series travels returns to Donington Park – albeit this time on the famous Grand Prix circuit for the first time in almost two decades – on August 26/27.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship blasted back into life in blockbuster fashion at Croft Circuit this past weekend (July 29/30) as Dan Cammish, Ash Sutton and Colin Turkington charged to victory.

Kicking off the second half of the season with its annual trip to the British Automobile Racing Club’s North Yorkshire venue, the UK’s premier motorsport series served up three pulsating contests for the bumper crowd that had flocked trackside.

Saturday’s battle for pole position saw NAPA Racing UK continue their qualifying domination as Cammish, Dan Rowbottom and Sutton clinched a hugely impressive 1-2-3 lock-out. 

On what proved to be a scintillating session around the 2.12-mile layout, a number of drivers staked their claim at the top of the times but it was home hero Cammish that ultimately came up trumps, blasting his rivals away with a sensational lap.

Rowbottom and Sutton – who virtue of being championship leader had no hybrid available – settled for second and third whilst Josh Cook and Turkington completed the top five on the grid for race one.

Cammish was wheel-perfect in the first of Sunday’s three races as he converted his front row start into a commanding lights-to-flag victory. Opting to run the soft option tyre, the Yorkshireman pulled clear of the chasing pack to clinch his third win of the season.

Behind, Rowbottom and Sutton diced for the remaining spots on the podium with the latter jumping ahead of his team-mate on the run to the flag as the Motorbase-run squad celebrated a historic 1-2-3.

Race two proved to be a carbon copy result however this time it was Sutton that emerged victorious. Sweeping around the outside of his stablemate on the run down to the first corner, the three-time champion produced a clinical performance.

Continuously stretching his advantage over the course of the 15-lap bout, Sutton claimed his seventh win of the season by more than seven seconds – with Cammish and Rowbottom in tow to clinch a second successive NAPA Racing UK podium sweep.

Team BMW’s Turkington then brought the curtain down on the weekend’s action with a commanding lights-to-flag victory in the reverse grid encounter, reaffirming himself as the King of Croft. 

Launching his BMW from pole position, the four-time title winner held off an early charge from Ingram before settling into a groove to claim his third win of the season. Reigning champion Ingram and One Motorsport’s Cook completed the rostrum. 

Leaving Croft, Sutton continues to lead the way from Ingram in the Drivers’ Championship whilst BMW and NAPA Racing UK top the Manufacturer-Constructor and Teams’ categories respectively after six events. 

Elsewhere, Josh Cook and One Motorsport with Starline Racing comfortably remain out front in the Independent Drivers’ and Team’s standings, with Mikey Doble now holding the advantage in the Jack Sears Trophy.

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

The 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season continues in less than two weeks’ time when the series travels north of the border to Knockhill for Rounds 19, 20 & 21 on August 12/13.

The British Automobile Racing Club is saddened to hear that Steve Neal, the founder of multiple British Touring Car Championship title winners Team Dynamics and father of three-time champion Matt, has passed away at the age of 82. 

First competing in the series – then known as the British Saloon Car Championship – during the 1960s at the wheel of a Mini Cooper, Neal established himself as a front-runner in his class during a five-year spell on the grid and scored an overall win at Crystal Palace. 

Setting up Team Dynamics in the early 1990s, the squad – with Neal at the helm – became a household name during the BTCC’s Super Touring era as they claimed a number of Independent titles and famously £250,000 for becoming the first Independent team to secure an outright win in 1999.

Over the next two decades, multiple Drivers’ titles for Matt and Gordon Shedden, as well as a number of Manufacturer-Constructor and Teams’ Championship crowns would follow.

“It is with great sadness we report the passing of our leader Steve Neal, the visionary founder of Team Dynamics Motorsport and a larger-than-life character who left an indelible mark on the racing world,” a statement issued by Team Dynamics read.

“Steve’s passion for motorsports was contagious, and his leadership guided the team to numerous victories and championships.

“With his relentless drive and unwavering determination, he transformed Team Dynamics into a powerhouse, earning the respect and admiration of fans and competitors alike.

“Steve’s infectious personality, combined with his unparalleled knowledge of the sport, made him a beloved figure in the racing community. His legacy will forever be remembered as he takes his final lap, soaring to new heights.”

Our condolences and thoughts go out to Steve’s family, friends and everyone at Team Dynamics at this difficult time.

Jake Hill and Colin Turkington helped West Surrey Racing take a clean sweep of victories at Oulton Park this past weekend (June 17/18) as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship reached the halfway mark of the 2023 season.

On what proved to be a weekend to remember for the BMW squad, Hill guided his Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport machine to two wins, a second and three fastest laps whilst Turkington produced a sensational back-to-front turnaround to claim reverse grid honours.

Before the BMW domination, Saturday’s qualifying session saw championship leader Ash Sutton sweep his way to his third – and NAPA Racing UK’s fifth – successive pole position of the year; a feat that was last achieved by Mat Jackson back in 2015.

Having been a constant presence towards the top of the times in practice, the Ford Focus ST driver headed the first segment of qualifying by more than three tenths of a second before then upping the ante in the Top Ten Showdown. 

Smashing the qualifying lap record by more than half a second, the three-time champion was in a league of his own as he headed Hill, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK’s Ricky Collard and Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils’ Bobby Thompson.

Sutton could ultimately do nothing to stop Hill in race one though as the BMW 330e M Sport driver blasted past the pole-sitter and onto his first victory of the season.

Withstanding early pressure from the three-time champion whilst his tyres came up to temperature, Hill soon settled into his stride and began to pull clear on his way to victory. Behind, Sutton cruised home to finish second whilst reigning champion Tom Ingram completed the podium in third.

Race two was to be a carbon copy of the opener as Hill powered his way to an emphatic lights-to-flag win whilst Sutton and Ingram scrapped for the remaining spots on the rostrum; with Sutton edging out Ingram to second.

Team BMW’s Turkington then came to the fore in a pulsating reverse grid bout as he completed a phenomenal comeback to lead a historic WSR/BMW 1-2-3 finish.

After being disqualified from qualifying due to his car failing post-session scrutineering checks, the four-time champion fought his way from the back of the grid in races one and two to put himself in the mix for the finale. 

Charging up to second early on, the Northern Irishman made a bold move around the outside of team-mate Adam Morgan through turn one following a safety car restart, which also opened the door for Hill to follow.

Once out front, Turkington was wheel-perfect and he cruised to his second win of the year whilst Hill and Morgan followed him home to complete the podium. 

Heading into the series’ annual summer break, Sutton holds a slender advantage over Ingram at the top of the Drivers’ Championship whilst BMW currently lead the way in the Manufacturer-Constructors Championship and NAPA Racing UK the Teams’.

Josh Cook and One Motorsport with Starline Racing head the standings in both the Independent Drivers’ and Independent Teams’ categories, with Dexter Patterson proving to be the driver to beat in the Jack Sears Trophy after five events. 

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

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship recommences on the weekend of July 29/30, where Rounds 16, 17 and 18 will take place at Croft Circuit.

Tickets for the BTCC’s trip to North Yorkshire can be purchased online at https://www.croftcircuit.co.uk/racing/btcc

Thruxton Circuit delivered a fabulous spectacle of BTCC racing over the weekend, drawing record numbers to the Hampshire venue to witness the excitement.

As the sun shone and the ice cream melted, the spectator banks and grandstands were packed out, thanks to a 17% increase on the weekend’s attendance figure compared to 2022.

“It was an amazing weekend,” said Ben Taylor, BARC Chief Executive. “The weather was incredible, the racing was great and the off-track entertainment kept everyone busy. All the visitors that I spoke to were having a brilliant time and having now crunched the numbers, it’s great to be able to say that it was definitely the most successful BTCC round at Thruxton of the past 15 years.

“There is such a lot of hard work that goes into making events like this happen and every member of the team did a magnificent job. We thank them all.

“The circuit has never looked so well presented and that is a huge tribute to Pat Blakeney and his team who put in all the hours to make it look first class. Sadly they’ve got quite a bit of work to do now to put right what the drivers got wrong! I am sure it will be pristine again by the time the Thruxton Historic comes around in two weeks’ time.”

Tickets for the Thruxton Historic on June 17/18 can be purchased here: https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/thruxton-historic

NAPA Racing UK claimed a clean sweep of victories in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this past weekend (June 3/4) as Ash Sutton and Dan Rowbottom shared the spoils around Thruxton.

Making its only visit of the season to the home of the British Automobile Racing Club, the UK’s premier motorsport series was greeted in Hampshire by bright sunshine and packed spectator bankings – all of whom witnessed a day of domination. 

Three-time champion Sutton – who arrived at Thruxton off the back of double wins at Brands Hatch and Snetterton – wasted no time in asserting his dominance on the rest of the field as he stormed to a second consecutive pole position during Saturday qualifying. 

Blasting away from the front row on race day, Sutton replicated his tactics of Snetterton by punching in a number of rapid lap times during the opening exchanges. Establishing an advantage over the chasing pack, he then cruised home to comfortably take victory in races one and two.

Not only did those triumphs enable him to extend his championship lead but it also meant he became the first driver in the BTCC’s ‘three-race format’ to claim double wins in three successive race meetings.

As Sutton romped to success in races one and two, reigning champion Tom Ingram and ‘King of Thruxton’ Josh Cook ran bumper-to-bumper across both contests to clinch a brace of second and third place finishes respectively.

Rowbottom then rounded out an incredible weekend for the Kent-based powerhouse outfit as he won the reverse grid encounter in style, hunting down pole-sitter Adam Morgan before making the decisive move for the lead upon entry into Church Corner.

Starting fifth, Rowbottom wasted no time in working his way up the order and after dispatching a resolute Aiden Moffat, the Ford driver set off after Morgan – closing down a two second lead within a matter of laps. 

Diving down the inside as they sped towards the fastest corner in the country on lap ten, Rowbottom soon scampered clear to claim his first win of the season while Morgan and Moffat completed the rostrum.

Following the conclusion of Rounds 10, 11 & 12, Sutton tops the BTCC Drivers’ Championship – 14 points ahead of Ingram – whilst Motorbase-Ford head the Manufacturers-Constructors Championship.

On the TOCA support package, high speed thrills and spills were in full force as the a number of championships took centre stage to continue their campaigns.

Robert de Haan and Charles Rainford shared the spoils in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB whilst James Piszyck, Noah Lisle and William Macintyre claimed a win apiece in the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA.

Arguably some of the most entertaining races over the course of the weekend came in the shape of the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, Dunlop Mini Miglia Challenge supported by Mini Spares and Dunlop Mini Se7en Challenge supported by Mini Spares.

Sensational slip-streaming and at times four-wide wheel-to-wheel battles had everyone on the edge of their seats and rightly so. In the MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, Alex Solley and Jack Byrne triumphed whilst the father-son duo of Andrew and Mike Jordan took a clean sweep in the Miglia and Se7en contests.

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

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship reaches the halfway point in the 2023 season next time out as it travels to Oulton Park on June 17/18.

Thruxton Circuit is gearing up for an all-action weekend on 3/4 June as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship heads to the fastest circuit in the country for Rounds 10, 11 & 12 of what is shaping up to be a sensational 2023 season.

With events coming thick and fast, the UK’s premier motorsport series speeds into Hampshire with it all to play for towards the top of the standings. 

NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton arrives at Thruxton as the driver to beat after making history last time out at Snetterton by becoming the first driver since Alain Menu in 1997 to win four races in-a-row.

Riding a wave of momentum at the moment, the three-time champion holds a narrow advantage at this early stage but will undoubtedly be the one that everyone is looking to beat across Saturday and Sunday.

Hot on his heels are a number of drivers that have all stepped on the podium this season and leading the charge is reigning title holder Tom Ingram in his BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 Hyundai i30N.

Ingram opened his account for the year last time out and he, along with West Surrey Racing team-mates Colin Turkington and Jake Hill, will all have their sights set on achieving further success this weekend. 

Sutton’s Ford Focus stablemate Dan Cammish emerged as one of the leading lights at Thruxton last year and with two wins to his name already in 2023, the Yorkshireman could also be well in the mix for outright honours.

Another driver that can’t be discounted from featuring towards the front of the field is the undisputed King of Thruxton, Josh Cook. 

With ten wins around the 2.36-mile layout, the One Motorsport with Starline Racing racer is the most successful BTCC driver at the venue and he’ll be hoping for more as he pilots his tried and trusted Honda Civic Type R

Headline names continue to roll off the tongue as you look further down the championship standings with Dan Rowbottom, Adam Morgan, Rory Butcher and Bobby Thompson also featuring inside the top ten.

Then throw into the mix the likes of Donington Park winner Tom Chilton, Stephen Jelley, local ace Ricky Collard, Aron Taylor-Smith and Jade Edwards, amongst many others, and you begin to see why the BTCC continues to be as competitive as ever.

Support Races

It won’t just be the BTCC that takes centre stage though this weekend as a bumper supporting cast of categories is also revved up to put on a show for the expected bumper trackside crowd.

The ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA, Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, Dunlop Mini Miglia Challenge and Dunlop Mini Se7en Challenge make up the support bill.

Off Track Entertainment 

Away from the on-track entertainment there will be plenty to see and do around the venue with a bustling trade village, supercar display, skid pan rides, food stalls, live music, mini karts, face painting and an interactive kids show – guaranteeing fun for all the family.

BTCC Pit Lane Walkabout 

Fancy meeting the stars of the BTCC? On Sunday morning you can do just that as the Pit Lane Autograph Session takes place between 10:00-10:30.

Official Programme

Our souvenir BTCC programme will be available to purchase for £5.00 from the main gate and vendors around the venue over the course of the weekend. Packed with previews, features, entry lists, timetables and more – it’s your essential guide to the action.

Tickets

Tickets for this weekend’s BTCC spectacular will be available to purchase on the main gate across both day’s; with children aged 12 and under being admitted for free. More information can be found here.