NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton scored a supreme Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship double triumph at Snetterton (21 May), before BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8’s Tom Ingram took victory in the finale at the Norfolk circuit.
Race 1
Three-time champ Sutton took his 30th career BTCC victory in the opening contest, as he held off a late charge from Hill’s Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW.
Sutton made a sensational start – immediately pulling away from the chasing pack – as BMW duo Turkington and Hill slipped into second and third, respectively.
Turkington claimed a podium ahead of Ingram and Team BMW’s Adam Morgan and Stephen Jelley.
Race 2
NAPA Racing UK star Sutton continued his domination of the event, as he claimed the second win of the day and his fourth successive victory of the season – following on from his recent successes at Brands Hatch.
The 29-year-old led from lights-to-flag and was never under any pressure as both he and the impressive Motorbase Performance-run Ford Focus worked in complete harmony around the Snetterton 300 layout.
Hill and Turkington ran line astern to complete the podium once more, whilst Rowbottom continued to make impressive progress with fourth place.
Race 3
BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8’s Ingram fought his way from seventh on the grid to win the finale around the 2.97-mile circuit.
Rowbottom had carved his way into the lead on lap two and looked to have victory in his sights, but the Hyundai of Ingram, Toyota of Butcher and NAPA Racing UK team-mate Dan Cammish were soon making similar progress.
Cammish – starting 11th on the grid – then set about attacking for victory in the closing stages as he disposed of Rowbottom and Butcher before carving into Ingram’s advantage.
Ingram fended him off until the finish by just 0.587s, but there was drama post-race when Cammish’s car failed ride height checks and he was subsequently disqualified from the result.
Butcher inherited second, bringing some reward for his TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK squad, whilst the NAPA-backed duo of Rowbottom and Sutton completed the top four.
Sutton now holds a seven-point advantage in the Drivers’ standings ahead of reigning champion Ingram, with Turkington currently third overall.
