The 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship enjoyed its most enthralling weekend (12/13 August) of the season so far, as the country’s best tin-top drivers produced an unforgettable trio of races amidst wet and wild conditions at Knockhill.
Race 1
MB Motorsport’s Hill inherited victory in the opener after a number of title contenders endured heartache in a modern-day classic around the 1.27-mile circuit.
Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) was seemingly heading for victory when Cook (One Motorsport with Starline Racing) crashed out as the pair ran side-by-side for the lead, before the race turned one way and then the other.
With rain lashing down on the Fife venue, Ingram (BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8) became the first of the front-runners to switch to Goodyear wet tyres, which immediately played into his hands as the conditions worsened.
Sutton was eventually forced to pit for wet tyres – despite having shown astonishing car control on slicks as the rain poured down – and the race then belonged to Ingram for the closing laps.
Ingram crossed the line to take victory on-the-road and with it the standings lead, but the drama wasn’t over as both his and the car of BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 team-mate Tom Chilton failed post-race ride height checks and were subsequently disqualified from the result.
So, joy immediately turned to despair for Ingram, as Hill took the win ahead of CarStore Power Maxed Racing’s Andrew Watson – the first podium of his BTCC career – and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK’s Ricky Collard.
Race 2
The phenomenal action continued in the second BTCC encounter as Hill held off title rival Sutton in a breath-taking duel to the chequered flag.
Hill led from start to finish while Sutton made light work of his charge from sixth on the grid. The #116 Ford Focus made it past Ronan Pearson (BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8) at the start, before Collard ran wide on the opening tour allowing Sutton to nip past a further two cars.
A brief safety car spell didn’t stop Sutton from making further ground as he soon blasted by Team BMW’s Stephen Jelley and into second.
Sutton gradually reeled in Hill, but the latter produced a defensive masterclass for the remainder of the bout.
Both drivers and cars were brilliant to watch as they danced through the chicane lap-after-lap, with Sutton having a number of minor attacks for victory. Eventually the chequered flag ended the battle as Hill brilliantly took his second win of the day.
Jelley completed the rostrum, following on from his fourth-place finish in the opening bout.
Race 3
Sutton rounded off a fantastic day by obliterating the field amidst heavy rain in the reversed-grid finale.
Starting sixth, Sutton scythed his way through to second before making a simple pass by impressive long-time leader Pearson, and the former eventually won by nearly ten seconds.
Cook finished second as he completed a fantastic turnaround during the day.
As noted, the Honda Civic driver crashed out of the opener, but then stormed through the pack to take eighth in the second bout, before this impressive second place underlined the pace he had shown throughout the weekend.
The podium was completed by Ingram as Pearson played the team game to let his BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 team-mate through on the final lap to score yet more valuable championship points.
It was a weekend to forget for Championship contender Colin Turkington as he did not record a top 10 finish in any of the three races, leaving his title chances slim & none for the remainder of the season.
