Donington Park (National)
Dan Cammish produced a race winning double as the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship got off to a wet and wild start at Donington Park this weekend (22/23 April).
Tom Chilton claimed his first BTCC triumph in four years and incredibly his first at the famous Leicestershire circuit since 2004, as the ever-changing conditions provided action throughout the order.
Jake Hill, Tom Ingram, Adam Morgan, Sam Osborne and Ash Sutton all reached the rostrum during race day, whilst debutant Andrew Watson and fans’ favourite Nic Hamilton also starred.
Brands Hatch (Indy)
Colin Turkington reached a victory milestone at Brands Hatch earlier today (7 May) as he moved up to second on the all-time BTCC winners list, before Ash Sutton starred to claim a double triumph.
Team BMW star Turkington secured his 64th career victory in the opener – 20 years after claiming his first at the same venue – as he now moves past Matt Neal and behind the legendary Jason Plato in terms of race victories.
Sutton then surged to two stunning successes in the following bouts as he got the better of BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8’s Tom Ingram and Turkington in race two, before scything his way from 11th on the grid to win a dramatic and tense finale.
Sutton’s NAPA Racing UK team-mate Dan Cammish still leads the Drivers’ standings from reigning champion Ingram – both having reached the rostrum at the 1.21-mile Indy circuit – whilst Sutton and Turkington have now moved into third and fourth respectively.
Snetterton
WSR-run cars claimed four podiums at Snetterton (20/21 May) as Team BMW was awarded top-scoring team of the weekend. It’s a strong position to enter Thruxton (3/4 June), where the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will host its fourth event of 2023.
Both Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s Jake Hill and Team BMW’s Colin Turkington took their BMW 330e M Sports to a pair of podium finishes each, while Stephen Jelley and Adam Morgan produced consistent scores across the day.
Turkington and Hill started the opening race from the second row and aimed for rostrum results early on, as they took advantage of having chosen the Goodyear soft tyre.
Hill passed his WSR stablemate at three-quarters distance and chased for the lead; eventually finishing 0.270s away from victory, while Turkington – a 10-time race winner at Snetterton, was third.
Opting for the medium tyre for Race Two, both drivers found the going tougher, but persevered to again finish second and third.
Race Three was the toughest of the day with both drivers on the hard tyre when overcast conditions favoured those on the soft and medium rubber. Turkington finished seventh with Hill 10th.
Thruxton
Ash Sutton claimed his fifth and sixth race victories of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton earlier today (4 June), as the NAPA Racing UK star extended his advantage in the overall Drivers’ standings.
The final reverse grid race was won by team-mate Dan Rowbottom to complete a fantastic day for the Ford Focus squad at the UK’s fastest circuit, which welcomed a huge crowd basked in glorious sunshine throughout the weekend.
Tom Ingram and Josh Cook completed the podium positions in each of the first two races, before Adam Morgan and Aiden Moffat claimed silverware in the finale.
Sutton now holds a 14-point lead in his quest to win a record-equalling fourth BTCC title, whilst Ingram and Colin Turkington maintained second and third in the standings respectively.
Oulton Park
West Surrey Racing won each of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship races at Oulton Park earlier today (18 June), as Jake Hill and Colin Turkington helped the squad claim a clean sweep of victories for BMW.
Hill almost completed a perfect day individually as the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport star took two wins, a second place and three fastest laps.
There were podiums on the day for Ash Sutton, Tom Ingram and Adam Morgan as the title race took a massive twist as it reached its midway stage.
Sutton’s advantage in the Drivers’ Standings has been reduced to six points from Ingram, whilst Hill and Turkington remain in close contention.
Croft
The 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship resumed at Croft this weekend (29/30 July) after its annual summer break, as the title race swung one way and then the other during a dramatic race day in North Yorkshire.
The NAPA Racing UK trio of Dan Cammish, Ash Sutton and Dan Rowbottom were in commanding form during their qualifying 1-2-3 on Saturday, which they duly converted into an impressive podium clean sweep in each of the first two races on Sunday.
Drama followed in the final bout, however, as Team BMW’s Colin Turkington won from BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8’s Tom Ingram, whilst an accident for Sutton cut his advantage to just six points at the summit of the Drivers’ standings.
Turkington has now moved up to third in the overall order, ahead of WSR stablemate Jake Hill, whilst Cammish reignited his own championship challenge after scoring a fantastic haul of points around the technical 2.13-mile circuit.
Knockhill
Jake Hill secured a magnificent double win for WSR and BMW on a Sunday of high drama for the Championship at Knockhill.
With Stephen Jelley adding another podium finish, it was a memorable day for the organisation, which maintained BMW’s lead in the Manufacturers’ standings amid bright sunshine and heavy rain showers at the Scottish circuit.
Four-time champion Colin Turkington, who was third in the standings coming into the weekend after wins at the past two events, endured a frustrating day.
Donington Park (GP)
Ash Sutton narrowly extended his advantage at the top of the Drivers’ standings after both he and title rival Tom Ingram took a win apiece, whilst Jake Hill remains in contention thanks to a double podium around the 2.49-mile layout.
The final reverse grid race was won by Rory Butcher, providing a much-needed boost for the Scotsman and the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK outfit.
Silverstone
Rounds 25, 26 and 27 of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship proved to be a memorable occasion at Silverstone (23/24 September) with plenty of reasons to celebrate for this season’s leading lights.
BMW scored its 149th and 150th victories in the UK’s premier motorsport championship – thanks to triumphs from Jake Hill and Colin Turkington – but it was arguably Ash Sutton and Tom Ingram’s surge through the pack in race two that had the crowd on its collective feet.
Hill’s race one success was followed by despair for the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport man, whilst Turkington’s day improved dramatically following a dismal start, but both drivers ultimately left Silverstone with their hopes of securing the Drivers’ title now over.
Sutton’s race two victory was a highlight as both he and Ingram came from way back on the grid to reach the rostrum, before the pair scooped yet more silverware in the final encounter.
Three-time champion Sutton now leads the Drivers’ standings by 45 points from Ingram – with 67 still on offer – as the duo now go head-to-head for the title at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time.
Brands Hatch (GP)
Ash Sutton is a record-equalling four-time Kwik Fit British Touring Car Champion – the youngest driver ever to do so – after the NAPA Racing UK star clinched the crown with two wins around the legendary Brands Hatch GP circuit earlier today (8 October).
The 29-year-old claimed a record matching six pole positions and 12 race wins during the campaign, as Sutton also became the first driver to claim the title in both rear-wheel and front-wheel-drive machinery.
The only driver to previously score six pole positions in a season was James Thompson in 2003 and the sole racer to take 12 race wins was Alain Menu back in 1997, whilst Sutton’s four crowns now equals Andy Rouse and Colin Turkington.
Unsurprisingly, Sutton was chased home all the way by runner-up and outgoing champion Tom Ingram, as the BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 man finished second in both of the opening two races.
BMW ended its 2023 campaign on a high as Jake Hill won the final encounter for Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, although the Bavarian marque just fell short in its quest to win an eighth successive Manufacturers’ title.
That honour went to Alliance Racing/Ford, as did the Teams’ title for the NAPA Racing UK outfit, whilst Josh Cook and his One Motorsport with Starline Racing squad took Independent Drivers’ and Teams’ laurels.
The Jack Sears Trophy – which has been a five-way scrap throughout the year – was eventually won by CarStore Power Maxed Racing’s Andrew Watson in his rookie BTCC season.
