Race 1
Team BMW’s Turkington produced a textbook performance in the opening content, claiming his first victory of the season with an inch perfect drive.
A solid getaway from pole position was arguably the only challenge that Turkington faced on the soft Goodyear option tyre, as team-mate Adam Morgan became embroiled in the frenetic scrap for the positions behind the leader.
Morgan faded quickly to the lower end of the top ten before his challenge was completely scuppered following contact with Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS’ Pearson on the run up to Druids.
NAPA Racing UK’s Sutton had made his way by team-mate Dan Cammish into second before the positions were reversed a few laps later. Cammish, looking at a promising second place, was unfortunately dealt a blow when a puncture forced him into the pits.
So, the fight for second was eventually between Sutton and his old friend Josh Cook. There was little friendship in the fight, however, with the pair swapping paint on a number of occasions before LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ’s Cook nudged his #66 Toyota Corolla down the inside of the #1 Ford Focus on the exit of Clearways.
Race 2
For a man that has won four BTCC titles and nearly 70 races in the UK’s premier motorsport championship, this was still one of the best ever weekends for Turkington, as he secured his second impressive win of the day.
As per the first race, Turkington took the victory in commanding fashion from pole position while the rest of the pack scrapped behind for the remaining podium positions.
Those places eventually went to Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS’ Ingram and NAPA Racing UK’s Sutton as the BTCC’s two most recent champions resumed battle.
MB Motorsport with Laser Tools Racing’s Hill looked like he could’ve grabbed his first podium of the day as he blasted into second on the opening lap, but he faded after a scrap with Sutton and LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ’s Cook, before he eventually exited the race at Druids with damaged steering.
A safety car was called for after Hill’s exit and it was the race for second place that grabbed the attention. Ingram hounded old adversary Sutton and for the second successive race the latter had to eventually relinquish the place in another exciting battle.
Race 3
Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS’ Pearson took a fantastic maiden BTCC win in the final encounter.
Pearson failed to get the best of starts from pole position, as Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing’s Taylor-Smith blasted into the lead, but the former was determined to win back the place as quickly as possible.
That moment came at the end of the first lap as he saw half a car width of space on the run to Clearways and he expertly fired his Hyundai down the inside of the Vauxhall Astra.
It wasn’t the last time a Hyundai would attack Taylor-Smith’s #40 Astra with Tom Chilton making a huge lunge down the inside at Paddock Hill Bend late on. Both cars ran slightly wide as Chilton took the place, whilst reigning champion Sutton cleverly sneaked by into third.
Sutton, who has so often kept his powder dry, secured the final place on the rostrum to make it six podiums from six starts during the first two events of 2024. There was even better news for Sutton when one of his championship rivals – Ingram – was forced to pit with a puncture.
