BTCC Brands Hatch – Sutton celebrates title with win in final round

Ash Sutton celebrated his title win by cruising to his fifth race win of the year in the final race of the season at Brands Hatch.

He burst through from fourth on the grid to stroll to the win in his Infiniti. Dan Rowbottom and Tom Ingram rounded off the podium after a race-long battle between the pair.

Rory Butcher had a poor start which allowed Sutton to fly into third. He was soon past Chilton into second, with Rowbottom into third as he passed Chilton on lap two.

Sutton’s team mate Carl Boardley spun off and his season ended early at Graham Hill bend.  As did Colin Turkington’s, with his title challenge over, he had a moment coming out of Graham Hill bend and pulled into the pits.

Lap three and Sutton made his move for the lead past Stephen Jelley into Paddock Hill bend.

Jack Mitchell went off in his Cupra Leon to bring out the final Safety Car of the season. While this neutralised the race, Sutton still had everything under control.

He pulled away into the distance and left Rowbottom and Ingram to squabble for second place. The Hyundai driver couldn’t quite get the better of the Team Dynamics Honda and Rowbottom took second in an impressive debut season having replaced Matt Neal.

Jake Hill finished fourth with Josh Cook having to settle for third in the championship and couldn’t capitalise on Turkington’s retirement having won the first two races of the season.

Tom Chilton recorded his best finish of the season in sixth. Shedden finished seventh with Jack Goff, Butcher and Jason Plato rounding off the top ten.

The title went to Sutton, who won his third title and his second successive championship.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools 30:22:671
2 Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +1.369
3 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +1.502
4 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +3.274
5 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +8.001
6 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +8.960
7 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +9.682
8 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +10.043
9 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +11.992
10 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +13.002
11 Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +14.806
12 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +15.345
13 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +15.962
14 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +17.214
15 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +17.461
16 Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +17.697
17 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +19.176
18 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +19.397
19 Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +20.545
20 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +21.143
21 Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +21.462
22 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase +31.965
23 Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD +32.503
24 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +42.127
25 Andy Wilmot Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +1 Lap
Retirements
DNF Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD Crash
DNF Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR Damage
DNF Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools Crash
DNS Rick Parfitt Hyundai i30N Excelr8 Mechanical

 

BTCC Brands Hatch – Ash Sutton crowned 2021 champion as Josh Cook dominates race two

Josh Cook won in race two at Brands Hatch in the BTCC but it was Ash Sutton who stole the headlines as he sealed his third BTCC title.

The Infiniti driver finished sixth meaning he had enough of a gap over Colin Turkington to seal his second successive title win.

There was chaos on the opening lap when Senna Proctor went off at the Druids hairpin. Further into the lap Ollie Jackson was spun around, and collected Tom Oliphant and Adam Morgan too. Inevitably the Safety Car was deployed.

On the restart Cook pulled away under some initial pressure from Dan Lloyd. On lap seven Rory Butcher was nudged onto the grass going into Druids in a tussle with Aiden Moffat. Moffat collected damage and spun going into Graham Hill bend.

Sutton was doing what he needed to seal the win but another Safety Car was deployed on lap 13 when Nicholas Hamilton went off into the gravel trap.

There was little action following the restart and Cook cruised to his fifth win of the season from Lloyd and Gordon Shedden who rounded off the podium.

Turkington was fourth with Dan Rowbottom fifth, Sutton finished sixth and was overcome with emotion on the slow down lap as it sunk in that he’d won his third title, the youngest driver to ever do so.

Butcher, Stephen Jelley, Jake Hill and Jack Goff rounded out the top ten,

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing 30:55:544
2 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +0.587
3 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +1.432
4 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +1.745
5 Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +2.352
6 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +3.169
7 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +4.073
8 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +4.333
9 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +4.805
10 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +5.706
11 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +6.809
12 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +6.924
13 Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +7.358
14 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +7.903
15 Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +8.533
16 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +11.243
17 Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD +12.094
18 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +12.246
19 Andy Wilmot Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +15.083
20 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +59.263
21 Rick Parfitt Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +1 Lap
22 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +1 Lap
Retirements
DNF Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD Spin
DNF Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 Damage
DNF Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase Damage
DNF Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR Crash
DNF Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley Crash
DNF Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport Crash
DNF Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing Crash

BTCC Donington Park – Turkington wins 60th race to match Andy Rouse’s tally

Colin Turkington took his 60th British Touring Car Championship win in a lights to flag victory for the BMW driver.

He has matched touring car legend Andy Rouse’s tally of 60 in an uneventful race for the Northern Irishman. His 330i M Sport was ballast free and meant he had the advantage out front.

The Safety Car was deployed on lap one as Jack Butel and Sam Smelt clashed coming out of Redgate, ending both their afternoons.

The restart came on lap four with Turkington pulling away thanks to those behind him having ballast to deal with. Newly crowned Jack Sears Trophy winner Dan Rowbottom and Dan Lloyd were both given five second penalties for jumping the start.

Following his race two penalty, Tom Ingram was doing his best to hold on to eighth with title rival Ash Sutton behind him. The fight was close, with Stephen Jelley in the mix too.

The win was looking like a foregone conclusion by lap 11 as Turkington was far ahead. Behind him Jake Hill passed Rowbottom for second but was too far back to challenge Turkington. Josh Cook tried to get through too but couldn’t make the move stick and fell to fifth with Rory Butcher sneaking past too.

Sutton finally passed Ingram into Coppice corner and came home eighth, with only one title rival in Turkington ahead of him.

The BMW man took the win, with Hill four seconds back. Aiden Moffat capped off a fine weekend with third, Butcher and Cook were fourth and fifth once Rowbottom’s penalty was applied, he finished sixth with Lloyd seventh after his penalty was applied too. Sutton, Jelley and Ingram rounded off the top ten.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR 22:27:150
2 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +4.096
3 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +4.945
4 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +7.401
5 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +7.752
6 Dan Rowbottom* Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +11.136
7 Dan Lloyd* Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +13.260
8 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +13.594
9 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +18.258
10 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +19.615
11 Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +20.201
12 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +22.557
13 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +24.079
14 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +24.251
15 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +24.651
16 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +25.309
17 Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +25.679
18 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +25.887
19 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +26.533
20 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +27.104
21 Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD +28.928
22 Rick Parfitt Jr Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +29.252
23 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase +33.338
24 Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD +41.519
25 Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +47.549
26 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +2 Laps
Retirements
DNF Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing Mechanical
DNF Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo Collision
DNF Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 Collision
  • – Rowbottom and Lloyd handed five second penalties for jumping the start.

BTCC Donington Park – Shedden inherits win from Ingram

Gordon Shedden inherited the race two win from Tom Ingram, won had won his fourth race of the season on the road to keep his title hopes alive in race two at Donington Park in stunning fashion.

The Hyundai driver made up ten places, having started 11th, and was followed home by race one winner Gordon Shedden and Rory Butcher finished third. However Ingram was given a one second penalty as he was adjudged to have made contact with Shedden in order to pass him.

Butcher muscled his Toyota into the lead on lap one having started third but soon lost it a lap later as brother in law Shedden regained his lead. Ingram had an incredible start moving to sixth by the end of the lap from 11th on the grid.

By the end of lap two Ingram was fourth before moving into the top three by the end of lap three. His ballast free car easing past his heavier opponents.

Lap five saw Ingram pass Butcher at Redgate and he hunted down Shedden in the lead. Championship leader Ash Sutton was struggling, deciding to be defensive rather than attack. He was passed by the Honda’s of Josh Cook and Dan Rowbottom but had a late resurgence in the final few laps to finish fourth in the end.

Another title fighter Colin Turkington was up into fourth, chasing down Butcher. Meanwhile back at the front Ingram finally made his way past Shedden, with the Scotsman’s Honda struggling with the maximum 75kg of ballast.

On lap 13 Turkington was fighting hard for third, but going into the Old Hairpin corner he got too much on the grass on the inside and it put his BMW into a spin, dropping him down to 11th where he finished.

Ingram took the win on the road, but was demoted to second, with Shedden and Butcher following behind. Sutton was fourth, with Dan Lloyd, Senna Proctor, Josh Cook, Aiden Moffat, Jake Hill and Dan Rowbottom rounding off the top ten.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics 18:50:277
2 Tom Ingram* Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +0.254
3 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +2.451
4 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +3.218
5 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +6.114
6 Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +7.486
7 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +7.524
8 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +7.791
9 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +8.212
10 Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +8.299
11 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +8.561
12 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +10.243
13 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +10.427
14 Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +10.622
15 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +11.246
16 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +12.309
17 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +13.501
18 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +14.163
19 Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD +15.407
20 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +15.667
21 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +17.105
22 Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +17.661
23 Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +19.350
24 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +19.519
25 Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +21.616
26 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase +22.467
27 Rick Parfitt Jr Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +28.185
28 Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD +34.254
Retirements
DNS Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley Crash Damage
  • – Tom Ingram given one second penalty following incident with Gordon Shedden.

BTCC Donington Park – Shedden with lights to flag win in race one

Gordon Shedden converted pole position to victory in the first race of the day at Donington Park.

The Team Dynamics driver held off Dan Lloyd in his Power Maxed Vauxhall Astra to take another win this season after a slow start to life back in the BTCC.

The top two got away with Jason Plato losing his third place to Rory Butcher and then lost fourth to Senna Proctor as the pair had better first laps.

The Safety Car was deployed on lap three when Adam Morgan’s BMW was tapped by the MB Motorsport Ford Focus of Jake Hill, spinning the Ciceley driver into the tyre wall at the Craner Curves. Hill recovered, pitted and surged back up the grid to finish 17th.

On the restart Ash Sutton was forcing his way through the field, picking his battles and capitalising on others fighting ahead of him. He squeezed his Infiniti past and was soon on the back of former team mate Plato’s Astra.

While the Ash Sutton of old would force a move, the Laser Tools driver has learned and chose to be patient and bank the championship points he needs. Finishing seventh with only one title rival in Colin Turkington ahead of him, who finished fifth.

Up front Shedden took the win by just over a second with Lloyd behind him in another impressive finish for the Vauxhall backed team. Butcher finished third with Proctor close behind. Turkington, Plato and Sutton all followed, eight titles between them. Josh Cook, Chris Smiley and Ollie Jackson rounded off the top ten.

Two title protagonists finished outside the top ten, with Tom Ingram 11th and Jake Hill 17th after his early contact with Morgan.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics 24:43:829
2 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +1.331
3 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +2.524
4 Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +2.789
5 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +3.359
6 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +4.300
7 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +4.551
8 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +7.198
9 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +10.631
10 Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +11.026
11 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +13.650
12 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +13.995
13 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +14.269
14 Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +16.685
15 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +17.121
16 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +17.887
17 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +18.976
18 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +20.070
19 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +20.376
20 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +20.828
21 Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +21.345
22 Rick Parfitt Jr Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +21.745
23 Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +22.113
24 Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD +24.122
25 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +24.671
26 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase +27.233
27 Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +29.657
28 Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD +34.189
Retirements
DNF Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley Crash

BTCC Silverstone – Hill keeps title fight alive with win in final race

Jake Hill reignited his title challenge by taking the win in the third and final race of the weekend at Silverstone. He overtook and held off reverse grid polesitter Dan Lloyd who finished second.

Ash Sutton managed to extend his title lead by finishing third after a quiet but consistent weekend for the reigning champion.

Lloyd made a good start from pole, while team mate Jason Plato, who started second, fell down the order, losing places to Hill and Stephen Jelley in his BMW.

Tom Chiton’s poor weekend continued as he collided with Sam Osborne coming out of Copse. He spun off but managed to rejoin and finished last on the road.

The BTCC Hybrid programme was concluded with the Toyota Corolla Hybrid driven by 2013 champion Andrew Jordan pulling into the pits midway through the race. The objective of the car was not to affect the action or get into any incidents. The programme a success on both fronts.

On lap 11 Hill managed to get past Lloyd and it was a lead he didn’t give up. He passed into Copse with a brilliant move and held on from then on in. Sutton was doing his best to catch the leading duo. He dispatched Chris Smiley on lap 16 into Becketts. Smiley had a good race, running in fourth for the majority of the race and held on for it.

Sutton was charging, he couldn’t quite catch Hill and Lloyd but by finishing third he manages to extend his championship lead with Tom Ingram and Hill chasing behind.

Josh Cook had the poorest weekend of the five title challengers, with Colin Turkington grabbing a hat-full of consistent points.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport 21:24:184
2 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +0.698
3 Ash Sutton Infinti Q50 Laser Tools +1.444
4 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +4.474
5 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +4.906
6 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +5.269
7 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +5.476
8 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +6.146
9 Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +7.740
10 Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +8.731
11 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +8.938
12 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +10.652
13 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +11.434
14 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +12.965
15 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +13.277
16 Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +13.566
17 Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +14.111
18 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +15.390
19 Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +15.487
20 Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +16.120
21 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +16.273
22 Rick Parfitt Jr Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +20.854
23 Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +21.147
24 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +21.405
25 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +22.992
26 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase +27.816
27 Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD +28.265
28 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +28.534
Retirements
DNF Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD Mechanical
DNF Andrew Jordan Toyota Corolla Hybrid N/A

 

BTCC Silverstone – Butcher holds off Cook for second win of the day

Rory Butcher took his second win from two at Silverstone as he held off a chasing Josh Cook.

Once Cook had cleared Tom ingram in a thrilling race-long battle, he hunted down Butcher but couldn’t quite take the win.

Cook was however disqualified from the result for failing a ride height check at the end of race scrutineering.

The first of two safety car periods came on lap three when Nicholas Hamilton’s Cupra was in the gravel trap. He recovered and rejoined the race.

On the restart Josh Cook was battling Tom Ingram for second place. The pair were side by side from Brooklands through to Becketts. The Hyundai of Ingram prevailed and he maintained second place.

On lap nine there were two incidents to bring out the second Safety Car. Carl Boardley was tapped into Copse by Andy Neate’s Ford. Further back Jade Edwards and Gordon Shedden collided and not for the first time this season. Shedden tipped Edwards into the gravel at Brooklands and out of the race.

Racing resumed on lap 16 with Sam Smelt joining the list of retirements with a mechanical issue. It was round two of the Cook and Ingram battle on lap 17. This time Cook managed to squeeze past Ingram into Copse and went on the hunt for race leader Butcher.

Senna Proctor was next to join the list of retirements after contact going into Becketts. His team mate Cook however was closing in on Butcher, and was hot on his heels into the penultimate lap.

The final lap meant it was now or never for Cook. He made an audacious dive down the inside of Butcher into Brooklands, getting onto the grass, but Butcher held on for the win.

He took his second win of the day from Cook, Ingram came third with Colin Turkington behind him. Championship leader Ash Sutton finished fifth with team mate Aiden Moffat behind him. Dan Rowbottom, Chris Smiley, Stephen Jelley were seventh, eighth and ninth respectively with Jake Hill going from 21st on the grid to tenth.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo 27:16:006
2 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +3.021
3 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +3.162
4 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +3.456
5 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +3.492
6 Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +4.182
7 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +4.494
8 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +5.550
9 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +6.706
10 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +7.031
11 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +7.036
12 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +7.796
13 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +8.348
14 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +9.570
15 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +9.728
16 Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +10.036
17 Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +10.166
18 Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +10.773
19 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +11.066
20 Andrew Jordan Toyota Corolla Hybrid +11.621
21 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +13.751
22 Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD +14.902
23 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase +15.589
24 Rick Parfitt Jr Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +15.754
25 Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD +24.217
Retirements
DNF Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools Damage
DNF Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing Mechanical
DNF Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo Mechanical
DNF Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing Crash
DSQ Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing Ride Height

 

BTCC Silverstone – Butcher cruises to win despite compromised start

Rory Butcher allayed pre-race fears to convert pole to victory in race one at Silverstone.

A liquid spill from the earlier British F4 race on the start/finish straight meant Butcher’s start would be compromised. However despite losing the lead to Tom Ingram, he soon reclaimed his lead on lap three at Brooklands with an audacious and well executed move.

The opening lap saw five retirements, with Andy Neate suffering a puncture and causing damage. Gordon Shedden and Sam Smelt had a coming together, Jack Mitchell retired early on with a mechanical issue and Adam Morgan also never returned from the pits after pitting on lap one.

Once Butcher took his lead back, Ingram was reeled in by Dan Lloyd in his Vauxhall Astra. Of the five title protagonists Ingram finished highest, with Josh Cook, Colin Turkington and leader Ash Sutton finishing fifth, sixth and seventh respectively.

Jake Hill however struggled with 66kg of ballast in his Ford Focus, and was embroiled in a race-long fight with Tom Chilton and Jack Butel. He eventually finished 21st, and out of the points.

Butcher cruised to a win, with a winning margin of just over three seconds. Ingram held off Lloyd for second with Aiden Moffat’s second half renaissance to the season continued with fourth place.

History was made as the BTCC’s Hybrid car competed in its first race, driven by former champion Andrew Jordan. While it finished last, this wasn’t due to lack of performance. The Hybrid programme was simply to run the car in racing conditions, and so stayed near the back to avoid any incidents or affecting the championship.

Ash Sutton remains in the lead of the championship with only a handful of races left to go.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo 21:21:142
2 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +3.262
3 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +3.666
4 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +4.263
5 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +6.674
6 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +6.929
7 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +7.379
8 Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +8.113
9 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +10.154
10 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +10.564
11 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +10.757
12 Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +16.981
13 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +17.270
14 Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +17.621
15 Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +18.009
16 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +18.763
17 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +19.410
18 Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +19.886
19 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +23.460
20 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +23.822
21 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +24.904
22 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +25.239
23 Rick Parfitt Jr Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +26.015
24 Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD +28.099
25 Andrew Jordan Toyota Corolla Hybrid +30.593
Retirements
DNF Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase Wheel
DNF Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley Damage
DNF Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo Crash
DNF Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics Crash
DNF Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD Mechanical

 

BTCC Croft – Jake Hill boosts title credentials with dominant win

Jake Hill cruised to a dominant win in race two at Croft to take his second British Touring Car Championship win. The win also boosts his title credentials.

While Hill pulled away there was chaos behind him with around 20 cars all running close behind each other. Aiden Moffat defended incredibly well to take second with Josh Cook in third.

Cook was in the action from the off as he and Colin Turkington made contact into the high speed section, thankfully both drivers came out unscathed. The end of lap one saw Rory Butcher’s wretched luck continue as he was out after a collision.

Tom Oliphant also had another race to forget as he retired with suspension damage and the safety car was deployed to recover the two stricken cars.

Just before the safety car was deployed Hill managed to squeeze past Moffat to take the lead.

On lap six came the restart, Hill managed to get away well with Josh Cook all over the back of team mate Senna Proctor, looking to find a way past the local driver.

By la eight Hill was two seconds clear, with Moffat fighting to hold off the BTC Honda duo of Cook and Proctor with the maximum 75kg ballast in his Infiniti.

Cook finally managed to pass Proctor with a gutsy move down the inside into the Sunny corner.

While Hill was strolling to the win, the action was behind him as Moffat was still defending, but with a gaggle of cars behind him all exchanging places. Turkington the biggest loser as he dropped a handful of places after contact with Gordon Shedden into turn one.

Tom Ingram came out of nowhere to be fourth by the end of lap 15 from 12th on the grid.

Hill took the win, the second of his career, with Moffat showing some incredible racecraft and defensive driving to take second, with Cook third.

Ingram finished fourth with championship leader Ash Sutton fifth, Shedden was sixth with Turkington seventh. Proctor finished eighth with Chris Smiley ninth and Adam Morgan tenth.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport 27:31:374
2 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +5.508
3 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +6.849
4 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +7.512
5 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +7.749
6 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +7.999
7 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +10.087
8 Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +11.254
9 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +11.916
10 Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +12.262
11 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +12.438
12 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +12.771
13 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +13.152
14 Ollie Jaclson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +13.370
15 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +13.810
16 Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +14.927
17 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +15.131
18 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +15.330
19 Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +16.011
20 Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD +16.472
21 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +17.225
22 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +18.419
23 Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +19.013
24 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase +31.145
25 Nick Halstead Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +33.461
26 Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +1 Lap
Retirements
DNF Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD Crash
DNF Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR Mechanical
DNF Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo Crash

 

BTCC Croft – Aiden Moffat fends off Jake Hill for brilliant win in race one

Aiden Moffat converted pole to victory in race one at Croft in the British Touring Car Championship. He fended off Jake Hill to take his fourth BTCC win of his career.

Having taken the first pole position of his career on Saturday, he led off the line with second placed qualifier Colin Turkington losing places to Hill and Senna Proctor to sit fourth. His BMW team mate Tom Oliphant had an off on lap one and finished 20th.

On lap three Ollie Jackson came off worst as Chris Smiley dove down the inside of Dan Rowbottom, the pair collided, and with Jackson on the outside of both, he was spun and retired with suspension damage.

The safety car was introduced on lap five as Dan Rowbottom was in the tyre wall as Aron Taylor-Smith clipped the Honda driver and it sent Rowbottom off into the wall.

The race restarted on lap nine and Hill was doing all he can to put the pressure on Moffat.  But the Infiniti driver was defending well and did all he could to hold off the Ford driver.

There weren’t many overtakes at the front with the drivers thinking of the bigger picture and the vital championship points on display. After the first lap the top five didn’t change order once.

Moffat took the chequered flag, with Hill and Proctor rounding off the podium with impressive drives. Turkington took fourth with Josh Cook fifth. He pulled off an incredible double overtake on lap one into the tight right hand hairpin.

Championship leader Ash Sutton was sixth with Smiley seventh, Adam Morgan, Dan Lloyd and Gordon Shedden rounded off the top ten.

Tom Ingram could only manage 12th place in his Hyundai as his title fight takes a hit.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools 23:26:297
2 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +0.520
3 Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +1.888
4 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +2.269
5 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +2.877
6 Ash Sutton Infinti Q50 Laser Tools +4.502
7 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +5.447
8 Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +6.728
9 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +7.337
10 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +8.043
11 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +8.808
12 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +9.776
13 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +10.064
14 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +11.359
15 Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +11.970
16 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +12.649
17 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +13.576
18 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +14.276
19 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +14.941
20 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +15.167
21 Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +16.101
22 Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD +17.614
23 Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +23.884
24 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase +29.719
25 Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD +30.118
26 Nick Halstead Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +34.270
27 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +1 Lap
Retirements
DNF Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics Crash
DNF Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport Suspension
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