Four-time Champion Ashley Sutton has been hunting down this never-before-done fifth title since 2023, and at the start of this season, it looked like this might be the year.

The #116 won Round 1 and Round 2, and was third in Round 3. People were already discussing when he might wrap up the title. But things are never that simple. Sutton is supreme at consistency, one of the core requirements for a championship title. And through consistent points scoring at every meeting, including at least one podium visit at every venue this year, consistency was defined.

To put this into perspective, his 428 points total to finish second this year would have been enough to take the championship crown in every season since his debut in 2016–apart from 2023, when it was only bettered by his own title-winning score.

The only problem was, Tom Ingram was having a mighty year of his own. Which meant, these two champions, racing each other at the very top of their game, would take this battle of two giants of the sport into the final meeting again.

Sutton won one battle–more liveries than anyone else, and claimed five race wins and a further twelve podiums over the course of a fantastic season.