With a trio of enthralling encounters due to take place during today's Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship race day action at Croft, you can relive yesterday's qualifying session ahead of Round 19, which kicks off at 1205.

Interviews with the top three on the grid, Aiden Moffat, Jake Hill and Colin Turkington, and the full session commentary podcast can be heard below, so you can ensure you didn't miss a minute.

Moffat's flying lap, which took place just minutes before the conclusion of the session, secured a maiden pole position for the Laser Tools Racing man:

It was P2 on the grid for a second consecutive opening race for MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square's Jake Hill:

Team BMW's Colin Turkington lines up third for race one, having held P1 several times during qualifying:

Listen to Croft's circuit commentary from the full session now:

Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat scored a first-ever career Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship pole position earlier today (18 September) after the Scotsman set a stunning pace at Croft.

Moffat became the youngest driver in BTCC history when he first entered the series at just 16 years old back in 2013, and it has been a lengthy but rewarding process towards this milestone moment for the undoubted talent.

MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square man Jake Hill is still searching for his first pole position after falling short by just 0.040s, although the Kent racer now leads the Goodyear Wingfoot Award as the best overall qualifier over the course of the season so far.

Colin Turkington was left pleased with third on the grid for tomorrow's opener as the four-time champion ensured his Team BMW machine was ahead of a number of title rivals.

BTC Racing's Senna Proctor topped the timesheets during final practice, but had to settle for fourth in qualifying, whilst recent race winner Adam Morgan (Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport) took an encouraging fifth.

Tom Oliphant made it three BMWs inside the top six, as he edged out Josh Cook's BTC Racing Honda. Such was the pace at the head of the field that the top seven drivers were covered by an incredible 0.177s.

Reigning champion Ash Sutton ended up eighth in his ballast-laden #1 Laser Tools Racing Infiniti, whilst Daniel Rowbottom produced a last-gasp effort to fire his wounded Halfords Racing with Cataclean Honda up to ninth.

Jason Plato was tenth for Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing.

Gordon Shedden (Halfords Racing with Cataclean), Tom Ingram (Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com) and Rory Butcher (Toyota Gazoo Racing UK) were noticeable absentees from the top ten as the trio could only manage 17th, 21st and 29th respectively. Butcher suffered particular heartache as engine failure halted his session in the opening minutes.

Rounds 19, 20 and 21 of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place at Croft tomorrow with tickets still available on the gate. Those not in attendance can watch the action live on ITV4 from 1135.

Aiden Moffat said: "That’s taken some waiting, hasn’t it! I’ve been in the BTCC since 2013 and that’s my first pole so it’s special, a special moment. We had good pace this year and I can’t thank Team HARD, Laser Tools Racing, BMR Engineering, my engineer Dan and even Ash Sutton for the help he gives me. So it’s nice to get that long-awaited pole.

"Today I felt confident with the car the team gave me, so I wasn't just chasing the car, but working on myself and not overdriving. Adopting the calm Colin [Turkington] technique – I probably should have tried that about six years ago, I’ve wasted a bit of time. The guys gave me a great car so I was able to focus on myself, the driving and the technical stuff, which is what made the difference.

"We know we’ve got a good car; it’ll be good for the races and holds the tyres well. So I think we’ve got a good race car underneath us as well as a qualifying car."

Jake Hill said: "I’m absolutely thrilled. So, so close to my first pole – yet again – especially after Thruxton. But I’m over the moon nonetheless. We’re the highest-placed car with that amount of weight and the other championship contenders are a bit further down the grid, so that’s what matters. We’re driving well, I’m driving well, and the car's behaving itself so I’m really enjoying it at the moment.

"I’m going for the win. Simple as that. We’ve got to just get as many points as we can, and I know the win’s on the cards. Especially if it’s going to be damp or wet tomorrow. I’m really, really excited to see what tomorrow brings. I don’t really care what the weather does, it’s fine as I think we’re quick no matter what – I’m happy."

Colin Turkington said: "I’m in a very good place to start. Obviously, I held top spot for a while but I just got as much as I could out of the car on both runs. My fastest time was on the first. We made a change to try and improve it. The car was very much the same on the second run and I did the same lap time, so I think I achieved as much as I could. But we’re near the sharp end and I’ve given myself a good chance for tomorrow.

"We saved all our new tyres for qualifying and delivered the goods. But it’s never easy because in free practice you’re doing all your fine-tuning on slightly older rubber and just hoping you’re going in the right direction. So it’s nice to have confirmed that once we put the fresh tyres on.

"I wouldn’t say that I need a serious performance, I just need to keep scoring good points and outscoring Ash [Sutton]. We still have 12 races to go, four events. So although we’re into Autumn now, there’s still a lot of points there. It’s about trying not to be too greedy at this stage and chipping away. We know nobody walks away with this championship so we’ll just keep trying to collect points."

2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying – Croft

1             Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing  1:22.037s
2             Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.040s
3             Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.122s
4             Senna PROCTOR(GBR) BTC Racing +0.132s
5             Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.149s
6             Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.153s
7             Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.177s
8             Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.260s
9             Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.293s
10           Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +0.376s
11           Ollie JACKSON (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.401s
12           Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +0.465s
13           Chris SMILEY (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +0.506s
14           Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +0.508s
15           Tom CHILTON (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.536s
16           Jack GOFF (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +0.566s
17           Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.592s
18           Sam SMELT (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +0.618s
19           Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +0.636s
20           Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.697s
21           Tom INGRAM (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +0.809s
22           Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Team HARD. with HUB Financial Solutions +0.957s
23           Jade EDWARDS (GBR) PHSC with BTC Racing +1.182s
24           Jack MITCHELL (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +1.239
25           Jack BUTEL (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +1.282s
26           Andy NEATE (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +1.913s
27           Nick HALSTEAD (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +2.956s
28           Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with iQuoto Online Trading +5.223s
29           Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK NO TIME

The second and final Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship free practice session at Croft had a very similar look to the first one, but this time it was BTC Racing's Senna Proctor leading Gordon Shedden and Rory Butcher in the timesheets.

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK's Butcher topped Shedden and Proctor in the morning segment and the same trio led the charge in the lunchtime instalment, albeit in a slightly different order.

Proctor and Halfords Racing with Cataclean's Shedden again showed the prowess of the Honda Civic Type R around the 2.13-mile circuit, and there's little doubting the force of Butcher's Toyota Corolla at the North Yorkshire venue either.

Such has been the form of the three front men at Croft so far, that they'll be regarded as standout contenders for pole position later this afternoon.

Chris Smiley was next in the order in the Draper Tools-backed Hyundai, whilst Daniel Rowbottom (Halfords Racing with Cataclean) and Josh Cook (BTC Racing) made it four Hondas inside the top six.

Stephen Jelley was the quickest Team BMW car in seventh as his team-mates endured mixed fortunes. Colin Turkington could only manage 16th, whilst Tom Oliphant dropped a wheel at turn one and suffered rear suspension damage as a consequence.

MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square's Jake Hill and Toyota Gazoo Racing UK's Sam Smelt were eighth and ninth respectively, whilst championship leader Ash Sutton completed the top ten positions in his Laser Tools Racing #1 Infiniti Q50.

Tom Ingram was a notable absentee from the leading lights as the Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com was 22nd, albeit only 0.866s off the ultimate pace.

Jack Mitchell was the only driver not to complete a lap due to an unknown issue with his Team HARD-run CUPRA.

Qualifying for Round 19 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship takes place at 1450, and will be streamed live via www.itv.com/btcc.

2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 2 – Croft

1            Senna PROCTOR(GBR) BTC Racing +1:22.252s
2            Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.025s
3            Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +0.103s
4            Chris SMILEY (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +0.168s
5            Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.176.s
6            Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.310s
7            Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +0.323s
8            Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.349s
9            Sam SMELT (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +0.354s
10          Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.358s
11          Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.374s
12          Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Team HARD. with HUB Financial Solutions +0.377s
13          Tom CHILTON (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.383s
14          Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +0.453s
15          Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +0.465s
16          Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.470s
17          Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.491s
18         Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.516s
19          Jack GOFF (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +0.516s
20          Jade EDWARDS (GBR) PHSC with BTC Racing +0.623s
21          Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +0.642s
22          Tom INGRAM (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +0.866s
23          Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.052s
24          Ollie JACKSON (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +1.142s
25          Jack BUTEL (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +1.145s
26          Andy NEATE (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +1.302s
27          Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with iQuoto Online Trading +2.319s
28          Nick HALSTEAD (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +2.601s
29          Jack MITCHELL (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct NO TIME

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK's Rory Butcher produced a last-gasp flying lap to top the opening Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship free practice session at Croft.

Long-time session leader – Gordon Shedden – had to settle for second in his Halfords Racing with Cataclean Honda Civic Type R, as a battle of the Scotsmen and indeed family members hit the front around the 2.13-mile circuit.

"The car’s feeling fantastic, after shakedown last night, I said we’re definitely in a good place," said Butcher. "It bodes well for today, we’ve just got to keep working, fine-tuning and I’ve just got to keep pushing.

"Gordon’s always up there, we’ll be fighting hard. It’s great to see Sam [Smelt] in there too, the two of us are obviously performing well around Croft. Sam had his best FP1 of the year which is good to see!

"It’s a hard championship to have good fortune, it’s so close. When you’re in the heat of the battle anything can happen, whether it’s your fault or not. To get a clean run through a season, that’s the hardest part; Ash [Sutton] has clearly got that down to a tee and has done a great job. There’ll be a lot of drivers hoping for good fortune this weekend, definitely."

BTC Racing's Senna Proctor and MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square's Jake Hill were third and fourth respectively, whilst Sam Smelt enjoyed arguably his best session of the season so far as he joined his Toyota Corolla team-mate inside the top five.

Josh Cook kept his good run of form going with sixth in the #66 Honda, ahead of Team BMW's Tom Oliphant and championship leader Ash Sutton in his Laser Tools Racing Infiniti.

Dan Rowbottom was another to leave it late as almost his first representative lap time fired his Cataclean-backed machine up to ninth, whilst Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com's Tom Ingram rounded out the top ten.

The top 24 drivers were separated by exactly one second, suggesting yet another competitive qualifying session is in store later this afternoon.

Jade Edwards endured an extremely premature end to her FP1 as power steering failure halted her run for BTC Racing, whilst Nic Hamilton pulled off the track late on in his Team HARD-run CUPRA.

"I had a power steering failure, at the fastest part of the circuit as well!" said Edwards. "Thankfully the guys around me on track sensed that I couldn’t steer properly and let me get into the pitlane, and at least it happened at this point and not in qualifying or during the racing tomorrow."

Free Practice 2 will commence at 1205 before qualifying for Round 19 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship takes place at 1450, and will be streamed live via www.itv.com/btcc.

2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 1 – Croft

1            Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +1:22.275s
2            Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.128s
3            Senna PROCTOR(GBR) BTC Racing +0.219s
4            Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.236s
5            Sam SMELT (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +0.255s
6            Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.264s
7            Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.323s
8            Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.328s
9            Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.339.s
10          Tom INGRAM (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +0.379s
11          Tom CHILTON (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.390s
12          Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.398s
13          Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.400s
14          Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +0.546s
15          Chris SMILEY (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +0.597s
16          Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +0.684s
17          Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Team HARD. with HUB Financial Solutions +0.691s
18          Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +0.752s
19          Ollie JACKSON (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.789s
20          Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +0.791s
21          Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.846s
22          Jack GOFF (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +0.920s
23        Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.926s
24          Jack MITCHELL (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +1.000s
25          Andy NEATE (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +1.428s
26          Jack BUTEL (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +1.790s
27          Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with iQuoto Online Trading +1.889s
28          Jade EDWARDS (GBR) PHSC with BTC Racing +3.391s
29          Nick HALSTEAD (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +3.891s

Rounds 19, 20 and 21 of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Croft, North Yorkshire this weekend (18/19 September). Tickets are available to purchase on the gate, with further information including FAQs, ticket prices and more on Croft’s website.

Following another challenging weekend at Thruxton, Halfords Racing with Cataclean heads to Croft for the next rounds of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with one primary focus: scoring significant points.

Thruxton started well for Kidderminster’s Dan Rowbottom, with the 32-year-old claiming a second pole position of the campaign following a stunning lap. After being run wide in race one, however, he had to settle into the pack and finished in sixth place, while team-mate Gordon Shedden battled through to 13th.

The second race of the day saw both drivers out of luck as technical gremlins curtailed their races, before a spirited drive from the back of the grid for Rowbottom saw the #32 machine finish in the points in 14th during the final encounter. Shedden’s bad luck continued into race three as contact saw him into the barrier at turn one.

Croft has generated some thrilling races over the years for the team, culminating an impressive tally of 15 podium finishes on the 2.13-mile circuit in the past decade, including five race wins over the period.

“It would be nice to convert a pole position to a win wouldn’t it!” stated Rowbottom. “Thruxton just didn’t go my way, the car felt strong, but it is difficult to move through the field there.

“Croft is a circuit that suits my style of driving, it’s a little bit heart in mouth in places, but you have several opportunities to overtake. We go there light on ballast, so I’ll be giving it full beans to climb back up the points table. We need a good weekend to bring us back up in all the points tables and I’ll be particularly keeping an eye on my lead of the Jack Sears Trophy.”

“Thruxton just wasn’t my weekend,” admitted Shedden. “I had a wee off on my fastest lap in qualifying and that kind of set the tone for the weekend! 

"I’ve always gone well at Croft, it’s a fast and sweeping circuit out the back and I’ve had some mega battles there over the years. I think I’ve had ten podiums, so I’ll be looking for a strong performance again this weekend. There are some corners there like the Jim Clark Esses where you are threading the eye of a needle, you just can’t see a lot when you are door to door, bumper to bumper, you are driving on feel and intuition. But you can guarantee I’ll be giving it my all as usual and looking to help myself and the team gain some much-needed Championship points.”

Rounds 19, 20 and 21 of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Croft, North Yorkshire this weekend (18/19 September). Tickets are available to purchase on the gate, with further information including FAQs, ticket prices and more on Croft's website.

Yorkshireman Dan Lloyd is set to make a welcome return to his local track, Croft Circuit, in North Yorkshire this weekend (18/19 September) as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship enters the business end of the 2021 season.

The scene of his first-ever BTCC victory in 2018, the former airfield is a firm favourite of the Huddersfield-based racer who is relishing the chance to compete in front of his home crowd – which also includes a large gathering of family and sponsors – this weekend.

Lloyd heads into the final twelve rounds of the campaign in confident form off the back of a strong performance last time out at Thruxton, where he scored a decent haul of points for the Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing team. The 29-year-old is hoping that past triumphs at Croft combined with strong support will translate into positive results as the championship picks up pace.

“I’m really fired up for this weekend,” said Lloyd. “It’s always a big deal racing at your home circuit. The last time I was here in the BTCC I took my first race win, so I’m excited to be heading back. We made some positive steps forward last time at Thruxton, so hopefully, we can carry that momentum into this weekend and the rest of the season."

Following on from a hugely successful VIP event in Huddersfield last week, Lloyd will also be continuing his fundraising efforts for the Forget Me Not Children's Hospice this weekend, as he hosts a track walk and raffle event at the circuit on Saturday evening.

“I have lots of guests and sponsors joining me this weekend so I’m looking forward to putting on a good show for them all," continued Lloyd. "I’ve been really busy away from the track as well, organising two main charity events. The first one, last Saturday, was a huge success. We’re following that up with the track walk and raffle this Saturday at Croft to help raise some much-needed funds for the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.

“Everyone is welcome to take part this weekend, and any additional donations via the just giving link would be much appreciated.”

Rounds 19, 20 and 21 of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Croft, North Yorkshire this weekend (18/19 September). Tickets are available to purchase on the gate, with further information including FAQs, ticket prices and more on Croft's website.

After yet more silverware for MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square last time out at Thruxton, a trip to Croft awaits the team as it looks to continue its podium-scoring momentum.

An excellent performance in Hampshire rewarded the Motorbase Performance-run squad with its best result of the season so far – a second-place finish in the opening race of the weekend courtesy of Jake Hill.

Keen to continue this good form, the team arrives at Croft circuit near Darlington aiming to repeat or improve upon last year’s performance at the track, which accumulated in a pair of podium finishes.

Entering the final stages of the 2021 championship, drivers Hill and Ollie Jackson are determined to keep pushing for podium results and all-important points scores in a closely contested championship.

Fair weather on Saturday coupled with the possibility of rain showers on Sunday sets up a thrilling contest around the 2.13-mile circuit, which incorporates long straights with tight, technical turns such as the hairpin at the final corner.

“We were unfortunate with our results at Thruxton but that gives me a renewed fire to come to Croft and get ourselves back up to the sharp end,” said Jackson. “The season really has flown by so far, but we’ve still got 12 races left and I’m feeling confident heading into them.”

“I’m really looking forward to getting on track at Croft,” added Hill. “We were on the podium twice last year in the Civic and we made good use of pre-season testing here earlier this year so I’m feeling good heading into the weekend. The championship battle is tight but I’m taking it race by race, round by round. This weekend is the start of a double-header for all of us, so the aim is to make it a good one and carry that through to Silverstone.”

“The team has made the most of a short break and come to Croft fully rested and ready for another weekend of action,” praised Mark Blundell, the squad’s Sporting Director. “We can be proud of our performance so far this year but we’re always hungry for more and I’m sure everyone will be giving it their all once again this weekend.”

Team BMW’s Stephen Jelley is ready for the first of two back-to-back race weekends in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, as the series travels to North Yorkshire’s Croft Circuit this weekend (18/19 September).

The Leicestershire driver has had success at the venue in the past, claiming a rare hat-trick of podiums – a pair of second places and a third – when he last competed with West Surrey Racing back in 2009. In addition to his BTCC success there, the 39-year-old claimed a win in the British F3 International Series in ’07 and added two podiums during his time in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB.

Jelley had a tough weekend at Thruxton last time out – although he managed to score points in every race – and he has his eyes on greater rewards at Croft, where he believes the team can run a similar setup to that which helped him succeed at Oulton Park and Knockhill. He was the third-highest points scorer over those two weekends, so a return to form would help boost him up the championship order.

It has been a busy time ahead of Croft as he took part in the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am with team-mate Tom Oliphant, Spanish professional golfer Adri Arnaus, and Irish youngster Brendan Lawlor, where the foursome finished fifth in the afternoon wave, 21 under par.

Alongside his Team BMW colleagues, Jelley will head out for two practice sessions at 0930 and 1205 on Saturday 18 September, before qualifying at 1450, which can be seen live via itv.com/btcc. The first of three 15-lap races takes place on Sunday at 1205, followed at 1435 and 1705, with live coverage available all day on ITV4 and on ITV Hub.

“Historically, Croft has been very good for BMW,” said Jelley. “I enjoy racing there. When I drove for West Surrey in 2009 I had three podiums in a day, which is a pretty hard feat to achieve.

“It was resurfaced recently, which has somewhat changed its characteristic. Last year the weather was a little bit odd so that always makes the surface a bit slippery, and we had the hard tyre. Going back this year we should see something a bit more normal. The circuit will suit the characteristics of the 330i M Sport; the fast-flowing back section should be really nice in this car, and we can get a good punch out of the hairpin.

“The main thing is looking forward to getting back on track after a bit of a disappointing Thruxton. Oulton and Knockhill were really good points-scoring weekends and at Croft we should be able to run a similar setup, so the signs point to a good weekend. It's going to be a pivotal meeting for the championship and I think afterwards we'll get an idea of exactly who's in the mix. So, from a team perspective, we've got to start looking at things like that.”

Four events remain on the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship calendar and the Teams’ Championship battle is truly hotting up, with BTC Racing and Laser Tools Racing tied at the top of the table with 330 points each.

Brackley-based outfit BTC Racing kicked off the campaign with a pair of top-points finishes in races one and two, as Josh Cook and guest driver Dan Cammish notched first and fourth place before securing a 1-2 for the team in the second race. Despite not adding to its tally in race three, the team left Hampshire at the summit of the standings.

Laser Tools Racing meanwhile bagged consistent points in the opening races and topped it off with victory in race three.

Adding significantly to its score in the second event, the reigning Independent Teams’ Champions registered the most points of any team in the second race at Snetterton, which, alongside further consistent additions, saw the squad top the tables after round six.

BTC Racing’s trip to Snetterton however, resulted in the team dropping to fifth in the standings after a difficult time out in Norfolk.

The pair of Honda Civic Type Rs enjoyed a stronger weekend during the third event of the campaign, climbing the order one place to fourth at Brands Hatch, while Laser Tools Racing continued an impressive run to maintain its position at the head of the pack, clinching the best teams’ result in race three after Aiden Moffat delivered a podium and team-mate Ash Sutton finished in eighth.

Following BTC Racing ace Senna Proctor’s speed at the annual Goodyear Tyre Test at Oulton Park, the team returned to the Cheshire circuit for Rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the campaign with renewed optimism, and regular scoring throughout the weekend moved them up another place in the standings into third.

Laser Tools Racing had a similarly strong weekend, but it was Halfords Racing with Cataclean which stole the show on the 2.23-mile circuit, as the Kidderminster-based team became the first to achieve a teams’ top-scoring hat-trick in the campaign so far.

Heading to its local circuit of Knockhill leading the standings, with a 38-point advantage over third-place team BTC Racing, Laser Tools Racing was confident of success in Scotland.

BTC Racing kicked off the weekend with a double podium, while a race two win for Sutton put Laser Tools Racing on top in the second bout. A consistent weekend for Cook and Proctor saw the team move into second place and marginally narrow the gap to its rivals to 35 points.

The latest rounds of the campaign, at Thruxton last month, saw an impressive display from BTC Racing, as the squad bagged the greatest points in all three races and rocketed itself to equal the points tally of the Infinitis of Laser Tools Racing.

As both outfits head into the final four race weekends of the season on equal points – although BTC Racing holds to top spot due to its higher frequency of top-points finishes – the battle is well and truly on for BTCC Teams’ glory.

Catch the upcoming rounds at Croft this weekend (18/19 September) on ITV4 on Sunday from 1135, while Saturday’s qualifying session will be available from 1445 on itv.com/btcc.

As the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship heads to Croft this weekend (18/19 September), Toyota Gazoo Racing UK team-mates Rory Butcher and Sam Smelt have pinpointed compromise as the key to success around the demanding North Yorkshire circuit.
 
Croft invites drivers to attack its on-the-edge high-speed stretches over the opening two-thirds of the lap, before obliging them to slow the rhythm right down to tackle the tight, twisty and technical final sector. That makes free practice all the more vital, as teams seek to strike the best balance when it comes to car set-up.
 
It is a challenge that Cheshire-based Speedworks Motorsport has conquered on several occasions, tallying four podiums at Croft since 2016 including a hard-fought victory for the British-built Toyota Corolla last year. Even more impressively, that was achieved despite the car starting the day right at the rear of the field after the #80 machine was denied pole position, having failed post-session ride height checks due to a right-front wishbone failure.
 
Butcher – a former Independents’ Champion and Jack Sears Trophy winner in the UK’s premier motor racing series – has secured seven points finishes from nine previous starts at the track, which the 34-year-old Kirkcaldy native is looking to add to this weekend after climbing up to seventh in the Drivers’ Standings last time out at Thruxton.
 
Stablemate Smelt, meanwhile, might only have competed at Croft once before – back in his rookie BTCC campaign in 2018 – but the 25-year-old Northampton-born ace has repeatedly demonstrated his race pace this season and is confident that once his qualifying demons have been quashed, he will be a consistent contender for points.
 
Every moment of Sunday’s doorhandle-to-doorhandle action will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4, beginning at 1135.

“We’ve had a little break since Thruxton, and now we’re all champing at the bit to get back out there and go racing again,” said Team Principal Christian Dick. “Croft is a circuit where we have performed well in the past, and where we know the Corolla is quick – to not only qualify on pole position there last year, but to then battle from the back of the grid at the start of race day to a win at the end of it proves that the Toyota is a force to be reckoned with around the track.
 
“Having enjoyed a very solid weekend at Thruxton where he showed good speed and scored well in all three races, Rory is primed to maintain his upward momentum at his second ‘home’ circuit, while we have been working hard to help Sam to get on top of the issues that have plagued his qualifying form so far this year, which will hopefully reap dividends as his race pace is unquestionably strong. I think we’re in for a very good weekend, all-told.”
 
“I really enjoy Croft,” added Butcher. “It’s quite close to Scotland, so I tend to get a lot of my sponsors coming along, and it generates good racing, with a fantastic atmosphere all the way around the lap.
 
“It’s a circuit of extremes, from the super-quick Jim Clark Esses, Barcroft and Sunny In/Out to the slow-speed complex in the final sector and the tightest hairpin on the calendar. You’re never going to find the perfect set-up, and striking the best compromise is a massive challenge from an engineering point of view, while as a driver, you need to be able to rapidly adapt your approach from one corner to the next.
 
“The venue has done a brilliant job of resurfacing the track, which has made it much smoother and grippier, but the bumps remain so the car needs to be really well dialled-in to deal with that. We had a good pre-season test there, and the Corolla’s short wheelbase makes it very agile and nimble through the tight, twisty stuff, so I’m confident it will handle the circuit well. Not only that, but one of our main strengths since Oulton Park has been braking performance, and I’m really looking forward to exploiting that again.
 
“Our potential has been building throughout the year, and after a tricky start to the season, I’ve really fallen in love with the Corolla – we’re best buddies now. Whilst the number one priority at Croft has to be another solid weekend, at the same time, we know we have the pace for podiums so I feel we should be coming away with some silverware. The team is doing a good job, the car is in a great place and I’m feeling strong, so if we can put that all together, hopefully the results will follow.”
 
“Having only raced at Croft once before, our test there earlier in the year helped to refresh my memory a bit,” admitted Smelt. “It was my first proper full day in the Corolla, so I was probably getting used to the car more than the track, but everything felt very positive and I’m looking forward to going back.
 
“I feel like a broken record, but we absolutely have to crack qualifying if we want to make progress and score decent points, which I know I’m capable of. Our race pace is strong – we proved that at Thruxton – so the full focus has to be on single-lap speed. The key is to get off to a good start in FP1 so we’re not playing catch-up; the BTCC is so ultra-competitive and we get such limited practice time, that if you begin the weekend on the back foot, it’s very difficult to recover.
 
“The Corolla is clearly quick around Croft – we saw that in both qualifying and the races last year, as well as in pre-season testing, and that gives us a lot of data to lean upon this weekend. The trickiest thing will be achieving the right balance in terms of set-up to ensure we have enough confidence to push through the fast sections out the back of the circuit and enough grip for the slower-speed end to the lap. That’s a challenge I’m relishing.”