As we’re halfway through this year’s Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign, let’s check in to see how the Goodyear Wingfoot Award for drivers’ qualifying performance is shaping up so far in 2022...

It's two-time Wingfoot Award winner Colin Turkington leading the standings with a pair of top-points hauls as we head into the second half of the season, and a 12-point advantage over rival Jake Hill.

ROKiT MB Motorsport's Hill took the top spot after his season-opening pole position at Donington Park back in April, but Team BMW’s Turkington was hot on his heels, and the pair were neck and neck after the second event of the year.

Tom Ingram occupies third, having put his Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars Hyundai into P1 at Oulton Park, with the 28-year-old just one point behind Hill.

Having clinched second in the latest qualifying session, Halfords Racing with Cataclean's Dan Rowbottom sits fourth, a further 14 points in arrears, ahead of reigning BTCC titleholder Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK).

The only driver outside of the top three to have secured pole position in 2022 so far is Rich Energy BTC Racing’s Josh Cook, who holds tenth having only bagged points in three of the five qualifying sessions.

With Turkington and Hill having swapped places early on in the season, it’s still all to play for as the drivers battle it out for that coveted Goodyear Wingfoot Award with the campaign due to get back underway next weekend at Knockhill (30/31 July).

Check out the full standings at this point in the season here.

The third Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship race at Oulton Park saw Team BMW's Stephen Jelley on pole by virtue of the reverse grid draw, with the final contest in Cheshire proving eventful from the off after an opening-lap incident involving Dan Lloyd, Colin Turkington and Michael Crees saw the trio forced to retire.

In today's round recap, you can relive the events of the 18-lap race using the circuit commentary podcast below!

Round 11 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship saw Tom Ingram start from pole position following his earlier victory, and we've got you covered with a video recap of the contest!

You can check out ITV Sport's Race in 60 seconds highlights clip below, or click here to watch all 15 laps of the race two action around Oulton Park's Island configuration.

After the race, as always, Louise Goodman caught up with the podium-finishing trio, and you can see what they had to say in the video below!

Oulton Park in Cheshire played host to Rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and we're heading back to the opening contest on the 2.23-mile circuit for today's round recap!

Check out how the race unravelled in pictures using the gallery below...

Reigning MINI CHALLENGE Champion Dan Zelos was given the opportunity to showcase his skills behind the wheel of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship-leading Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com Hyundai i30N just last week (12/13 July) during the series’ annual Goodyear tyre test – and he grabbed it with both hands.

Zelos was promoted from the role of Development Driver to the team’s official BTCC Reserve Driver this year, strengthening his ties with the Suffolk-based squad. The Norfolk ace was duly invited to sample the hybrid Hyundai at his home track of Snetterton on Tuesday and Wednesday last week, alongside regular drivers Tom Ingram, Tom Chilton and Daniel Lloyd.

Notwithstanding a couple of previous toe-in-the-water trials – one at the tail end of 2016, the second late last year – last week’s group test marked Zelos’ first extended run in BTCC machinery.

In sweltering conditions, the 24-year-old completed more than 100 laps of the 2.97-mile circuit – the longest on the championship calendar – settling steadily into his new surroundings before increasingly building up the confidence to push.

By listening and learning from the advice proffered by Ingram, Chilton and Lloyd – who between them count no fewer than 39 BTCC race wins and three Independent Drivers’ crowns, with the former currently leading this season’s title chase outright – Zelos took a measurable step forward on day two. In what is widely regarded as one of the toughest touring car fields in the world, he even featured inside the top ten for a while out of the 19 drivers that had posted a representative lap at that stage.

Impressively, the Dereham-born hotshot concluded proceedings just a single tenth-of-a-second adrift of Chilton and less than half-a-second shy of four-time champion Colin Turkington.

“For my first proper taste of what life would be like as a touring car driver, it was a fantastic experience and one that has definitely whetted my appetite for more,” said Zelos. “I was extremely excited to climb behind the wheel of the Hyundai at last – it was a huge privilege to drive the championship-leading car, and I loved every minute.

“The i30N felt completely different to my MINI and a big step-up; there was a lot to get my head around in a relatively short space of time and it was almost like starting over from zero in some respects. They were two pretty full-on days – especially in that heat – and I just tried to soak up as much information as I could, and then process and digest it all.

“I got to know the BTCC side of EXCELR8 Motorsport a little bit better – everybody was really welcoming, and it was amazing to be given such an exclusive insight into how a top-level touring car team operates. EXCELR8 has taken giant strides during its short time in the BTCC so far, and I learned so much from working so closely with the engineers, mechanics and other drivers and received plenty of positive feedback, which was very encouraging.

“Despite having only really scratched the surface of what is possible, I honestly now believe I could turn up for a race weekend and be somewhere in the mix – I feel ready and prepared should an opportunity present itself. Big thanks to EXCELR8 for putting their trust in me and giving me this chance to show what I can do. I’m very sure it won’t be the last time I sit in a touring car – one way or another, I’m going to make this happen.”

“It isn’t easy to jump into an official test like that having never driven the car before and with nearly everybody else having at least half a season under their belt,” added Tom Ingram. “Dan was unquestionably thrown in at the deep end in that respect, but I thought he acquitted himself extremely well. He’s clearly very fast in the MINI, and while we’ve seen in the past that being quick in one car doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be quick in another, he looked very competitive in what is a really high-calibre field this year in the BTCC.

“A lot of people underestimate just how difficult and physical these cars are to drive, but Dan made no significant errors, knuckled down and worked very hard – and he came out of the box on Wednesday morning immediately looking much stronger than he had done the previous day, which is testament to his preparation and dedication. If and when he gets the opportunity to join the BTCC grid, he now knows what to expect and certainly wouldn’t be out of his depth.”

We're kicking off the week with another Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship recap, as we return to Thruxton for the final race of the day back on 29 May.

With Jason Plato starting Round 9 from pole position, you can listen to the full 17-lap encounter using the circuit commentary podcast below!

Motorbase Performance wrapped up an extremely positive two-day Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship test at a scorching hot Snetterton 300 Circuit on Wednesday (13 July), with NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton and Dan Cammish delivering searing pace in the Norfolk heat.

Ending up with the quickest time overall for the entire test, reigning BTCC Champion Sutton set his best lap of 1m55.121 seconds (92.84mph) on the second morning using Goodyear’s soft ‘option’ tyre. Cammish, in the sister blue and yellow Ford Focus ST, was a mere 0.015 seconds shy to secure a superb top-two lockout – notably running the regular Goodyear race tyre.

Cammish was also third overall on Tuesday (12 July) and only 0.008 seconds away from the top of the day one timesheets – a real boost for Wrotham’s Motorbase and NAPA Racing UK as the team prepares to get the second half of the season underway in a couple of weeks.

In the Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan cars, Sam Osborne was 20th overall on Tuesday with Ollie Jackson 22nd fastest. On the second day at Snetterton 300, Jackson was 23rd on the combined timesheets while Osborne was 26th overall – both drivers focusing on a raft of set-up changes and their impact, rather than seeking out-and-out lap times.

Conducting a very full programme across its quartet of BTCC cars, Motorbase also fielded a third NAPA Racing UK liveried Ford on the opening day of the test.

Nick Tandy, Le Mans 24 Hours Winner and team boss of top Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship squad JTR, shared driving duties with Motorbase Driver Academy racer Jack Mitchell. Tandy then remained with Motorbase for day two, this time switching to Osborne’s Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan car and providing vital input and coaching.

“This test has come at the right time for us and from what we’ve learned over the two days across the cars feels very positive,” said Team Manager Oly Collins. “Dan’s pace, in particular, has been very impressive over the two days. Ash had a full day on Wednesday working with Goodyear on development tyres, so it was less about ultimate pace but a lot of hard work with Goodyear on tyres as opposed to car set up – but the car is clearly in a good place looking at the times. Ollie and Sam worked through some different development ideas as well as being joined by Jack Mitchell on day one and Nick Tandy across both days. It’s been great working with those two as well.

“The cars have been fantastically reliable, especially in this heat, so full credit to the whole Motorbase crew behind the scenes who have worked their socks off! Hopefully we can carry the momentum into the next event at Knockhill despite the two circuits being so different!”

“We worked all day with Goodyear with the soft option tyre on day two, trying things for them going forward,” said Sutton. “I took the limelight away from Dan a bit as he achieved his best time on raw pace and that was more realistic. It’s been a good test; we’ve found some positives as a whole and I think we can all be happy with where we are. I’m not sure what to expect for Knockhill, it’s such a different track, but I’m excited and looking forward to it as it is one of my favourite tracks. It’s a real challenge and it reminds me of my karting days!”

“It’s been a really constructive couple of days, with lots worked through, and the guys have been great – they’ve not stopped really,” added Cammish. “It’s been a great opportunity to try some car set-ups you wouldn’t usually get to try on a race weekend. It’s been warm, quite tough conditions, but a really good couple of days that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. We’ve worked through a programme, had some really good speed and set what was, ultimately, the fastest time of the entire test as I was on the normal race tyre. It’s great to get a one-two for NAPA Racing UK, all good and onward to Knockhill now.”

“We focused on running through suites of individual set-up changes, and it was a pretty successful couple of days from that perspective,” reflected Jackson. “Everyone worked hard and we found a few interesting aspects of the car, some of which were probably contradictory to some of the changes we’ve made recently. We’ve got a better understanding of the car now so I think we’re in a good position, although with Knockhill next, it’s a one-off track so you can never tell where you are until you’re actually there!”

“We found out some little tricks with the car, so we’re definitely moving in the right direction – fingers crossed we make some steps forward during the second half of the season,” said Osborne. “It’s been boiling with the weather, so we’ve focused on keeping plenty of fluids and staying well hydrated, but it’s been two good days. Working with Nick [Tandy] has been absolutely mega, he’s a fantastic driver and has given lots of great feedback which I can take forward.”

The second half of the BTCC season gets underway in just a fortnight’s time (30/31 July) at Knockhill Circuit in Scotland, with the race-day action broadcast across both ITV and ITV4.

For today's Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship round recap, we're back at Thruxton for the eighth race of the campaign!

With Rich Energy BTC Racing's Josh Cook on pole following his race one victory, the Bath Racer undertook what commentator Tim Harvey dubbed 'the move of the season' to regain the lead on the opening tour after losing out off the line to the ROKiT MB Motorsport BMW of Jake Hill.

Check out ITV Sport's Race in 60s highlights clip below or click here to watch the full race.

Michael Crees scorched to the top seven in the combined classification during the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship’s annual Goodyear tyre test yesterday (13 July) with the CarStore Power Maxed Racing man’s lap time marking the fastest of the Independent runners.

Joining the vast majority of the BTCC grid at Snetterton’s 300 Circuit for a two-day outing in sweltering weather, the Broadstairs racer embarked on various testing programmes in the #777 Vauxhall Astra.

After ending the opening day seventh in the Independents and 19th overall, the 38-year-old made marked improvements on day two. 

Punching in a best time of 1:55.849s on the marginally cooler second morning, Crees ended the four-hour run an excellent seventh overall as well as the Independents’ pace-setter. 

Although sitting out the final afternoon, Crees had done enough to conclude the two days of testing as the lead Independents’ Trophy runner and now goes into the second half of the season – which gets underway at Knockhill in Scotland in just over two weeks (30/31 July) – with majorly boosted confidence.

“We really needed an opportunity to try some different things with the car,” said Crees. “You just can’t do that anywhere near the same level on a race weekend, and so these last two days at Snetterton have been vital for us to understand the car more and make some good progress. We conducted a lot of productive work and I’m obviously very happy to end the test as the quickest Independents’ driver.

“The conditions were far from easy out there, it’s been boiling hot in the car each day, but the whole team pushed forward and I really do think we can be confident we’ve unlocked some important stuff. We won’t know for sure until we get to Knockhill if we’ve made the steps forward, we think we have, but I’m definitely feeling as positive as I have all season. It’s been two really good days.”

The 2022 campaign resumes with Rounds 16, 17 and 18 at Knockhill Circuit in Fife (30/31 July) as the championship makes its annual visit north of the border to Scotland.

The third event of the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship saw the cars and stars roll into Thruxton, the scene of this year's Season Launch event, and today we're looking back at the opening contest for our Round 7 recap!

JOSH COOK BECOMES UNDISPUTED KING OF THRUXTON

Bath racer Josh Cook became the most successful BTCC driver in history at the UK’s fastest circuit as the Rich Energy BTC Racing man claimed victory in the opener at Thruxton.

The pole-sitting Honda was jumped off the line by the ROKiT MB Motorsport BMW of Jake Hill, but Cook nipped back past on the outside going into the first chicane.

Cook initially gapped Hill as the rear-wheel drive 3 Series continued to drive heat into its Goodyear tyres, but the latter was soon pressuring for the win.

The #66 Civic Type R held on for the entire race distance as Cook romped to his eighth career victory at Thruxton and with it the standings lead, with Hill happy to settle for second.

Ash Sutton produced a brilliant defensive performance as the NAPA Racing UK man fended off a gaggle of challengers for 16 laps.

Halfords Racing with Cataclean’s Dan Rowbottom briefly relinquished Sutton of third, but the Ford immediately fought back through, whilst dragging Team BMW’s Colin Turkington with him.

Rowbottom’s potential podium resulted in fifth, ahead of a racy Jason Plato in his Rich Energy BTC Racing Honda.

The fight for the rostrum kicked off almost immediately and was actually affected by the Cook/Hill battle on the opening lap. With Hill losing the lead and struggling through the first chicane, things bulked up behind, resulting in slight contact between Sutton and Turkington.

Whilst the two champions got away relatively unscathed, both Tom Ingram (Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com) and Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK) weren’t so lucky as both slid onto the grass and out of contention.

Adam Morgan (Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport) and Dan Lloyd (Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com) made solid progress to finish seventh and eighth respectively, whilst Stephen Jelley (Team BMW) and the impressive Ash Hand (CarStore Power Maxed Racing) rounded out the top ten.

Josh Cook said: “Really good – that was exactly what we wanted. The car was good. I didn’t know if Jake [Hill] was going to manage more of an attack at the end, but I just saved all my hybrid for those last few laps where I knew my tyres would probably go off and his wouldn’t with him being in rear-wheel drive. But that’s what we wanted. Another box ticked and now we just look forward to race two.

“Obviously the rear-wheel drive cars get off the line really well. But we switch on our tyres slightly faster so that’s what allowed me to get back past straight away and make a bit of a gap. I could see that he was closing in but it’s the first time I’ve run the max allocation of seconds of hybrid per lap all weekend, so I was just trying to figure out where to use it. I definitely feel a lot better having got that one out of the way and moving into race two we’ve got a little bit more experience of this system now for another game plan.

“[Jake’s] obviously a really quick starter and had mega pace in that race. We’ll just have to see what we can do. If another win’s on the cards then I’ll take it, if it’s P5 and as many points as I can get then that’s what I’ll be doing. The important thing for us is that we just keep scoring big points because we need to keep an eye on that championship.”

Jake Hill said: “I thought Josh’s fronts would go off a little bit more than they did. So I just played the patient game and just chilled behind him but, sod’s law, my tyres went away and Josh’s car stayed pretty quick the whole way through. It was a great race. I obviously managed to stay with him and put him under pressure, but he didn’t make any mistakes. So it was a bit frustrating but nevertheless, a great start to the day.

“I’m feeling good for race two and for the rest of the day. The car’s in a great place and it also helps that we’ve got the guys and girls from ROKiT and Uniserve here today cheering me on.”

Ash Sutton said: “It’s only a little bit of pressure, isn’t it? Obviously [Dan Rowbottom] was a little bit stronger than us, but we were just quicker in the right places. He put one attack in, and we managed to get that back. So, it’s a good result, we move forward – that’s the key bit. We’ve got a little bit of work to do but the car’s not in a bad place. It sort of came alive towards the end, when Colin [Turkington] was there, we managed that gap quite easily. It was just at the start of the race, maybe I was being a bit cautious on the tyre-front.

“Obviously we’ll go back and go through it, I’ve got an idea of what I want [from the car] but [the engineers] are the brains, that’s what they’re paid to do and I’ll just leave it to them!”