Laser Tools Racing's Ash Sutton produced a dazzling display in wet conditions to storm from eighth on the grid to take victory in Round 8 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park.

The 2017 champion made a stellar getaway and was into fourth early on but he still had rivals Colin Turkington (Team BMW), Dan Cammish (Halfords Yuasa Racing) and Rory Butcher (Motorbase Performance) ahead of him.

Turkington and Cammish enjoyed a race long battle and they were briefly joined by Sutton, before the latter saw them off with a couple of impressive opportunistic moves.

The moment of truth came before mid-distance as Sutton's Infiniti Q50 cruised up behind Butcher's race leading Ford Focus. The pair crossed the line nose-to-tail but Sutton blasted his Japanese machine around the outside of Old Hall Corner and into the lead.

Sutton never looked back as he comfortably claimed his second victory of the season while Butcher took a lonely second place behind him.

"Everyone at Laser Tools Racing and BMR Engineering did a mega job," said Sutton. "I wanted to get the first couple of laps out of the way. It’s very narrow around here and it’s easy to make car contact. But once we got into that clean air into fourth, we knew what we’ve got, we know what we can do with it. Rory made a slight error at turn one, which just allowed me to get underneath him and made my life easier."

"I actually set my fastest lap of the race when Sutton was just behind me, but he reeled me in and I thought 'that’s as good as I’ve got'," responded Butcher. "It was just a case of when rather than if – he was ballistic. The good thing is our car was potentially the strongest front wheel drive out there. The Ford is fantastic here, the conditions just seemed to suit the rear wheel drive cars more."

2019 title protagonists Cammish and Turkington battled it out for almost the entire contest, with the BMW man eventually getting by when the number #27 Honda went too deep into the hairpin.

"It was quite a good race for me," said Turkington. "The car was quicker than it had been in race one and I could sense quite early on that we had a bit more pace than Dan. It’s always tricky to get past at Oulton Park so I had to be patient.

"I could see where he was struggling to get the car stopped down at the hairpin and twice I had the undercut but not the traction to get the move completed, but persistence paid off."

Tom Ingram made his own moves during the encounter – most notably by Jake Hill's Honda – with the manufacturer-backed Toyota grabbing fifth before the finish.

Tom Oliphant charged to a top six finish with the BMWs showing exceptional pace late on, whilst Hill eventually had to settle for seventh.

BTC Racing's Tom Chilton was eighth while Adam Morgan (Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools) and the impressive Bobby Thompson (GKR TradePriceCars.com) completed the top ten.

Audi man Thompson has enjoyed a hugely positive day so far, having failed to set a single lap during Saturday's qualifying session. Thompson went from the back to 14th in the opener, before a further improvement to tenth in the second race, and there was further cause for celebration when the #10 was chosen at random in the reverse grid draw – meaning the Essex man will start today's final race from pole position.

A special mention for Matt Neal on his 700th BTCC race start as the tin top legend moved through the pack to claim 13th. The bad luck continued for Josh Cook following his exclusion in race one, as his second bout ended following contact with BTC Racing stable-mate Michael Crees.

Round 9 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place at 17:05 with the action being broadcast live on ITV4.

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Oulton Park

1       Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing 15 laps
2       Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +4.716s
3       Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +7.260s
4       Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +10.412s 
5       Tom INGRAM (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +10.779s
6       Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +14.678s
7       Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +15.890s 
8       Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +16.629s
9       Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +17.573s
10     Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +18.095s
11     Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +24.166s
12     Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +26.086s 
13     Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +27.883s
14     Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +30.474s
15     Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +30.981s
16     Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +35.353s
17     Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +38.232s 
18     Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +38.298s
19     Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +41.373s
20     Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +46.396s
21     Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +47.999s 
22     Ollie BROWN (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport Team HARD +52.373s
23     Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +54.427s
24     Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +55.217s
25     Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +55.392s
26     Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +1:23.557s
27     James GORNALL (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +12 laps 

AMENDED RESULT: Josh Cook (#66 BTC Racing) has been excluded from the result after his car failed post-race ride height checks. Subsequently, Rory Butcher (#6 Motorbase Performance) is declared as the winner of Round 7 of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Three-time champion Matt Neal will contest his 700^th British Touring Car Championship race in the second contest at Oulton Park later today.

The Cheshire circuit is set to play host to the 53-year-old's latest accolade, with the Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda Civic Type R FK8 emblazoned with the #700 race number for the duration of the weekend.

Impressively, Neal has competed in the UK’s premier motorsport series for a record 30 years, having made his debut at Silverstone in 1991.

The first driver to claim the overall title in a Honda in 2005, Neal went on to achieve a further two overall Drivers' championships in 2006 and 2011, alongside a record six Independent titles throughout his staggering BTCC career so far.

“Obviously, my maiden championship win was fantastic,” said Neal. “The first time out in 2005 we won with the Integra and we went on to secure the title.

“The first title is always very special but winning with the Civic in 2011 was also a great achievement.”

Although Neal’s championship successes have been achieved with Honda, his BTCC breakthrough came with fellow Japanese marque Nissan back in 1999.

Famously, Neal won a cheque for £250,000 after taking victory at Donington Park where the prize fund was offered to any privateer team who could win a race outright – unheard of in that particular era of the BTCC.

“1999 was obviously a very special time,” said Neal. “People don’t realise how hard it was to be an Independent team in the 1990s.

“To win the £250,000 was an incredible feeling and the springboard for my career.”

With accolades such as 190 podium finishes and more than 1,000 laps lead, the Kidderminster driver's BTCC career is unequalled in numerous categories, check out the fact file below...

Race Wins: 63
First Win: Donington Park, 1999
Podiums: 190
Championship titles: 3

BTC Racing's Josh Cook looked to have claimed his first Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship victory of the season in the opening contest at Oulton Park, but he was subsequently excluded from the result after his car failed post-race ride height checks, meaning pole-sitter Rory Butcher inherited the victory.

A pre-race downpour and a delayed start – following an off for Carl Boardley's BMW on the initial green flag laps – added to the tension, as Cook made a poor getaway from the outside of the front row. Cook's Honda Civic Type R suffered with wheelspin off the line and he was immediately passed by both Team BMWs of Colin Turkington and Tom Oliphant, as well as Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish.

Pole man Butcher initially disappeared into the distance as the rear-wheel drive BMWs struggled in the soaking wet conditions, whilst Cook was busy beginning his eye-catching comeback.

A fired up Cook made a number of passes through both Lodge and Druids corners and he was soon on the rear of Butcher's Motorbase Ford Focus, following a brief safety car period due to an incident involving rookie Ollie Brown.

Cook's moment came on the run through Old Hall Corner on lap six, with Cook eventually completing the pass on the inside of Cascades.

Cook streamed away to take a commanding win from Butcher, with Cammish completing the podium ahead of a tenacious Jake Hill in the MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square Honda.

It was all change after the race, however, as Cook was excluded from the result following a ride height infringement during post-race checks. Subsequently, Butcher takes his first win of the campaign with Cammish and Hill completing the rostrum positions.

Despite dropping to fourth at the finish, reigning champion Turkington produced another consistent display in order to pick vital championship points in his maximum ballast-laden 3 Series.

BTC Racing's Tom Chilton had a relatively lonely run to fifth, whilst Tom Ingram's charge to sixth was anything but lonely.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters star was seemingly attached to the Laser Tools Racing Infiniti of Ash Sutton for most of the race, with the two young chargers making contact several times. Ingram eventually made the breakaway as he approached the Carlube-backed Mercedes of Adam Morgan, with the former relegating the latter down a position late on.

Morgan held on to seventh from Sutton, whilst Excelr8 Motorsport duo of Chris Smiley and Senna Proctor completed the top ten positions.

A total of four cars failed to make the finish, most notably Matt Neal on his 699th BTCC race start. The Halfords Yuasa Racing man had to park his Honda after receiving a black and orange flag for a mechanical issue, meaning the three-time champion will commence his 700th contest from the back of the grid.

Rory Butcher said: "After Brands Hatch, we finished and got a podium with points on the board. I was determined to try and win but Josh was on a mission and put me under pressure. When alongside I tried to hold him off but in the end he got through and was the quicker man. Risk management was on my mind and I did try to hold him off the best I could, but Cascades was his and then I just tried to find a rhythm."

Dan Cammish said: "I’m pretty happy with that and it’s a good effort to come away with third; you can’t argue if you go forward. We didn’t have the speed to fight the front two and I had problems getting the car stopped early on. But on days like today when you haven’t done many laps in the rain, you could easily go off into the gravel. I knew where Jake was throughout and how to cover him off."

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Oulton Park

1        Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance 15 laps
2        Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +1.680s 
3        Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +2.521s 
4        Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +7.250s
5        Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +8.822s
6        Tom INGRAM (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +9.559s
7        Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +11.980s
8        Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +19.497s
9       Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +20.357s
10      Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +26.018s
11      Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +27.142s 
12      Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +28.801s
13      Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +30.033s
14      Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +30.364s
15      Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +30.759s
16      Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +31.650s 
17      Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +32.041s
18      James GORNALL (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +36.600s 
19      Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +45.746s
20      Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +49.971s
21      Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +2 laps
22      Ollie BROWN (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport Team HARD +2 laps
23      Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +2 laps
24      Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +3 laps 
25      Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +4 laps
26      Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +15 laps
DQ    Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing 

As the teams prepare for rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, listen to what the top four qualifiers, Rory Butcher, Josh Cook, Colin Turkington and Matt Neal had to say about yesterday’s action ahead of today’s opening encounter…

For a second successive time, Butcher topped the times in qualifying, taking pole position for round 7...

Following a difficult first two events, Cook stormed to the top of the times before the Scot pipped him to pole...

Standings leader Turkington set the third-fastest time of the session and will line up in P3 on the grid...

Ahead of his 699th race in the championship, Neal qualified in fourth at the Cheshire circuit...

Motorbase Performance's Rory Butcher grabbed a second successive pole position amid arguably the most exciting Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship qualifying session of the season so far. 

The top spot changed hands on several occasions with the BTCC's big hitters all playing their part at the picturesque Oulton Park, although several drivers endured off-track moments with everyone on the absolute limit during the 30-minutes of running.

The beautiful Cheshire circuit often plays host to one of the most important qualifying sessions in any campaign, with the tight and twisty 2.23-mile Island layout providing limited overtaking opportunities come race day.

It came as little surprise then that qualifying commenced in frenetic fashion as the likes of Andy Neate (Motorbase Performance), Bobby Thompson (GKR TradePriceCars.com) and championship contender Ash Sutton (Laser Tools Racing) all experienced wild moments across the grass.

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters'  Tom Ingram was the first to top the timesheets with a representative lap time, before his session almost came to a complete halt on his next flying tour. With the multiple race winner hauling his Toyota Corolla around Speedworks Motorsport's local track, Ingram closed in on the rookie Ollie Brown ahead of him. The Team HARD driver seemingly didn't see the #80 machine in his mirrors and the pair made contact through Lodge. Ingram immediately pitted and, although he returned towards the end of the session, he was unable to threaten the leading order.

Butcher then looked to be on a P1 run during his early effort before the Scotsman out-braked himself and bailed the attempt through Knickerbrook.

Sutton took a turn at the top before his session slightly unravelled again, whilst title rivals Dan Cammish (Halfords Yuasa Racing) and Colin Turkington (Team BMW) also held provisional pole position at one stage.

Although heavy cloud and rain intervals had showered the venue throughout much of Saturday, qualifying arguably boasted the most consistent conditions of the day. The stage was set for a final flurry of fast laps – with track conditions improving all the time – as almost the entire 27-car field bolted on fresh tyres in the closing ten minutes.

It was to be Butcher's day as his 1:25.734s lap time edged out BTC Racing's Josh Cook, with the latter also producing a stellar effort in the BTC Racing Honda Civic Type R.

The lead duo ended up somewhat faster than two of the BTCC's most experienced heads – Turkington and Matt Neal – although both tin top legends will still be delighted with their efforts for different reasons.

Team BMW's Turkington performed brilliantly once more in his ballast-laden 3 series as he managed to keep his title rivals in his sights ahead of tomorrow's opener, whilst Neal enjoyed his best qualifying result of 2020 so far – on the eve of contesting his 700th BTCC race tomorrow.

Neal's result headed a quartet of Hondas with the Japanese marque filling five of the first seven cars on the grid – the trio of Cammish, Jake Hill (MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square) and Tom Chilton (BTC Racing) taking fifth, sixth and seventh respectively.

Tom Oliphant (Team BMW) had to settle for eighth at the finish, having briefly topped the times himself, whilst Adam Morgan (Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools) and Chris Smiley (Excelr8 Motorsport) completed the top ten.

Rory Butcher said: "I made it hard work for myself. I didn’t get the first two laps on the first run, I ended up bailing out and starting again. I made a couple of mistakes and then got a banker in. We knew the other guys would find a bit of time and pip me, so the engineer Rich was chasing me down the radio, piling the pressure on. So on that last lap, I threw everything at it and came out with pole again which was fantastic.

"It will be a typical touring car race tomorrow. Over the last few years the grid has been covered by hundredths, thousandths of a second. Having Josh (Cook) right behind me is going to be a tough fight but we raced hard against each other last year so I’m sure tomorrow will be another good day of racing.

"We’ve done a lot of investigating as to what went wrong at Brands Hatch, the car was really fast, but we couldn’t make the tyres last a race distance. So we’ve had to change the geometry and rethink our setup. But the good thing about the car is it’s got such a good platform that you can go in different directions and it still comes out feeling fantastic."

Josh Cook said: "I'm a bit gutted for the guys not to get pole position, but the front row is good. We’ve had a tough couple of weekends so we needed to come here and have a good session today that’s for sure. We need to come out with some points tomorrow so we’re going to be racy. But we know the strength of our cars on a Sunday; we’ve got a real good race setup so we’ll see what we can do against Rory (Butcher).

"I can’t really afford to be too conservative; we need to get some results. The points on the board throughout our team aren’t representative of the pace we’ve got in the car or the effort everyone’s put in – we deserve to be in a better place, the guys have done such a good job. The front row is good but we need to convert it into a win tomorrow.

"Obviously we’re in different positions in the championship, Colin (Turkington) is trying to get some decent consistent results and bag points, which means it’s for him to decide how stuck in he’s going to get because we’re certainly going to have our elbows out."

Colin Turkington said: "I’m happy now, on the cool down lap I was disappointed, which says a lot really, to be disappointed with third with all this weight. Now that the adrenaline is dropping, I’m really pleased to be on the second row. I think that’s a fantastic result given where we’ve been in free practice. Team BMW have done a great job for me once again.

"I’ve already been checking the weather app quite a lot to see what tomorrow is going to bring. I think we may be in for a different day, but it will be the same game plan as always: trying to bring the car home three times, scoring good points and trying not to take too much risk. You don’t need to win them all, just get out there and enjoy it. Oulton Park is such a good circuit, especially in qualifying with new rubber, it’s such a thrill so I‘ve enjoyed my day.

"I think track position counts for a lot, starting at the front, you’ve got a better chance of keeping it there. But I can’t remember the last time we raced at Oulton Park in the wet, it was so long ago, so I don’t really know what the difference is going to be between front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive cars, but normally if we have a fast car in the dry we’ll have a fast car in the wet, so I still think I’ll sleep well tonight."

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying – Oulton Park

1        Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance 1m25.734s
2        Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.089s
3        Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.237s
4        Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.252s
5        Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.384s
6        Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.410s
7        Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +0.430s
8        Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.432s
9        Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +0.525s
10      Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +0.530s
11      Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.534s
12      Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +0.785s
13     Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +0.788s
14      Tom INGRAM (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +0.840s
15      Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +0.849s
16      Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.859s
17      Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +0.863s
18      Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.935s
19      Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.059s
20      Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +1.083s
21      Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.137s
22      James GORNALL (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +1.313s
23      Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +1.343s
24      Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +2.415s
25      Ollie BROWN (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport Team HARD +1.691s
26      Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +2.081s
27      Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com NO TIME

BTC Racing's Josh Cook set the fastest lap of the weekend so far as the chequered flag fell at the end of Free Practice 2 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park.

The Cheshire circuit has largely been covered in cloud throughout Saturday, with regular rain intervals also interrupting proceedings, but the sun finally began to shine during FP2 as conditions improved throughout the 40 minutes of running.

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish was topping the charts until the closing moments, as both he and Cook proved the prowess of the Honda Civic Type R Fk8 around the 2.23-mile Island circuit.

Rory Butcher's impressive start to the season continued in the new Motorbase Performance Ford Focus with third, as does Chris Smiley's campaign in the new Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai – the latter ending up fourth in the order.

Power Maxed Car Care Racing has enjoyed a great return to action so far as Mike Bushell followed up his timesheet topping performance in FP1, with a top five in dry conditions on his second run.

"I was a little nervous with a new car, at a circuit I haven’t been to in two years and with ballast," said Bushell. "It worked out perfectly, with the rain easing off and staying out on slicks in FP1, it gave me a good feeling with the car and I just kept going. But it’s a good story to tell that I ended up in P1 in FP1.

"The car’s evolving the whole time; one thought at 15 mins to go is another with two minutes to go. But my goal is to stay grounded.

"I’ve just got to keep working with it and do the best I can with the car. They’re interested to hear my feedback on the car with my engineering experience working with Rory (Butcher) last year and as it happens it’s a great car!"

Championship leader Colin Turkington has quietly gone about his business – normal protocol for the record-equalling four-time BTCC champion – as the Team BMW claimed sixth in his ballast-laden 3 Series.

Local teams were next in the order as Adam Morgan (Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools) pipped Tom Ingram (Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters) to seventh.

Team BMW's Tom Oliphant – fresh from his recent Brands Hatch victory – was ninth, whilst soon-to-be 700 race man Matt Neal completed the top ten in his Halfords-backed Honda.

Qualifying for Round 7 of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship from Oulton Park will take place at 1525, with the action being streamed live and exclusively via www.itv.com/btcc.

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 2 – Oulton Park 

1        Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +1:26.248s
2        Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.140s
3        Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.203s
4        Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +0.265s
5        Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +0.440s
6        Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.480s
7        Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +0.495s
8        Tom INGRAM (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +0.513s
9        Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.514s
10      Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.533s
11      Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +0.572s
12      Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.711s
13      Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.774s
14      Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +0.965s
15      Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +1.008s
16      Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.012s
17      Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +1.189s
18      James GORNALL (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +1.209s
19      Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.224s
20      Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +1.364s
21      Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +1.676s
22      Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +1.820s
23      Ollie BROWN (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport Team HARD +1.872s
24      Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +1.971s
25      Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +2.392s
26      Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +2.496s
27      Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +3.841s

 

Power Maxed Car Care Racing returned to BTCC action by topping the opening free practice session at Oulton Park as drivers were greeted with mixed conditions in the North West of England.

Whilst the wet/dry session proved difficult in terms of providing pointers for the weekend ahead, it may be something that the drivers and teams will have to get used to with changeable weather forecast for the foreseeable at the picturesque venue.

PMR made the most of its on-track return as Mike Bushell got to grips with the #21 Vauxhall Astra. Bushell found the right window to bolt Goodyear dry tyres onto his machine as he produced a lap time more than 1.5s quicker than the chasing pack as conditions improved in the final ten minutes.

Michael Crees also enjoyed his run as The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing driver went second on the timesheets, ahead of Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish – both in the Honda Civic Type R Fk8s.

"It's really difficult to learn anything," said Cammish. "One minute it's raining and then the next minute the sun is shining.

"These really are nightmare conditions for drivers and teams and you don't know whether to go with a dry setup, wet setup or somewhere in the middle."

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters' Tom Ingram is chasing a first ever BTCC podium at Oulton Park and the Corolla driver kicked off his weekend in decent fashion by setting the fourth fastest time, with Motorbase Performance's Rory Butcher and BTC Racing's Tom Chilton completing the top six.

Jack Goff has produced many a giant slaying in mixed conditions and the RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport man will be hoping for similar this weekend – the VW driver was seventh in his his opening run with Excelr8 Motorsport's Senna Proctor just behind. 

MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square's Jake Hill led the way early on but eventually had to settle for ninth, whilst Laser Tools Racing's Ash Sutton rounded out the top ten.

The second Free Practice session takes place at 1225, before qualifying for Round 7 of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship commences at 1525 – the latter can be watched live via www.itv.com/btcc.

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 1 – Oulton Park 

1        Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +1:32.177s
2        Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +1.727s 
3        Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +2.000s
4        Tom INGRAM (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +2.270s
5        Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +2.376s
6        Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +2.486s
7        Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +2.511s
8        Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +2.705s
9        Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +2.747s
10      Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +2.878s
11      Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +3.385s
12      Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +3.556s
13      Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +3.608s
14      Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +3.737s
15      Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +3.782s
16      Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +3.841s
17      Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +4.140s
18      Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +4.156s
19      Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +4.258s
20      Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +4.468s
21      Ollie BROWN (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport Team HARD +4.978s
22      Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +5.038s
23      Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +5.154s
24      Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +5.249s
25      James GORNALL (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +5.566s
26      Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +5.621s
27      Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +5.642s

 

After a weekend without any racing action, the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returns to the track at Oulton Park, for rounds 7, 8 & 9.

Following an action-packed first two events, the second run of back-to-back race weekends is upon us as the championship heads north, first to the Cheshire circuit of Oulton Park, then Knockhill. Reigning champion Colin Turkington continues to lead the Drivers' Standings, with Ash Sutton hot on his heels and team-mate Tom Oliphant in third, as the contenders tally up the points.

This weekend marks the third event in the busy and revised 2020 calendar, with the BTCC working tirelessly to ensure the high-quality competitive tin-top action continues to be delivered to fans as they enjoy the entertainment from home at this time.

ITV has a full schedule so that you don't miss any of the action...

Qualifying LIVE: Saturday 22 August
ITV.com/BTCC from 1510

Raceday LIVE: Sunday 23 August
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1150-1830
ITV4+1 1250-1930
ITV.com/BTCC 1150-1830

Highlights: Wednesday 26 August
ITV & STV 2345-0100
ITV+1 & STV+1 0045-0200
ITV Hub Available anytime for the next 30 days

Highlights: Saturday 29 August
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 0800-0930
ITV 4 +1 0900-0930

Highlights: Sunday 30 August
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 0730-0900
ITV4 +1 0830-1000

Motorbase Performance is ready to turn promise into hard result in the latest rounds of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park in Cheshire this weekend (22/23 August).
 
The Kent-based crew is setting off for two back-to-back meetings which will see the trucks roll on directly to Knockhill in Fife the following weekend for the fourth contest in the chase for this year’s crown.
 
Motorbase has already demonstrated it has one of the fastest cars in the line-up this year, despite driver Rory Butcher suffering heartbreak at the previous event at Brands Hatch. A comfortable lead was snatched away in the dying moments of the opening showdown with a puncture. He recovered in the second race of the weekend, securing a fourth-place finish, before another DNF followed in the finale.
 
Team-mate Ollie Jackson equalled his best-ever finish with third in the opener and backed that up with a strong fifth in race two. Jackson also had his share of misfortune with a non-finish in the final encounter.
 
Series returnee Andy Neate continued his reacquaintance with the BTCC with three battling drives, including notching his first points of the campaign in race two. He was comfortably running inside the top ten in race three before a small off.
 
Butcher, who is sixth in the standings heading into the third meeting of the season, says that the Brands problem was a kick in the teeth, but he is very positive about the rest of the season going forward.
 
“I would be lying to say I wasn’t gutted about Brands,” said Butcher. “But we can take some real optimism from the pace we have shown so far. You can do all the testing you like, but the race environment is where it counts and we have shown that we deserve our place at the front. We were on pole and easily able to run at the head of the pack.
 
“We are taking another step with the car in terms of set-up going to Oulton Park this weekend. Oulton is a really challenging track, and with the new avenues of set-up we are exploring, there is every chance the car will be even faster in Cheshire. The work hasn’t stopped and we are learning all the time. There is plenty to be upbeat about.”
 
Jackson laid down a marker with his career-best qualifying performance of third on the grid and was able to capitalise in the opener to turn that into his first rostrum finish of the campaign.
 
“Despite the problems we had, it was a hugely strong weekend,” reflected Jackson. “I scored more points in one meeting that I have done in some entire seasons before.
 
“We were on the front foot from the get-go. I have worked hard with my engineer and we have gone our own way on set-up, which is really working. But there is still so much more to learn about the car – there is a journey ahead of us and I really can’t wait to get back in it.
 
“We can make adjustments to overcome the problems we have had, and I am positive about that. Also, we are going to Oulton Park and then on to Knockhill – two of my favourite circuits of the line-up. I am just eager to get going.”
 
Team principal David Bartrum acknowledged that work done back at Motorbase’s HQ has ironed out any problems and he was relishing the challenge that the next two back-to-back weekends will present.
 
“It was hugely disappointing at Brands Hatch because we want to get our first win and learn more about the car,” added Bartrum. “It wasn’t as simple as a camber change [to fix the problem]: it was the tyre loading problems. The engineers have been working flat out and we have been through the data since Brands Hatch.
 
“In simple terms, it is like a relationship that is fresh and young. We have been testing – the equivalent of dating in our world – then we got to Brands on a really hot day and the car turned around and said to us ‘I have been good to you and faultless out of the box and I have treated you well, but I think now you need to learn a little bit more about me.’
 
“We have done that learning, we have taken the car’s advice, and we have gone away as a group and learned and have got to the bottom of the problem.
 
“We are going to two great venues now in Oulton Park and Knockhill and they will be perfect to get the winning momentum rolling for us.”
 
ITV4’s live coverage of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park will start on Sunday at 1150, with the opening race kicking off at 1220.