Adam Morgan started his Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship assault with three top 12 finishes at Donington Park, including an impressive fourth place finish, as Britain’s premier motor sport championship roared into life.

Behind closed doors, but in front of ITV4’s cameras for day-long coverage, Adam’s Carlube TripleR Racing Mac Tools Mercedes-Benz A-Class, run by Ciceley Motorsport, ended the day in the top ten in the championship with a positive driver buoyed by the car’s pace.

Starting from tenth on the grid for the opener, Adam lost ground as a brace of cars flashed by and then contact with Sam Osborne’s Honda Civic at McLeans Corner cost him two more. As the race settled down, Adam upped his pace and was making progress into the top ten when he suffered another setback – having just overtaken Ollie Jackson (Ford Focus), there was contact at the Chicane as Jackson braked too late and Adam was forced wide, falling from tenth to 17th. In a gutsy fight-back, Adam dragged the Carlube Triple R Racing Mac Tools Mercedes-Benz A-Class into 12th place at the chequered flag.

“I was a bit disappointed in that. I lost places at the start and then contact with Sam didn’t help, but the real rub was Jackson taking me off. I never really got into a rhythm in that race, but it sure is good to be back racing!”

From 12th on the grid, the Accrington-based racer was in feisty mood in race two. He was part of a frenetic battle that raged on for much of the contest, with Adam charging up into eighth place, illustrating the pace of the Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes. Just 6.5 seconds off the lead, Adam was delighted with his result.

“That felt a lot better. I was fully on it in that race and the car felt really good. I set the third fastest race lap and made progress up the order so a lot of boxes were ticked. I’m a happy chap!”

On the semi-reversed grid for the final race, Adam lined up fifth in what turned out to be an exciting race. Led initially by his race one nemesis Ollie Jackson, the race pace was electric as Jackson fended off Chris Smiley (Hyundai i30N) and Josh Cook (Honda Civic) with Adam slotting in behind in fourth. The fast pace forced Adam to drive as hard as he could and with 18 kilos of success ballast on board from his race two result, the speed and weight combined to affect Adam’s left front tyre.

“I pushed a bit too hard too early I think,” said Adam. “The pace was really quick and I just asked a bit too much of the left front, so as the race wore on I couldn’t quite have a go at Josh for third. It was close, but I just didn’t quite have the final tenth to attack him. Fourth was a good result to end the weekend, though, and the car feels so much better than last year that I am very positive about Brands Hatch next weekend. The Mercedes feels like a new car!”

The results put Adam ninth in the championship and fourth in the Independents’ Trophy. Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools is eighth in the BTCC Teams’ Championship and fourth in the Independent Teams’ Championship.

Ciceley Motorsport’s Commercial Director Norman Burgess said: “It was a great way to end the weekend which had a very different feel to it. On-track, the racing was as exciting as ever and it was amazing to see Adam running up at the front and in a car that gave him so much confidence. Off-track, it felt strange not having our Carlube Triple R, Mac Tools guests and friends with us but we can’t wait to welcome them back to the circuits. I am sure that they enjoyed the ITV4 coverage and Adam’s results underline that our sponsors are with one of the top teams in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.”

The second Carlube TripleR Racing Mac Tools Mercedes-Benz A-Class was raced by Jack Butel, who signed a late deal to join the BTCC. Thrown in at the deep end, the weekend was all about track time for Jack in his first experience of a front-wheel drive racing car. Starting 24th for race one, Jack kept out of trouble and finished 22nd, before improving further in race two to bag 19th place. Sadly, in the final race, Jack was the victim of contact as he was fired into the gravel trap. Although Jack was able to re-join, he lost a chunk of time and suffered rear end damage that affected the pace of the car but he took 20th place as well as gaining more valuable track time.

“Jack has had a steep learning curve this weekend,” said Burgess, “but he has delivered what was required. He finished every race, gained experience of the car and the championship and has fitted into the Ciceley Motorsport family very quickly. We don’t think that there are many young lads in the country that could jump into the BTCC and achieve what he did this weekend, he’s ultra-impressive. We are confident that he will gain pace with more seat time and be fighting for points before long. Jack’s enthusiasm, determination, raw speed and natural talent will pay massive dividends with time, his confidence was growing with every single lap completed."

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship moves on to Brands Hatch this weekend, 8/9 August. Qualifying on Saturday is shown live on itv.com and all the raceday action is live on ITV4 on Sunday.

Laser Tools Racing fighting at the front as BTCC returns

Ash Sutton and Aiden Moffat starred for Laser Tools Racing as the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship stormed back into action at Donington Park this weekend (1/2 August).

Sutton was the standout driver of the event, as the 2017 champion broke a number of long-standing records as well winning an enthralling final race around the famous 1.98-mile track.

Having made the shrewd decision to run the Inifiniti Q50 for the second half of the 2019 BTCC season, Laser Tools Racing hit the ground running for the long-awaited 2020 campaign – building and preparing a fantastic racecar for the opening weekend.

Sutton was just 0.097s behind Colin Turkington’s pole position time on Saturday afternoon and would line-up third on the grid for Sunday’s curtain raiser, whilst Moffat was just over a second off the ultimate pace.

Moffat produced a really promising first race performance as he scrapped his way through the order to score the final championship point on offer, but the remainder of his afternoon was compromised by misfortune.

A grid infringement in race two brought about a ten second time penalty from the stewards, which ended his hopes for a second successive points paying finish.

The 23-year-old’s final race was spent fighting back through the pack, but with little reward for his sterling effort.

It initially looked like Sutton would also face a frustrating Sunday afternoon when another rival curtailed his enthralling race one performance.

The Essex man was attempting to take the lead from Turkington’s BMW on lap four, and looked as if he had got the job done, before he was tipped into a spin from behind.

The #116 Infiniti Q50 was sent tumbling to the back of the order but this is where Sutton’s phenomenal fight back began, as he sliced through the order to take the fastest lap of the race on his way to a 14^thplace finish.

Sutton continued the trend – breaking the existing lap record as well as becoming the first BTCC driver to set fastest laps in all three races, since Gordon Shedden back in 2012.

The best was saved until last, however, as the talented racer stormed from eighth on the grid to claim his 15^thBTCC career victory and the first for the incredible Laser Tools Racing Infiniti Q50.

He made a number of fantastic moves during the race with his final pass by Chris Smiley’s Hyundai clinching the victory, much to the delight of everyone at Laser Tools Racing.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship now moves on to Brands Hatch, with three races taking place on the legendary Grand Prix circuit next weekend (8/9 August).

Ash Sutton said: “This is just what we needed. The car gives me a hell of a lot of confidence and it’s allowing me to do these things. I’m over the moon with that. As long as we can keep this momentum going, I know I’ve got the best team behind me with Laser Tools Racing and BMR Engineering. I couldn’t ask for a better outfit. The car is absolutely phenomenal. I feel at home in it, it’s the best I’ve ever felt in a car so we’re ticking a lot of boxes here.”

Aiden Moffat said: “It didn’t turn out to be the best weekend for me personally but I am delighted for Ash and I’m extremely proud of everyone involved in Laser Tools Racing. We have all been working so hard over the last few years and the hard work developing the Infiniti Q50 over the last 12 months is really starting to pay off. I’ve won on the Brands Hatch GP circuit before and it’s a circuit that I really like, so lets hope for something similar next weekend!”

A win apiece for Dan Cammish, Colin Turkington and Ash Sutton

The 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship got off to a dramatic start this weekend (1/2 August) with Dan Cammish, Colin Turkington and Ash Sutton scoring a win apiece at Donington Park.
 
The top three qualifiers from Saturday all stood on the top step of the podium during the course of Sunday’s action, which commenced some 294 days after the 2019 season finale.
 
Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Cammish claimed victory in the season opener after he got the better of Turkington and Sutton in a ding-dong battle for the lead.
 
The critical moment of the contest came on lap four as Sutton got the switchback on Team BMW’s Turkington on the exit of the Old Hairpin. The pair touched on the run up to McLeans and Cammish incredibly squeezed by both of them, whilst slight contact from Tom Ingram’s Toyota tapped Turkington’s BMW into Sutton.
 
When the dust eventually settled Sutton’s car was left stranded on the grass, with Cammish now leading from Turkington and Motorbase Performance’s Rory Butcher.
 
That’s how the leading trio remained until the finish but there was plenty of action behind for the other points paying positions.
 
Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters’ Ingram and Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal shuffled Tom Oliphant’s BMW down a couple of places late on to eventually finish in fourth and fifth respectively, whilst Oliphant still grabbed an encouraging top six result.
 
Turkington cruised to victory in the second contest as the reigning champion showed his composure and class around the 1.98-mile National Circuit.
 
The Team BMW star got the jump on pole-sitter Cammish on the run down to Redgate for the first time as the latter struggled slightly with his ballast-laden Honda Civic Type R.
 
The 38-year-old scampered away into the distance – even calmly controlling a mid-race safety car spell – whilst the remaining podium position switched several times.
 
Cammish failed to keep Butcher, Ingram and Oliphant behind him with the trio setting up their own scrap for second and third.
 
Oliphant was shuffled back again initially but the BMW man would fight back to eventually pass Ingram’s Toyota Corolla to grab third at the finish, whilst Butcher claimed second.
 
The star of the second bout was arguably Sutton as the 2017 champion stormed from 14th on the grid – following his race one clash – to take a fantastic fifth place.
 
Sutton made several eye-catching passes with his final two moves past the manufacturer Hondas of Cammish and Matt Neal being particularly impressive.
 
If there was any doubt as to Sutton's star status, there was little argument following the grand finale, as he sped to victory from eighth on the grid.
 
The 26-year-old was in the thick of the action throughout the weekend with a stellar qualifying performance, fastest race laps and fight back drives, culminating in a magnificent win in the finale.
 
From eighth on the grid, Sutton scythed his way through to fourth in the early running and was then part of an enthralling four-way battle for the lead, which also included Ollie Jackson, Chris Smiley and Josh Cook.
 
The Motorbase Performance Ford of Jackson led the opening laps but was eventually passed by the impressive Smiley in the all-new Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai. That moment brought about a domino effect as Sutton soon jumped two spots and into second, with Cook’s BTC Racing Honda tucked in behind.
 
It was a matter of when, not if, and shortly after mid-distance young charger Sutton blasted by Smiley along the Dunlop Straight.
 
Sutton sailed away with the win in the closing laps, whilst Smiley crossed the finish line just 0.276s ahead of Cook. Sutton’s victory was the first for the Infiniti Q50 and Smiley’s podium was the first podium for the striking Hyundai i30N.
 
Incredibly for Sutton, he also set the fastest in lap each of the three races, the first time such a feat has been achieved in the BTCC since Gordon Shedden did so at Thruxton back in 2012.
 
It was a wonderful way to end an incredible day of racing as the BTCC made its long-awaited return to action.
 
Turkington holds a slender advantage in the early Drivers’ standings from Cammish, Sutton and Butcher, whilst Team BMW also top the Teams’ standings.
 
Honda and BMW can’t be separated in the Manufacturers’ order – both having scored 89 points on the opening weekend.
 
Butcher and his Motorbase Performance squad lead the Independents’ scores, whilst Michael Crees tops the Jack Sears Trophy.
 
Rounds 4, 5 and 6 of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Brands Hatch on 8/9 August.

Dan Cammish, Halfords Yuasa Racing, said: "Race one was brilliant, to start on a high with a win – I always knew Ash would be aggressive with Colin and when he opened up the gap I think he forgot about me, and I took the opportunity. I’m second in the points with almost 40 more than I started with last year. It will be tough going back to Brands, I’ll have a lump in my throat the first time I go through the corner where my title ambitions went last season, but I like the track and the car goes well there – it will be head down and get some more points in the bag." 
 
Colin Turkington, Team BMW, said: “It feels great to stand on the top step. After all our preparation, to get a win feels fantastic and a great result for the team. My race was made off the line; I knew the job had to be done before turn one. Once I was in front my car had electric pace, it felt even stronger with a little weight in it, which settled things down. I’m really happy to get my first win of the season and a big clap on the back for my team.”
 
Ash Sutton, Laser Tools Racing, said: “This is just what we needed. The car gives me a hell of a lot of confidence and it’s allowing me to do these things. I’m over the moon with that. As long as we can keep this momentum going, I know I’ve got the best team behind me with Laser Tools Racing and BMR Engineering. I couldn’t ask for a better outfit. The car is absolutely phenomenal. I feel at home in it, it’s the best I’ve ever felt in a car so we’re ticking a lot of boxes here.”

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Donington Park
 
1        Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 19 laps
2        Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.707s
3        Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +1.144s 
4        Tom INGRAM (GBR ) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +1.941s
5        Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +2.817s
6        Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +3.722s
7        Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +4.855s 
8        Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +5.492s
9        Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +7.322s
10      Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +7.623s

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

1          Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 19 laps
2          Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +2.199s
3          Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +2.610s
4          Tom INGRAM (GBR ) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +2.935s
5          Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +3.046s
6          Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +5.839s
7          Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +6.271s
8          Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +6.576s
9          Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +7.949s
10        Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +8.320s

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Donington Park

1          Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing 17 laps 
2          Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +2.280s
3          Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +2.556s
4          Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +3.524s
5          Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +4.890s
6          Tom INGRAM (GBR ) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +5.161s
7          Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +6.247s
8          Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +7.112s
9          Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +7.629s
10        Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +7.993s

Penalties:
Race 1:
Ollie Jackson received a verbal warning for an incident involving Adam Morgan

Race 2:
Aiden Moffat received a ten second penalty for lining up in the wrong grid position

Race 3:
Ollie Brown received an official reprimand and had his licence endorsed by the addition of two penalty points for an incident involving Jack Butel

Laser Tools Racing’s Ash Sutton sped to victory in the final Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship race of the day at Donington Park.

The 2017 champion has been in the thick of the action throughout the weekend with a stellar qualifying performance, fastest race laps and fight back drives, culminating in a magnificent win in the finale.

From eighth on the grid, Sutton scythed his way through to fourth in the early running and was then part of an enthralling four-way battle for the lead, which also included Ollie Jackson, Chris Smiley and Josh Cook.

The Motorbase Performance Ford of Jackson led the opening laps but was eventually passed by the impressive Smiley in the all-new Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai. That moment brought about a domino effect as Sutton soon jumped two spots and into second, with Cook's BTC Racing Honda tucked in behind.

It was a matter of when, not if, and shortly after mid-distance young charger Sutton blasted by Smiley along the Dunlop Straight.

Sutton sailed away with the win in the closing laps, whilst Smiley crossed the finish line just 0.276s ahead of Cook. Sutton's victory was the first for the Infiniti Q50 and Smiley's podium was the first podium for the striking Hyundai i30 N.

It was a wonderful way to end an incredible day of racing as the BTCC made its long-awaited return following a gap of some of 294 days since last year's final race weekend.

The Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools Mercedes of Adam Morgan was in striking distance throughout the 17-lap contest but had to settle for fourth, ahead of early leader Jackson.

A number of significant likely championship challengers settled for points in the final Donington bout with Tom Ingram (Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters), Dan Cammish (Halfords Yuasa Racing), Matt Neal (Halfords Yuasa Racing), Tom Oliphant (Team BMW) and Colin Turkington (Team BMW) completing the top ten positions.

Ash Sutton said: "This is just what we needed. The car gives me a hell of a lot of confidence and it’s allowing me to do these things. We made a couple of little tweaks for that race the bits we were missing that I mentioned in qualifying and we definitely solved them then. I’m over the moon with that.

As long as we can keep this momentum going, I know I’ve got the best team behind me with Laser Tools Racing and BMR Engineering. I couldn’t ask for a better outfit. The car is absolutely phenomenal. I feel at home in it, it’s the best I’ve ever felt in a car so we’re ticking a lot of boxes here, we just need that little luck at the end and we’ll be sailing."

Chris Smiley said: "It’s a dream come true really. To turn up here with a brand new car and a brand new team of guys around me and to come away with a second place and really be on the money. It was one of those drives you remember as it was inch-perfect the whole race, apart from the start really, I let myself down at the start. I just haven’t figured out how to get the Hyundai off the line but a big thanks to Excelr8.

Ash has been on fire all day. I didn’t make his life too hard, I knew with the pace there was no point in getting involved in a battle with him, I was guaranteed second place so I let him go. I had a good battle with Josh which I really enjoyed, so it’s been a good day for both me and Excelr8, and the all-new Hyundai i30 N BTCC car."

Josh Cook said: "Obviously it’s good to end the day with a podium for the team; they’ve worked really hard over the winter. You can’t help but feel disappointed when you feel you had the pace to do a little bit more but it’s one of those things. Donington’s been really good for me in the past but I’m really happy to finish with a podium, it’s important for us because we’ve had a tough day so far.

"Ash was on it, so there wasn’t really a lot of point battling with him. I was hoping that as soon as he got through I’d be able to challenge Chris, but the guys at Excelr8 have done a really good job with that car. Credit to them, they fully deserve that podium and obviously well done to Ash for the win and I’m really pleased that we got some silverware because like I say our team deserve it. Today it wasn’t meant to be, but in the championship you’ve just got to pick up the points where you can and live to fight another day."

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Donington Park

1          Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing 17 laps 
2          Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +2.280s
3          Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +2.556s
4          Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +3.524s
5          Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +4.890s
6          Tom INGRAM (GBR ) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +5.161s
7          Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +6.247s
8          Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +7.112s
9          Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +7.629s
10        Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +7.993s
11        Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +12.317s
12        Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +14.635s
13        Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +17.127s 
14        Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +17.239s
15        Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +21.984s
16        James GORNALL (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +22.478s
17        Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +26.247s
18        Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +26.512s
19        Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +31.712s
20       Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +43.719s
21        Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +46.015s
22        Ollie BROWN  (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport Team HARD +1 lap
23        Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1 lap
24        Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +3 laps
25        Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +7 laps
26        Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +13 laps 

Team BMW's Colin Turkington cruised to victory in Round 2 of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park as the reigning champion showed his composure and class around the 1.98-mile National Circuit.

Turkington got the jump on pole-sitter Dan Cammish on the run down to Redgate for the first time as the latter struggled with his ballast-laden Honda Civic Type R, having won the earlier race.

Reigning champion Turkington scampered away into the distance – even calmly controlling a mid-race safety car spell – whilst the remaining podium position switched several times.

"It feels great to stand on the top step," said Turkington. "After all our preparation, to get a win feels fantastic and a great result for the team; a 1-3 for Team BMW.

"My race was made off the line, I knew the job had to be done before turn one. Once I was in front my car had electric pace, it felt even stronger with a little weight in it, which settled things down. I’m really happy to get my first win of the season and a big clap on the back for my team."

Cammish couldn't keep Rory Butcher, Tom Ingram and Tom Oliphant behind him with the trio setting up their own scrap for second and third.

Oliphant was shuffled back initially but the BMW man would fight back and eventually pass Ingram's Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters Corolla to grab third at the finish, whilst Butcher claimed second.

"We’re constantly developing the car and learning every session," said Butcher. "We’re just pushing it as hard as we can and sometimes we get it wrong, but so far we’ve made some good steps over the weekend. We started 13th in FP1 and we’ve gradually worked our way up to the podium."

The star of this second bout was arguably Ash Sutton as the 2017 champion stormed from 14th on the grid – following his race one clash – to take a fantastic fifth place. The Infiniti driver has set the fastest lap in both contests so far as a genuine championship challenge seems to be forming. Sutton made several eye-catching passes with his final two moves past the manufacturer Hondas of Cammish and Matt Neal being particularly impressive.

Cammish held off team-mate Neal as the Halfords Yuasa Racing duo finished line astern in sixth and seventh respectively.

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

1          Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 19 laps
2          Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +2.199s
3          Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +2.610s
4          Tom INGRAM (GBR ) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +2.935s
5          Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +3.046s
6          Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +5.839s
7          Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +6.271s
8          Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +6.576s
9          Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +7.949s
10        Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +8.320s
11        Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +11.171s
12        Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +11.650s
13        Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +12.003s
14        Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +14.610s 
15        Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +17.384s
16        Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +18.538s
17        Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +19.000s
18        Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +20.635s
19        Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +21.528s
20       Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +26.555s 
21        Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +3 laps
22        Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +4 laps
23        Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +12 laps
24        Ollie BROWN  (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport Team HARD +18 laps

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish claimed victory in the season opener at Donington Park as the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship finally got underway.

Britain's biggest and best motorsport series commenced in typically dramatic fashion as pole-sitter Colin Turkington fended off Laser Tools Racing's Ash Sutton and Cammish off the line.

Sutton's Inifiniti had already got by Cammish's Honda Civic Type R into Redgate for the first time and the 2017 champion was immediately looking for the lead.

The critical moment of the contest came on lap 4 as Sutton got the switchback on Team BMW's Turkington on the exit of the Old Hairpin. The pair touched slightly on the run up to McLeans and Cammish incredibly squeezed by both of them, whilst slight contact from Tom Ingram's Toyota tapped Turkington's BMW into Sutton.

When the dust eventually settled Sutton's car was left stranded on the grass, with Cammish now leading from Turkington and Motorbase Performance's Rory Butcher.

That's how the leading trio remained until the finish but there was plenty of action behind for the other points paying positions.

Dan Cammish said: "I knew Ash would be quite aggressive with Colin, I was banking on it. When he made his move I made mine as well and made it stick. I had a hairy moment at the old hairpin which would have been embarrassing when you’ve got that much of a gap. But I gathered it up and held on til the end. 

"It was a really ballsy move for Ash to go around the outside of Colin up the hill and he made it stick, once he opened the corner up for himself I think he forgot about me! I just drove into the gap and he tried to squeeze me across and I thought 'not today, I’m not having it!' and hung onto it and off we go, and then chaos ensues unfortunately for Ash."

Colin Turkington said: "You like to get the win, but the priority is to finish and score well three times this weekend. I know it's difficult to win them all, so it’s a fantastic result for me and for Team BMW. 

1        Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 19 laps
2       Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.707s
3       Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +1.144s 
4       Tom INGRAM (GBR ) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +1.941s
5       Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +2.817s
6       Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +3.722s
7        Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +4.855s 
8       Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +5.492s
9        Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +7.322s
10      Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +7.623s
11       Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +7.936s
12      Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +8.249s
13      Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +9.498s
14      Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +9.595s
15      Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +11.457s 
16      Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +13.075s 
17       Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +13.398s
18       Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +13.837s 
19       Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +14.266s
20      Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +14.599s
21       Ollie BROWN  (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport Team HARD +15.050s
22      Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +19.350s
23      James GORNALL (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +2 laps
24      Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +9 laps
25      Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +10 laps
26      Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +13 laps

Ahead of today's trio of Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship races, the Official BTCC Website caught up with the top three qualifiers, Colin Turkington, Dan Cammish and Ash Sutton.

Listen to what they had to say below...

Qualifying yesterday saw Turkington secure pole position for the first round of the 2020 season. Kicking off the year with a new qualifying lap record at Donington Park, check out what the Northern Irishman had to say:

Honda man Dan Cammish stated his intent on the championship title from the off, with his best lap time during qualifying a mere 0.087s off the pace:

Sutton's Laser Tools Racing debut sees the number 116 Infiniti sitting in third on the grid for the opening race of the 2020 season:

Team BMW star smashes qualifying lap record as BTCC season kicks off in style

Reigning Champion Colin Turkington picked up from where he left off by taking pole position for Round 1 of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park earlier today (1 August).

It was a ding-dong battle during the 30-minute session as P1 swapped places several times, whilst a number of drivers endured wild rides off-track as a slight sprinkling of rain added to the drama.

The Motorbase Performance Ford Focuses of Rory Butcher and Andy Neate both had trips across the grass, whilst Nic Hamilton's session was ended early on when the bonnet of his VW CC broke and flicked up across his windscreen.

It was Toyota man Tom Ingram who led the way after ten minutes with the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters Corolla looking extremely competitive as it begins its second season, but soon after it was Laser Tools Racing's Ash Sutton who hit the front.

Team BMW star Turkington would not be denied, however, as he blasted his 3-Series around 1.98-mile track in record-breaking time. In fact, some eight drivers dipped under Jason Plato's qualifying lap record from 2014, but it was Turkington who became the first driver to circle the Donington Park National Circuit inside the 1:08s bracket – scoring his 21st BTCC career pole position in the process. 

The ultra-competitive session was further highlighted as Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish fell short of Turkington's benchmark by just 0.087s – a timely reminder as to just how close the two drivers were during the 2019 season.

Sutton starred on his Laser Tools Racing debut as he hauled his Infiniti Q50 to third, whilst Ingram had to settle for fourth at the finish.

Tom Oliphant equalled his best ever qualifying result with fifth, ensuring that both manufacturer-backed BMWs will start up front tomorrow, whilst Butcher's early flyer was still good enough for sixth.

MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square enjoyed a stellar qualifying with Jake Hill claiming seventh and team-mate Sam Osborne grabbing a career-best 12th.

BTC Racing may be slightly frustrated to have Josh Cook in eighth, whilst his team-mate Tom Chilton could only manage 16th despite a strong start to the day in practice. Such was the pace throughout the field that Chilton was only 0.821s off Turkington's pole time, but now he'll have it all to do from the eighth row on the grid. 

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Matt Neal and Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools' Adam Morgan rounded out the top ten.

Rounds 1, 2 and 3 of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place at Donington Park tomorrow (2 August) with all three races being screened live and exclusively on ITV4 from 10:35.

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

1        Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 1:08.998s
2        Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.087s
3        Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.097s
4        Tom INGRAM (GBR ) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +0.212s
5        Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.311s
6        Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.331s
7        Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.389s
8        Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.413s
9        Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.569s
10      Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +0.569s
11      Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +0.590s
12      Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.633s
13      Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.725s
14      Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +0.726s
15      Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.820s
16      Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +0.820s
17      Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +0.821s
18      Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +1.120s
19      James GORNALL (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +1.202s
20      Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +1.220s
21      Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.434s
22      Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +1.760s
23      Ollie BROWN  (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport Team HARD +2.051s
24      Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +2.510s
25      Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +2.540s 
26      Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD NO TIME

The Team BMW pairing of Colin Turkington and Tom Oliphant topped the timesheets in BTCC FP2 at Donington Park, with the former leading the way in both practice sessions around the 1.98-mile National Circuit.

Reigning champion Turkington is wasting little time in firing out a warning to any hopeful challengers to his throne as he once again dipped well into the 1:09s lap time bracket.

Oliphant also impressed – as well as highlighting the overall qualities of the West Surrey Racing-run BMW 330i M Sports – as he circled the Derbyshire track just 0.244s shy of his illustrious team-mate.

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters' Tom Ingram was once again on the pace in third, as was the hugely talented Ash Sutton in fourth. Sutton has moved from Subaru machinery to the Laser Tools Racing Infiniti during the off-season and the 2017 champion already seems extremely comfortable in his new surroundings.

Rory Butcher showed the speed and potential of the new Motorbase Performance Ford Focus as the Scotsman set the fifth fastest time, ahead of the beautiful looking Hyundai i30N of Chris Smiley – also a brand new car on the grid for 2020, thanks to Excelr8 Motorsport.

Adam Morgan's Mercedes edged out Halfords Yuasa Racing's Matt Neal for seventh, whilst Senna Proctor also showed the prowess of the Hyundai with ninth.

Bobby Thompson enjoyed a promising session as he rounded out the top ten in the GKR TradePriceCars.com Audi S3.

Jack Goff endured the first notable accident of the new BTCC season as his Team HARD-run Volkswagen CC went off at high speed at McLeans, bringing about a brief red flag spell. Goff's car sustained fairly significant damage on the left side and the Kent-based team are now working on repairs ahead of qualifying.  

Qualifying for Round 1 of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship from Donington Park will take place at 15:20 with all the action being screened live and exclusively via www.itv.com/btcc.

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

1        Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 1:09.705s
2        Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.244s
3        Tom INGRAM (GBR ) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +0.418s
4        Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.509s
5        Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.513s
6        Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +0.527s
7        Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +0.574s
8        Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.617s
9        Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +0.651s
10      Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +0.696s11
11      Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.705s
12      Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.708s
13      Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +0.709s
14      Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.762s
15      Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.885s
16       Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.905s
17      Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +0.974s
18      Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +1.021s
19       Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +1.021s
20       Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +1.402s
21      James GORNALL (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +1.470s
22      Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.607s
23      Ollie BROWN  (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport Team HARD +2.088s
24      Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +3.420s
25      Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +3.952s
26      Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport NO TIME 

Team BMW's Colin Turkington set the pace in Free Practice 1 as the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship finally got underway at Donington Park.

The longest off-season in BTCC history came to an end as 26 glorious tin-top machines took to the tarmac for the first time following the enforced four month delay.

Such was the excitement that drivers took little time to get up to speed as Tom Chilton immediately blasted his BTC Racing Honda into the 1:09s on the timing screens.

The relentless pace continued and it was Turkington who topped the lot as his 1:09.466s lap time dipped below Jason Plato’s existing qualifying lap record from 2014.

The leading order was dominated by the BTCC’s big hitters as Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal and Dan Cammish claimed second and fifth respectively.

“I’ve only been out twice since October,” said Neal. “The car felt well-balanced right from the start, the tyres were good and the track’s in mega condition.

“I was determined to get out at Silverstone [in March] and set a time, but doing race distances would’ve been another thing with my injury, I was pretty beaten up after Season Launch so in that respect the delayed start to the season helped me out no end.”

Sandwiched between the manufacturer-backed Honda Civic Type Rs were Laser Tools Racing’s Ash Sutton and the Toyota Corolla of Tom Ingram.

Chilton had to settle for sixth at the finish following his early flurry of impressive laps, which was enough to pip his BTC Racing team-mate Josh Cook.

Whilst championship challenges are certainly not won and lost in the opening practice session, it was clear that many of the main contenders were immediately on the pace.

Jake Hill, Chris Smiley and Tom Oliphant rounded out the top ten.

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

1        Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 1:09.466s
2        Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.154s
3        Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.181s
4        Tom INGRAM (GBR ) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +0.256s
5        Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.315s
6        Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +0.328s
7        Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.406s
8        Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.464s
9        Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +0.471s
10      Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.480s
11      Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +0.521s
12      Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +0.611s
13      Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.670s
14      Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +0.780s
15       Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +0.813s
16       Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.823s
17      Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +0.884s
18      Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.106s
19      Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +1.127s
20      Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +1.192s
21      James GORNALL (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +1.263s
22       Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +2.078s
23      Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +2.084s
24      Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +2.482s
25      Ollie BROWN  (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport Team HARD +2.502s
26      Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +3.923s