Árón Taylor-Smith topped an Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing one-two in the final Free Practice session of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season at Brands Hatch.

Both Taylor-Smith and team-mate Mikey Doble are looking to close out a trio of titles this weekend as the Vauxhall Astra squad had enjoyed a stellar campaign. Taylor-Smith holds an unassailable lead in the Independent Drivers' table, whilst Doble is in a similar position in the Jack Sears Trophy.

The duo has also blown away the opposition in the Independent Teams' title so this one-two in FP2 will have further buoyed the outfit ahead of qualifying.

NAPA Racing UK's Ash Sutton and Dan Rowbottom were next in the order, with the latter recovering from a wild ride through the gravel on the exit of Sheene Curve.

Title contending Tom Ingram (Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS) was fifth, ahead of the Toyota pair in Aiden Moffat (LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ) and Rob Huff (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK).

Tom Chilton was eighth – the tin top star will contest his 500th BTCC race tomorrow – whilst Team BMW's Adam Morgan and Colin Turkington rounded out the top ten.

Qualifying for Round 28 of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship takes place at 1540 and will be streamed LIVE via the ITV Sport YouTube.

The championship picture couldn't be any closer going into the final qualifying session of the season with Ingram and Jake Hill tied at the top, with Sutton, Dan Cammish, Josh Cook and Turkington all still in mathematical contention to claim the crown.

Brands Hatch - Free Practice 2 - Final Classification

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	On/
1	40	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	15	1:29.627		15
2	88	Mikey DOBLE	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	18	1:29.822	0.195	14
3	1	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	15	1:29.938	0.311	14
4	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing UK	18	1:29.968	0.341	9
5	80	Tom INGRAM	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	17	1:29.981	0.354	17
6	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	17	1:30.182	0.555	17
7	12	Rob HUFF	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	14	1:30.330	0.703	14
8	3	Tom CHILTON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	17	1:30.335	0.708	14
9	33	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	17	1:30.347	0.720	13
10	20	Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	16	1:30.612	0.985	6
11	11	Andrew WATSON	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	14	1:30.759	1.132	12
12	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	17	1:30.855	1.228	17
13	24	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	18	1:30.858	1.231	6
14	18	Daryl DELEON	Duckhams Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	13	1:31.041	1.414	10
15	66	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	9	1:31.076	1.449	6
16	222	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	16	1:31.150	1.523	14
17	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	16	1:31.154	1.527	12
18	29	Scott SUMPTON	Restart Racing	17	1:31.284	1.657	15
19	45	Dan ZELOS	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	14	1:31.423	1.796	14
20	22	Nick HALSTEAD	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	15	1:32.708	3.081	13

Team BMW's Adam Morgan topped the opening Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Free Practice session on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit.

All six title contenders were in the next seven positions with Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) and Tom Ingram (Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS) in second and third respectively.

Colin Turkington (Team BMW), Josh Cook (LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ) and Jake Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) were next in the order while Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing's Árón Taylor-Smith pipped Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK) to seventh.

The Toyotas of Aiden Moffat (LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ) and Rob Huff (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK) made the early running but eventually had to settle for ninth and 11th respectively, with the NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus of Dan Rowbottom wedged between them in tenth.

The cars will be back on track for the final practice session of the season at 1215, before a crucial qualifying commences at 1540.

The race for the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is set to go down to the wire with two drivers incredibly tied at the top of the Drivers’ standings and no fewer than six competitors in mathematical contention to clinch the crown.

After 27 drama-filled contests both Hill and Ingram cannot be separated, with the leading duo tied on 365 points – the first time in modern BTCC history that such a situation has occurred going into a season finale.

If that wasn’t enough, both Hill and Ingram have a record-equalling four-time champion in Sutton breathing down their necks – refusing to give up his crown without a fight. A win for the #1 Ford Focus in either of the first two bouts at Brands Hatch could throw the NAPA Racing UK star right into contention ahead of the final encounter.

The legendary Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit is the perfect backdrop for what is set to be one of the most dramatic title battles in memory, with its undulations and on-the-edge corners that are loved by fans and drivers alike. The Kent venue has always been the spiritual home of the BTCC, having held more races of Britain’s elite motorsport championship than any other circuit.

Brands Hatch GP - Free Practice 1 - Final Classification

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	On/
1	33	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	14	1:30.572		14
2	1	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	15	1:30.589	0.017	8
3	80	Tom INGRAM	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	17	1:30.623	0.051	16
4	20	Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	16	1:30.726	0.154	7
5	66	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	11	1:30.764	0.192	7
6	24	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	11	1:30.789	0.217	8
7	40	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	14	1:30.901	0.329	13
8	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	14	1:30.918	0.346	10
9	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	15	1:31.139	0.567	15
10	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing UK	16	1:31.146	0.574	9
11	12	Rob HUFF	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	13	1:31.328	0.756	8
12	3	Tom CHILTON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	13	1:31.460	0.888	13
13	45	Dan ZELOS	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	16	1:31.875	1.303	14
14	222	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	8	1:31.943	1.371	8
15	88	Mikey DOBLE	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	12	1:31.975	1.403	7
16	11	Andrew WATSON	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	8	1:31.995	1.423	7
17	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	15	1:32.034	1.462	9
18	18	Daryl DELEON	Duckhams Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	7	1:32.964	2.392	6
19	29	Scott SUMPTON	Restart Racing	13	1:33.004	2.432	10
20	22	Nick HALSTEAD	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	18	1:34.329	3.757	18

The battle for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship goes down to the wire at Brands Hatch this weekend with WSR and BMW determined to win both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles.

Two WSR drivers are among the six drivers in contention for the title with Jake Hill tied at the top of the points table and Colin Turkington 64 points behind with 67 available.

With BMW within four points of the lead of the Manufacturers’ Championship – which they are aiming to win for a record tenth time – there’s everything to play for on the legendary 2.6-mile Kent circuit.

Hill sits at the top of the standings, level on points with his closest rival but ahead on countback as he has won more races – seven – than anybody else this year aboard his BMW 330e M Sport.

The Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver, who lives near Brands Hatch, scored one of the most impressive of his 19 career wins last year in the season-ending event on the GP loop and was a double podium-finisher in 2022.

He is sure to have superb local support willing him on from the grandstands as he seeks to win WSR’s fifth BTCC Drivers’ crown and his first.

Nobody has won the BTCC title more often than Colin Turkington and the four-time champion has come to the season finale in contention for honours in seven of the eight seasons since he returned to the series with Team BMW in 2017.

The Northern Irishman has won five times this year – a total he has beaten only twice in his BTCC career – and has been one of the series’ star performers since the summer break with two pole positions, two further front-row starts, three wins and six podiums.

Colin’s Team BMW team-mate Adam Morgan has happy memories of the GP loop as it was the scene of his first BTCC race win in 2015.

Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said: “This is it. Everything we’ve been working towards all season boils down to one weekend at my home circuit. Last year I came in behind in the points with nothing to lose by attacking. This time we’re tied on points at the top, so there’s more to lose with that tactic, but we’ll just have to see how the races pan out. I’m confident that the BMW is the right car to get the job done and I know that WSR will leave no stone unturned to try and win the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles. We’ll give it our all and what will be, will be.”

Tom Ingram is bullish about his prospects of reclaiming the biggest prize in national motorsport this weekend (5-6 October), as he prepares to go toe-to-toe for title glory in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season finale at Brands Hatch.
 
Ingram will head to the Kent venue’s legendary ‘GP’ circuit after a double triumph in changeable conditions at Silverstone yielded the equal-largest points haul of his career to-date as he outscored all 19 of his high-calibre rivals in Northants.
 
More significantly, the results vaulted the Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS star to the joint top of the championship table, tied with Jake Hill in the chase for the coveted Drivers’ crown in the UK’s premier motor racing series, with fellow former champion Ashley Sutton just over 30 points adrift of the pair in third.
 
In total this season, Ingram – who previously lifted the laurels two years ago – has chalked up five victories and eight further podiums behind the wheel of his Hyundai i30N, meaning he has reached the rostrum in almost half of the 27 races to-date in 2024.
 
Indeed, the 31-year-old Bucks-born ace has placed inside the top four no fewer than 19 times, and boasts the best average score of the six title protagonists based upon the races in which they have finished inside the points.
 
His record at Brands ‘GP’ is similarly impressive, with two wins and eight podium appearances there over the past decade – including a commanding double-top on his way to championship honours in 2022 – giving Ingram plenty of cause for optimism ahead of the rapidly-approaching showdown.
 
Following Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session at 15:40 – streamed on ITV Sport’s YouTube channel – every moment of Sunday’s doorhandle-to-doorhandle action will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4 from 10:30. All three races will additionally be shown on the ITV Sport TikTok channel, in the UK and globally.
 
Tom Ingram, Driver, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS, said: “I’m feeling confident, relaxed and mentally very strong. Historically, we’ve gone really well at Brands ‘GP’, and it’s a circuit I always enjoy so I think we’ll be in good shape. The advantage has ebbed-and-flowed all year, and there’s obviously a fairly unique dynamic this weekend going in level on points. It feels like a one-shot shootout for glory, which is exciting for the drivers, the teams and the fans.
 
“Jake [Hill] and I will share the same hybrid allocation in qualifying and race one, while Ash [Sutton] will have a little bit more and he certainly isn’t far enough behind just to be forgotten about. He might not be an immediate threat as things stand, but you can never discount him; Jake and I only need to have a coming-together in race one and fail to score, and if Ash wins, he would be right back in contention. I’m very mindful of that, but as we have done throughout the season, we will be focussing solely on ourselves.
 
“Ultimately, what we all want is for it to be a fair fight and not come down to luck. Brands ‘GP’ doesn’t really favour either front wheel-drive or rear wheel-drive, so it’s a fairly neutral venue in that respect – although the weather is one aspect that clearly has the potential not to be neutral and could play a big part. That said, with the way the Hyundai is performing at the moment, I’m happy in all conditions.
 
“We’ve been competitive everywhere this season, and ultra-consistent with it – if we haven’t won, we’ve been there-or-thereabouts. I see no reason at all why we can’t finish the job this weekend. This is my eighth consecutive year of going into the BTCC finale still in with a shout, and having the experience of coming out on top before means I know what is required. I genuinely believe we’re in the strongest position possible.
 
“Had we not had the race two drama at Donington Park, don’t forget, we’d have been leading the championship quite comfortably, and we’ve been quick at Brands ‘GP’ before with a car that I would describe as good, whereas right now, the i30N feels fantastic. This feels like the best opportunity we’ve ever had.”

Josh Cook and Aiden Moffat both know what it takes to conquer the classic ‘old-school’ challenge of Brands Hatch’s legendary ‘GP’ circuit – they have done so in the past, and they are aiming to repeat the feat as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign draws to a close in Kent this weekend (5-6 October).
 
Cook was a podium-finisher around the ‘GP’ layout in 2016 and 2018 – in the latter of those instances, missing out on victory by a scant 32 thousandths-of-a-second following an epic duel with multiple champion Ashley Sutton. Three years on, he sped to a double win at the track as he fell just three points shy of snatching the runner-up spoils in the overall standings.
 
The Bath-born ace has subsequently sped to second-place finishes at Brands Hatch in each of the latest two seasons in the UK’s premier motor racing series, and he returns still in mathematical contention for the biggest prize in British motorsport – the coveted BTCC Drivers’ crown.
 
While that would require a very special set of circumstances – at 63 points away from the top of the table with only 67 remaining in play – two-time Independents’ champion Cook is in a rich vein of form, having finished lower than fourth just once in the most recent six races. He is eager to keep that run going.
 
In the sister British-built, Speedworks Motorsport-prepared Toyota Corolla GR Sport, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ stablemate Moffat first stood on the BTCC podium at Brands ‘GP’ in 2016, going on to chalk up his second career triumph at the circuit 12 months later, ahead of future title-winners Tom Ingram and Sutton.
 
It was also the scene of the 28-year-old Scot’s debut on the TOCA package in Ginetta Juniors back in 2010, and following a 2024 campaign marred by persistent ill-fortune, there is nothing Dalkeith native Moffat would like better than to banish his bad luck and return to the rostrum this weekend.
 
Following Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session at 15:40 – streamed on ITV Sport’s YouTube channel – every moment of Sunday’s doorhandle-to-doorhandle action will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4, beginning at 10:30. All three races will additionally be shown on the ITV Sport TikTok channel, in the UK and globally.
 
Christian Dick, Team Principal, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ, said: “It seems incredible to say we’ve reached the end of another BTCC season, but here we are with just three races left to run at a track where the Toyota Corolla has always performed well, as proved by multiple podiums in recent years.
 
“Josh’s excellent performances and commendable consistency mean he is still mathematically in the hunt for the Drivers’ title. While that is admittedly the longest of long shots, a top four championship finish is very achievable – and with a fair wind, maybe even third. That would be no less than he deserves for a stellar display season-long.
 
“Aiden has produced some of his best BTCC performances on Brands Hatch’s ‘GP’ loop which, considering his characteristic commitment, is no great surprise around a circuit that truly rewards bravery. What he has been lacking for much of this year has been luck, but with a clean run, we have every confidence that he too can be firmly in the fight for silverware.”
 
Josh Cook, Driver, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ, said: “To be heading into the weekend within reach of the title I think is a nice accolade for the team and all of our efforts this year; being mathematically in with a shout still shows what a good job we’ve done in our first season together. Realistically, of course, we’re not a genuine contender, so we’re just going to go there, make the best of the opportunity, try to carry on some of the form we’ve shown over the latter part of the campaign and keep taking steps in the right direction.
 
“I’ve historically gone well at Brands ‘GP’. I love the circuit – it’s one of my favourites – so I’m really looking forward to it and will be aiming to round out the season with some more podiums and maybe even a win if we can, to try to finish on a high. I can’t wait to get going!”
 
Aiden Moffat, Driver, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ, said: “The atmosphere on BTCC finale weekend is always something special, and Brands Hatch GP is a track I love and where I’ve had some good races and good memories in the past. It’s a bit more ‘old-school’ out the back of the lap, and not overly forgiving when you get it wrong – but for me, that level of jeopardy and commitment only adds to its appeal.
 
“We’ve had such consistent bad luck over the second half of the season, which has taken the wind out of our sails a bit, so it would be nice to have a weekend without any issues at last. We showed earlier in the year that when everything is running well, we have the pace in the car to fight for the podium – so hopefully we can enjoy a change of fortunes at Brands Hatch to help us to go out on a high.”

The Championship leader, Jake Hill, has risen to the top of the 2024 standings having taken the most wins of any driver this season with seven. This already betters his win tally of a year ago to which the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver has also bettered the amount of podiums he has achieved this season in comparison to last year. What has made Hill's 2024 evermore impressive is that his qualifying average is the lowest of the six drivers in contention for the title; confirmed by his sixth place in the Goodyear Wingfoot award. Showcasing that Hill's race pace this season has been second-to-none and the Brands Hatch local will be looking for one more impressive Sunday at home in the hope of his first BTCC title.

Stats
Races: 27
Wins: 7
Podiums: 13
Pole Positions: 1
Top Tens: 24
Fastest Laps: 3

Video
Hill’s most impressive moment of the 2024 season was arguably his performances at Snetterton with a dominating display of pace across the entire weekend. In race two of the event, the #24 would receive a 10-second penalty for a jump start. Despite this setback, with the penalty applied, Hill would still go on to win by 6.260 seconds in devastating fashion.

Gallery

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK duo Rob Huff and Andrew Watson have their sights solidly set on a strong finish to the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this weekend (5-6 October), around one of the country’s most iconic circuits.
 
Brands Hatch’s 2.43-mile ‘GP’ layout played host to Formula 1’s British Grand Prix on no fewer than 12 occasions between 1964 and 1986, and in just a few days’ time, it will bring down the curtain on another compelling and utterly enthralling BTCC campaign.
 
Former FIA World Touring Car Champion Huff enters the event sitting eighth in the Drivers’ standings amongst the 22 high-calibre protagonists, only five points adrift of the top seven, which he will be looking to conquer behind the wheel of his British-built, Speedworks Motorsport-prepared Toyota Corolla GR Sport.
 
While the Cambridgeshire ace – coming to the end of his first full season in the UK’s premier motorsport series in two decades – has never previously competed around the ‘GP’ loop in the BTCC, he was three times a podium-finisher there in the WTCC between 2007 and 2010.
 
Team-mate Watson similarly boasts a strong previous record at the track, having triumphed at Brands ‘GP’ in both the Ginetta GT4 SuperCup – twice – and the Silver Cup category of the GT Series Sprint Cup. The Northern Irishman – the BTCC’s outgoing Jack Sears Trophy winner – also reached the rostrum there in Ginetta Juniors, and is targeting another champagne celebration this weekend after his promising pace this year has all too often been undone by ill-fortune.
 
Following Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session at 15:40 – streamed on ITV Sport’s YouTube channel – every moment of Sunday’s doorhandle-to-doorhandle action will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4, beginning at 10:30. All three races will additionally be shown on the ITV Sport TikTok channel, in the UK and globally.
 
Christian Dick, Team Principal, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “The BTCC season finale is always an enjoyable weekend, whether you’re fighting for a title or simply aiming to sign off on a high. While we’re not in championship contention this year, that is very much our goal for 2025 so the focus is firmly set on a strong end to the campaign to send us into the winter break with momentum on our side.
 
“The Corolla has gone well around the ‘GP’ layout in the past, achieving a number of podium finishes there in recent years. It has also won at five very different circuits already this season, and there is no reason at all why Brands Hatch should not be the sixth.
 
“Despite being the third-longest lap on the calendar, we fully expect qualifying to be as close and competitive as ever, and we will need to make sure we are on-point and on-track at the right moment to get ourselves as far up the grid as we can. The weather clearly has the potential to throw a curveball into the mix too, so it will be vital to react swiftly and sensibly to changing scenarios, and then keep our noses as clean as possible as we navigate the inevitable chaos, twists and turns of BTCC finals day!”
 
Rob Huff, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “Where has the season gone?! It’s wild that we’re at the final weekend already, but what a season it’s been! I’m really looking forward to going back to Brands Hatch, especially on the legendary ‘GP’ loop, which is a hell of a track! It’s brilliant, and pretty much a combination of everything we’ve seen so far this year, which should make for a very exciting finale.
 
“For me, the circuits where you can really stretch the car’s legs are more enjoyable to drive and tend to generate better racing. It’s also very easy to make a mistake out the back of the lap through the high-speed sections with all the bumps and kerbs – you really need to show them some respect.
 
“Weather-wise, we’ve had a fair bit of rain recently, and being Brands Hatch in October, I don’t expect any different this weekend! We learnt a lot at Silverstone in the wet conditions, which should hopefully stand us in good stead and we seem to be strongest when it’s either fully wet or fully dry, so that’s what we want – Option A or Option B, and nothing in-between!
 
“I really want to go out and get a win in the final event, and while the top six positions in the championship are beyond reach, seventh is still up for grabs. That in itself might not be anything to write home about, but it would obviously be nice to move up a place to end my first full season back in the BTCC on a positive note and give ourselves something to really build upon in 2025.”
 
Andrew Watson, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “I’m really looking forward to the weekend. Brands Hatch ‘GP’ is a great track that I think everybody enjoys, and coming from such a short and compact circuit as Silverstone’s ‘National’ layout, it poses a completely different kind of challenge.
 
“It’s very tight and fast out the back, with blind apexes and exits and not much margin for error, and it can be a tricky place to get right. So much of it is about momentum, and you need to have a lot of confidence in the car to really extract the best out of the lap.
 
“Hybrid will make a bit of a difference in qualifying; we’ve seen that all year, so we have to make sure we really maximise our full allowance. As ever, it will be a case of using free practice to figure out where we can get the most bang for our buck, and then exploiting that in qualifying.
 
“It’s been a difficult season, but we’ve shown good pace at times; we’ve just struggled to translate it into solid results. We know we can qualify up towards the front – what we need is to convert that into good finishes, and there’s no reason why we can’t. We have nothing to lose, and one thing’s for sure – both myself and the team will be giving it our all to end on a high.”

The 2022 BTCC Champion Tom Ingram has taken a vastly different approach to the 2024 campaign to the 'pointsy' approach of 2023. Last year Ingram took home two victories but a combined 17 podiums in order to keep his title hopes alive. In this season, the #80 has already amassed three more victories and is four podiums shy of his efforts of 12 months ago with three races remaining. Heading into the finale tied on points, and therefore amount of hybrid, with Jake Hill could prove pivotal with Ingram having the better average qualifying position across the season so far. All is to play for in what has been a stunning year from the Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS driver.

Stats
Races: 27
Wins: 5
Podiums: 13
Pole Positions: 4
Top Tens: 23
Fastest Laps: 6

Video
Ingram’s most significant moment of the 2024 season was arguably not even one of his five victories but his fantastic charge through the field at Donington Park GP in race three. The 2022 Champion would start the race from 19th and make his way to second in testing conditions. The performance was stellar, similar to a drive at Silverstone a year prior which would also keep Ingram firmly in the title battle.

Gallery

Goodyear tyre choices will play a key role this weekend as Brands Hatch hosts the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship finale, where both the drivers’ championship and Goodyear Wingfoot Award will be decided.

Returning to the Kent circuit after racing on its shorter Indy layout in May, but moving to the twice-as-long GP circuit, the last round of the season promises exhilarating racing. Having shared the wins last time out at Silverstone, Jake Hill and Tom Ingram head to Brands Hatch tied at the top of the drivers’ championship. But, with a further four drivers also still in contention for championship glory, an exciting battle is promised across Sunday’s three races.

Three different slick Goodyear tyre compounds have allowed teams to take a wide variety of strategy options throughout the season, facilitating this year’s season-long close racing. This weekend, teams are allocated one set of soft and two sets of medium tyres for the race weekend, with the option to choose three sets of carryover tyres from previous rounds for practice and qualifying, just as they did at recent events at Donington Park and Silverstone.

Goodyear Wingfoot Award to be decided on Saturday 

Before the 2024 BTCC champion is crowned on Sunday, attention will be on the Goodyear Wingfoot Award during Saturday’s qualifying session. Drivers have been accumulating points towards the trophy all season based on their qualifying positions, and two-time winner Colin Turkington currently leads the standings with an 11-point lead over Ingram. With 20 points on offer for pole, either could bring home the 2024 trophy.

Team BMW’s Turkington won the Goodyear Wingfoot Award in 2020 and 2021, before Hill took home the 2022 trophy. Last year, Ashley Sutton became the first non-BMW driver to win it. 

Michael Butler, Goodyear’s BTCC Event Leader, highlights the added strategic variable posed by the free tyre allocation: “This weekend’s finale will be a test of strategy and execution. Teams have been playing a season-long game of chess in their approach to tyre allocations to best prepare for this round as having the right carryover tyres on Saturday will help secure a good grid position and points towards the Goodyear Wingfoot Award.

“With trophies on the line at a demanding circuit like Brands Hatch, each decision could make a huge difference for drivers. We’re looking forward to some close racing to round out another thrilling season.”

Ashley Sutton praises Goodyear tyres while looking ahead to his “best” circuit 

One driver who is particularly looking forward to this weekend’s races is defending champion Sutton. The NAPA Racing UK Ford driver rates the longer Brands Hatch layout as his favourite track and he won two of the three races there 12 months ago.

“Brands Hatch GP has always been, and probably will always remain, my best circuit,” he says. “That’s not just based on the result, but the sensation of being around the back of the circuit when you are really at the limit of the car. When racing on such an intense track you are putting a massive amount of trust through whatever tyre compound you are on.”

Praising the Goodyear tyres he adds: “Whether it’s a soft, a medium, or even the hard, it’s such a thrill to be out there. But then when you have a championship on the line and you are living life on the edge, it’s really exciting.”

Goodyear Wingfoot Award current top five:

Position	Driver	Points
1	Colin Turkington	129
2	Tom Ingram	118
3	Dan Cammish	105
4	Ashley Sutton	104
5	Josh Cook	96

Dan Zelos will hope to maintain his impressive run of results since joining the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship grid after being confirmed in the Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS line-up for the Brands Hatch season finale.

Zelos stepped up into a race seat with the EXCELR8 Motorsport-run squad at the eleventh hour for the event at Donington Park, and was then able to secure the backing needed for a further outing at Silverstone last month.

The latter weekend saw the three-time Vertu MINI CHALLENGE champion power his Hyundai i30 Fastback N to three top ten finishes, which was enough to see him secure weekend honours in the Jack Sears Trophy against rivals who have been out on track competing all season.

Silverstone had been set to mark the final outing for Zelos in the series this season, with his expectation being that he would return to his MINI CHALLENGE role with EXCELR8 for then Brands Hatch weekend.

However, hard work in recent weeks has not only allowed Zelos to retain his place on the BTCC grid for a third successive weekend, but has also ensured that his MINI JCW will also be out on track in the hands of a substitute driver.

Dan Zelos said: “I honestly didn’t think Brands Hatch in the BTCC car is something that I would be talking about, but here we go again!” he said. “I walked away from Silverstone with my head held high after the weekend we had, and I felt proud to have put on such a strong performance on track and to have secured a trophy in only my second weekend.

“As I’ve said all along, getting onto the BTCC grid for me has been the realisation of a dream and I’m delighted that the dream now goes on to a third weekend.

“I really hope I can finish off what has been amazing year in style, and a huge thank you has to go to EXCELR8, Bristol Street Motors, Vansdirect, Hansford Sensors and all other sponsors for helping to make this possible. Let’s go out there and do it!”

Team Owner Justina Williams was delighted to confirm that Zelos will retain the seat for the season finale.

“After the performances he has put in over the last two weekends, there was no-one we wanted in the car more than Dan for Brands Hatch,” she said. “Stepping into a series like the BTCC in the middle of a season is a big ask, but he has done an amazing job and has really shown his talent on the biggest stage.

“There is no doubting the fact that this is a huge weekend for us as a team with a championship title on the line, and we know that Dan can be relied on to do his part to help us achieve the success we are aiming for.”