Bristol Street Motors will continue the celebrations for its 100th birthday when the British Touring Car Championship rolls into Thruxton this weekend for the fourth meeting of the new season.

The company, part of the Vertu Motors group, was founded back in 1924, with the first dealership – which remains active to this day - opening on Bristol Street in Birmingham 100 years ago.

The Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS programme being run in the BTCC by EXCELR8 Motorsport has already had a major role to play in the centenary celebrations, with the cars of Tom Ingram and Tom Chilton both carrying a retro-themed livery with a ‘100 Years Of Bristol Street’ message.

So far this season, Ingram has powered his Hyundai i30 Fastback N to a double win at Donington Park, with Chilton also picking up a podium finish during round two at Brands Hatch, where he came second behind team-mate Ronan Pearson in his Macklin Motors-backed machine.

This weekend as a special one-off, Ingram will swap his usual race number of #80 for the #100 for the three races at the fastest circuit on the calendar to celebrate not only the centenary, but also the 100th race for the partnership between Bristol Street Motors and EXCELR8.

The relationship started back in 2021 when Bristol Street Motors first supported the team, which launched Ingram’s race livery in a special event at the Hyundai Nottingham dealership.

Since 2022, Bristol Street Motors has held the role of title partner of the Droitwich-based team, which won the title for the first time that season with Ingram before he finished in second place last year.

In the 99 races for the partnership to date, Bristol Street Motors and EXCELR8 have secured a total of 18 race wins and 47 podium finishes, whilst the team has qualified

on pole three times and set 24 fastest laps. With Bristol Street Motors support, the cars have also led a combined total of 308 laps across 25 races.

Ironically, Thruxton is the only circuit on the calendar where Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS has yet to make it onto the top step of the podium, something it will be eager to put right this weekend to provide further cause for celebration.

Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS driver, said: “It’s a pretty cool thing to be able to run the #100 at Thruxton to help celebrate 100 Years of Bristol Street Motors, and even more so because the weekend also features the 100th race for both Bristol Street Motors and myself with the team.

“We’ve enjoyed plenty of success together over the past three years, with the obvious highlight being my title win in 2022. I can’t believe however that we’ve yet to win at Thruxton, so I think the challenge has now been set to go out there and put things right!”

Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Bristol Street Motors, said: “The 100 Years of Bristol Street Motors livery has looked fantastic on track during the first three rounds of the season, and has played a major role in our centenary celebrations already this year.

“It will be nice to see one of the Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS cars running with #100 this weekend, and hopefully we’ll be able to add to the success we have enjoyed already in 2024 and fight for a win.”

Fresh off the back of its first victory of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign at Snetterton last month, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK is headed for Hampshire this weekend (8-9 June) as the team bids to continue its winning ways around the fastest circuit in the country – Thruxton.

Built on the site of a wartime airfield that played a role in the D-Day landings, Thruxton’s 2.37 miles of unforgiving asphalt generate the highest speeds of the season, with drivers hitting an eye-watering 160mph around the back of the lap, the majority of which is spent in either fifth or sixth-gear.

The track’s succession of flat-out corners places the priority on a capable chassis, and demonstrating its first-class dynamics, theBritish-built, Speedworks Motorsport-prepared Toyota Corolla GR Sport triumphed twice at Thruxton in 2020, tallying further good results in subsequent seasons.

Former FIA World Touring Car Champion Rob Huff – the architect of that magnificent charge through the field from 14th on the grid to the top step of the podium a week-and-a-half ago – reached the rostrum in Hampshire in Renault Clios back in 2002. He shone there again the following year to pip future three-time BTCC champion Gordon Shedden to the SEAT CUPRA Championship crown, which proved to be the Cambridgeshire ace’s passport into the big-time.

Eight months later, Huff made his debut in the UK’s premier motor racing series at Thruxton, instantly staking his claim as a star-in-the-making by taking the chequered flag sixth, two spots ahead of team-mate Jason Plato, who would go on to become the winningest driver in the BTCC’s long and illustrious history.

In the sister Corolla this weekend, Andrew Watson is eager to quickly bounce back from a missed opportunity at Snetterton, where the Northern Irishman – the reigning Jack Sears Trophy champion – looked set to finish second until a small error in the rain-plagued conditions cost him the runner-up spoils.

Watson was a winner at Thruxton in the Ginetta GT4 SuperCup in 2014 as he worked his way up the national motor racing ladder, and he qualified a strong seventh in his maiden BTCC appearance at the track 12 months ago. The 29-year-old is keen to convert his palpable potential and single-lap speed into a trophy or two this weekend.

Following Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session at 15:25 – 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 11:00. All three races will similarly be shown on the ITV Sport TikTok channel, in the UK and globally.

Christian Dick, Team Principal, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “We’re very much looking forward to Thruxton, and everybody in the team has a real spring in their step after Rob’s win last time out and the incredible Toyota one-two-three. Thruxton is obviously a very different proposition to Snetterton and indeed to anywhere else we go, and that makes it a tremendous challenge that I think everybody up and down the grid relishes.

“The Corolla has proved its pace there in the past with the double victory in 2020, and I would say the car is going from strength-to-strength right now, with multiple podium finishes in recent races testament to our sustained development drive and the direction we are pursuing.

“We ignored the naysayers and stuck boldly to our guns regarding tyre choice at Snetterton, which paid off richly in race three, and Rob and Andrew are similarly not lacking in the bravery stakes, which is an absolute prerequisite for a successful weekend at Thruxton. The only downside to our win at Snetterton was that I unfortunately wasn’t there to see it, but I’m hoping to be back trackside this weekend so no pressure, but I’ve told the team they’ve got to do it again!”

Rob Huff, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “The last time I drove at Thruxton was back in 2004, so it’s been a while! The thing about Thruxton, though, is that I suspect it hasn’t changed a great deal over the intervening two decades, which is one of the secrets to its enduring appeal. It’s just a proper balls-out, old-school style circuit whose challenge has never been diluted, and it’s somewhere I’ve always loved. You really need to grab the car by the scruff of the neck and wring every last drop out of it – it isn’t a place for the faint-hearted.

“The top three lockout at Snetterton was not only a fantastic reward for all the hard-working Speedworks boys and girls, but it also gave everybody inside the team a real confidence boost, which will be vital at Thruxton – and we already know the Toyota is quick around there. I’m looking forward to pushing the car through the fastest sections, where I believe the Corolla’s well-sorted chassis should truly come into its own.

“I still remember winning the SEAT CUPRA Championship at Thruxton 21 years ago, which is what got me into the BTCC in the first place, so I have some very happy memories of the track. Hopefully we can make a few more this weekend…”

Andrew Watson, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “Thruxton is a unique challenge and one I’m looking forward to. As a circuit, it demands all of your attention and respect with so many high-speed corners that ask a lot of questions of the car, and when you really nail a lap, it gives you such a sense of satisfaction. It’s a lot of fun with little bits of time that can be unlocked here and there, and it’s somewhere the driver can make a genuine difference.

“We can’t really test at Thruxton and we won’t have much track time before qualifying, so it’ll be super-important to get our eye in quickly and begin building up confidence from the very first lap in practice. You really need to feel comfortable in the car if you want to explore the limits there.

“I’ve had good pace at every circuit so far this year, particularly in qualifying; of course the race results could have been better on my side of the garage, but the whole team is riding high at the moment and we’re going into each weekend targeting trophies. Both Aiden [Moffat] and Rob [Huff] have shown the Corolla is a winning package this season, and I want to tick that box too!”

The 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returns on-track this weekend at Thruxton (8/9 June), here’s all the information you need to know to keep up with the action…

The 2024 grid headed to Snetterton just over a week ago for the third round of the season and the first with all three Goodyear dry compounds available on race day. The weather had other ideas after Jake Hill claimed pole position on the Saturday with over a two-minute lap time in all sessions. Hill would then win races one and two, only using a dry tyre in one of the three races. The new mix of rules rewards consistency as Ash Sutton with zero wins but seven podiums leads the way.

As we head into Round 4, there have been some line-up changes for teams and drivers during the off-season and at the last race weekend, it’s all to play for in 2024. To see all of this year’s line-up, click here.

This weekend’s race day action will feature on the home of the BTCC, ITV4, from 1100 on Sunday (9 June) while the ITV YouTube page will host qualifying on Saturday (8 June) from 15:15.

Worldwide, this weekend's races will feature live on the ITV Sport TikTok account, going live 10 minutes before each race begins. Each race start time is currently as follows; 11:45, 14:35 and 17:20.

Check out the full TV schedule below, which includes all the information you need to catch ITV’s highlights programmes from the opening rounds.

Qualifying LIVE: Saturday 8 June

ITV Sport YouTube from 15:15

Raceday LIVE: Sunday 9 June
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 11:00-18:15
ITV4 +1 12:00-19:15
ITVX 11:00-18:15

TikTok (UK times listed) Race 1: 11:40 - Race 2: 14:30 - Race 3: 17:15

Highlights:

Thursday 13 June ITV4 18:30-20:00

Sunday 16 June ITV4 09:00-10:30

Thursday 20th June ITV1 04:45-06:00

Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing drivers Árón Taylor-Smith and Mikey Doble are both brimming with confidence ahead of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship’s annual visit to Thruxton Circuit this weekend (June 8-9).

On what is one of the standout events on the calendar for the UK’s premier motorsport series, the Vauxhall Astra squad will be hoping to make their mark at what has been a happy hunting ground for them in previous years.

Taylor-Smith and Doble head to the high-speed Hampshire venue in fine form too having maintained their unbeaten record in the Independents’ Championship last time out - where they extended their winning streak to nine consecutive races.

Irishman Taylor-Smith holds a slight advantage in the standings over Doble and after seeing his chances of a big result dashed due to bad weather at Snetterton, the multiple race winner is eager to deliver on the front-running pace he has recently been showing.

For Doble, he sets course for Thruxton off the back of his best-ever BTCC weekend where he clinched a fourth place finish, two Independent wins and Jack Sears Trophy honours for a third successive meeting.

With the Astra having scored wins and podiums around the 2.36-mile layout, hopes are high that the refined chassis of the front-wheel-drive machine will be a difference maker when it comes to Sunday’s three pulsating contests.

Árón Taylor-Smith: “Like many drivers, Thruxton is one of those circuits that I have circled on my calendar each year. It’s a fast, flowing track that really suits my driving style and I’ve got great memories there; having previously taken a pole position. I always enjoy going there!

“I feel that given how strong the Vauxhall has been around there and that we have got some momentum on our side, we can really shock some people this weekend. We’re going into it full of confidence, knowing that we could have a package that can race towards the front."

Mikey Doble: “Thruxton could be the turning point in our season where we establish ourselves as a serious threat for the overall podium places. Its my favourite circuit in the country and it couples well with the fact that the Astra has enjoyed success there in the past.

“I’ve got great memories from racing there last year and with the progress that has been made in both myself and the car over the last 12 months, I’m excited to see what results we can achieve this year.

“We’ll be looking for nothing less than overall podium finishes and more solid points to justify our success this time around.”

Martin Broadhurst, Team Manager: “Thruxton has always been one of those circuits where you need to have a good chassis underneath you and in the past, the Vauxhall Astra has always had that.

“Of course, the BTCC continues to evolve and develop so we can’t rely on past results to guarantee us success. That being said, the developments we have made since we there last year leaves me optimistic that we can be in the mix for some really strong results.”

Adam Weaver, Team Principal: “I think everyone has a real affection for Thruxton, be it because we have gone well around there in previous years or just because the nature of the circuit means you have to be on the limit every single lap.

“I feel that in recent rounds we’ve began to show that when everything aligns we can fight at the front; it would be great if we can hook everything up this weekend. It’s been a happy hunting ground for us in the past; fingers crossed we can come away with something big results-wise.”

Qualifying at Thruxton will be broadcast on the ITV Sport YouTube channel on Saturday from 15:15 before all three races are aired LIVE on ITV4 on Sunday. Race one is scheduled to begin at 11:45 ahead of race two at 14:35 and race three at 17:20.

Thruxton to host fastest tin-top races of the season

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship speeds into Hampshire this weekend (8/9 June), with Thruxton boasting the honour of being the fastest circuit in the country.

The 2024 BTCC season is already shaping up to be a classic with no fewer than six race winners and a total of 11 drivers – more than half the field – having already reached the rostrum from just the opening nine races.

NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton is yet to win this season, but the reigning champion leads the overall Drivers’ standings by virtue of his seven podiums so far.

Sutton is gunning for a record fifth BTCC title, as is Team BWM’s Colin Turkington, with the dynamic duo currently occupying the top two positions in the standings.

Double winners – Tom Ingram (Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS) at Donington Park and Jake Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) at Snetterton – are within touching distance of the summit, whilst the chasing pack also closed the gap last time out.

Thruxton is a unique challenge, however, with one man in particular enjoying an incredible record of taming the Hampshire speed bowl.

Read on for more details on the King of Thruxton, TV times, circuit timetable and the all-important ticket information…

Let him Cook!

Josh Cook’s synergy with Thruxton is one of those incredible things you sometimes get in sport, and they’re not always records you can easily decipher.

Bath-based driver Cook sees Thruxton as his home circuit, and there’s little doubting that his driving style suits the high-speed white-knuckle ride that is the 2.4-mile Thruxton circuit.

An incredible ten of his 18 BTCC victories have come in Hampshire, previously achieved in both Vauxhall and Honda machinery – the latter marque having also enjoyed exceptional results at the venue. 

Now, the 32-year-old will be gunning for an 11th triumph at Thruxton, but this time in the LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ Toyota.

Cook has been quietly going about his business so far in 2024, with three podiums and solid points finishes propelling him to fifth in the overall standings – but he closed the gap slightly at Snetterton last time out and will be looking to make an even greater dent in the deficit this weekend.

TV, Timetables and Tickets 

MINI fans are in for a special treat with no fewer than three championships – both old and new – joining the BTCC package at Thruxton.

The regular MINI CHALLENGE will be racing the latest models, whilst the old school Mini Se7ens and Mini Miglias will wow the crowds in their own separate contests. The fast-paced nature and slip streaming delights of Thruxton ensure these much-loved machines are set to provide some enthralling racing.

The top-level Porsche Carrera Cup GB and F4 British Championship complete a stunning bill of support races.

There’s no denying the headline act of course and that is the BTCC and its triple-header of races. To be there, just follow this links here to purchase your tickets through the Thruxton Circuit website.

Those unable to make it can watch BTCC qualifying streamed live via ITV Sport’s YouTube channel from 1515 on Saturday, before ITV4’s all-day race day broadcast gets underway at 1100 on Sunday. 

Remember, for the first time in the championship’s history the BTCC is being broadcast globally this season with every race being streamed live via ITV Sport’s TikTok channel. Look out for the races on Sunday starting at 1145, 1435 and 1720.

Bobby Thompson claimed a podium finish on his debut for Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR, and alongside Jake Hill’s dynamic double, it proved to be another excellent weekend for the BMW 330e M Sport at Snetterton.

Whilst Hill was quite rightly grabbing the headlines with his two wins, Thompson was also busy making waves in his run for the Bavarian marque.

Thompson made strong progress from fifth on the grid in the opener to equal the best result of his career in second place to complete a one-two result for WSR BMWs.

The Hornchurch racer then backed up that result with third on the road in race two. Like Jake, however, he received a jump-start time penalty, which dropped him to seventh in the results.

Eighth in the finale not only took his weekend total to 34 points – the best of his career so far – but also made him the second-highest scorer at Snetterton.

“What a debut with Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR,” said Thompson.

“I’m over the moon. I was aiming for Q3 and points so to be honest this exceeded our goals for the first weekend.

“I couldn’t have asked for a more fun and positive weekend. Everything was thrown at us with the weather and tyre choices of course.

“Getting a P2 on my debut for West Surrey Racing was really exciting. Then it was P3 on track in race two, but due to a little mistake on my part we dropped down to P7 with a penalty.

“I had to take the hard tyre for race three, which was a bit of a dogfight, but the weekend couldn’t have gone much better.”

Thompson will enjoy maximum hybrid deployment during qualifying and at least race one at Thruxton this weekend, so it will be interesting to see if he can follow up his impressive debut with another stellar showing at the fastest track in the country.

Rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Thruxton this weekend (8/9 June)

As the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship roars into Thruxton next weekend, the pre-event fun will begin with a truly epic karting event on Friday, all in aid of the incredible Air Ambulance UK.

Thanks to the long-term partnership between Árón Taylor-Smith and Briggs Equipment, the duo will be hosting a number of charity events throughout the season to raise those all-important funds for AAUK, which is also the partner charity of official BTCC Title Sponsor Kwik Fit.

The first event of the year will take place at Thruxton Kart Centre on Friday 7 June, with teams bidding to take part in this unmissable event.

Staff and customers will get the opportunity to race against multiple BTCC race winner Taylor-Smith in a fun packed day, and now we’re offering one lucky winner and a friend FREE ENTRY into the event.

In conjunction with Kwik Fit, Briggs Equipment and the BTCC, the lucky winners will get the opportunity to join Árón throughout the day, starting with taking part in the bumper-to-bumper charity karting event, followed by lunch at PMR VIP hospitality and a private garage tour.

All you have to do to enter is simply follow the links below to the competition post on either Facebook or X, reply to the post tagging your friend that you would like to enter the race with, and tell us your team name!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Fu2srVVNXZY5NKnw/

X: https://x.com/BTCC/status/1796557265451020763

You need to make sure you’re available to attend Thruxton next Friday, whilst the winners and five runners-up will also receive a pair of tickets to the BTCC event on Saturday and Sunday, making this a full weekend of fun!

Árón will be picking a winner after the competition closes at 4pm on Tuesday 4 June with all winners and runners-up being notified no later than 10am the following day.

“I can’t wait for next Friday,” said Taylor-Smith. “Of course, we have the BTCC race weekend to follow, but I’m really looking forward to meeting friends, partners, staff and fans at our karting event – I am sure there will be some serious racing going on too! “I’d like to thank the BTCC, Kwik Fit and of course Briggs Equipment for their support as we look to raise funds for the wonderful people at Air Ambulance UK.”

Air Ambulances UK is the national organisation championing and supporting the lifesaving work of the UK’s 21 air ambulance charities, ensuring the best possible chance of survival and patient outcome for everyone in need of lifesaving pre-hospital care.

It’s an organisation of paramount importance in the UK and is only achieved through its collaboration with members, generous individual, corporate and grant donors as well as strategic partnerships.

Timings for the day:

0930: Arrival (inc. karting registration and induction)

1000: Race start

1300: Lunch/Awards

1330: BTCC Garage tour, Q&A session with Árón

1500: Departure or stay and soak up the pre BTCC weekend preparations

Location:

Thruxton Circuit, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 8PN

Details:

Thruxton is readily accessible from both the M3 and M4. Once on the A303 follow the signs for Thruxton Circuit ONLY; ignore signs for Thruxton village. Upon leaving the A303 follow signs for Thruxton Circuit. The karting and 4x4 centre have their own entrance signposted 100 meters before the main circuit entrance.

Dress code:

Helmets, race suits, gloves and balaclavas are provided, these can be applied over comfortable clothing. Trainers are ideal shoes for karting. Shoes must cover the whole foot, no open toes/sandals /crocs. No heels or wedges.

The weather threw everything it could at competitors in the third outing of the 2024 British Touring Car Championship campaign at Snetterton, but LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ duo Josh Cook and Aiden Moffat conquered the conditions to come away with a clutch of trophies on an historic weekend for Toyota (25-26 May).
 
Bolting on the less-favoured hard rubber for the curtain-raising contest, Cook inevitably struggled for grip on the greasy track surface as he slipped down the order to an eventual 14^th-place finish, with Moffat picking up damage and a puncture following a clash with Tom Chilton – but with the slowest compound out of the way while everybody else still had to run it, they then set about making hay.
 
The 32-year-old Bath-born ace scythed through the spray to a second rostrum finish of the season in third place, with Moffat also making up plenty of ground to take the chequered flag eighth from 21^st, in so doing securing LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ the Teams’ trophy for race two of the day. That earned the Dalkeith native a front row starting slot for the day’s partially-reversed grid finale, with Cook lining up seventh – and both now on the soft tyres.
 
Moffat, narrowly avoided a spinning Sam Osborne on the exit of Riches shortly after the lights, went out to assume an early lead, and while a slide through Coram subsequently obliged him to give best to a charging Rob Huff – the 2012 FIA World Touring Car Champion similarly piloting a Speedworks Motorsport-run Corolla, under the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK banner – he nevertheless went on to cement a 16^th career podium in the BTCC courtesy of the runner-up spoils.
 
In front of the live ITV4 television cameras and a capacity trackside crowd, the 27-year-old’s superb performance in the tricky conditions was all-but matched by Cook, who rose to fourth on the opening lap and ultimately crossed the line less than a second behind his team-mate in third, completing an unprecedented one-two-three finish for Toyotas in the country’s premier motorsport series and bagging another Teams’ trophy.
 
Their results leave Cook and Moffat respectively fifth and seventh in the Drivers’ standings heading next to the former’s home circuit of Thruxton on 8-9 June, with the Northwich, Cheshire-based outfit climbing a spot to third in the Teams’ table.
 
Christian Dick, Team Principal, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ, said: “We’re now three weekends into the 2024 BTCC season, and it feels like everything is really beginning to gel and that we’re building some proper momentum inside the team. The weather clearly posed a variety of challenges at Snetterton, prompting a number of last-minute calls that required razor-sharp reactions, but everybody pulled together and we were rewarded with some excellent results. 
 
“It was a bold approach to go against the grain by running the hard tyres in race one, but Josh and Aiden had the courage of their convictions and after taking the pain, the fightback was able to begin. They drove superbly in really unpredictable conditions in race two to gain 24 positions between them, making them the biggest movers in the field and proving that the Corolla is an extremely capable package come rain or shine.
 
“To then achieve a double podium in race three – completing an all-Toyota top three lockout – was outstanding, as both drivers artfully exploited their soft tyre advantage to fully vindicate the strategy we had chosen. Two Teams’ trophies were simply the icing on the cake, and we look forward to doing it all over again at Thruxton in just a few days’ time!”
 
Josh Cook, Driver, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ, said: “I can’t be disappointed to come away from Snetterton with two podiums. It was a solid points weekend with strong pace, although we struggled a little bit for grip on Saturday – I thought we were either going to produce something really special in qualifying or it would all go down the pan! Unfortunately, I hit a patch of water under the bridge on my final ‘flyer’ in Q3 and it just sent me off backwards.
 
“We purposely sacrificed race one to get the hard tyre out of the way and try to open up some opportunities later in the day. The inconsistent weather hampered that plan somewhat, and it looked like we had made the wrong decision at the start of race two. Obviously it then came back to us, but honestly, that one was anyone’s guess!
 
“Keeping the soft tyre up our sleeves for race three helped us to secure an amazing result for the team. Everybody has worked so hard and the one-two-three was thoroughly well-deserved. Of course I want to be the one standing on the top step, but my lower hybrid allocation meant that was always going to be tough and in situations like that where I can’t win myself, I was very glad it was my team-mates up there with me.”
 
Aiden Moffat, Driver, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ, said: “That was an up-and-down weekend, to say the least! There was a split-moment where I thought I was going to finish race three in the barriers – I felt the back end sliding and thought, ‘that’s my race over’, so I was definitely happy to bring it home in second. 
 
“The conditions all day were simply bizarre. In race three, the track was pretty much dry until we got to the final three corners, and then it was virtually fully wet still, but we’d saved the soft tyres and there was no way we were going to put them to waste so it was just a case of ‘crack on’!
 
“It was a shame that we gave it away so easily with the mistake at Coram, but it was really fun to have another battle like that with Rob [Huff] because there’s a lot of respect between us, and it was a great result for Toyota and all the Speedworks guys. To see how much effort they put in, it was fantastic to reward them with a one-two-three – that was no less than they deserve.”

The 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign continues next week with a visit to the fastest circuit in the UK, Thruxton, on 8/9 June.

Not for the first time this season, the weather threw competitors a curveball in the British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton last weekend (25-26 May), obliging Tom Ingram to draw upon all of his renowned racecraft and experience to come away with a pair of strong top six finishes that keep him solidly in contention for the coveted drivers’ crown.

Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS arrived at Snetterton having won three of the opening six races of the 2024 campaign in the UK’s premier motor racing series – with Ingram claiming two of them – but its stable of Hyundai i30N coupés uncharacteristically struggled for speed in a damp qualifying session. Missing out on advancing to Q2 by a scant 19 thousandths-of-a-second, the 2022 champion found himself restricted to 13th on the starting grid amongst the 21 high-calibre protagonists for the curtain-raising contest.

Never one to lie down without a fight, Ingram came out swinging the following day, and in front of the live ITV4 television cameras and a capacity trackside crowd, he rolled up his sleeves and went immediately on the attack. On a greasy track surface and with just three laps’ hybrid deployment available by dint of his championship position, the 30-year-old quickly climbed to eighth before setting his sights on Colin Turkington next up the road.

Trying every which way to prise the door open, Ingram’s persistence finally paid off as he got a good run out of Williams on lap five and drafted past the four-time champion going down the Bentley Straight. He subsequently caught and rapidly overhauled Adam Morgan courtesy of a neat dive up the inside into Riches, with his sixth-place finish making him the biggest mover in the field and fastest lap on the final tour earning him a bonus point for good measure.

Continuing the theme of unpredictable conditions, a torrential thunderstorm delayed the start of race two and turned tyre selection into a lottery. After going to the grid on wets, the EXCELR8 Motorsport star – in company with two of his three chief title rivals – peeled into the pits at the end of the formation lap to switch to slicks.

As the circuit increasingly dried, that decision looked set to pay dividends, but then the heavens unexpectedly re-opened midway through, leaving Ingram with no choice but to tiptoe gingerly around as he focussed primarily on keeping his car out of the barriers. He ultimately took the chequered flag less than a second shy of the points in 16th.

The day’s finale was a similarly mixed-weather affair, with some sections of the track almost dry but others still significantly wet. Opting for slicks again, the talented Bucks-born ace navigated safely through a chaotic first lap to rise to ninth before unleashing prodigious pace to scythe his way further up the order.

By two-thirds’ distance, he was fifth, albeit over four seconds behind a three-way scrap for the runner-up spoils – but after displacing a fading, wet tyre-shod Jake Hill from

fourth, he proceeded to post three consecutive fastest laps to wind up just two tenths-of-a-second adrift of the podium. His best effort was more than a full second quicker than anybody else could muster, despite not being on the optimum soft-compound tyres.

Ingram’s charge means he will travel next to high-speed Thruxton in Hampshire having maintained third place in the championship standings, 11 points away from the top of the table.

Tom Ingram said: “You’re always going to have good weekends and bad weekends in this series – they come and go – but to concede only one point in the title battle after qualifying further down the field than we had been expecting and making the wrong call on tyres in race two I think represented a very good job in damage limitation.

“Saturday was a tricky day; we just genuinely didn’t have the pace. We calculated our hybrid deficit to be worth about eight tenths-of-a-second per lap and knew it would be pretty effective at Snetterton – particularly down the two long straights – but that didn’t tell the full story. When we bolted the wet tyres on in qualifying, nothing happened; we simply didn’t have any grip and it was really hard to get anything out of the session.

“We went through all the data overnight and tried to come up with a masterplan for Sunday, and the Hyundai came alive on the soft tyres in race one. It felt superb, and we did well to battle through against cars that had more hybrid than us, which put the smile back on my face.

“Race two, by contrast, was scary, unpleasant and basically a little bit rubbish! There was no silver lining to take from it, other than not crashing, but it was great to come away with a good result in race three.

“The conditions were quite sketchy again, because the first two sectors were dry whereas the last one was still very wet and stubbornly remained that way. You’d build up lots of confidence and tyre temperature and be full of bravery around the first two-thirds of the lap and then you’d get to sector three and it was a wild ride, to say the least!

“It felt like such a long day because it required so much mental concentration with the changeable weather and tyre choices to think about and so many permutations to constantly consider. We really had to be on the ball, but I think we learned more from that single day than we did from the first two race weekends this year, so I’m feeling good for Thruxton, where you never know, maybe we’ll even get some consistently dry running if we’re lucky...”

Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing continued its impressive early-season form in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton this past weekend (May 25-26) as Árón Taylor-Smith and Mikey Doble both tallied Independent victories.

Maintaining its unbeaten record in the category at a wet and wild third meeting of the campaign, the Worcestershire-based team now hold a firm stranglehold in both the Independent Drivers’ and Teams Championship standings.

Locking out the eighth row of the grid for race one, Taylor-Smith and Doble found themselves in the thick of the midfield battle from the get-go and worked together to move forward to 12th and 13th respectively; with Taylor-Smith claiming Independent honours.

Race two proved to be one of attrition as heavy rain prior to the start of the contest caused many to take a gamble when it came to tyre strategy, with Taylor-Smith being one of them as he switched to slicks whilst Doble remained on wets.

On the cusp of breaking into the top ten, Taylor-Smith’s progress was halted as the heavens opened and he would ultimately go on to finish 12th. Up ahead, Doble was one of the stars of the show as he fought his way forward to a career-best fourth place and an Independent win.

The weekend’s finale saw the team collect more silverware as Doble bounced back from an early spin to net another top ten finish. Alongside a second Independent win and outright victory in the Jack Sears Trophy, race three capped Doble’s most successful weekend in the tin top series.

Taylor-Smith’s drive to 15th in the reverse grid encounter means he heads to Thruxton in less than two weeks’ time holding a slender one-point lead over Doble in the Independents’ Drivers Championship.

The team hold a commanding 37-point advantage in the Independent Teams’ Championship while Doble is 43 points clear of his nearest rival in the coveted Jack Sears Trophy.

Árón Taylor-Smith said: “I think the best way to summarise the weekend is ‘what could have been’ because had it not been for the rain falling in race two I really think we would have been in with a shout of winning.

“We missed the window a little bit in qualifying and that ultimately put us on the back foot for race day. However, we’ve got a cracking race car and that showed because we had the pace and potential to achieve something really special.

“I’m confident that that big result is coming though. We’re now heading to what is one of our strongest circuits on the calendar, Thruxton, which really excites me.”

Mikey Doble said: “It’s been another unpredictable and action-packed weekend in the BTCC so I’m over the moon to be coming away with a best finish of fourth, two Independent wins and extending my lead in the Jack Sears Trophy.

“On reflection, our only bad session all weekend was qualifying and that came down to us just not getting the car in the window. In race one we had some good battles to make up a few spots and then obviously the heavens opened before (and during) race two.

“We made the right call on tyres and the car felt incredible; I just got my head down and worked my way up the order. Race three I was almost in the wall, but we managed to recover and again score a brilliant result. I’m really happy with how it has all gone!”

The 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign continues in less than two weeks’ time with a visit to the fastest circuit in the UK, Thruxton, on 8/9 June.