WSR’s Charles Rainford sits second in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship standings after recording a podium finish and a pair of further top-six finishes on a thrilling day of racing at Donington Park (18/19 April).
 
Strong pace from team-mate Daryl De Leon ensured that the 18-time title winners began the 2026 season with a large helping of points from the East Midlands venue.
 
After making solid progress during Saturday’s Qualifying Race, Rainford started Race 1 from fifth place on the grid and ran competitively throughout to begin the season with a third-place result and a podium finish in his BMW 330i M Sport.
 
The Sussex racer added sixth and fifth-place results with two further battling drives later in the day to sit second in the Drivers’ Championship – his highest-ever position in the BTCC as he begins his second campaign in the series.
 
Team-mate De Leon produced two superb recovery drives early in the day; the Anglo-Filipino rising from 17th to 12th in the opener and then taking advantage of using the soft-option Goodyear tyres in Race 2 to finish fifth. This was the best result he’s achieved to date on the 1.9-mile Donington National layout in the BTCC.
 
An excellent start brought him up to third at the start of Race 3, and he was on course for another solid points haul until contact with a rival at the right-handed Coppice corner saw him spun onto the grass, receiving further contact from an unsighted car and dropping to the back of the pack. De Leon recovered to 13th.
 
WSR hold second place in the Independent Teams’ points table and third in the overall Teams’ standings with nine triple-header rounds to go.
 
Charles Rainford said: “It’s been a very strong weekend for me and WSR. I’m second in the overall Drivers’ championship, which I’m delighted about. The BMW was flawless in the Qualifying Race yesterday, when we got a little bit lucky, and we’ve continued that form through today with a third, a fifth and a sixth. It’s been a fabulous weekend and I’m looking forward to Brands Hatch now.”
 
Daryl De Leon said: “It’s been a bit of a weekend to forget. I had a mega result in Race Two with fifth spot, but some issues all weekend have made things a bit tricky. It’s been a tough day. I made a bit of progress on the medium tyre in Race One to come up from the back to 12th, then Race Two on the option tyre was mega and I finished fifth. In the last race I just got wiped out, which ruined my race. But it’s a long season and Brands Hatch – where I scored my first BTCC win last year – is next.”
 
Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “We’re pleased to see Charles take a podium finish and to be second in the championship. It’s quite a turnaround from a year ago, when he didn’t score a point here so it’s great to see the progress he’s made. Daryl deserved to have something similar points-wise - his Race Two drive on the soft tyre was very good – but a couple of things outside his control have turned what could have been a strong day into one of what might have been. I think we’ve done a good job to maximise the speed of the BMW against the opposition and had very good reliability, but it’s clear there are still some gains to be made, so we’ll look into how we can do that.”

Mikey Doble enjoyed a fairytale start to the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season at Donington Park this past weekend (April 18-19) as he charged to a spectacular second career victory.

On what proved to be a dream debut for the all-new Audi S3 Saloon, the LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver delivered a wheel-perfect performance in the opening round to triumph in front of a capacity trackside crowd. 

Leading the BTCC Drivers’ Championship for the first-ever time at one stage too, Doble also added two further battling drives to cap off a memorable outing in the UK’s premier motorsport series.

Entering the weekend having shown promising front-running pace throughout pre-season testing, Doble arrived at the opening meeting of the season with a quiet confidence; all of which was reinforced as he enjoyed a sublime Saturday at the Leicestershire venue. 

Securing eighth on the grid for the BTCC’s first-ever Qualifying Race, Doble underlined his credentials as one of the series’ leading lights as he hustled his front-wheel-drive machine onto the fringes of the top three. 

Producing a number of standout overtakes in the early stages of what turned out to be a frenetic 13-lap contest, the former Jack Sears Trophy winner battled his way up to fourth at the chequered flag - which is where he would then start the first of Sunday’s three races. 

Opting to run the soft tyre for race one, the 27-year-old underlined his status as being one to watch this year as he produced a virtuoso performance live on ITV4.

Keeping out of trouble in the opening exchanges, the Surrey-based racer soon came alive as he firstly found a way past Charles Rainford for third before then dispatching Dan Rowbottom for second. 

Doble would spend the remaining laps chipping away at the gap to race leader Tom Ingram however he would ultimately be unable to overturn the deficit, crossing the line in second place overall and as the lead Independents’ entry. 

Shortly after the race it would be confirmed that Ingram had been disqualified from the result due to a technical issue, which therefore promoted Doble up to first to claim what was a hugely popular win.

Riding a wave of momentum from his earlier victory, the Audi ace endured a bruising second race as a lack of TOCA Turbo Boost and the less favourable medium tyre saw him tumble back to the 14th at the chequered flag.

Doble’s weekend then came to a close as he found himself getting caught up in a multi-car incident, all of which resulted in him having to take avoiding action across the grass and then a trip into the pit lane to scoop out the aforementioned grass in his radiator.

Mikey Doble, LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing: “What an absolutely incredible way to start the season. Winning the first race of the year is perhaps one of the best to win as it is the race where everyone is at the exact same level in terms of boost, etc.

“Obviously my first win last year was very special but this is just as incredible given what the team have been through during the past year and that they’ve had to build three brand-new cars. To take a win straight out of the box is phenomenal.

“We knew we had really strong pace from the Qualifying Race and on the soft tyre, the car came alive. I had great pace and although we didn’t win on the road, I don’t think anybody could deny us that result. It’s a great reward for the whole team.

“The lack of boost and the medium tyre hampered us a little bit in race two and then we just found ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time in race three. We used that more as an extended test session to gather data.

“It’s been an incredible start to the season, not just for me but also for my team-mates Aiden [Moffat] and Dexter [Patterson], so hopefully we can go to Brands Hatch next month and maintain this strong start.”

The 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship continues in less than three weeks’ time at Brands Hatch (9/10 May). 

Restart Racing completed the opening round of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park, rounding out a challenging weekend with a strong top ten finish in the final bout.

Following Saturday’s debut of the Qualifying Race, Chris Smiley and James Dorlin faced a challenging Sunday at Donington Park, lining up 15th and 16th respectively for the opening encounter.

Bright but blustery conditions greeted the field for race day, with both drivers opting for the medium compound tyre in Race 1. Smiley made a steady start, holding position in the early laps, while Dorlin was drawn into the thick of a tightly contested midfield battle after slipping back slightly off the line. The pair remained firmly in the fight throughout, with positions changing frequently as the pack scrapped for track position.

A mid-race safety car, triggered after Josh Cook’s Toyota Corolla GR Sport found the gravel at the chicane, reset the field and offered a renewed opportunity. Dorlin capitalised, executing a clean move on Sam Osborne (NAPA Racing UK) at the Old Hairpin before producing a decisive last-lap pass at the final corner to claim 14th. Smiley, meanwhile, had dropped down the order but responded with determination to recover to 17th, showing encouraging pace despite the setback.

Race 2 offered a stronger platform, particularly for Dorlin, who made an excellent start to climb to 11th on the opening lap. Smiley also made early gains, settling into the midfield just outside the top 10. Another safety car interruption kept the field compressed, and once racing resumed, the intensity remained high.

Dorlin briefly broke into the top ten with a move at the chicane, but in typical BTCC fashion, track position proved difficult to hold amid continued close-quarters racing. Smiley, in contrast, focused on consistency, gradually working his way forward. A late move on Mikey Doble (LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing) secured 12th place, an important result ahead of the reverse grid draw, while Dorlin ultimately finished 17th.

With both cars switching to the soft tyre for the final race, the pace began to shine through. Despite not gaining ground on the opening lap, both drivers settled into a strong rhythm and started to close in on the cars ahead.

Smiley led the charge, making decisive progress by overtaking Gordon Shedden (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport), Daniel Rowbottom (Cataclean Plato Racing) and Árón Taylor-Smith (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) in quick succession to break into the top 10. Dorlin was right behind, matching the pace and running firmly in contention.

However, his race took a turn at the Craner Curves, where contact from Shedden saw Dorlin onto the grass at high speed. Though he did well to regain control, the incident cost him several positions and dropped him back down the order.

At the front of the midfield, Smiley continued to push in the closing stages. A well-executed move on Adam Morgan (Cataclean Plato Racing) on the final lap secured eighth on the road, before a post-race penalty for a rival promoted him to seventh, capping off a strong recovery drive and delivering a deserved top ten finish for the team.

Dorlin crossed the line in 15th, a result that didn’t fully reflect the pace he had shown across the weekend, but one that underlined his competitiveness in the midfield fight.

Chris Smiley (#22) said: “So that’s Donington done. It’s been quite a tough weekend overall. Free practice didn’t start very well; we had an issue with the engine, and that left us chasing the rest of the weekend with the setup.

Race 1 this morning, we got caught up and were basically pin-balled off. Race 2, we made some progress and moved forward a bit after making quite a few setup changes to the car.

Then in Race 3, we had a really good run to finish 7th. The car felt really comfortable, and I think we’ve learned a lot this weekend. I’m really looking forward to Brands Hatch, and with the knowledge we’ve gained here, it puts us in a good position going forward.”

James Dorlin (#132) added: “So that’s Round 1 done at Donington Park. It’s been a tough weekend for the first one, for sure. We struggled a little bit with the car yesterday in qualifying, and to be honest, in the races everyone is so close that if you start in the wrong position, you can get a bit stuck there.

There have been some rough battles, but we’ve learned a lot. The positive to take is that there is definitely pace in the car, and both Chris and I feel strong. We just got caught up in other people’s battles a bit too much this weekend.

There are a lot of positives, even if the results aren’t where we want them to be. We’ll move on to Brands Hatch and I’m confident we’ll be further up the order.”

Attention now turns to Rounds 3, 4 & 5 of the 2026 BTCC season at Brands Hatch (09/10 May), where Restart Racing will look to build on the pace shown at Donington and convert it into stronger results.

BTCC’s trio of all-new cars all claim wins at Donington Park

The 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship blasted into action at Donington Park this weekend (18/19 April) as four-time champion Ash Sutton hauled his car from the gravel on Saturday to a double race win on Sunday.

Mikey Doble triumphed in the other encounter following Dan Rowbottom’s win in Saturday’s Qualifying Race – meaning that the BTCC’s trio of all-new cars for 2026 – Mercedes A35 Saloon, Audi A3 Saloon and Ford Focus Titanium – took all the competitive victories in the season curtain raiser.

As the sun set over the legendary Leicestershire venue, it is Sutton who holds the early lead of the Drivers’ standings with his Alliance Racing/Ford and NAPA Racing UK outfit also topping both the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ and Teams’ tables.

Aiden Moffat and the LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing squad top the Independents’, whilst Dexter Patterson enjoyed his best ever day in the BTCC to grab the early advantage in the Jack Sears Trophy.

Overall, it proved to be an extremely successful and popular weekend as a huge crowd basked in bright spring sunshine while many more watched the action LIVE on ITV4 in the UK and across the world via YouTube.

The second event of the BTCC season takes place at Brands Hatch on the 9/10 May.

Mikey Doble inherits win in Donington Park opener

LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing’s Doble claimed victory in the season opener at Donington Park, after on-track victor Tom Ingram was disqualified when his car was found to have registered a significant overboost infringement.

Polesitter Rowbottom fell to fourth on the opening lap and would later receive a ten-second time penalty for repeated track limit offences, dropping the Cataclean Plato Racing driver down the order.

Speedworks Corolla Racing’s Josh Cook was in solid contention for second place before a puncture going into the final chicane fired his Toyota into the barrier on lap six.

Rowbottom inherited the place originally before he was passed by the charging Audi S3 Saloon of Doble, as he scooped the Independents’ win as well as his overall triumph.

Sutton's performance was typically staggering as he hauled his #116 Ford Focus Titanium through the field from the back of the grid.

The four-time champion had endured a tough start to the season during the Qualifying Race when contact with title rival Ingram fired his machine into the gravel. As is often the case with Sutton, however, the 32-year-old bounced back in fine fashion in Sunday's opener.

Move-after-move was made with a mid-race scrap with WSR’s Charles Rainford being particularly eye catching, before making his way to a fantastic second place ahead of the BMW man.

Sutton storms through the pack

NAPA Racing UK's Sutton then romped to victory in race two, having started the prior bout from last on the grid.

The Ford Focus Titanium started the race from second, before taking the lead by the exit of Redgate on the opening tour and never looked back to claim his 48th career BTCC triumph.

Joining the four-time champion on the podium was NAPA Racing UK teammate Dan Cammish and Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Gordon Shedden.

Both Cammish and Shedden had scrapped their way forwards over the course of the day and the experienced racers got their just rewards in the second race.

Moffat's impressive weekend continued as the LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver claimed fourth ahead of WSR duo Daryl De Leon and Rainford.

Ash Sutton triumphant in 300th race start

Sutton made it two wins in two to complete the opening weekend of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, marking his 300th race in style.

Starting from eighth on the grid thanks to drawing the No.8 ball himself for the reverse grid, Sutton had it all to do from the fourth row.

Aided by the Goodyear soft tyre and his undoubted racecraft, the four-time champion made light work of the competition before slipping past long-time leader Ricky Collard to take the victory.

Team VERTU's Collard led away from pole position of the finale and was soon followed by the WSR duo of Rainford and De Leon, as the Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing Audi A3 Saloon of Patterson initially dropped back.

Sutton was on the rear bumper of Collard's Hyundai before mid-distance and grabbed the lead on the run through Redgate, whilst NAPA Racing UK's Cammish and Team VERTU's Ingram were also soon in the fight.

Reigning champion Ingram provided some respite from a challenging day by scything his way from the back of the grid to second in his #80 Hyundai i30 N Fastback as team-mate Collard completed an impressive podium, whilst Cammish received a time penalty for several track limit infringements.

The Power Maxed Racing stable enjoyed another fantastic race with Moffat in fourth and Patterson in sixth – both completing one of the most successful weekends of their respective careers with Patterson's race three result the best he's ever achieved in the BTCC.

Mikey Doble, LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing, said: “It’s unbelievable really. There’s pure elation in the team for the first race in this new car – you’ll never get to have that first race again so to win it is amazing. I said I wanted to win two races this season and to have already won one on the opening day is unbelievable. The guys have worked so hard, I don’t think they’ve had a day off since Christmas to get these cars out for this round. There’s more to come from this car too.”

Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK, said: “What a day! 24 hours ago, we were sat in the gravel trap so to turn this around is awesome. The car has been on fire, we also got a first one-two of the season for NAPA Racing UK, so it’s just been an incredible day. The Audis have looked good and so have the BMWs but of course the Hyundais will also be there. It’s early days of course. The new format will really take hold at Brands Hatch, which will spice things up, I’m sure.”

Results

2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Donington Park (National)

1. Mikey Doble, LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing 21 Laps
2. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +1.749s
3. Charles Rainford, WSR +5.392s
4. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +6.276s
5. Gordon Shedden, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +7.401s
6. Aiden Moffat, LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing +7.693s
7. Dexter Patterson, Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing +8.102s
8. Árón Taylor-Smith, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +8.180s
9. Tom Chilton, Team VERTU +8.417s
10. Adam Morgan, Cataclean Plato Racing +8.775s

2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Donington Park (National)

1. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK 21 Laps
2. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +2.634s
3. Gordon Shedden, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +3.038s
4. Aiden Moffat, LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing +4.505s
5. Daryl De Leon, WSR +5.740s
6. Charles Rainford, WSR +6.126s
7. Dexter Patterson, Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing +10.971s
8. Ricky Collard, Team VERTU +12.796s
9. Adam Morgan, Cataclean Plato Racing +14.309s
10. Josh Cook, Speedworks Corolla Racing +15.201s

2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Donington Park (National)

1. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK 18 Laps
2. Tom Ingram, Team VERTU +2.188s
3. Ricky Collard, Team VERTU +7.218s
4. Aiden Moffat, LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing +9.041s
5. Charles Rainford, WSR +9.884s
6. Dexter Patterson, Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing +13.018s
7. Chris Smiley, Restart Racing +14.176s
8. Adam Morgan, Cataclean Plato Racing +14.777s
9. Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK +14.947s
10. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +16.895s

Penalties:


Qualifying Race

Daryl De Leon received a five-second time penalty for an overboost infringement

Race 1

Adam Morgan received a five-second time penalty in Round 1 of the championship, for an overboost infringement


Tom Ingram was disqualified from Round 1 of the championship, for a significant overboost infringement

Race 3

Gordon Shedden received a 1.1 second time penalty and three penalty points on his licence in Round 3 of the championship, for causing a collision and gaining an advantage in an incident involving Daryl De Leon

Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) made it two wins in two to complete the opening weekend of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, marking his 300th race in style.

Starting from eighth on the grid thanks to drawing the No.8 ball himself for the reverse grid, Sutton had it all to do from the fourth row.

Aided by the Goodyear soft tyre and his undoubted racecraft, the four time champion made light work of the competition before slipping past long-time leader Ricky Collard to take the victory.

The victory completed an astonishing weekend that saw the BTCC's all-new cars – Mercedes A35 Saloon, Audi S3 Saloon and Ford Focus Titanium – win ALL of the four competitive races across the event around 1.98-mile circuit.

Team VERTU's Collard led away from pole position of the finale and was soon followed by the WSR duo of Charles Rainford and Daryl De Leon, as the Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing Audi A3 Saloon of Dexter Patterson initially dropped back.

Sutton was on the rear bumper of Collard's Hyundai before mid-distance and grabbed the lead on the run through Redgate, and NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish and Team VERTU's Tom Ingram were also soon in the fight.

Reigning champion Ingram provided some respite from a challenging day by scything his way from the back of the grid to second in his #80 Hyundai i30 N Fastback as team-mate Collard completed an impressive podium, whilst Cammish received a time penalty for several track limit infringements.

The Power Maxed Racing stable enjoyed another fantastic race with Aiden Moffat (LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing) in fourth and Patterson in sixth – both securing one of the best days of the respective careers with Patterson's race three result the highest he's ever achieved in the BTCC.

WSR's Rainford was fifth – in between the two Audis – whilst Restart Racing's Chris Smiley had his best result of the day with seventh.

Adam Morgan (Cataclean Plato Racing), Sam Osborne (NAPA Racing UK) and Cammish completed the top ten positions.

Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK, said:

Tom Ingram, Team VERTU, said:

Ricky Collard, Team VERTU, said:

Donington Park (National) – Race 3 – Result

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	Best/	On/
1	116	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	18	20:51.143		1:08.624	7
2	80	Tom INGRAM	Team VERTU	18	20:53.331	2.188	1:08.078	10
3	11	Ricky COLLARD	Team VERTU	18	20:58.361	7.218	1:08.683	7
4	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing	18	21:00.184	9.041	1:08.823	8
5	99	Charles RAINFORD	WSR	18	21:01.027	9.884	1:09.108	18
6	17	Dexter PATTERSON	Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing	18	21:04.161	13.018	1:08.999	7
7	22	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	18	21:05.319	14.176	1:08.608	9
8	33	Adam MORGAN	Cataclean Plato Racing	18	21:05.920	14.777	1:09.086	8
9	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	18	21:06.090	14.947	1:08.680	6
10	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	18	21:08.038	16.895	1:08.698	8
11	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	Cataclean Plato Racing	18	21:11.153	20.010	1:08.712	7
12	52	Gordon SHEDDEN	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	18	21:11.352	20.209	1:09.331	5
13	50	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	18	21:11.402	20.259	1:09.243	9
14	2	Daryl DE LEON	WSR	18	21:12.421	21.278	1:09.052	9
15	132	James DORLIN	Restart Racing	18	21:12.618	21.475	1:08.862	6
16	19	Max BUXTON	Speedworks Corolla Racing	18	21:20.712	29.569	1:09.408	8
17	15	Lewis SELBY	NAPA Racing UK	18	21:40.449	49.306	1:08.171	6
18	28	Nicolas HAMILTON	Team VERTU	18	21:41.697	50.554	1:09.615	10
19	88	Mikey DOBLE	LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing	17	21:17.930	1 Lap	1:08.280	9
DNF	66	Josh COOK	Speedworks Corolla Racing	15	18:35.709	3 Laps	1:08.381	10
DNF	3	Tom CHILTON	Team VERTU	6	9:07.341	12 Laps	1:09.687	2

NAPA Racing UK's Ash Sutton romped to victory in Round 2 of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park, having started the prior bout from last on the grid.

The Ford Focus Titanium started the race from second, before taking the lead by the exit of Redgate on the opening tour and never looked back to claim his 48th career BTCC triumph.

It was a stellar contrast to the scene yesterday afternoon that saw the #116 start the season in the gravel after contact with Tom Ingram in the first ever Qualifying Race.

Not only was Sutton's turnaround startling but there is another incredible stat in this opening BTCC race weekend of 2026 – all three competitive races have been won by brand new cars... Mercedes A35 Saloon, Audi A3 Saloon and now the Ford Focus Titanium.

Joining the four-time champion on the podium was NAPA Racing UK teammate Dan Cammish and Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Gordon Shedden.

Both Cammish and Shedden have scrapped their way forwards over the course of the day and the experienced racers got their just rewards in the second race.

Aiden Moffat's impressive weekend continued as the LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver claimed fourth ahead of WSR duo Daryl De Leon and Charles Rainford.

Dexter Patterson (Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing) and Ricky Collard (Team VERTU) were next in the order and both were rewarded with a front row start for the final reverse grid later today.

Adam Morgan (Cataclean Plato Racing) and Josh Cook (Speedworks Corolla Racing) rounded out the top ten.

Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK, said:

Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK, said:

Gordon Shedden, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said:

Donington Park (National) – Race 2 – Result

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	Best/	On/
1	116	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	21	26:18.898		1:08.061	6
2	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	21	26:21.532	2.634	1:08.206	10
3	52	Gordon SHEDDEN	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	21	26:21.936	3.038	1:08.551	8
4	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing	21	26:23.403	4.505	1:08.412	8
5	2	Daryl DE LEON	WSR	21	26:24.638	5.740	1:08.293	16
6	99	Charles RAINFORD	WSR	21	26:25.024	6.126	1:08.491	11
7	17	Dexter PATTERSON	Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing	21	26:29.869	10.971	1:08.658	10
8	11	Ricky COLLARD	Team VERTU	21	26:31.694	12.796	1:09.015	13
9	33	Adam MORGAN	Cataclean Plato Racing	21	26:33.207	14.309	1:09.228	10
10	66	Josh COOK	Speedworks Corolla Racing	21	26:34.099	15.201	1:08.693	8
11	50	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	21	26:35.705	16.807	1:09.103	13
12	22	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	21	26:36.574	17.676	1:09.101	7
13	3	Tom CHILTON	Team VERTU	21	26:36.982	18.084	1:08.760	10
14	88	Mikey DOBLE	LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing	21	26:38.086	19.188	1:09.570	13
15	15	Lewis SELBY	NAPA Racing UK	21	26:40.796	21.898	1:09.228	9
16	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	21	26:41.233	22.335	1:09.003	9
17	132	James DORLIN	Restart Racing	21	26:41.869	22.971	1:09.440	12
DNF	19	Max BUXTON	Speedworks Corolla Racing	6	10:36.172	15 Laps	1:11.883	5
DNF	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	Cataclean Plato Racing	2	3:29.976	19 Laps		0
DNF	28	Nicolas HAMILTON	Team VERTU	0	0.000			0
DNF	80	Tom INGRAM	Team VERTU	0	0.000			0

AMENDED RESULT: Tom Ingram has been handed a post-race penalty as his car was adjudged to have had a significant overboost. He has subsequently been disqualified from the final result, whilst Adam Morgan has been handed a five second penalty for a lesser overboost infringement.

Donington Park - Round 1 - Amended Result:

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	Best/	On/
1	88	Mikey DOBLE	LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing	21	26:01.652		1:08.351	3
2	116	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	21	26:03.401	1.749	1:07.944	6
3	99	Charles RAINFORD	WSR	21	26:07.044	5.392	1:08.246	4
4	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	21	26:07.928	6.276	1:08.755	3
5	52	Gordon SHEDDEN	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	21	26:09.053	7.401	1:08.928	3
6	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing	21	26:09.345	7.693	1:08.654	5
7	17	Dexter PATTERSON	Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing	21	26:09.754	8.102	1:09.026	15
8	50	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	21	26:09.832	8.180	1:09.054	14
9	3	Tom CHILTON	Team VERTU	21	26:10.069	8.417	1:08.748	17
10	33	Adam MORGAN	Cataclean Plato Racing	21	26:10.427	8.775	1:08.835	2
11	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	Cataclean Plato Racing	21	26:13.319	11.667	1:08.291	4
12	2	Daryl DE LEON	WSR	21	26:13.807	12.155	1:08.966	6
13	132	James DORLIN	Restart Racing	21	26:15.028	13.376	1:09.457	17
14	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	21	26:15.268	13.616	1:09.442	5
15	15	Lewis SELBY	NAPA Racing UK	21	26:15.684	14.032	1:09.249	6
16	22	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	21	26:15.812	14.160	1:09.149	7
17	28	Nicolas HAMILTON	Team VERTU	21	26:22.783	21.131	1:09.646	6
18	19	Max BUXTON	Speedworks Corolla Racing	21	26:23.001	21.349	1:09.693	6
DNF	11	Ricky COLLARD	Team VERTU	14	19:45.968	7 Laps	1:09.167	6
DNF	66	Josh COOK	Speedworks Corolla Racing	6	6:58.344	15 Laps	1:08.347	2
DQ	80	Tom INGRAM	Team VERTU	0	0.000			0

Mikey Doble (LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing) inherited victory in Round 1 of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park, after on-track victor Tom Ingram was disqualified for a significant overboost infringement.

Polesitter Daniel Rowbottom fell to fourth on the opening lap and would later receive a ten-second time penalty for repeated track limit offences, dropping the #32 down the order.

Ingram cruised to the win on-track while second place was a battle throughout. Speedworks Corolla Racing’s Josh Cook was in solid contention for the place before a puncture going into the final chicane on lap six fired his Toyota into the barrier.

Rowbottom inherited the place originally before he was passed by the charging Audi S3 Saloon of Doble, as he scooped the Independents’ win as well as his overall triumph.

Sutton's performance was typically staggering as he hauled his #116 Ford Focus Titanium through the field from the back of the grid.

The four-time champion endured a tough start to the season during the Qualifying Race yesterday when contact with title rival Ingram fired his machine into the gravel. As is often the case with Sutton, however, the 33-year-old bounced back in fine fashion in Sunday's opener.

Move-after-move was made with a mid-race scrap with WSR’s Charles Rainford being particularly eye catching, before he eventually made his way to a fantastic second place.

Cataclean Plato Racing’s Adam Morgan made his way to third at the finish, but his car had also committed a minor overboost infringement and was issued a post-race five-second penalty, handing the final place on the podium to Rainford.

NAPA Racing UK’s Dan Cammish had a good race too as he scrambled from 13^th on the grid up to fourth, getting the better of a trio of Scotsman – Gordon Shedden (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport), Aiden Moffat and Dexter Pattertson.

Donington Park (National) – Race 1 – Result:

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	Best/	On/
1	88	Mikey DOBLE	LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing	21	26:01.652		1:08.351	3
2	116	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	21	26:03.401	1.749	1:07.944	6
3	99	Charles RAINFORD	WSR	21	26:07.044	5.392	1:08.246	4
4	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	21	26:07.928	6.276	1:08.755	3
5	52	Gordon SHEDDEN	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	21	26:09.053	7.401	1:08.928	3
6	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing	21	26:09.345	7.693	1:08.654	5
7	17	Dexter PATTERSON	Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing	21	26:09.754	8.102	1:09.026	15
8	50	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	21	26:09.832	8.180	1:09.054	14
9	3	Tom CHILTON	Team VERTU	21	26:10.069	8.417	1:08.748	17
10	33	Adam MORGAN	Cataclean Plato Racing	21	26:10.427	8.775	1:08.835	2
11	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	Cataclean Plato Racing	21	26:13.319	11.667	1:08.291	4
12	2	Daryl DE LEON	WSR	21	26:13.807	12.155	1:08.966	6
13	132	James DORLIN	Restart Racing	21	26:15.028	13.376	1:09.457	17
14	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	21	26:15.268	13.616	1:09.442	5
15	15	Lewis SELBY	NAPA Racing UK	21	26:15.684	14.032	1:09.249	6
16	22	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	21	26:15.812	14.160	1:09.149	7
17	28	Nicolas HAMILTON	Team VERTU	21	26:22.783	21.131	1:09.646	6
18	19	Max BUXTON	Speedworks Corolla Racing	21	26:23.001	21.349	1:09.693	6
DNF	11	Ricky COLLARD	Team VERTU	14	19:45.968	7 Laps	1:09.167	6
DNF	66	Josh COOK	Speedworks Corolla Racing	6	6:58.344	15 Laps	1:08.347	2
DQ	80	Tom INGRAM	Team VERTU	0	0.000			0

Jason Plato's dream BTCC comeback kicks off at Donington Park

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Cataclean Plato Racing made history at Donington Park earlier today (18 April) as Dan Rowbottom took victory in the first ever BTCC Qualifying Race in the debut weekend for the team.

The highly anticipated 'Race to Pole' – introduced during the off-season – saw the best tin top drivers in the UK battle for not only grid positions for tomorrow's opener but also for the first haul of points of the new campaign.

It came as little surprise to see Tom Ingram (Team VERTU) and Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) – with six BTCC titles between them – lineup on the front row of the Qualifying Race by virtue of their flying laps during the earlier session, but both hit trouble during Saturday's main contest.

It was a breathtaking start and opening lap as Ingram, Sutton, Rowbottom and NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish fought it out for P1.

There was little space as Sutton slipped his #116 Ford Focus Titanium down the inside of Ingram at the start of lap two, and with the gap running out his car slid across the grass and eventually into the gravel.

It was a double blow for NAPA Racing UK as Cammish was held up by the incident, while Ingram, Rowbottom and Speedworks Corolla Racing's Josh Cook pulled clear.

There was further drama shortly after as news filtered through of a five second penalty for Ingram for being out of position at the start of the race.

It proved to be a race against the clock, and with Ingram needing to pull clear, he eventually finished just 0.024s short as the chequered flag waved.

Celebrations ensued as Team Principal and Team Manager Jason Plato cut an emotional figure with his incredible BTCC comeback producing an immediate fairytale story.

Ingram did enough to grab second ahead of a promising performance from Cook in the #66 Toyota Corolla.

The LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing duo of Mikey Doble and Aiden Moffat enjoyed a great debut in the new Audi A3 Saloon – finishing fourth and eighth respectively.

WSR's Charles Rainford, Team VERTU's Tom Chilton and Cataclean Plato Racing's Adam Morgan were next in the order, whilst Gordon Shedden (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) and Dexter Patterson (Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing) rounded out the top ten.

Round 1, 2 and 3 of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship takes place at Donington Park tomorrow with a huge crowd expected at the Leicestershire venue with many more able to watch the action all-day LIVE on ITV4 from 10:45.

Dan Rowbottom, Cataclean Plato Racing, said: "We've made a little bit of history. We've put the car on pole for tomorrow for Cataclean Plato Racing and it obviously feels fantastic. We still have to do a lot of work, but we made the best of it.

"We didn't have the pace of [Tom] Ingram if I'm honest, but he had that five second penalty, so all I had to do was manage the gap. It's been a long winter but this is an incredible moment for Cataclean Plato Racing... let's try and make it happen tomorrow."

Qualifying Race - Donington Park (National)

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	Best/	On/
1	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	Cataclean Plato Racing	13	15:07.947		1:08.649	6
2	80	Tom INGRAM	Team VERTU	13	15:07.971	0.024	1:08.236	6
3	66	Josh COOK	Speedworks Corolla Racing	13	15:08.257	0.310	1:08.713	5
4	88	Mikey DOBLE	LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing	13	15:09.249	1.302	1:08.624	9
5	99	Charles RAINFORD	WSR	13	15:09.952	2.005	1:08.744	9
6	3	Tom CHILTON	Team VERTU	13	15:11.455	3.508	1:08.818	9
7	33	Adam MORGAN	Cataclean Plato Racing	13	15:12.665	4.718	1:09.028	11
8	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing	13	15:12.955	5.008	1:08.868	10
9	52	Gordon SHEDDEN	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	13	15:17.551	9.604	1:09.104	5
10	17	Dexter PATTERSON	Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing	13	15:18.793	10.846	1:08.948	5
11	50	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	13	15:19.116	11.169	1:09.045	3
12	11	Ricky COLLARD	Team VERTU	13	15:19.378	11.431	1:09.022	4
13	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	13	15:19.514	11.567	1:08.996	3
14	22	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	13	15:19.741	11.794	1:08.984	5
15	132	James DORLIN	Restart Racing	13	15:20.651	12.704	1:08.968	5
16	15	Lewis SELBY	NAPA Racing UK	13	15:22.794	14.847	1:08.866	5
17	2	Daryl DELEON	WSR	13	15:23.646	15.699	1:08.969	5
18	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	13	15:28.147	20.200	1:08.981	5
19	28	Nicolas HAMILTON	Team VERTU	13	15:28.442	20.495	1:09.444	5
20	19	Max BUXTON	Speedworks Corolla Racing	13	15:31.326	23.379	1:10.071	7
DNF	116	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	1	1:16.403	12 Laps		0

Team VERTU's Tom Ingram has topped the opening Free Practice of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship as the #80 Hyundai clocked a 1:07.842s around the Donington Park National circuit.

Speedworks Corolla Racing's Josh Cook was second as his Toyota-run squad look to mount a consistent championship challenge in 2026, whilst third and fourth went to the debutant Cataclean Plato Racing team.

Daniel Rowbottom was third in his #32 Mercedes A35 Saloon, whilst team-mate Adam Morgan led the times at one stage before having to settle for fourth.

Tom Chilton backed-up his Team VERTU stablemate Ingram by setting the fifth fastest time, ahead of the first of the new NAPA Racing UK Ford Titaniums.

The two Blue Ovals of Dan Cammish and Ash Sutton had the new LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing Audi of Aiden Moffat wedged between them on the timesheets, whilst Charles Rainford (WSR) and Mikey Doble (LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing) rounded out the top ten.

The action not only marked the start of the 2026 BTCC campaign but it also kicked off what will be an historic day for the championship.

After this one 40-minute Free Practice, the finishing order will be split into two groups, odd-finishing-numbers (Group 1) and even-finishing-numbers (Group 2). Each group will get a 15-minute qualifying session to set their fastest times. The group with the fastest qualifying time will occupy the odd-numbered grid positions for the Qualifying Race, ordered by their respective qualifying times. The other group will occupy the even-numbered grid positions, also ordered by qualifying times.

15 minutes after the qualifying session for Group 2 has concluded, the standard grid procedure for a race start begins, and the pit lane opens. The finishing order of the shorter 13-lap ‘Race to Pole’ will determine the grid for the first of Sunday’s traditional trio of races.

Half-points are awarded for the Qualifying Race. There are no bonus points for leading a lap, the fastest lap, or for pole position for the Qualifying Race, whereas the bonus points for leading a lap and the fastest lap are still available on Sunday. Making 76 the highest score across a race weekend, more than the 67 of recent years.

Qualifying and the Qualifying Race can be found LIVE on the ITV Sport YouTube Channel worldwide for the very first time from 13:50 later today. You won't want to miss it!

Free Practice – Donington Park

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	On/
1	80	Tom INGRAM	Team VERTU	16	1:07.842		14
2	66	Josh COOK	Speedworks Corolla Racing	21	1:08.048	0.206	18
3	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	Cataclean Plato Racing	16	1:08.076	0.234	15
4	33	Adam MORGAN	Cataclean Plato Racing	19	1:08.154	0.312	9
5	3	Tom CHILTON	Team VERTU	21	1:08.241	0.399	12
6	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	19	1:08.288	0.446	10
7	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing	21	1:08.319	0.477	21
8	116	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	21	1:08.413	0.571	11
9	99	Charles RAINFORD	WSR	16	1:08.427	0.585	10
10	88	Mikey DOBLE	LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing	16	1:08.451	0.609	14
11	52	Gordon SHEDDEN	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	22	1:08.598	0.756	13
12	2	Daryl DELEON	WSR	21	1:08.657	0.815	11
13	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	23	1:08.699	0.857	15
14	17	Dexter PATTERSON	Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing	17	1:08.712	0.870	13
15	15	Lewis SELBY	NAPA Racing UK	25	1:08.723	0.881	24
16	50	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	20	1:08.734	0.892	8
17	22	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	22	1:08.821	0.979	14
18	132	James DORLIN	Restart Racing	21	1:08.852	1.010	18
19	11	Ricky COLLARD	Team VERTU	25	1:09.187	1.345	13
20	28	Nicolas HAMILTON	Team VERTU	25	1:09.204	1.362	16
21	19	Max BUXTON	Speedworks Corolla Racing	18	1:10.472	2.630	13