EXCELR8 Motorsport's Ronan Pearson set the overall pace during the second official Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship pre-season, with the #14 Hyundai's morning lap time holding sway throughout the day at Croft.

With wet conditions setting in for much of the afternoon running it was NAPA Racing UK that enjoyed the best of the tricky conditions as Ash Sutton topped team-mate Dan Rowbottom in the order, albeit several seconds off Pearson's ultimate pace.

Toyota Gazoo Racing's Andrew Watson was third quickest in the wet, whilst Tom Ingram bounced back from an earlier fire in his Hyundai to take fourth in the afternoon.

It was Pearson, however, who stole the show with his 1:22.243s flier taking top spot from the WSR-run BMWs of Jake Hill and Colin Turkington.

The afternoon proved more difficult, however, with Hill's Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s crashing into the barrier while on a quick lap through the Sunny In/Sunny Out section.

Josh Cook was another likely title contender that ended his day early after the Bath driver also had an off-track moment.

The NAPA Racing UK trio of Dan Cammish, Sutton and Rowbottom were fourth, fifth and sixth overall, thanks to their morning efforts, as the squad proved the pace of the Ford Focus in both wet and dry conditions.

Tom Chilton’s #3 EXCELR8 Motorsport Hyundai was next up, ahead of a Speedworks-run treble of Robb Huff, Josh Cook and Watson rounding out the top ten.

Now the BTCC moves to Donington Park for the Official 2024 Season Launch and the final test session on Tuesday 16 April.

A full timing classification of the BTCC test at Croft can be found here.

EXCELR8 Motorsport's Ronan Pearson set the pace during the morning session at Croft Circuit today (10 April), before rain brought a premature halt to proceedings.

The young Hyundai driver set an impressive pace as the #14 held off a gaggle of BMWs and Fords on the timesheets.

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Jake Hill and Team BMW's Colin Turkington were second and third, as the Bavarian marque continues to show its winter improvements following impressive runs for both Hill and stablemate Adam Morgan at Brands Hatch last week.

The NAPA Racing UK trio of Dan Cammish, Ash Sutton and Dan Rowbottom were third, fourth and fifth respectively, as we begin to get a glimpse of the likely competitiveness in the 2024 BTCC field.

Tom Chilton's #3 EXCELR8 Motorsport Hyundai was next up, ahead of a Speedworks-run treble of Robb Huff, Josh Cook and Andrew Watson – the latter not only setting a solid lap time, but also experiencing an off midway through the session, which brought about one of a few red flag periods during the morning running.

2022 Champion Tom Ingram was one of the drivers who didn't set a competitive lap time during the session, and that opportunity was completely taken away when rain descended onto the North Yorkshire circuit in the final hour of the morning.

The action gets back underway this afternoon and you can follow live timing here.

A full timing classification of the BTCC test at Croft can be found here.

Jake Hill finished the first official test of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship pre-season on top of the timesheet after a day of mixed conditions at Brands Hatch.

The Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver made the most of the ever-improving conditions in the afternoon session to make his mark in the #24 BMW.

The track was still damp from the morning rain as the afternoon session got underway, and it was Josh Cook in his Speedworks-run Toyota leading the way early on, with EXCELR8 Motorsport's Ronan Pearson a close second.

Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing's Árón Taylor-Smith was next in the order as the times started to tumble throughout the afternoon. Cook's consistency was clear to see in his new Toyota, as the Bath racer set several competitive lap times.

Reigning champion Ash Sutton was never far from the action as he continued to place himself third in the standings through both the opening hours. NAPA Racing UK's #1 ended the day just outside the top five in sixth.

The last 30 minutes were where the lap times were coming in thick and fast as the day drew to a close. Hill topping the times with a 47.868 second lap with series returnee Rob Huff taking second for Toyota Gazoo Racing UK and, the morning-session's fastest man, Adam Morgan less than a tenth behind in his Team BMW machine.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship now moves on to Croft for its second test on 10 April, before the final run at Donington Park on 16 April.

Click here for the full classification from today's test at Brands Hatch.

Team BMW's Adam Morgan set the pace during the opening morning of the first official pre-season BTCC test at Brands Hatch.

The 2024 testing programme got underway today, 3 April, with Morgan setting the benchmark in the drying morning session.

Track action was limited as the lights went green. With only the BMWs of both Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Jake Hill and Team BMW’s Colin Turkington taking to the track as conditions were less than ideal during a spell of heavy rain.

Soon after the on-track action ramped up as the rain had settled. A repeat of 2023 took place early on as reigning champion Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) topped the timesheet come the end of the first hour. Hill and Tom Ingram (EXCELR8 Motorsport) followed behind to start 2024 with the same top three of last season.

The rain continued to pour throughout the opening hours as Andrew Watson, new Toyota Gazoo Racing UK driver, topped the times at the end of hour two. 

Watson’s ex-team-mate Árón Taylor-Smith (Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing) was among the drivers climbing the timesheet in the second hour, breaking into the top five before moving to the summit at the end of the third hour.

Conditions improved late on as the track began to dry for the first time of the test. Taylor-Smith's time would see him in tenth as the track was drying and Morgan set his time late on to put his BMW top of the timesheet. Closely followed by Dan Cammish for NAPA Racing UK and the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK of Watson.

"The time is obviously not important at this stage but I feel good in the car and I'm excited about my second season with WSR," said Morgan.

"Seeing what the team has done over the winter is phenomenal. It's incredible to see that every aspect of the car has been looked at and improved."

British Touring Car Championship fans’ favourite Bobby Thompson will join WSR for this week’s official series test on the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit on Wednesday, 3 April.

The 28-year-old from Hornchurch, Essex, will drive a BMW 330e M Sport at the Kent track as WSR continues to evaluate options for the fourth car for the coming season.

Bobby has started over 100 BTCC races and achieved his best finish of second at last year’s Brands Hatch round in May.

He will join WSR’s three confirmed race drivers for the season; Colin Turkington, Adam Morgan (both Team BMW) and Jake Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) at the Brands Hatch test, which is open for race fans to attend.

The BTCC season starts at Donington Park, East Midlands, on April 27-28.

Bobby Thompson said:

“I’m thrilled to test the BMW 330e M Sport at Brands Hatch and I have to thank everybody involved who has worked so hard to create this opportunity. I’ve never had the opportunity to drive a championship-winning car in the BTCC so this will be a first for me and I really hope it can lead to a race seat for the 2024 season. I’m working incredibly hard with my partners to put together a package for this year, but we’re still a bit away from where we need to be in order to make the dream a reality. The BTCC is about to enter a new era with a ground-breaking global broadcast deal with ITV Sport and TikTok, which should be a game-changer in what the series can do to promote a commercial sponsor, and there’s honestly nowhere else I’d rather race. I hope this can be a first step towards something really special.”

Dick Bennetts, WSR Team Principal, said:

“Bobby’s one of a group of talented drivers who have come along in the past few seasons, ruffled a few feathers and achieved some very good results when both the machinery and circumstance have allowed it. He’s one of the drivers right now who has built an incredibly loyal fanbase and someone who definitley enhances the BTCC just by being there. He has plenty of rear-wheel-drive experience, albeit not in a touring car, so this test will focus on getting him comfortable in the BMW and seeing what we can do as a group. This is just a test at this stage as we continue to push very hard to make sure our fourth BMW is on the grid this season, but we’re well aware of Bobby’s determination to race and hope we can play a role in making things happen.”

Following two hugely successful seasons together, NAPA Racing UK is proud to also announce that it has agreed with reigning British Touring Car Champion Ash Sutton a deal that will see him continue to race in NAPA’s iconic colours until the end of 2026. Ash joined forces with NAPA Racing UK ahead of the 2022 season having just secured his third BTCC title, making him the youngest driver to achieve the feat.

Despite having to adapt to the switch back to front-wheel drive for the first time since his rookie campaign in 2016, Ash put his Ford Focus ST on the podium during the opening weekend of the season at Donington Park and would go on to score three wins as he finished the season second in the standings. Ash would also play a key role in helping NAPA Racing UK secure the Teams’ Championship title in its first year as part of Britain’s premier race series. That would be the precursor to a frankly astonishing 2023 season as Ash scored a record-equaling fourth title in stunning fashion - becoming the first driver in series history to win the title in both front-wheel and rear-wheel-drive machinery. Along the way, he equalled Alain Menu’s long-standing record of twelve wins in a season as well as James Thompson’s six pole positions, whilst his 446 points is the highest scored by a driver in a single campaign. The new deal between NAPA Racing UK and Ash will run through to the end of the 2026 season, giving ample opportunity for the 30-year-old to further cement his position as one of the greatest drivers in the long history of the championship. 

Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK, said:

“After an incredible two years with the team already and the latter being a record-breaking year claiming my fourth title, this now means I am fully focused to go after more. Let’s get 2024 underway"

The 2024 season will get underway at Donington Park in late April, with NAPA Racing UK again committed to running a multi-car programme as it bids to maintain the high standards set in 2023 and challenge for more championship silverware.

The NAPA Racing UK name will continue to chase top honours in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship until the end of 2026 at least after an extension of the ultra-successful partnership between NAPA Auto Parts and the Alliance Racing team. 

NAPA Racing UK first appeared on the BTCC grid in 2022 after a commercial partnership was agreed between the famous automotive parts brand and what was then known as Motorbase Performance, fielding two cars in Britain’s premier racing series for multiple champion Ash Sutton and proven race winner Dan Cammish.

In what would be a successful start to the new partnership, both drivers would make it onto the top of the podium during the season, with Sutton ending the year second in the standings and NAPA Racing UK beating Team BMW to lift the Teams’ Championship.

That would only be a taster for what was to come, with records tumbling as NAPA Racing UK’s expanded four-car programme emerged as the dominant force in 2023. 

A stunning season on track saw NAPA Racing UK romp to championship glory on three fronts, with Sutton taking a record-equalling fourth Drivers’ title, and the team not only defending the Teams’ Championship, but also ending BMW’s run of success in the Manufacturers’ / Constructors’ standings.

Along the way, there were no fewer than 16 race wins, 32 podium finishes, 13 fastest laps and a scarcely believable nine pole positions out of ten; a reflection of the astonishing work put in by Alliance Racing’s ace engineering squad to transform the team’s Ford Focus ST into one of the most complete packages seen in the series in recent memory.

The announcement of a new three-year agreement between NAPA Racing UK and Alliance Racing is a reflection of the strong bond formed between the two parties, and comes at an exciting time for the team, which is in the process of relocating to new headquarters in the Midlands in preparation for the 2024 season.

Pete Osborne, Team Owner, Alliance Racing, said:

“This is a fantastic day for everyone involved in Alliance Racing. Since forming a partnership with NAPA, over 2 years ago, we have worked together to deliver success both on and off the track. We are excited to commit to 3 more years together and continue to grow from strength to strength for all our staff and sponsor partners.  

“I wish to thank everyone involved with our team, their hard work and dedication is what make this partnership so successful. It has been fantastic to witness the growth of the NAPA brand in the UK and Europe through their support of UK motorsport. Especially the most prestigious series of them all, the British Touring Car Championship. 

“We can’t wait to see NAPA Racing UK back on the grid in 2024.”

Steve Richardson, Managing Director, NAPA Racing UK, said:

“The signing of this agreement marks the next step in the evolution of NAPA Racing UK and our partnership with Alliance Racing. From the outset, Alliance Racing have proved to be the perfect platform for the NAPA brand and share our ethos of continuous growth & improvement. 

“We’re delighted that the partnership will continue for at least the next 3 years. We’ve broken records and achieved significant success to date and look forward to seeing where the journey forward takes us.”

Team BMW has today (26 March) launched its challenge for the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship by confirming the continued presence of both Colin Turkington and Adam Morgan in its line-up of BMW 330e M Sport race cars. 

The BMW 3 Series, which will once again wear the famous M colours synonymous with unprecedented success in global motorsport for more than 40 years, will be prepared and run by 16-time BTCC champions WSR. 

Featuring revised front and rear-end styling inspired by the latest BMW 3 Series production model, the hybrid racing car features aerodynamic, cooling and chassis upgrades aimed at enhancing looks and performance across for the 30-race series. 

The hybrid 330e M Sport will be powered by a UK-supplied 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, with the latest technology to improve emissions and using 20% sustainable fuel as BMW seeks a record-breaking tenth BTCC Manufacturers’ title.  

Working hand in hand with BMW’s engine-manufacturing facility at Hams Hall, BMW’s engine-manufacturing facility in Warwickshire, a number of different engine types were analysed before preparation for the BTCC regulations was completed by Neil Brown Engineering (NBE). 

Northern Irishman Colin is one of the BTCC’s most successful drivers with 67 wins, 181 podium finishes and a record four overall championships and five Independents’ crowns to his name as well as an FIA World Touring Car Championship victory. 

Having made his BTCC debut in 2002 with WSR, he now embarks on an eighth-straight season with Team BMW as he chases a record fifth title. 

Adam Morgan joined Team BMW for the 2023 season and scored a podium finish on his debut weekend with the Sunbury-on-Thames team on his way to ninth in the standings. 

Adam, from Blackburn, has 11 wins and 41 podiums to his name and is the most recent driver to have taken a WSR-designed and built BMW to victory for an independent team. 

Details of a fourth WSR-run BMW will be provided in due course. 

Pre-season testing is due to begin at Snetterton this week with the 2024 BTCC beginning at Donington Park, East Midlands, on April 27-28 for the first of ten triple-header rounds at circuits across the UK. 

Colin Turkington said: “I’m extremely pleased to be a part of Team BMW for the 2024 season and to race the BMW 330e M Sport. This will be my 18^th year with WSR and you couldn’t ask for a better team to be a part of. The team have worked incredibly hard over the winter to enhance the performance of our BMWs and I’m focused on being the best, most competitive version of myself I can be when so that we can put ourselves in the hunt for podiums and wins right from the season-opener at Donington.” 

Adam Morgan said: “It’s going to be my second year with Team BMW and I’m raring to go after what’s felt like a very long winter. In 2023 we scored a podium at our first weekend together but now the target has to be getting that first win with WSR and making sure we’re in the hunt for victories and podiums at every event. If we do that then we’ll be in for a very good season and Colin and I will have a strong shot at winning the Teams’ Championship for Team BMW. I’m looking forward to trying out the upgraded BMW and to see what we can do this season.” 

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “The new season is nearly upon us and it’s once again an honour to represent BMW in the UK’s leading motor racing championship. The target is to add to the 16 overall championships won by WSR in the BTCC and in Colin and Adam we have two first-rate drivers at Team BMW to help us achieve this. We’ve worked on several areas of the BMW 330e M Sport over the winter, all aimed at improving overall performance and we must thank the team at Hams Hall for their help with our first UK-supplied engines since becoming part the BMW family and to NBE for making them race-ready. I say it every year, but the level of competition keeps on increasing so once again we have to make sure we perform better than ever if we’re to achieve our goals this year.”

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport are delighted to reveal the team’s striking new livery for the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign. This year’s iteration of the affectionately named ‘Laser Beamer’ is a particularly special one for the team as title partners, Laser Tools Racing, celebrate their tenth campaign in the UK’s premier motorsport series.

With this in mind, the team’s WSR-run BMW 330e M Sport features the iconic Laser Tools Racing chrome blue with the livery designed to feature ten chevrons from every angle of the car. In addition, the team will be running a one-off celebratory logo to mark the anniversary on the roof and rear quarter.

Once again the team’s on-track efforts will be spearheaded by fan favourite, Jake Hill. Having finished third in the Drivers’ Championship in 2022 and 2023, the Kent-based driver is looking to challenge once again for overall honours and is delighted to be doing so in a special livery for him and the team.

“It is fantastic to see the covers come off our 2024 challenger today and I have to say, although I loved the Laser Beamer last year, I think we have managed to top it once again this time around. The chrome blue has been iconic across the series for so long so it’s only right we have levelled this up in 2024 as Laser Tools Racing celebrates its tenth anniversary in the championship.

Mark Blundell, Sporting Director of Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, is grateful for the continued support of the team’s loyal partners with the team having left no stone unturned heading into the new season.

“It is always a proud moment to reveal the car in pre-season as it is always the culmination of a lot of work behind the scenes. We’re really proud to be supporting Laser Tools’ ten-year anniversary in 2024 and are hugely thankful to all our partners who remain on this exciting journey with us, and to some new friends who have joined the excitement for 2024. Our team and WSR have been working feverishly since the close of the new season and here’s hoping that those efforts will be rewarded in the coming months.”

Laser Tools Racing’s Motorsport Sponsorship Coordinator, Keith Anderson, has played a pivotal role in the team’s decade in the BTCC and the launching of their ten-year anniversary car marks a proud moment for the organisation.

“I’m not quite sure where the time has gone but it is fantastic to mark a decade of success for Laser Tools Racing in the BTCC with the launch of our 2024 challenger. We think the livery is a fitting marker for this anniversary and we cannot wait to see Jake leading from the front in the second iteration of the Laser Beamer in a few weeks time.”

Team Bristol Street Motors has today (15 March) revealed the eye-catching livery that will adorn the cars of Tom Ingram and Tom Chilton for the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season.

The duo will once again join forces, with both Bristol Street Motors and EXCELR8 Motorsport, for their assault on Britain’s premier racing series, with the new season starting at Donington Park in late April.

A further nine events will then be held across the UK before the season draws to a close at Brands Hatch in October.

As has been the case for the past two seasons, Team Bristol Street Motors and their Hyundai i30 Fastback N Lines hope to be the most eye-catching cars on the grid.  

A special livery has been created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the motor retailer brand, which opened its first dealership on Bristol Street in Birmingham back in 1924. Bristol Street Motors now operates from more than 100 locations across England – from Morpeth, Newcastle and Carlisle in the North, down as far as Launceston, Exeter and Orpington in the South.

The original dealership in Birmingham remains to this day and has its own links to the BTCC, having served as the pitlane during the Birmingham Superprix that ran from 1986 through to 1990 – with touring car races in both 1989 and 1990 being won by four-time champion Andy Rouse.

In a first for the team, the new livery broke cover in front of a gathering of passionate BTCC fans, who came together for a special launch event, hosted by presenter Kirsty Gallacher and held at Caffeine & Machine near Stratford-upon-Avon.

The launch marked the first major event for the motorsport team since relocating to a new base in nearby Droitwich earlier this year, a move that means it’s now operating from the historical heart of automotive engineering in the UK – with the region having been home to numerous famous motoring manufacturers including the likes of Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and MG.

Those in attendance became the first to see the new livery, which not only showcases Bristol Street Motors’ traditional brand colours, but also incorporates a special ‘100 Years of Bristol Street Motors’ message, with the BTCC programme set to be play a key part in the celebrations.

The first of a number of immersive events planned for the season ahead, the launch allowed fans to not only get up close to the new-look Hyundai racing cars, but also meet both Ingram and Chilton, as well as returning team-mate Ronan Pearson, and host Kirsty Gallacher.

Pearson’s car will adopt a similar livery to those of Ingram and Chilton, but will again run with support from Macklin Motors, another brand part of the same Group as Bristol Street Motors, which operates exclusively within Scotland.

Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Bristol Street Motors and Macklin Motors, said:
“This is a big year for Bristol Street Motors as we celebrate our 100th anniversary, and we’re delighted to be able to use our involvement in the BTCC as one of our points for celebration.

“The design team has once again done a fantastic job with the livery for Team Bristol Street Motors, and the retro theme on the Hyundai is something that I look forward to seeing fighting at the sharp end of the grid during the season ahead. Best of luck, Team Bristol Street Motors!”

Justina Williams, Team Owner of Team Bristol Street Motors, said:
“Yet again the design team has done a fantastic job in bringing the Bristol Street Motors livery to life, and we are delighted with the end result.

“The retro element to tie in with the anniversary celebrations works really well on the Hyundai, and the cars will stand out when we hit the track at Donington Park for the opening round.

“Going into the new season with an unchanged line-up and a proven package, we are confident that a strong year lies ahead and can’t wait to get things underway.”