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.

Twenty years on from his last British Touring Car Championship victory – similarly achieved at Snetterton – Rob Huff returned to the top step of the podium at his home circuit courtesy of a virtuoso performance last weekend (25/26 May), as he spearheaded a milestone Toyota one-two-three.

Huff has rejoined the country’s premier motor racing series in 2024 following a two-decade absence, but it has taken him no time at all to settle back into the groove. Having tallied four points finishes from the opening six races, the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK star travelled to Snetterton targeting a trophy. He delivered in emphatic fashion.

Huff ultimately wound up more than two seconds clear of his closest pursuer to cap an historic result, with Toyotas locking out all three podium positions for the very first time in the BTCC as the Speedworks Motorsport-prepared, British-built Corolla GR Sport proved to be the unquestionable cream of the crop. His third career triumph has vaulted the 44-year-old up to ninth in the title standings.

In the sister car, team-mate Andrew Watson pipped Huff to seventh on the grid in qualifying by the slender margin of 55 thousandths-of-a-second, as he fell a mere 0.080s short of securing a spot in the ‘Quick Six’. After staving off some early pressure from series champions Colin Turkington and Tom Ingram, the Northern Irishman went on to convert that into fifth place on soft tyres in the opener – his finest finish to-date for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK.

There were mixed results elsewhere for the duo during the day, but there’s little doubting the pace and potential of the outfit heading to the super-fast Thruxton in Hampshire on 8/9 June.

Christian Dick, Team Principal, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “Where do I start? That was a weekend that will live long in the memory, right up there with our first podium in the BTCC, our first victory and our two Independents’ titles. To see cars that we built, that we prepared finishing first, second and third – something never previously accomplished by Toyotas in the series – was a huge source of satisfaction for every single member of this incredibly hard-working team.

“I said before we went to Snetterton that our championship position did not accurately reflect our performance level and potential, so it was wonderful to finally convert that into a real result that everybody can be very proud of. For Rob in particular, it was an emotional day, and the manner in which he achieved the win – from nowhere near the front of the grid – was truly impressive, showcasing all his well-honed driving skills and underscoring just why we were so keen to bring him back to the BTCC this year.

“Andrew similarly performed extremely well and was unlucky not to come away with some silverware himself. He produced a very mature and composed drive in race one

and was unfortunate to be caught out by the conditions in race two when on-track for a second-place finish, but on such a challenging day, he was far from alone in making a mistake. He will come back stronger and even more fired-up next time out at Thruxton, where the target has to be to keep this form going.”

Rob Huff, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “To be winning again in the BTCC is exactly what I came back for! The car felt fantastic all weekend; we made barely any changes to it from the set-up that we arrived with, and the team did a brilliant job. I’ve always been confident in changeable conditions, and race two on the slicks was looking very good until the heavens re-opened, but to come from 14th on the grid to win the last one was amazing!

“I genuinely had no idea we were in the lead. I knew we were coming through, but I saw cars going off in all directions early on and was predominantly focussed on pushing and pushing and picking people off one at a time.

“The Toyota was really well dialled-in – just what I’ve been searching for this season. The team truly delivered and the Corolla gave me everything I needed. When you have a car like that underneath you, you’ve got no other option than to throw absolutely everything at it. I had great battles with both Aiden [Moffat] and Josh [Cook], and to bring home a win at my home track was absolutely mega!

“To repeat my 2004 victory at Snetterton was very special not only for me, but for my family and friends as well. I couldn’t be happier for the team and everybody else who was there at the weekend to support me. To nail it in my ninth race back, I’ll definitely take that!”

Andrew Watson, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “The weekend got off to a tough start; the car felt really loose in practice, but my engineer came up with a few good ideas and we executed pretty well in qualifying. Seventh place put us solidly in the mix, and I was looking forward to having some fun on Sunday!

“The weather was impossible to call all day, but I tend to go well when it’s like that and I was pleased with the result in race one. It was a good, clean race, with a couple of nice overtakes. The conditions were tough in race two – when the rain reappeared, we were fighting simply to stay on the track. Still, we were doing everything right until I just locked a rear and before I knew it, I was on the grass. That had been a great chance for a podium finish, so I was a bit gutted and very annoyed with myself.

“We gambled on the wet tyres in race three because otherwise we would have had to use the hard-compound, which would have been a struggle with most drivers on either softs or mediums. Running second again was fun while it lasted, but it soon became clear we were on borrowed time.

“Nevertheless, I’m starting to really get the hang of the Corolla now and I’m very happy with how everybody is working together. We’re building and building, improving the car

in all conditions and beginning to properly establish ourselves as front-runners – and that was always the primary goal.”

Rookie BTCC squad Restart Racing endured the highs and lows of motorsport at Snetterton on Sunday, but the event will ultimately be remembered for the team scoring its best result so far.

Chris Smiley qualified an impressive 11th on Saturday and was running as high as eighth and the top independent in the opening race, before he was forced to pit with a rare issue with the passenger door being open.

Misfortune was immediately turned around by both drivers as Scott Sumpton took the team’s best result yet with 11th in race two, whilst Smiley improved from near the back to take 13th – representing the most points scored for the duo in a single race.

The final race failed to deliver for Restart with Smiley crashing out and Sumpton finishing 17th, but overall, yet more good progress was made by the team ahead of the trip to Thruxton on 8/9 June.

Chris Smiley said: “So, that’s Snetterton done for this year and the weekend started really well in 11th place and just on the fringes of the top ten. In the first race, we got away well and was having a great race up in eighth, but the passenger side door opened up for some reason.

“It’s one of those things that never happens, and it was highly frustrating to have to come in from that position. We were top independent at the time and looked nailed on to finish there for the first time this season.

“We gambled with the tyres in race 2 and put on the dry tyres as we were starting near the back. On lap four I thought we’d played a blinder and were heading for the podium. But just like that, the rain came back again and that put pay to our chances. I had a great scrap with Rob Huff and just beat him to 13th on the final lap.”

Scott Sumpton said: “I said Donington Park was a whirlwind but wow what a whirlwind it’s been today. Race 1 we went on slicks, which I think was the right choice, but I hit a wet patch just under the bridge whilst making an overtake, lost the rear and had a bit of a spin which put me out of contention early on.

“We used wets for race 2 and went from the back of the field up to 11th to secure my best finish in the BTCC and I’m over the moon with that, I couldn’t ask for more.

“We’ve learnt lots and I’m going to take everything into Thruxton. The first three rounds have thrown everything at me so I’m learning more and more with every passing weekend!”

NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish had experienced a relatively low key start to his Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season heading to the most recent event at Snetterton.

A steady start of three top ten finishes at Donington Park was followed up by a more encouraging Brands Hatch, with third in qualifying and a season's best of fifth place in the final race in Kent.

It was still a case of what might have been, however, with Cammish's second row starting berth being immediately scuppered in the opening race. He showed his pace – maybe somewhat under the radar – in the next two races as he stormed through from the back to take seventh in the second encounter and that fifth in the reversed grid race.

Fourth in qualifying at Snetterton continued the trend before he converted that into a fourth, second and another points paying position in Sunday's finale.

Cammish's first podium of the season was the highlight of course and he was the third highest points scorer on the day – behind only the BMW duo of Jake Hill and Bobby Thompson.

Now up to sixth in the overall Drivers' standings, the likes of Cammish and Josh Cook will feel they can haul themselves even closer to the leading quartet, as we head towards a happy hunting ground at Thruxton.

The BTCC Media Team caught up with Dan after his podium at Snetterton...

Home hero Huff also wins in the BTCC for the first time in 20 years

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s Jake Hill enjoyed a dream Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship weekend at Snetterton as he backed up Saturday’s pole position with a dominant double on Sunday (25/26 May).

The BMW talent took two lights-to-flag victories, but that doesn’t tell the full story, as the Kent driver had to win each contest in very different circumstances.

Championship leader Ash Sutton scored a seventh successive podium before than run eventually came to an end in race two, when the NAPA Racing UK star crashed out late on.

Podiums for Bobby Thompson, Dan Cammish, Josh Cook and Aiden Moffat also shook-up proceedings as the title race continues to take shape.

The final word went to home hero Rob Huff as he headed an incredible Toyota 1-2-3 in the final encounter, securing his first BTCC triumph in 20 years.

When the rain eventually cleared in Norfolk it was Sutton leaving the circuit with a ten-point advantage over Team BMW’s Colin Turkington in the overall Drivers’ standings, with Hill and Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS’ Tom Ingram only a further point in arrears – the top four blanketed by just 11 points with Cook also closing in.

The Alliance Racing/Ford outfit jumped BMW in the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ order, whilst NAPA Racing UK also tops the Teams’ table.

Árón Taylor-Smith and his Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing squad still hold sway in the Independents’ championships, whilst team-mate Mikey Doble is the Jack Sears Trophy leader.

The BTCC returns in two weeks’ time at Thruxton in Hampshire (8/9 June).

Lucky 13 for Jake Hill

The list of 2024 BTCC race winners continued to grow after Hill scored his 13th career success, becoming the fifth different race winner of the season so far.

Hill bounced back from a challenging Brands Hatch last time out to take pole position in Norfolk yesterday, and he duly backed that up with a dominant display in the opener around the 2.97-mile circuit.

The battle for the other places on the podium kicked off almost immediately as NAPA Racing UK's Sutton slotted into second, whilst Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR's Thompson blasted into fourth behind Team BMW stablemate Adam Morgan.

Morgan's pace seemed to fade by mid-distance as Thompson cruised by, before the latter focused on hunting down Sutton's #1 Ford Focus.

The moment eventually came as the new striking purple BMW blasted by Sutton on the start/finish straight to secure second.

Third still represented an impressive result for championship leader Sutton, as it confirmed his seventh successive podium to kick off his title defence.

Hill climbs the standings with stunning race two win

BMW star Hill then claimed a stunning victory in a frenetic race two.

A huge storm descended onto Norfolk just minutes prior to the original start time, which caused a delay while water was removed from the track surface.

Incredibly, the circuit was basked in glorious sunshine shortly after as a mixture of wet and dry tyre options began to take shape during the race.

The drama had already started on-track too with pole-sitter Hill and his Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR stablemate Thompson receiving a ten second penalty for jumping the start.

The race win almost looked impossible for Hill, but he immediately set about stretching the gap at the head of the field, and when rain began to fall again later in the contest the race started to swing back the way of the Kent driver.

Hill was truly sublime in the wet conditions, pulling away from the chasing pack by more than 15 seconds to score a superlative second victory of the day.

NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish took second ahead of LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ's Cook, with the latter impressively rising from 14th on the grid.

Home hero Huff heads Toyota 1-2-3

It has been a weekend of incredible stories with Huff's first BTCC win in 20 years headlining the final encounter in Norfolk.

There had been much talk about Huff's most recent BTCC win – at Snetterton way back in 2004 – so for a man that lives around half an hour from the circuit it was arguably written in the stars that he would repeat the trick here today.

An incredible race began with Hill looking like he would score an historic hat-trick as the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport star gambled on the Goodyear wet tyres from ninth on the grid. 

Hill blasted by the entire field on the opening lap and began pulling away from the slick-shod runners, bringing the only other car on wets – Andrew Watson's Toyota – with him.

A masterclass from Hill was on the cards and with it the opportunity to join the very short shortlist of just Dan Eaves and Jason Plato to win three BTCC races in the same day.

The crossover happened around mid-distance, however, as the dry Goodyear tyres were soon quicker than the wets.

The chasing pack reeled them in, and after TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK's Huff had fought off LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ stablemate Cook and dodged a half-slide from Aiden Moffat, he was soon past Hill and into the lead.

Hill began to fade as Speedworks romped on to an incredible result, with Huff leading home Moffat and Cook for a memorable 1-2-3 for Toyota – the first podium lockout for the Japanese marque in the history of the BTCC.

Not only was that an incredible stat for Toyota, but Huff’s first BTCC victory in nearly 20 years also represented the longest gap between wins for a single driver.

Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said: “The car was just absolutely beautiful to drive. I can't thank Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport enough; they've given me a car that is just absolutely awesome. The car has been through a lot of development over the winter and this is just the best it's felt by such a long way

“That (race two) means absolutely everything, probably the best and most professional race of my life. The car was absolutely awesome, it was like I was driving a car in the dry. The car is great and I'd like to think I'm doing a pretty good job too. I am so proud of everyone and I'm proud of myself, which is nice. The Laser Beemer strikes again!”

Rob Huff, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “Race 3 here at Snetterton does it again for me at my home track. I genuinely didn't know I was leading, I knew I was coming through, I was just picking them off one-by-one but I didn't quite know where we were. 

“The car was fantastic, it's safe to say we were dialled into that today and to win here at my home track is just mega! The car was exactly what I've been searching for so far this year, what a race!”

2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Snetterton 300

1. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport 12 Laps

2. Bobby Thompson, Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR +1.922s

3. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +4.009s

4. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +5.130s

5. Andrew Watson, TOYOTA Gazoo Racing UK +8.021s

6. Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +8.770s

7. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +12.041s

8. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +19.824s

9. Rob Huff, TOYOTA Gazoo racing UK +22.219s

10. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +22.426s

2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Snetterton 300

1. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport 12 Laps

2. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +6.260s

3. Josh Cook, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ +9.974s

4. Mikey Doble, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing +14.794s

5. Tom Chilton, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +15.696s

6. Andrew Watson, TOYOTA Gazoo Racing UK +16.626s

7. Bobby Thompson, Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR +16.643s 

8. Aiden Moffat, LKQ Euro Parts with SYNETIQ +23.431s

9. Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK +26.823s

10. Daryl DeLeon, Duckhams Racing with Bartercard +29.165s

2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Snetterton 300

1. Rob Huff, TOYOTA Gazoo Racing UK 12 Laps

2. Aiden Moffat, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ +2.338s

3. Josh Cook, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ +3.297s 

4. Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +3.501

5. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +12.830s

6. Tom Chilton, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +14.169s

7. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +16.470s 

8. Bobby Thompson, Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR +19.425s

9. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +20.025s

10. Mikey Doble, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing +21.864s

Penalties:

Race Two

Tom Chilton received a five second time penalty during Round 8 of the championship, for completing an overtake after leaving the track on Mikey Doble 

It has been a weekend of incredible stories in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton with Rob Huff's first BTCC win in 20 years headlining the final encounter in Norfolk.

There has been much talk about Huff's most recent BTCC win – at Snetterton way back in 2004 – so for a man that lives around half an hour from the circuit it was arguably written in the stars that he would repeat the trick here today.

An incredible race began with Jake Hill looking like he would score an historic hat-trick as the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport star gambled on the Goodyear wet tyres from ninth on the grid. Hill blasted by the entire field on the opening lap and began pulling away from the slick-shod runners, bringing the only other car on wets – Andrew Watson's Toyota – with him.

It looked like it could be a masterclass from Hill and that he might be joining the very short shortlist of just Dan Eaves and Jason Plato to win three BTCC races in the same day.

The crossover happened around mid-distance, however, as the dry Goodyear tyres were now quicker than the wets.

The chasing pack reeled them in, and after TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK's Huff had fought off LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ stablemate Josh Cook and dodged a half-slide from Aiden Moffat, he was soon past Hill and into the lead.

Hill began to fade as Speedworks romped on to an incredible result, with Huff leading home Moffat and Cook for memorable 1-2-3 for Toyota.

Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Tom Ingram was fourth, ahead of Ash Sutton, who surged through from the back of the grid in his #1 NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus.

Tom Chilton was sixth, ahead of the BMW trio of Colin Turkington (Team BMW), Bobby Thompson (Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR) and Hill, whilst Mikey Doble (Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing) completed the top ten positions.

Rob Huff, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: "Race 3 here at Snetterton does it again for me at my home track. I genuinely didn't know I was leading, I knew I was coming through, I was just picking them off one-by-one but I didn't quite know where we were. The car was fantastic, it's safe to say we were dialled into that today and to win here at my home track is just mega! The car was exactly what I've been searching for so far this year, what a race!"

Snetterton – Race 3 – Classification

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	Best/	On/
1	12	Rob HUFF	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	12	25:37.243		2:02.481	12
2	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	12	25:39.581	2.338	2:02.697	12
3	66	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	12	25:40.540	3.297	2:02.351	12
4	80	Tom INGRAM	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	12	25:40.744	3.501	2:01.251	12
5	1	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	12	25:50.073	12.83	2:03.453	12
6	3	Tom CHILTON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	12	25:51.412	14.169	2:04.617	10
7	20	Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	12	25:53.713	16.47	2:03.758	12
8	19	Bobby THOMPSON	Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR	12	25:56.668	19.425	2:02.948	12
9	24	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	12	25:57.268	20.025	2:08.458	7
10	88	Mikey DOBLE	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	12	25:59.107	21.864	2:03.145	12
11	33	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	12	26:01.316	24.073	2:03.812	12
12	18	Daryl DELEON	Duckhams Racing With Bartercard	12	26:01.808	24.565	2:05.555	12
13	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	12	26:09.392	32.149	2:04.876	12
14	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	12	26:12.099	34.856	2:03.092	12
15	40	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	12	26:12.100	34.857	2:04.297	12
16	11	Andrew WATSON	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	12	26:23.584	46.341	2:10.039	2
17	29	Scott SUMPTON	Restart Racing	12	26:23.940	46.697	2:06.370	12
18	14	Ronan PEARSON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	12	26:29.446	52.203	2:05.287	12
19	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing UK	11	25:51.810	1 Lap	2:03.682	11
DNF	222	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	0	0			0

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Jake Hill claimed a stunning victory in a quite bizarre and frenetic Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship race two at Snetterton.

A huge storm descended onto the Norfolk track just minutes prior to the original start time, which caused a delay while water was removed from the surface, particularly down through the Bomb Hole section.

Incredibly, the track was basked in glorious sunshine shortly after with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK's Rob Huff and Restart Racing's Chris Smiley being the only two drivers to gamble on Goodyear slick tyres from the start, but at the end of lap one an absolute gaggle of cars came in to do the same – including title contenders Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK), Tom Ingram (Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS) and Colin Turkington (Team BMW).

The drama had already started on-track too with pole-sitter Hill and his BMW stablemate Bobby Thompson (Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR) receiving a ten second penalty for jumping the start.

The race win therefore almost looked impossible for Hill, but he immediately set about stretching the gap at the head of the field, and when rain began to fall again later in the contest the race started to swing back the way of the Kent driver.

Hill was sublime in the wet conditions and had no right to pull away by more than 15 seconds from the chasing pack, as he ensured that his penalty would not prevent in his unstoppable victory.

NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish took second ahead of LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ's Josh Cook, with the latter impressively rising from 14th on the grid.

Mikey Doble (Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing), Tom Chilton (Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS) and Andrew Watson (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK) were next in the order, the latter spinning away an almost certain podium late in the race, whilst Thompson's penalty eventually saw him slot into seventh.

Seven different teams occupied the top seven positions, whilst Aiden Moffat (LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ), Sam Osborne (NAPA Racing UK) and Daryl DeLeon (Duckhams Racing With Bartercard) rounded out the top ten.

There was more reason to be cheerful for Hill when championship leader Sutton crashed out late on, as Hill hauled himself into joint second in the standings alongside Team BMW's Turkington, with Ingram now dropping to fourth.

Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said: "That means absolutely everything, probably the best and most professional race of my life. The car was absolutely awesome, it was like I was driving a car in the dry. I knew I had the penalty so I just wanted to give it absolutely everything. The car is great and I'd like to think I'm doing a pretty good job too. I am so proud of everyone and I'm proud of myself, which is nice. The Laser Beemer strikes again!

Snetterton – Race 2 – Classification

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	Best/	On/
1	24	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	12	26:43.848		2:08.749	5
2	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	12	26:50.108	6.26	2:10.479	4
3	66	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	12	26:53.822	9.974	2:10.158	6
4	3	Tom CHILTON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	12	26:54.544	10.696	2:10.687	5
5	88	Mikey DOBLE	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	12	26:58.642	14.794	2:10.622	5
6	11	Andrew WATSON	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	12	27:00.474	16.626	2:10.319	5
7	19	Bobby THOMPSON	Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR	12	27:00.491	16.643	2:10.644	6
8	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	12	27:07.279	23.431	2:11.576	6
9	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	12	27:10.671	26.823	2:11.350	4
10	18	Daryl DELEON	Duckhams Racing With Bartercard	12	27:13.013	29.165	2:12.440	6
11	29	Scott SUMPTON	Restart Racing	12	27:17.022	33.174	2:12.828	6
12	40	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	12	27:52.198	1:08.350	2:05.876	6
13	222	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	12	28:16.006	1:32.158	2:08.271	6
14	12	Rob HUFF	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	12	28:17.587	1:33.739	2:08.117	6
15	20	Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	12	28:35.453	1:51.605	2:08.981	6
16	80	Tom INGRAM	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	12	28:36.120	1:52.272	2:07.986	6
17	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing UK	11	26:37.784	1 Lap	2:12.280	11
18	33	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	11	26:42.601	1 Lap	2:11.205	5
19	14	Ronan PEARSON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	11	27:03.663	1 Lap	2:12.901	5
20	1	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	11	27:26.287	1 Lap	2:08.094	6

The list of 2024 BTCC race winners continues to grow after Jake Hill claimed a commanding lights-to-flag triumph in the opener at Snetterton.

The Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport star scored his 13th BTCC success, becoming the fifth different race winner of the season so far.

Hill bounced back from a challenging Brands Hatch last time out to take pole position in Norfolk yesterday, and he duly backed that up with a dominant display around the 2.97-mile circuit.

The battle for the other places on the podium kicked off almost immediately as NAPA Racing UK's Ash Sutton slotted into second, whilst Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR's Bobby Thompson blasted into fourth behind Team BMW stablemate Adam Morgan.

Morgan's pace seemed to fade by mid-distance as Thompson cruised by, before the latter focused on hunting down Sutton's #1 Ford Focus.

The moment eventually came as the new striking purple BMW blasted by Sutton on the start/finish straight to secure second.

Third still represented an impressive result for championship leader Sutton, as it confirmed his seventh successive podium to kick off his title defence.

Morgan continued to be demoted down the order as the likes of Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK), Andrew Watson (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK) and Tom Ingram (Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS) also got by. Ingram made the most ground of any driver as he expertly picked off a number of cars one-by-one, having started 13th on the grid.

Colin Turkington (Team BMW), Rob Huff (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK) and Dan Rowbottom (NAPA Racing UK) completed the top ten. Turkington made early progress but he was eventually caught and passed by Ingram, Huff did well on the Goodyear medium tyre, whilst Rowbottom couldn't make his late race pressure tell in his battle with the Toyota ahead of him.

The action continues LIVE on ITV4 with the second race scheduled to start at 1425 before the finale commences at 1710... both races will also be streamed live via the ITV Sport TikTok channel.

Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said: "The car was just absolutely beautiful to drive. I can't thank Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport enough, they've given me a car that is just absolutely awesome. It was just one of those nice easy race wins, they don't happen very often, but I'd like to think I controlled it nicely and brought it home.

"The car has been through a lot of development over the winter and this is just the best it's felt by such a long way. I want to say a little hello to my little boy, 'Jude, I know you're watching mate!'.

"It's fantastic for Bobby (Thompson) there to finish second in his first race with us, it also gives me a little bit of backup for the next one."

Snetterton – Race 1 – Classification

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	Best/	On/
1	24	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	12	23:35.164		1:56.787	3
2	19	Bobby THOMPSON	Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR	12	23:37.086	1.922	1:56.839	3
3	1	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	12	23:39.173	4.009	1:57.174	12
4	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	12	23:40.294	5.13	1:56.791	12
5	11	Andrew WATSON	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	12	23:43.185	8.021	1:57.042	7
6	80	Tom INGRAM	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	12	23:43.934	8.77	1:56.404	12
7	33	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	12	23:47.205	12.041	1:56.930	3
8	20	Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	12	23:54.988	19.824	1:58.019	3
9	12	Rob HUFF	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	12	23:57.383	22.219	1:57.734	10
10	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing UK	12	23:57.590	22.426	1:57.685	11
11	14	Ronan PEARSON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	12	24:02.044	26.88	1:58.165	10
12	40	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	12	24:04.692	29.528	1:58.207	5
13	88	Mikey DOBLE	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	12	24:08.749	33.585	1:58.499	9
14	66	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	12	24:11.392	36.228	1:58.778	10
15	3	Tom CHILTON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	12	24:12.490	37.326	1:58.417	12
16	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	12	24:15.487	40.323	1:58.363	10
17	18	Daryl DELEON	Duckhams Racing With Bartercard	12	24:32.225	57.061	1:58.515	5
18	222	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	12	24:37.920	1:02.756	1:57.696	11
19	29	Scott SUMPTON	Restart Racing	12	25:14.579	1:39.415	2:00.612	10
20	22	Nick HALSTEAD	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	11	24:18.048	1 Lap	2:00.743	8
21	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	11	24:25.672	1 Lap	1:58.721	10

BMW man stars during BTCC qualifying in Norfolk

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Jake Hill bounced back from a challenging Brands Hatch weekend last time out by securing pole position for Round 7 of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton earlier today (25 May).

Hill showed his hand during a greasy morning practice session to set an early weekend P1 benchmark, but he saved his best for the drying 'Quick Six' conditions as the Kent driver blasted his #24 BMW 330e M Sport around the 2.97-mile circuit in sublime fashion.

If Hill's performance was impressive, then second placed Ash Sutton can be equally delighted as the championship leader hauled his NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus onto the front row with minimal hybrid deployment available.

A front row starting berth looked a possibility for the Toyota of Josh Cook in the closing moments until the #66 Corolla spun off at high speed going into Brundle.

P3 eventually went to Team BMW's Adam Morgan, who endured a topsy-turvy Saturday, which included a number of off-track excursions. Morgan made a last gasp dash into the 'Quick Six' with a late lap in Qualifying Part 2, so will feel pleased with his overall result.

NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish completed the second row line-up, ahead of a very encouraging run for series returnee Bobby Thompson. It has been a whirlwind few weeks for Thompson while awaiting the announcement of his drive with Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR, and the Essex man has returned in fine fettle at Snetterton.

LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ's Cook will be frustrated with sixth after what was looking like a significant improvement on his final tour, although he continues to fly the flag for the Toyota brand ahead of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK's Andrew Watson and Rob Huff.

Team BMW's Colin Turkington's could only manage ninth – citing the result as being in keeping with the lack of hybrid and general feel in the car over the course of the day – whilst NAPA Racing UK's Dan Rowbottom was tenth.

Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS’ Tom Ingram was the most notable driver who failed to progress from the opening segment of qualifying. The Hyundais seemingly struggled for general pace throughout Saturday, and alongside Ingram's lack of available hybrid deployment, he was unable to make an impact.

Ingram ended up 13th on the grid, in-between team-mates Ronan Pearson and Tom Chilton for tomorrow's opening race.

Restart Racing’s Chris Smiley deserves a special mention, as he did progress through from Ingram’s Qualifying Part 1 group. He eventually wound up 11th, representing the best qualifying yet for the rookie team.

Round 7, 8 and 9 of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Snetterton tomorrow (26 May). Action gets underway on ITV4 at 1050 while every race will also be streamed LIVE via the ITV Sport TikTok channel, with the races commencing at 1135, 1425 and 1710.

Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said: "The perfect way to bounce back after Brands Hatch, I'm absolutely thrilled. It’s a huge credit to all the guys behind me, they've just done an amazing job and the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW is in a really good place today. 

"I was told I was fighting Josh (Cook), so I just thought let's throw everything at it and see what happens. I was either going to be sixth or on pole and luckily it was the latter.

"This bodes well for race day. We've had a very good run here at Snetterton the last couple of years and let's hope we can continue that tomorrow."

Snetterton – Qualifying – Classification

Qualifying - Part 1 - Group 1
P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	On/
1	24	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	4	2:10.620		3
2	19	Bobby THOMPSON	Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR	5	2:11.231	0.611	4
3	12	Rob HUFF	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	3	2:11.650	1.03	3
4	20	Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	5	2:11.730	1.11	5
5	11	Andrew WATSON	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	5	2:11.993	1.373	3
6	14	Ronan PEARSON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	4	2:12.199	1.579	2
7	80	Tom INGRAM	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	4	2:12.218	1.598	2
8	3	Tom CHILTON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	3	2:12.336	1.716	2
9	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	4	2:13.523	2.903	2
10	29	Scott SUMPTON	Restart Racing	4	2:13.592	2.972	2
11	22	Nick HALSTEAD	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	4	2:15.721	5.101	2
Qualifying - Part 1 - Group 2
P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	On/
1	1	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	4	2:11.342		2
2	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	5	2:12.032	0.69	2
3	66	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	4	2:12.425	1.083	2
4	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing UK	5	2:12.461	1.119	5
5	33	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	5	2:12.678	1.336	5
6	222	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	5	2:12.908	1.566	2
7	40	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	5	2:13.302	1.96	4
8	88	Mikey DOBLE	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	5	2:13.500	2.158	2
9	18	Daryl DELEON	Duckhams Racing With Bartercard	5	2:13.900	2.558	3
10	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	5	2:15.699	4.357	4
Qualifying - Part 2
P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	On/
1	24	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	4	2:09.732		2
2	19	Bobby THOMPSON	Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR	5	2:10.205	0.473	2
3	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	5	2:10.318	0.586	2
4	1	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	5	2:10.438	0.706	2
5	66	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	4	2:10.790	1.058	2
6	33	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	5	2:10.791	1.059	5
7	11	Andrew WATSON	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	4	2:10.871	1.139	2
8	12	Rob HUFF	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	4	2:10.926	1.194	2
9	20	Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	4	2:10.932	1.2	3
10	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing UK	4	2:10.949	1.217	2
11	222	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	4	2:11.345	1.613	2
12	14	Ronan PEARSON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	3	2:11.450	1.718	3
Qualifying - Quick Six
P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	On/
1	24	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	5	2:00.876		5
2	1	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	4	2:01.681	0.805	4
3	33	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	5	2:01.867	0.991	5
4	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	4	2:02.423	1.547	4
5	19	Bobby THOMPSON	Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR	4	2:02.560	1.684	4
6	66	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	4	2:03.429	2.553	4

It has been a whirlwind few weeks for series returnee Bobby Thompson while awaiting the announcement of his drive with Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR, but the Essex man is clearly back where he belongs after securing P1 in the final BTCC practice session at Snetterton.

As conditions continue to improve at the Norfolk circuit, Thompson set a number of fastest laps and held his place ahead of a late flying lap from NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish.

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport Jake Hill led the way during the early running, but eventually had to settle for third, ahead of reigning champion Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) and Brands Hatch double race winner Colin Turkington (Team BMW).

As per the opening session, Fords and BMWs filled the top five position but there was a further twist with the final classification.

With the groups for the opening segment of qualifying being set by the odd and even finishing places during FP2, the top three BMWs will be all in the same group while all four Fords will be in the second section. With only the top six cars then progressing through to Q2 there is a good chance that some of the BTCC's big guns could struggle to make an impact later this afternoon.

Mikey Doble (Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing), Rob Huff (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK) and Dan Rowbottom (NAPA Racing UK) were next in the order, whilst Ronan Pearson (Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS) and Árón Taylor-Smith (Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing) rounded out the top ten.

Qualifying for Round 7 of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship takes place at 15:30 and will be streamed live via the ITV Sport YouTube channel.

Snetterton – Free Practice 2 – Classification

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	On/
1	19	Bobby THOMPSON	Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR	13	2:10.375		10
2	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	13	2:10.757	0.382	10
3	24	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	12	2:10.792	0.417	9
4	1	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	12	2:10.868	0.493	9
5	20	Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	13	2:11.186	0.811	9
6	88	Mikey DOBLE	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	14	2:11.459	1.084	8
7	12	Rob HUFF	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	13	2:11.735	1.36	3
8	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing UK	13	2:11.749	1.374	12
9	14	Ronan PEARSON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	13	2:11.799	1.424	8
10	40	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	12	2:11.813	1.438	8
11	80	Tom INGRAM	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	11	2:11.871	1.496	7
12	33	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	13	2:11.906	1.531	9
13	11	Andrew WATSON	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	14	2:11.982	1.607	8
14	222	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	13	2:12.697	2.322	12
15	3	Tom CHILTON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	7	2:12.827	2.452	2
16	66	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	10	2:12.996	2.621	5
17	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	11	2:13.079	2.704	2
18	18	Daryl DELEON	Duckhams Racing With Bartercard	13	2:14.406	4.031	3
19	29	Scott SUMPTON	Restart Racing	13	2:14.836	4.461	13
20	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	13	2:15.177	4.802	8
21	22	Nick HALSTEAD	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	12	2:15.836	5.461	3