Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport and Hill were back in action for the eighth event of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship last weekend (26/27 August), as the series returned to the GP configuration of Donington Park for the first time since 2002. 

Saturday marked a tricky day for Hill and the team as they wrestled with technical issues throughout the day, but managed to qualify in sixth place. After a penalty from Knockhill was applied, Hill was set to start the opening race on Sunday in P9. 

Wet conditions set the scene for race one at Donington Park, and from the off Hill was locked in a fierce middle-field battle as he looked to progress through the pack. Moving forward at the start and into 8th place, Hill then lost ground after contact, dropping to 11th place. However, the 29-year-old soon carved his way up the order. 

Hill progressed from 10th place through to 3rd place and was soon on the tail of BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8's Tom Ingram. Battling until the final corner, Hill crossed the finishing line 3rd, but was later promoted to 2nd place after a penalty was applied. The result meant that Hill collected his 40th career podium in the BTCC. 

Making a strong getaway in race two, Hill drew alongside Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) as they braked for Redgate, however, Ingram seized the opportunity to cut back inside and edge past into second place, before quickly demoting Sutton and taking the lead.

This saw Hill now charging after the championship leader in a battle for second place; as the race unfolded Hill made several attempts to pass, but ultimately settled for third as well as taking home another well-earned podium – his 10th of the season.

For the final race of the day, Hill got a good start off the line and found himself door-to-door with WSR stablemate Colin Turkington (Team BMW) throughout the opening lap. Hill eventually sealed the move on the entry to the Esses to put himself into ninth place.  

However, an incident through the Esses caused his BMW 330e M Sport to gain notable damage. Despite this, Hill did manage to battle home to a hard-fought P8, his 22nd points-scoring finish of the season.

Hill now leaves Donington Park remaining 3rd in the Drivers’ Championship, twenty points behind reigning champion Ingram, and 62 behind leader Sutton. The team returns to action at Silverstone in two weeks' time for the penultimate round of the season (23/24 September).

“Double podium at Donington! Really happy with how race day went, especially after struggling on Saturday with the car," said Hill. "We managed to get a P2 in race 1, and a P3 in race 2, followed by a P8 in reverse grid race 3. Some really enjoyable racing this weekend and a huge credit goes to everyone at Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, especially my engineer Craig Porley.

"The team worked wonders to change the car from Saturday to Sunday and wow what a difference!  We now head to Silverstone and I have always enjoyed racing there in the past so let's see what we can grab there. Huge thank you as always to everyone for all the support." 

Win apiece for Ash Sutton, Tom Ingram and Rory Butcher 

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship made its return to the Donington Park Grand Prix circuit for the first time in 21 years and produced a feast of bumper-to-bumper action throughout the weekend (26/27 August). 

Ash Sutton narrowly extended his advantage at the top of the Drivers’ standings after both he and title rival Tom Ingram took a win apiece, whilst Jake Hill remains in contention thanks to a double podium around the 2.49-mile layout. 

The final reverse grid race was won by Rory Butcher, providing a much-needed boost for the Scotsman and the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK outfit. 

Sutton strikes back for race one win 

Championship leader Sutton had to fight back from third after slipping back off the line in the opener, but the NAPA Racing UK driver soon stormed by his rivals for a comfortable victory. 

Ingram (BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8) flew past Sutton as the lights went out and he was immediately followed through by Ricky Collard (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK), as the title race looked to be taking a turn under heavy rain clouds. 

Sutton cruised by Collard before the end of the first tour, however, and then he squeezed by Ingram’s #1 Hyundai just a lap later as the pair ran towards the Melbourne Hairpin. 

The #116 Ford Focus gradually pulled clear while Ingram would eventually be embroiled in a titanic tussle in the wet for second. 

Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) was the star of the show as he gradually made his way up to fifth, before the #24 BMW 330e M Sport really came alive in the second half of the contest. 

Hill sliced by Team BMW stablemate Colin Turkington for fourth and then took the final podium place away from the courageous Collard. 

Second seemed an impossible task, but Hill reeled in Ingram and a monumental battle took place on the final corner. The pair touched and ran side-by-side to the chequered flag, with Hill taking the place following a post-race penalty for Ingram, after he was adjudged to have gained a position by not leaving a car's width to the edge of the circuit.  

Ingram edges out title rivals to triumph 

Reigning champion Ingram refuses to give up his title without a fight as the BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 man wrestled victory away from title rival Sutton in the second BTCC bout. 

NAPA Racing UK’s Sutton maintained his lead from pole position while Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s Hill initially held off Ingram as the pair ran down the Craner Curves for the first time. 

Ingram made his way by Hill shortly after, before making a brilliant move past Sutton on the run down to the Old Hairpin. 

Sutton immediately had to think about defending second place from Hill and stablemate Colin Turkington as the BMW 330e M Sports closed in. 

Hill showed his nose on a number of occasions and the pair even swapped paint on the final lap, but Sutton claimed second ahead of Hill and Team BMW’s Turkington. 

Butcher brings it home after late Lloyd heartbreak  

Scotsman Butcher claimed his first win of the season after long-time race leader Dan Lloyd spun out on the final lap when a driveshaft broke on his Team HARD-run Cupra. 

Pole-sitter Lloyd had dealt with every challenge that the reversed-grid had thrown at him – including a safety car period and late surge from Butcher – but incredibly with just half a lap to go his Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils car spun wildly into the gravel on the run out of McLean’s. 

It was heartbreak for Lloyd, but a huge win for Butcher, as both drivers demonstrated the emotional highs and lows of the BTCC. It was also a much-needed victory for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK after a frustrating season at times, but the Speedworks Motorsport run squad showed solid pace for much of the weekend. 

There were more celebrations on the podium as CarStore Power Maxed Racing’s Aron Taylor-Smith returned to the rostrum for the first time in seven years, whilst Team BMW’s Adam Morgan bounced back from a difficult mid-season to grab his own piece of silverware. 

Sutton now leads Ingram by 42 points in the Drivers’ standings, whilst Hill and Turkington still remain in contention to win the most coveted prize in British motorsport. 

BMW top the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ championship, whilst NAPA Racing UK leads the Teams’ table. 

Josh Cook and One Motorsport with Starline Racing hold sway for both Independents’ honours, whilst CarStore Power Maxed Racing’s Andrew Watson is the Jack Sears Trophy leader. 

Rounds 25, 26 and 27 of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place at Silverstone on 23/24 September. 

Ash Sutton said: “Getting past Tom [Ingram] in race one, I just wanted to make sure it was one hundred percent right before making the move. We saw what we were missing last year, and we have really chased things like traction and looking after the tyres.  

We still had some performance in the car until the very end and that just proved that the guys and girls at NAPA Racing have done an incredible job. The championship is on our mind now, so we’ll keep pushing, but we were also careful in those final two races to bring home some solid points.” 

Tom Ingram said: “I think we should have been on pole yesterday. Arguably we had the pace, but I messed up in qualifying. Once we bolted the slicks on, I thought ‘right it’s on, we’re having this’. The car came alive. 

“We’ve been working through some issues this year just to understand what and where and how. We’ve come up with a fix, and Spencer [engineer] has given me one hell of a car to go back at them with. It might be too late, but we’ll just have to wait and see.” 

Rory Butcher said: “We joked about it – ‘you’ve done this before. You can do it again. We’re not leaving Donington without silverware.’ 

“That’s the teamwork we’ve got back at base. So happy to see Ricky [Collard], the way he is driving at the moment, and George [Gamble] is on the cusp there of making a breakthrough as well. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. We share data, we’re really open, we champion each other. It’s great.” 

2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Donington Park GP

1. Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK 14 laps
2. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +7.227s
3. Tom Ingram, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +7.678s
4. Ricky Collard, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +8.934s
5. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +9.636s
6. Árón Taylor-Smith, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +11.987s
7. Josh Cook, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +12.662s
8. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +13.229s
9. Andrew Watson, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +14.010s
10. Tom Chilton, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +20.666s

2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Donington Park GP

1. Tom Ingram, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 14 laps
2. Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +2.831s
3. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +3.045s
4. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +3.638s
5. Josh Cook, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +8.016s
6. Ricky Collard, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +11.577s
7. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +12.157s
8. Rory Butcher, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +19.757s
9. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +20.487s
10. Árón Taylor-Smith, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +21.273s

2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Donington Park GP

1. Rory Butcher, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK 15 laps
2. Árón Taylor-Smith, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.357s
3. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +0.637s
4. Ricky Collard, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +1.750s
5. Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +2.621s
6. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +3.338s
7. Tom Ingram, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +4.004s
8. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +6.236s
9. Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK +7.496s
10. Stephen Jelley, Team BMW +7.801s

Penalties:

General
BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 had 20 points deducted from the Manufacturers'/Constructors' and/or Teams' and/or Independents Teams' Championship for having changed an engine above the number permitted.

Race One
Tom Ingram was penalised by the addition of half a second to his race time for Round 22 of the Championship, for an incident involving Jake Hill.

Andrew Watson was penalised by means of a three-place grid penalty for Round 23 of the Championship, after an incident involving Ronan Pearson during Round 22. 

Race Two
Dexter Patterson was penalised by the addition of five seconds to his race time for Round 23 of the Championship, for an incident involving Mikey Doble.

Rory Butcher claimed his first Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship win of the season after long-time race leader Dan Lloyd spun out on the final lap when something seemingly broke on his Team HARD-run Cupra.

Pole-sitter Lloyd had dealt with every challenge that the reversed-grid had thrown at him – including a safety car period and late surge from Butcher – but incredibly with just half a lap to go his Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils car spun wildly into the gravel on the run out of McLean's.

It was heartbreak for Lloyd, but a huge win for Butcher, as both drivers demonstrated the emotional highs and lows of the BTCC.

It was a much needed victory for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK after a frustrating season at times and a real boost for talented multiple-race winner Butcher, who fought back the tears during his post-race interview live on ITV4.

There were more celebrations on the podium as CarStore Power Maxed Racing's Aron Taylor-Smith returned to the rostrum for the first time in seven years, whilst Team BMW's Adam Morgan bounced back from a difficult mid-season to grab his own piece of silverware.

Ricky Collard finished fourth to double the joy for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, whilst the championship top four – Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK), Colin Turkington (Team BMW), Tom Ingram (BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8) and Jake Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) – were next in the order after an eye-catching tussle throughout.

NAPA Racing UK's Sam Osbourne was ninth, whilst Team BMW's Stephen Jelley ensured that all four WSR cars finished inside the top ten.

Rory Butcher said: "We joked about it – ‘you’ve done this before. You can do it again. We’re not leaving Donington without silverware.’

"That’s the teamwork we’ve got back at base. So happy to see Ricky [Collard], the way he is driving at the moment, and George [Gamble] is on the cusp there of making a breakthrough as well. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. We share data, we’re really open, we champion each other. It’s great."

Árón Taylor-Smith said: "This is unbelievable. There have been some dark moments over the last few years trying to get back to this point and I just want to thank everyone for believing in me.

"Everyone in the team gave me the opportunity and I’m so happy to repay them. First time back on the podium in seven years and I’ve forgotten what that champagne tastes like."

Adam Morgan said: "That's a nice way to finish. It has been a tough weekend, but when you finish on the podium the drive home is happier.

"It was hard work. I don't know what happened to Dan [Lloyd] but I feel for him with that last lap. I could see him snaking and I thought he was just going to come across and take me out, so I was nervous. Overall though, just chuffed to bits to end up on the podium."

2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 24 – Donington Park GP

1. Rory Butcher, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK 15 laps
2. Árón Taylor-Smith, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.357s
3. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +0.637s
4. Ricky Collard, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +1.750s
5. Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +2.621s
6. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +3.338s
7. Tom Ingram, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +4.004s
8. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +6.236s
9. Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK +7.496s
10. Stephen Jelley, Team BMW +7.801s
11. Andrew Watson, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +10.030s
12. Tom Chilton, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +11.031s
13. George Gamble, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +11.096s
14. Dexter Patterson, Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD +11.769s
15. Ronan Pearson, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +12.055s
16. Mikey Doble, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +13.439s
17. Michael Crees, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils +15.125s
18. Aiden Moffat, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +19.195s
19. Jade Edwards, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +19.197s
20. Nick Halstead, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +20.983s
21. Jack Butel, Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown +1 lap
22. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +1 lap
DNF. Daniel Lloyd, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils 
DNF. Josh Cook, One Motorsport with Starline Racing 
DNF. Daryl DeLeon, Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD 

Reigning champion Tom Ingram is refusing to give up his title without a fight as the BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 man wrestled victory away from title rival Ash Sutton in the second BTCC bout at Donington Park.

NAPA Racing UK's Sutton maintained his lead from pole position while Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Jake Hill initially held off Ingram as the pair ran down the Craner Curves for the first time.

Ingram made his way by Hill shortly after, before making a brilliant move past Sutton on the run down to the Old Hairpin.

Sutton immediately had to think about defending second place from Hill and his stablemate Colin Turkington as the BMW 330e M Sports closed in.

Hill showed his nose on a number of occasions and the pair even touched on the final lap, but Sutton claimed second ahead of Hill and Team BMW's Turkington.

Josh Cook had a pretty lonely race to take fifth although the One Motorsport with Starline Racing Honda showed solid pace in the drier conditions, compared with its struggles earlier in the day.

Ricky Collard (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK) and Dan Rowbottom (NAPA Racing UK) were sixth and seventh respectively, whilst Rory Butcher (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK) won a ding-dong battle for eighth against Adam Morgan (Team BMW), with the pair swapping paint work and positions on a number of occasions.

CarStore Power Maxed Racing's Aron Taylor-Smith was tenth, whilst Tom Chilton (BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8) and Daniel Lloyd (Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils) finished outside the top ten, but have been rewarded with a front row start for the final race later today.

Tom Ingram said: "I think we should have been on pole yesterday. Arguably we had the pace, but I messed up in Qualifying. Once we bolted the slicks on, I thought ‘right it’s on, we’re having this’. The car came alive.

"We’ve been working through some issues this year just to understand what and where and how. We’ve come up with a fix, and Spencer [engineer] has given me one hell of a car to go back at them with. It might be too late but we’ll just have to wait and see."

Ash Sutton said: "I put up a fight at the start but ultimately I had to look at the championship and be cautious.

"We were suffering quite a bit of brake failure so I had that in the back of my head which isn’t a nice experience. I was pumping the pedal three or four times every straight just to keep it there. I think Jake [Hill] knew that, he could see the brake lights coming on, so he tried to make the most of that but I held on."

Jake Hill said: "It’s not too bad. Third and second – after the decision in the first race regarding me and Tom [Ingram] – so it hasn’t been a bad day. Wish I could have caught Ash but it was a good race in the end."

2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 23 – Donington Park GP

1. Tom Ingram, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 14 laps
2. Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +2.831s
3. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +3.045s
4. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +3.638s
5. Josh Cook, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +8.016s
6. Ricky Collard, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +11.577s
7. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +12.157s
8. Rory Butcher, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +19.757s
9. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +20.487s
10. Árón Taylor-Smith, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +21.273s
11. Tom Chilton, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +22.123s
12. Daniel Lloyd, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils +23.196s
13. Stephen Jelley, Team BMW +23.544s
14. Ronan Pearson, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +24.300s
15. Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK +25.684s
16. Andrew Watson, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +26.896s
17. Mikey Doble, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +35.577s
18. Dexter Patterson, Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD +35.621s
19. Michael Crees, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils +37.980s
20. Nick Halstead, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +42.545s
21. Jade Edwards, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +1 lap
DNF. George Gamble, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK 
DNF. Aiden Moffat, One Motorsport with Starline Racing 
DNF. Daryl DeLeon, Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD 
DNF. Jack Butel, Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown 

Championship leader Ash Sutton had to fight back from third after slipping back off the line in the opening BTCC race at Donington Park, but the NAPA Racing UK driver soon stormed by his rivals for a comfortable victory.

Tom Ingram (BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8) flew past Sutton as the lights went out and he was immediately followed through by Ricky Collard (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK), as the title race looked to be taking a turn with the rain falling at the famous venue.

Sutton cruised by Collard before the end of the first tour, however, and then he squeezed by Ingram's #1 Hyundai just a lap later as the pair ran towards the Melbourne Hairpin.

The #116 Ford Focus gradually pulled clear while Ingram would eventually be embroiled in a titanic tussle in the wet for second.

Jake Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) was the star of the show as he gradually made his way up to fifth, before the #24 BMW 330e M Sport really came alive in the second half of the contest.

Hill sliced by Team BMW stablemate Colin Turkington for fourth and then took the the final podium place away from the courageous Collard.

Second seemed an impossible task, but Hill gradually reeled in Ingram and a monumental battle took place on the final corner. The pair touched and ran side-by-side to the chequered flag, but Ingram held on by just 0.049s.

These positions were reversed post-race, however, after Ingram was adjudged to have been too aggressive in his defence.

Collard and Turkington took fourth and fifth respectively, whilst CarStore Power Maxed Racing's Aron Taylor-Smith completed the top six.

Josh Cook (One Motorsport with Starline Racing), Dan Rowbottom (NAPA Racing UK), Andrew Watson (CarStore Power Maxed Racing) and Tom Chilton (BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8) rounded out the top ten positions.

Rounds 23 and 24 of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place later today with the action already live on ITV4 and ITVX.

Ash Sutton said: "I got a bit greedy on the clutch and instantly got some wheel spin, and threw it away completely.

"It’s a shame, because I would have liked to get my head down, but thankfully we had the pace in the car, it was just about biding out time.

"Getting past Tom [Ingram], I just wanted to make sure it was one hundred percent right before making the move. We saw what we were missing last year, and we have really chased things like traction and looking after the tyres. We still had some performance in the car until the very end and that just proved that the guys and girls at NAPA Racing have done an incredible job."

Tom Ingram said: "It’s a good result. Can’t help but be disappointed with it of course, but second is alright.

"Ash [Sutton] was in a different class in the race today. He seemed to be able to find grip that I didn’t have and couldn’t find, but full credit to that team, they’ve done a phenomenal job as they do every weekend. We’re playing catch up.

"It was close between Jake [Hill] and I at the end. I’d lost fronts, lost brakes, so I was a sitting target, so I had to work hard to manage it. It was starting to dry out, we were getting towards that horrible slimy greasy stage where there was generally no grip around."

Jake Hill said: "In my eyes I got it done but somebody didn’t want me to stay on the road anymore.

"Focussing on the positives though it was mega. [Dan] Rowbottom tried his best to force me off the road, and did so a couple of times, but the rest of it was a great drive. Hats off to Árón [Taylor-Smith] and to Josh [Cook], they were dead clean with me, and my team-mate Colin [Turkington] as well.

"It was a really nice fight through, we were hooked up and it felt really good. After lap three it just came alive and stayed with me to the end, whereas I think everyone else was a lot quicker at the beginning but fell away at the end."

2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 22 – Donington Park GP

1. Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK 14 laps
2. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +7.227s
3. Tom Ingram, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +7.678s
4. Ricky Collard, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +8.934s
5. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +9.636s
6. Árón Taylor-Smith, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +11.987s
7. Josh Cook, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +12.662s
8. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +13.229s
9. Andrew Watson, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +14.010s
10. Tom Chilton, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +20.666s
11. Rory Butcher, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +23.698s
12. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +25.616s
13. George Gamble, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +26.082s
14. Ronan Pearson, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +27.120s
15. Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK +28.058s
16. Mikey Doble, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +34.692s
17. Daniel Lloyd, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils +35.120s
18. Aiden Moffat, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +37.900s
19. Stephen Jelley, Team BMW +38.057s
20. Michael Crees, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils +39.120s
21. Dexter Patterson, Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD +39.698s
22. Daryl DeLeon, Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD +40.164s
23. Jack Butel, Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown +46.346s
24. Nick Halstead, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +47.346s
25. Jade Edwards, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +1 lap

The BTCC race day at Donington Park GP is about to get underway and it's looking like it could be a pivotal one in the battle for the most coveted prize in British motorsport.

Listen back to what the top three on the grid had to say after Ash Sutton secured his fifth pole position of the season, ahead of Tom Ingram and Ricky Collard.

Ash Sutton
NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton is in the form of his life after his fifth pole position from the last six qualifying sessions.

Tom Ingram
Consistency is king for the reigning champion but he feels like he has a car that can fight with the 'NAPA boys' this weekend.

Ricky Collard
A best qualifying of the season for Collard with third place as the Toyotas seem to have the pace around the GP circuit.

Top two title contenders to line-up on the front row

NAPA Racing UK's Ash Sutton secured his fifth pole position of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, as the standings leader starred on the series' long awaited return to the Donington Park Grand Prix circuit.

Reigning champion Tom Ingram led the way during the first half of the session and then traded blows with old adversary Sutton as the talented duo duelled it out for P1.

Ingram looked to have one final opportunity at stealing the bragging rights and was marginally up midway through his final flying lap. A slight lock-up in the final sector, however, scuppered his chances as the BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 man narrowly fell short.

Sutton even had time to best his own benchmark, setting up a tantalising front row for tomorrow's BTCC opener.

Ricky Collard produced his best qualifying result of the season with third on the grid for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, whilst Team BMW's Colin Turkington was fourth, ahead of another impressive run for CarStore Power Maxed Racing's Árón Taylor-Smith.

Jake Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) and Josh Cook (One Motorsport with Starline Racing) looked to be in leading contention during the early exchanges, but both eventually had to settle for sixth and seventh respectively, with the former also facing a three-place grid penalty following an incident at Knockhill last time out.

Team BMW's Adam Morgan – keen to turn around a challenging season so far – was eighth, whilst Ronan Pearson (BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8) continued his eye-catching progression in the BTCC with ninth.

NAPA Racing UK's Dan Rowbottom was tenth, rounding out a topsy-turvy day for the leading Ford Focus outfit.

The action started several hours prior with Dan Cammish setting the pace late on in FP1, before a significant shunt forced him out of the remainder of the weekend. Whilst Cammish was fine – albeit slightly sore from the high speed impact – his #27 NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus was damaged beyond repair.

Rounds 22, 23, and 24 of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Donington Park tomorrow, with the action commencing on ITV4 from 1115.

Ash Sutton said: "This is something that will go down in the history books. It’s a big statement from NAPA Racing UK to take every single pole up to this point – it's an unreal achievement. It’ll be a disappointing act if we don’t finish it off.

"He can drive a car fast [Ingram]. When he put his time in and took pole off me I was like ‘agh really give me a break’ but I knew there was a bit of time left in there.

"All eyes are on that [championship] trophy, I'm not going to lie – full focus is on that. We've got to be careful, but we'll do what we’ve been doing with a slightly more reserved approach and then we should be in a good place."

Tom Ingram said: "It actually feels like we stood a chance today. Unfortunately, Ash [Sutton] did his thing behind the wheel and that was that, but never mind.

"I’ve got a face that could turn milk sour at the moment but I am pleased, and I genuinely think we’re fighting against Ash and the NAPA guys this weekend, which is really encouraging.

"We've definitely gone away and done as much homework as we can. We’ve worked hard over the last few weeks, so let's wait and see what race day brings - anything could happen."

Ricky Collard said: "Yeah, to be honest it wasn’t the best lap, I didn’t really get it quite right. I don’t really know where it came from, we were chatting earlier and I was down in second last.

"I didn’t quite maximise it as I kept making little mistakes. I lost the rear a couple of times. Maybe we changed a touch too much. At the tyre test we were P2 and made a change half way through that session to go with even more oversteer. I said to the guys under the red flag we’re risking it here, but it was a good call I guess."

2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying – Donington Park GP

1. Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK 1:33.154
2. Tom Ingram, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +0.182s
3. Ricky Collard, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +0.396s
4. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +0.437s
5. Árón Taylor-Smith, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.488s
6. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +0.569s
7. Josh Cook, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +0.688s
8. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +0.701s
9. Ronan Pearson, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +0.750s
10. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +0.790s
11. Tom Chilton, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +0.835s
12. Andrew Watson, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.846s
13. Aiden Moffat, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +0.898s
14. Rory Butcher, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +0.913s
15. Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK +0.945s
16. Mikey Doble, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.983s
17. Daniel Lloyd, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils +1.009s
18. George Gamble, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +1.067s
19. Michael Crees, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils +1.145s
20. Stephen Jelley, Team BMW +1.297s
21. Dexter Patterson, Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD +1.329s
22. Jack Butel, Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown +1.616s
23. Jade Edwards, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +1.755s
24. Daryl DeLeon, Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD +2.004s
25. Nick Halstead, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 NO TIME

George Gamble has enjoyed one of his most competitive days of the BTCC season so far as the Toyota man set the pace in a wet FP2 at Donington Park.

Conditions were relatively dry at the start of the session, with the best lap times being set early on before a deluge of rain descended on the famous East Midlands venue.

Cars continued to circle under wet conditions until an off for Daryl DeLeon’s Cupar brought out the red flags. There was a final five-minute flurry following the restart although nobody was able to improve on the earlier times.

Not much could be taken from the final classification in truth although the top three looked competitive, as Gamble, Adam Morgan (Team BMW) and Dan Rowbottom (NAPA Racing UK) all look to turn their recent fortunes around.

It has been a strange day so far at Donington with a significant moment for reigning champion Tom Ingram in FP1, being followed by an even bigger incident for Dan Cammish.

Suspected brake failure for Cammish’s #27 NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus send his car rear-end into the barrier at high speed at McLean’s. Even worse news was to follow for the sore Cammish when his car was withdrawn from the remainder of the weekend due to significant and unrepairable damage.

Qualifying for Round 22 of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park GP takes place at 1545 later today and will be streamed LIVE via the ITV Sport YouTube channel.

2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – FP2 – Donington Park GP

1. George Gamble, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +1.052s
2. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +0.031s
3. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +0.298s
4. Stephen Jelley, Team BMW +0.418s
5. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +0.570s
6. Árón Taylor-Smith, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.689s
7. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +0.860s
8. Daniel Lloyd, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils +1.088s
9. Andrew Watson, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +1.158s
10. Michael Crees, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils +1.403s
11. Aiden Moffat, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +1.596s
12. Mikey Doble, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +1.955s
13. Nick Halstead, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +2.042s
14. Tom Chilton, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +2.694s
15. Jade Edwards, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +3.371s
16. Jack Butel, Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown +4.083s
17. Rory Butcher, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +5.979s
18. Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +6.607s
19. Josh Cook, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +6.900s
20. Tom Ingram, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +7.083s
21. Dexter Patterson, Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD +8.246s
22. Ronan Pearson, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +8.743s
23. Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK +8.756s
24. Ricky Collard, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +8.958s
25. Daryl DeLeon, Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD +11.116s

The car of Dan Cammish (#27 NAPA Racing UK) has withdrawn from the remainder of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship event at Donington Park after suffering significant and irreparable damage in Free Practice 1.

The official BTCC Media Team caught up with Dan following the incident:

NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish set the quickest lap time in the opening Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship free practice session at Donington Park, before immediately crashing out and bringing FP1 to a premature end.

The Ford Focus racer clocked the fastest run of the Grand Prix circuit – more than four tenths ahead of the chasing pack – with just a few minutes to go but then had a substantial shunt at McLean's on the following lap.

So, it was a bitter-sweet run for Cammish as he once again proved the pace in his Motorbase Performance-run machine, but significant damage to the rear of the car will have left a shadow over his chances of running for the remainder of the weekend.

It was a difficult session for another championship contender as the rear-left wheel of Tom Ingram's EXCELR8 Motorsport-run Hyundai failed and left his car at the Old Hairpin – immediately ending the reigning champion's run.

"The bit that is supposed to be connected, the wheel, failed," confirmed Ingram. "We’ve had a hub failure or something but we’ve got to go through it and find out. I turned into the Old Hairpin and discovered that there was nothing on the left rear corner, and I find that pivotal to lap time.

“We don’t know if there is damage elsewhere. Firstly, we need to work out what the failure is and secondly what caused it so that we and any of the other cars don’t have a similar issue, and then obviously set about fixing it as soon as possible so that we’re out for FP2.”

An earlier incident involving the CarStore Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall of Mikey Doble saw the young rookie spin off at turn 1, which brought about the first red flag period.

"Hopefully we’ll get the issued fixed and get straight back out for FP2," said Doble. "Luckily the run off there managed to take a lot of the speed out, meaning I didn’t hit the barriers too hard.

"Credit to the guys as Car Store Power Maxed Racing, the reliability has been top notch in our cars this year and it’s really showing with me and Andrew [Watson] being P1 and P2 in the Jack Sears Trophy standings, it does reward consistency. I’d rather this happen in FP1 rather than Race One where it messes up the rest of our day but the weekend is still long so."

A particularly wild session ended with Cammish on top, ahead of Tom Chilton (BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8), Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK), Ricky Collard (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK) and Colin Turkington (Team BMW).

The top ten times were rounded out by Rory Butcher (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK), Sam Osborne (NAPA Racing UK), Aron Taylor-Smith (CarStore Power Maxed Racing), Jake Hill and George Gamble (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK).

2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – FP1 – Donington Park GP