Tunbridge Wells ace Jake Hill led the way in the opening Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Free Practice session at Brands Hatch this morning (6 May).

The mixed weather conditions that played such an integral role in the opening event at Donington Park two weeks ago, have seemingly descended onto Kent with morning drizzle hanging over the 1.21-mile Indy circuit.

A damp start to proceedings gradually turned into a frantic finish with the track trying throughout the 40-minutes of running.

It was home hero Hill that timed his run just right as he hit the front ahead of NAPA Racing UK duo Ash Sutton and Dan Cammish.

"It was a nice little surprise," said Hill. "The conditions never suit us when it's like this but me and Craig [engineer] have worked extremely hard over the winter to make it a better car in those mixed conditions. As we saw in Race 3 at Donington, for the first time in a long time we were the fastest car in the rain. The cars working well, we are really pleased.

"That session was a bit of a waiting game, we just had to build and build the temperature in the slicks to get them to switch on - eventually they got there. Nice to know if it that wet again, you know what you can do."

Sutton and Cammish were both yet to set a time as the session moved into its closing stages but both immediately proved the potential of the Ford Focus, as they edged out BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8's Tom Ingram – the reigning champion also leaving it late before setting his first representative time.

Whilst those in-between conditions can often cause frustrations for teams and drivers alike, experience of such circumstances may actually prove pivotal across the weekend.

All three Team BMW cars – Colin Turkington, Adam Morgan and Stephen Jelley – were inside the top ten, whilst Dan Rowbottom also joined his NAPA Racing UK counterparts in the leading order.

Bobby Thompson (Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils) in sixth and Ricky Collard (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK) in ninth also impressed.

FP2 takes place at 12:05 before qualifying is streamed LIVE via the ITV Sport YouTube channel at 15:25.

2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 1 – Brands Hatch Indy

1. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport 48.684s 
2. Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +0.097s
3. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +0.200s
4. Tom Ingram, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +0.241s
5. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +0.309s 
6. Bobby Thompson, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils +0.324s 
7. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +0.363s 
8. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +0.473s
9. Ricky Collard, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +0.536s 
10. Stephen Jelley, Team BMW +0.540s 
11. Rory Butcher, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +0.567s 
12. George Gamble, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +0.600s 
13. Mikey Doble, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.607s 
14. Josh Cook, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +0.688s 
15. Daniel Lloyd, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils +0.731s 
16. Aiden Moffat, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +0.780s 
17. Árón Taylor-Smith, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.802s 
18. Jack Butel, Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown +0.829s
19. Dexter Patterson, Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD +0.853s 
20. Andrew Watson, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.982s
21. Jade Edwards, Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD +1.095s 
22. Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK +1.550s 
23. Will Powell, One Motorsport with Starline Racing +2.660s 
24. Nick Halstead, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +5.420s 
25. Ronan Pearson, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +15.381s 
26. Tom Chilton, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +15.724s 
27. Nic Hamilton, Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown NO TIME 

Goodyear is set to reintroduce an ‘Option’ slick compound at the second round of the British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch. 

When the championship embraced hybrid power in 2022, a single slick tyre was available at each round to give teams a consistent platform to develop the new technology. Now a year in, drivers and teams unanimously requested to bring back the Goodyear ‘Option’ to promote a wider variety of race strategies.  

In 2023, three compounds (hard, medium, soft¹) will be available, with Goodyear nominating two for most rounds, excluding the first round in Donington Park where the medium was used, and the abrasive nature of Thruxton means only the hard will be available that weekend. 

At Snetterton and Croft, drivers will be required to use all three Goodyear slicks. 

This weekend at Brands Hatch, Goodyear has nominated the soft and medium compounds. Drivers are required to use the option tyre for one of the three races. In qualifying, all cars must use the medium. Teams are not required to specify their tyre choices in advance, only when cars leave the pitlane. 

Michael Butler, Event Leader: “It will be excellent to see how the different tyre strategies play out throughout a weekend. It’s the first time since 2019 the soft tyre will be used, which adds another layer of strategy to the championship and is great for fans and spectators. With the support of drivers and teams, we have reintroduced a second compound at the majority of races.  

“We expect to see a notable advantage for ‘Option’ tyre runners at the beginning of a race, but that will likely see the medium compound come into play as the race progresses. Drivers will have to think strategically to use the increased performance when it matters.”  

1.  Soft tyre = white sidewall, medium tyre = yellow sidewall, hard tyre = green sidewall, wet tyre = blue sidewall. 

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport are set to resume their Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign this weekend (6/7 May) as they head to Brands Hatch, Kent, to tackle the second event of the 2023 season.

In what is a home race for Jake Hill, himself and the team will be looking to build on their successful opening weekend at Donington Park, which saw them secure a podium finish and a healthy haul of points, leaving Hill sitting third in the drivers’ standings with 32 points. 

Brand Hatch’s Indy circuit will present a very different challenge this weekend. As the shortest circuit on the calendar at just 1.21-miles in length, and with drivers lapping well below the 50-second mark, drivers have little margin for error when tackling the natural amphitheatre track, which includes the iconic Paddock Hill bend notorious for its roller coaster-like elevation changes. 

With navigating through the traffic being a tough task, further emphasis is placed on Saturday's qualifying session as the drivers look to secure a starting place at the front of the grid for the opening race. This could be good news for Jake Hill, who qualified on the front row at the circuit last year, on his way to winning the Goodyear Wingfoot Award in his WSR-run BMW 330e M Sport.

"I'm really looking forward to Brands Hatch this weekend, I’m born and bred in Kent, and grew up watching races at Brands and then eventually racing here, so it's always a special weekend,” said Hill, “We were quick at Donington, battling at the front all weekend and collecting silverware. 

Brands Hatch Indy is always exciting, there's very little room for error and you have to be so precise as the lap times are so close. Last year I started on the front row and got a podium here; so, heading back, after a year with the car and the team under my belt, I’m more experienced and I'm hoping to channel that into a victory this weekend." 

Sunday’s triple header of races are scheduled to get underway at 1150 (BST), 1430 and 1715 respectively with live coverage available on ITV4.

Live coverage of Saturday’s qualifying session will also be available to stream on ITV Sport's Youtube Channel and itv.com/btcc. Live timing is also available for all sessions across the weekend.

The One Motorsport with Starline Racing squad are bubbling with enthusiasm ahead of the second meeting of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, taking place at the famous Brands Hatch Indy circuit this weekend.
 
Josh Cook, Aiden Moffat and Will Powell will handle the squad’s Honda Civic Type Rs for rounds four, five and six of this year’s competition.

With plenty of learning from the opening rounds of the category at Donington Park in April, the three drivers are ready to put that knowledge into action.

Cook scored points in two of the three rounds at Donington and is relishing a return to the Kent venue where he took three victories in the 2022 campaign. 
 
“Brands Hatch is a circuit I enjoy, and we are certainly going there with some big success in our sights,” said Cook, “We made some solid progress at Donington with what is effectively a brand new car for me with a new engine, and we have a reference now which is something we can build on.
 
“The One Motorsport with Starline Racing Honda team has been working flat-out in the background to give me the best opportunity they can, and the Indy track is a circuit I have had decent success on, historically. We need to take the momentum we have and put it into practice this weekend. 
 
“As ever in the BTCC, it is about keeping the tally ticking over. If wins aren’t on the table, I will be aiming to collect as many points as I can and learn as much as we can. If wins are on the table, then watch me go for it…”
 
Moffat is another who has visited the top step of the podium at Brands Hatch. He joined the team for the first time at Donington Park and, like Cook, was in the points on two occasions.
 
The twenty-six-year-old is going into the meeting with a fresh approach. “We have looked at the set-up and have made some changes with the engineers going into this weekend, and I am excited to see how they help the car,” said Moffat.
 
“The opening round was a bit of a journey for us all, but we have taken what we learned and are going down a slightly different path. It should improve the car for my driving style and there are areas of Brands Hatch where I think it will be a real benefit.
 
“It is certainly an all-action track because it is so compact, but there are a few secrets that I have up my sleeve and it is going to be interesting to go back there in a front-wheel-drive BTCC car, which is something I haven’t done for a few years.”
 
Will Powell said he was encouraged by his pace at the maiden meeting of the season despite two non-finishes, one due to an incident with another car. 
 
“My aim is going to be to maximise all I can from qualifying and then make progress from there,” said Powell, “My engineers and I have evaluated the set-up from Donington and I’m comfortable and I will feel more comfortable in the cockpit this weekend, and I obviously have Josh [Cook] to reference myself against. 
 
“It is great having someone like Josh in the One Motorsport with Starline Racing team with us because there is a benchmark there for me to aim at and we have worked well together. I am going to be closer to him on set-up at Brands and that will give me a great starting point.
 
“Although the results weren’t quite what I wanted at Donington, we showed some strong pace and the guys I was battling with in race one made it into the top 10 in race three. That is the way touring cars goes and, for me, it will be about maintaining that progress across the three events.”
 
Sunday’s three Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship races will be shown live on ITV4. The opening race of the weekend gets the green light at 11:50, the second is at 14:30 and the finale is scheduled to get going at 17:15.

The qualifying session, which takes place at 15:25, will be streamed live on the ITV Sport YouTube channel and also at itv.com/btcc.

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The second event of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship gets underway this weekend at the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit (6/7 May).  We’ve got all the key TV times for BTCC enthusiasts to ensure you don’t miss a moment of the tin top thrills from Kent.

Only a couple weeks ago, the 2023 grid headed to Donington Park for a dramatic and competitive season-opener, where intermittent rainfall brought plenty of action.

It was Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK) who came out on top, securing a double win across Rounds 1 and 3 to lead the Drivers’ Championship.

He was joined at the top of the podium by Tom Chilton (BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8), who claimed his 15^th career win during a dramatic Round 2; a sudden downpour split the grid’s tyres strategies, with those on the Goodyear wet tyres able to navigate through to the front, and those on slicks left without the necessary grip. BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 now lead the Teams standings, with NAPA Racing UK only four points behind.

Bobby Thompson (Autobrite direct with Millers Oils) holds sway the Independent Driver battle, while CarStore Power Maxed Racing lead for the Independent Teams.

The contest for the Jack Sears Trophy saw Andrew Watson reign supreme at his maiden BTCC weekend. The CarStore Power Maxed Racing driver holds a 5-point advantage over nearest rival Dexter Patterson (Re. Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD.), who will certainly be fighting for the top spot.

This weekend’s race day action will feature on the home of the BTCC, ITV4, from 1115 on Sunday (7 May) while ITV Sport’s own Youtube channel and itv.com/btcc will host qualifying on Saturday (6 May) from 1515.

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

Qualifying LIVE: Saturday 6 May
ITV.com/BTCC / ITV Sport’s YouTube from 1515

Raceday LIVE: Sunday 7 May
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1115-1840
ITV4 +1 1215-1940
ITV.com/BTCC 1115-1840

Highlights: Saturday 13 May
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1130-1300
ITV 4 +1 1230-1400
ITV Hub Available anytime for the next 30 days

Highlights: Sunday 14 May
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 0800-0930
ITV 4 +1 0900-1030
ITV Hub Available anytime for the next 30 days

Highlights: Tuesday 16 May
ITV & ITV HD 1115-1230
ITV +1 1215-1330

There are only a few days to go until the second instalment of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch Indy circuit in Kent.

The historically competitive and close track is an important event for Team HARD., who will be looking to maximise performance in front of a passionate home crowd.

Donington Park (22/23 April) saw some brilliant moments for the team, with Nic Hamilton’s career best finish in P6, Bobby Thompson securing an independent win, and all three outfits scoring points.

Here is what the drivers had to say about the opening event…

Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils

Bobby Thompson: “We knew coming into round one that we were going to be on the backfoot this weekend having only finished building the car late Thursday night. There will always be teething problems with a brand-new car and getting all of the components to sing from the same hymn sheet always has its challenges, so Saturday was just about getting through that phase of the project.

“Coming into Sunday we knew we had a job on our hands starting 22^nd but we produced three really good results and to get into the reverse grid spots was mega. I’m really happy that I was able to give the Team HARD. staff an independent win to say thank you for all of their hard work this winter and weekend, it’s been a massive job for all involved and I’m super grateful.

“Looking forward to the next round, it’s a track we know the car performs well and I’ll be hoping to repeat last year’s podium at the teams home track at Brands Hatch.”

Dan Lloyd: “It was a weekend of what could have been. I think myself and the team did a really good job in general, qualifying was really strong, and we have lots of potential there.

“Race 1 started really well as I managed to progress to 8^th and was looking comfortable before [an incident], which meant we couldn’t capitalise on the benefits of running so far up the order.

“Race 2 was a lottery with tyre choice with half the grid choosing wet tyre and we stayed on slicks – which ultimately was the wrong choice after the rain came down. Despite the wrong strategy choice and crazy conditions, we still moved up from 19^th on the grid to 13^th, so we have to take positives from that.

“For the final race of the day, I tried something new with the setup and I got myself up to 6^th from 13^th on the grid which was great, but I could feel something wasn’t right after the first couple of laps.

“There are many positives to take from the weekend but unfortunately, we didn’t capitalise on any of it really through a mixture of events. We’ll be back stronger at Brands Hatch in a few weeks’ time.”

• 

Re. Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD.

Dexter Patterson: “In the end, I’m happy with race day here at Donington Park. We didn’t really know what to expect coming into the weekend due to our lack of testing, so to come away with a points finish in race one was really nice and a good start to our season.

“I got a bit caught out in race two with the weather, we were in the top 10 but the rain came at the worst possible moment for me and by the time we got into pit lane and changed tyres, we were a lap down and unable to move back up the pack.

“We struggled in race three with understeer and it highlighted some areas of the car we need to work on, but we know what we need to do so I’m confident that we will be stronger next time out.”

Jade Edwards: “A mixed race day from me sadly. I knew that it was going to be difficult with the lateness of the car build and all I wanted was a car that could get me to the finish of the three races and performance as such wasn’t as important this weekend.

“So, to come away with three DNF’s in one day was really hard to take, and race two was the biggest bitter pill to swallow. My engineer Phil and I made the decision on the grid to change to wet tyres and therefore we didn’t even do the green flag lap and started the race behind Nic [Hamilton] from the pitlane. I was running as the fifth car on wets when the safety car came in and knowing how the race unfolded now, I know that we would have been on for my best result in the BTCC to date and a top five position was on the cards.

“We’ve got two weeks now to regroup, the cars are being stripped back and prepped at the factory and I believe that my season will properly start at Brands Hatch in two weeks.”

• 

Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown

Nic Hamilton: “This is the most amazing and meaningful day of my racing career. Honestly, it was the best day ever. To come up with the decision to go onto the wet tyre at the start of race two – which I’d love to say was my idea but it wasn’t, it was my engineer Geoff who made that call for me – was a master stroke. It ended up being the right choice and only three of us started the race from the pitlane on wets and we were able to catch the pack after four corners, so I knew we’d made the right choice.

“Sadly, a safety car came out soon after the start which allowed everyone the time to pit and switch to the correct tyre, without that I think a podium could have been on the cards, so that was a shame. I was also unsure whether we would have the pace to maintain our position once others had made the change, but I was surprised when we did and I really held my own with a strong pace to allow me to run where I was on merit. At one stage I was up to 4^th position which is a new best for me.

“Unfortunately, I made one mistake which dropped me back to 6^th but honestly, this is the best result I could have ever imagined. To see the whole team waiting for me when I came into the pitlane after the race to greet me as well as my brother, mum and dad being there to witness the best drive of my career was a moment I will cherish forever.”

Jack Butel: “The day started really well in race one, after a good start I managed to pick up a couple of positions, but the car started to pick up a misfire which pushed me back as I was unable to defend my position.

“Race two I started from the pitlane. We managed to get the wets on which was vital and came out after the safety car behind one of the NAPA Racing UK Fords and I was confident of a good result. Sadly, there was a problem with the gear rod, a connector snapped and it failed meaning that I was unable to finish the race. I’m gutted because I was on for a good haul of points.

“I made a mistake off the line in race 3 and pressed the wrong button on my steering wheel and the pit limiter came on. I had passed two cars off the line, but they very quickly got back passed and I was soon at the back. I made my way back through the pack to 17^th which isn’t points but I’m happy with the comeback drive after a difficult day.

“Overall, I think it was a very good learning curve weekend and a good one for the team with Nic (Hamilton) finishing 6^th being the highlight of the weekend. We are all so proud of him and this is a reward for all of his hard work to continue to defy the odds!”

• 

The 2023 campaign shifts to Brands Hatch this weekend (6/ 7 May), and Sunday’s action will be live on ITV4 from 1115am.

In just one week’s time, the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will return to Brands Hatch (6/7 May) for its second race event of the 2023 season. 

Just last weekend, the new campaign kicked-off at Donington Park, with changeable and wet weather making for some memorable action across the grid; two different race winners and a flurry of career best results highlighted the competitiveness of the UK’s premier motorsport series. 

Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK) and Tom Chilton (BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8) shared the spoils, with the former claiming two victories across the season opener.  

The first race in 2023 saw Cammish overhaul long-time race leader Jake Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) to claim victory, before the 34-year-old produced a race winning double with a lights-to-flag lead in Round 3. 

Round 2 proved to be an action-packed affair, whereby an onset of rain meant tyre strategy was pivotal for race position – those on the Goodyear wet tyres surged through the pack, as those on slicks were left without grip.  

By the chequered flag, it was Chilton who celebrated his first BTCC victory in four years, as the experienced Hyundai racer mastered the tricky conditions. Sam Osborne (NAPA Racing UK) collected his first podium in the series, while Nic Hamilton (Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown) produced a career-best finish of sixth, and Mikey Doble (CarStore Power Maxed Racing) secured the Independents win on his maiden weekend in the BTCC. 

Now, the BTCC heads to the shortest track on the calendar – the action-packed Brands Hatch Indy circuit. 

Brands Hatch is a mainstay of the BTCC calendar, having held more races than any other circuit and at least one event every season since the championship’s inception back in 1958. 

The 1.21-mile Indy circuit often creates bumper-to-bumper racing with an astonishing 25 cars covered by less than a second during last year’s qualifying session. 

Local Lights 

The locals to the much-loved Kent circuit will start Rounds 4, 5 and 6 on high, after both NAPA Racing UK and Chilton topped the first three podiums of 2023.  

This means that five drivers will be hoping to perform in front of a passionate home crowd, with Ash Sutton, Dan Rowbottom, Dan Cammish and Sam Osborne aiming to bring the best out of their Ford Focus STs for their team’s home circuit. 

After NAPA Racing UK secured pole position (Rowbottom), a double victory (Cammish) and a further two podium finishes (Osborne and Sutton) at Donington Park, they are in a strong position to collect influential points at Brands.  

In particular, Sutton (who hails from Essex) will be keen to showcase his speed, after setting the Qualifying Lap Record at the Donington National circuit.  

But local driver Chilton will also be looking to carry over the momentum from his win during the Donington Park curtain raiser.  

The pace looks promising in the Hyundai i30N, with teammate Tom Ingram collecting a third and second place finish last weekend and putting on a superb defensive performance in Round 3, to hold off advances from Sutton, Jake Hill and Colin Turkington throughout. 

Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) is also local to the Kent area and will be looking to build on last week’s performance. Hill took second in Round 1, after leading for much of the race, but took a solid fourth in Round 3 despite a brilliant battle for the podium. 

Brands Hatch is also regarded as home turf for both WSR and Team HARD, including the latter's driver Bobby Thompson. 

TV, Timetables and Tickets 

Complimenting the tin top racing will be a sensational line-up of support series, as the Legends Elite Cup, Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, ROKiT F4 British Championship and MINI CHALLENGE completes the schedule of exciting races. 

However, there’s little doubting that the BTCC tops the bill, with Saturday’s qualifying session streamed live via itv.com/btcc and ITV Sport’s YouTube channel from 1525, before ITV4’s more than seven-hour race day broadcast gets underway at 1115 on Sunday. 

Tickets are available in advance or can be purchased on the gate throughout the weekend – visit here for more details. 

BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 hit the ground running during the opening rounds of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park by securing three podium finishes, including a memorable 15^th career victory for Tom Chilton.

This season, the team has a revised four-car line-up, with defending champion Tom Ingram and returning team-mate Tom Chilton being joined by series rookies Ronan Pearson and Nick Halstead.

Despite losing track time in the first session to a technical issue, Ingram showed top ten-pace in free practice as did both Chilton and Pearson, with Halstead making solid progress to shave half a second off his best time.

Come qualifying, Ingram was able to fight his way through to the Top Ten Shootout before earning sixth place on the grid, with Pearson and Chilton just missing out on the Shootout by under a second, taking 11th and 14^th respectively. Halstead meanwhile would line up in 26th, after an incident at the end of qualifying saw him slide off into the gravel at turn one.

Avoiding a clash between the front three at the start of the opening race, Ingram found himself running in third place and would remain in position through to the finish, despite having been part of a four-car battle for the podium places throughout.

Having dropped to the back after contact on lap one, Chilton recovered well to come back through to 15th place and grab the final point, whilst Pearson was well placed in the top ten before an error at turn one saw him run through the gravel – leading to an unscheduled stop that dropped him to 24th. Halstead would also find himself in the wars, sliding off into retirement in the slippery conditions at the Old Hairpin.

Race two proved to be an action-packed affair, as rain started to fall on the green flag lap, leading to a number of drivers diving in to change onto wet Goodyear tyres before the start.

Chilton, Pearson and Halstead would be amongst those to dive in early on and took full advantage after an early caution period as the conditions worsened to storm through the field, with Chilton climbing from 16th at the restart to lead the race within three laps.

From there, he was unchallenged at the front to grab his first EXCELR8 win, and first BTCC win in four years. Pearson looked set to join him on the podium after a stunning drive saw the Macklin Motors-backed racer climb his way up to third place, but his dream debut podium was taken away when his car failed the post-race ride height test.

That saw him excluded from the results and meant a place gained for both Halstead and Ingram, who would end up classified in seventh and ninth. Halstead had taken full advantage of the early switch to wets to climb into the top ten and produced a solid drive to score his first BTCC points, whilst Ingram held on as long as he could on slick tyres before coming in to change to wets and managed to battle back up into the top ten.

The final race of the weekend would see Ingram produce a defensive masterclass to keep three cars behind, making the most of a strong start to grab second spot and holding the position through to the finish.

Chilton would add more points to his tally as he came from twelfth on the grid to take eighth although there was further misfortune for both Pearson and Halstead, who were the victims of on-track contact – leaving Pearson back in 19th place and unfortunately putting Halstead into retirement.

At the end of the weekend, Ingram sits second in the standings with Chilton in fourth, whilst BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 lead both the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ and Teams’ standings.

Tom Ingram said: "There has been no consistency across race day and we haven’t had two races where the conditions were the same. I think we’ve done a good job to be on our toes and to change what needed to be changed at the right time, and it’s been tough for all of the guys and girls working on the cars.

"That final race was one of the toughest I’ve ever had, trying to keep four cars behind me that were quicker. It’s helped us to pick up some good points and to come away from the weekend sitting in P2 is a good start.

"As a team we’ve done a great job and for Tom to get his first win for four years is fantastic. Both Ronan and Nick have also driven well to get results on track, although it was a bit harsh on Ronan to lose the podium. He’ll bounce back, and for BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8, I’d say we’ve done really well for round one."

Tom Chilton said: "I love that decision on the tyres we took before the second race! Leaving the pits it was 100 per cent slick tyres and when we left the grid for the green flag lap, it was 100 per cent slicks.

"However, when we went round the Old Hairpin I could see the lines on the tarmac as people were weaving and I called back to the team to say to ready the tyres and to see what it was doing in the pits. They said it was starting to rain, so I knew we had to make the change.

"I went out like a missile and couldn’t hold back and I’m so pleased for myself, for the team and for the sponsors because it's a reward for the hard work everyone has put on. It's been four years since my last win and it’s nice to be back on the top step of the podium.

"It was a shame to be hit off in the first race so to come back from that to grab a win, and then score more decent points in race three, is a good start. We end the weekend fourth in the standings and are top of the team standings which is great, and hopefully there is plenty more to come."

Ronan Pearson said: "I have to say a huge thank you to the team for their efforts this weekend and I’m just gutted for everyone that we lost that result in the second race. I feel I’ve put on a really good show in the final two races and haven’t got the results to show for it through no fault of my own which is disappointing and not the way I wanted my first BTCC meeting to go.

"Although there is nothing to show for it in terms of points, I’m pleased with the pace I’ve shown and it’s been nice to get the plaudits from people but it’s results that matter, and I’ll look to bounce back at Brands Hatch."

Nick Halstead said: "It’s been an amazing day of ups and downs. The first race was a baptism of fire and a silly mistake from me but then race two was great. We got the tyre choice right and it was brilliant to be in there fighting. I was overtaking loads of people and having fun, and I didn’t expect to have got as high as we did.

"Race three I was just unlucky to be on the end of things going through turn one and there was nothing I could do about it. It was an unfortunate end but the result in race two far outweighs any disappointment."

• 

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Donington Park (22/23 April) was an encouraging opening weekend for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, with the team securing a number of points-scoring finishes, and Rory Butcher, Ricky Collard and George Gamble showcasing the speed of the Toyota Corolla come rain and shine.

As the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship got underway, Collard was quick to lead the team’s charge, posting the fourth-fastest time in FP1 and going sixth quickest in FP2 amongst tough competition. The Toyota trio put more than 100 laps on the board between them.

Collard looked poised to carry that form over into qualifying, progressing through Q1 to book himself a place in the Top Ten Shootout. However, a fuel line split in the engine denied him a chance to set a time, restricting him to tenth on the grid. Barely two tenths-of-a-second blanketed all three drivers, with Butcher lining up 13^th and new recruit Gamble 17^th on his front wheel-drive bow.

Sunday brought contrastingly damp and greasy conditions, minimising available grip. Despite this, Collard took the chequered flag in a strong sixth, just two spots ahead of Gamble, who battled his way up to eighth, with Butcher similarly snatching a handful of points in 11^th.
 
As the weather worsened, Gamble – living up to his surname – opted to pit at the end of the formation lap ahead of Race Two, to switch from slick tyres to wets. Immediately, this relegated the 26-year-old local to the tail-end of the order, but his choice would prove to be inspired. By lap nine, he had surged through to fourth, however, an incident at the Old Hairpin resulted in race-ending damage.
 
Butcher made a similar decision to change over to wets – albeit once the race was underway, dropping the Scot off the lead lap. He fought back to sneak a couple of points for 14^th place, while Collard was brought out of contention by contact on lap one.
 
In the day’s finale, it was Butcher’s turn to find himself in the wars. The 36-year-old climbed into the top ten, before slipping down the order again following a brief off-track excursion. He recovered to 11^th at the flag to complete a hat-trick of points finishes, with Gamble and Collard in close company behind in 13^th and 14^th respectively – both from the rear of the grid.

Rory Butcher said: “Three solid points scores in the bag, but obviously not what we had been aiming for. Introducing a new engine affects so many different elements, and all-day Saturday, it felt like we were searching for something and I struggled to settle into a rhythm…we went the wrong way on set-up for race one, which left us battling understeer and lacking speed, and we then took a gamble in race two that didn’t pay off, which kind of summed up our weekend – the cards simply didn’t fall our way.

“That said, we made progress throughout the day and took a big step in race three, when the Corolla felt mega and I was really in the groove. Annoyingly, I made a little mistake and ran wide, which meant I had to do it all over again, but I enjoyed coming through the field and now that we know better where we stand, we can hopefully move forward.”
 
Ricky Collard said: “From the moment we rolled out on-track, we had strong pace. The Corolla was really on-song, and after our form in free practice, we knew we had the potential in qualifying to get through to the top ten shootout,

“We obviously managed to achieve that and everything was working well, so to then not be able to capitalise due to the fuel line fire was a massive shame. I felt we deserved to at least have a crack at it after all the hard work that everybody had put in.
 
“That left us out-of-position on the grid for race one, but we scored some good points in sixth. We unfortunately made the wrong tyre choice for race two, and I got hit multiple times on the opening lap, which resulted in a front-left component failure. The Speedworks guys did a fantastic job to get the car back out again for race three and I got a blinding start, and managed to make up 12 places in total to grab a couple more points.”
 
George Gamble said: “It’s a big learning curve switching from rear to front wheel-drive – it requires a completely different approach – and I feel I learned a lot over the weekend.

“Saturday was the first properly dry day I’ve had in the Toyota, and I was only a tenth-of-a-second away from Rory in qualifying in what was a really close session. I still need more track time to unlock those last few tenths that I’m missing, but we had a fast car and it was encouraging to come through the pack and make up so many places in races one and three.
 
“We made the right strategy call in race two and were up to fourth when we had a coming-together with Ronan Pearson while fighting over third. He had jumped us in the pit-lane when we changed tyres because we also adjusted the ride-height, but I was quicker and looking to get the position back. I went for a move, but unfortunately, we tangled. I’m still kicking myself about that, to be honest, because we could and should have finished on the podium.”

The BTCC next moves on to Brands Hatch’s Indy Circuit in Kent in just over a week’s time (6/7 May).

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Plenty of curveballs were thrown at One Motorsport with Starline Racing and the rest of the field during the first weekend of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park, with changeable and wet weather throughout race day.

Josh Cook took his Honda Civic Type R to two top ten finishes, while team-mate Aiden Moffat was also in the points on two occasions on his debut with the squad. Will Powell was encouraged with his pace with the team and saw the chequered flag in 18th spot in the weekend’s opening encounter.

Cook qualified on the fourth row of the grid for the opening 21-lapper. However, the reigning Independents Trophy holder held his hand up to being caught out on the slippery tarmac and he took an off-track ride through the outskirts of the circuit on lap three while he was running in seventh place.

“I made a little mistake and I locked up and went through the gravel. That was on me, I should have done better, and I am pretty annoyed with myself,” Cook admits.

“But the guys at One Motorsport with Starline Racing had given me such a strong car that I was able to climb back up to ninth place. That was a good rescue job."

Race Two was struck by a downpour just as the field took to the grid to start the event and it left all the runners in a dilemma. Cook, along with many of the frontrunners, opted to stay on the dry weather Goodyear tyres and hope conditions improved. However, the slicks quickly ran out of grip and he dropped down the order.

“We were in the lead pack and I knew that if we pitted for wet tyres, we would have lost a bunch of time and track position but staying on slicks also made it a struggle,” adds Cook. “It was annoying, but that is the way those races pan out sometimes.

“It meant I started race three in 21st place, but I was able to battle my way up the pack to seventh place and the car I had under me was amazing, so thanks to the team for that. We need to go away and regroup, take what we have learned from Donington and come back stronger at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time.”

Moffat lined up on the ninth row of the grid for the season’s curtain-raiser and made steady progress through the pack on the slippery track to land a solid points-paying finish in 13th position at the flag. He splashed through the wet race after a mid-event halt for wet tyres, and then bounced back into the points positions with 15th place in the finale.

“It was a challenging first weekend for us with a new chassis and a new engine and it is going to take us a bit of time to get to where we need to be,” says the Scotsman.

“Nevertheless, we made progress across the weekend, and we were trying some new things in each of the races to learn as much about the set-up as we could. This is all part of the process.

“We know that we are going to unlock the secrets of the Honda, it is just going to take us a little bit of time,” he adds. “The team has worked so well this weekend and there are lots of positives to take with us.”

Powell was also looking to build on his knowledge bank in a car that is new to him, despite the trying conditions. He was on the cusp of the top 15 in race one before incidents prevented him from seeing the finish in the remaining rounds. However, the Birmingham racer said he had learned more tricks each time he took to the cockpit.

“There were lots of positives from the weekend but just not quite the results we were hoping for,” says Powell. “We made some solid progress with the car, and I feel I made improvements as a driver too through every session.

“While the races were torrid, there are plenty of steps forward we have made over the course of the weekend. We will come back stronger for Brands Hatch.”

The next rounds of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at the Brands Hath Indy Circuit in Kent (6-7 May).

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