Silverstone stunner sets up sensational showdown

Seven points cover top three stars in race for 2022 BTCC title

The 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is set for a sensational showdown after a stunning penultimate day of racing at Silverstone today (25 September) left three young stars covered by an incredible seven points at the summit of the Drivers’ Standings, whilst a four-time champion remains poised in contention behind them.

Reigning champion Ash Sutton leads the way after another solid performance for the NAPA Racing UK driver, but a win apiece for ROKiT MB Motorsport’s Jake Hill and Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com’s Tom Ingram hauled the dynamic duo to within striking distance of securing a maiden title.

Toyota GAZOO Racing UK’s Rory Butcher enjoyed his best day of the season with a podium hat-trick, including a win in the opener, although the Scotsman is now mathematically out of the reckoning to win the most coveted prize in British motorsport.

Team BMW legend Colin Turkington went into the weekend leading the standings but left the Northamptonshire circuit with his championship chances in the balance following a dismal day for the Northern Irishman.

Butcher’s recent impressive run at Silverstone continued in the opening race, as he claimed a commanding lights-to-flag victory.

The 35-year-old took two triumphs around the 1.64-mile National Circuit last year, and he followed that up with pole position and a first win of the 2022 season here today.

Butcher stormed clear in the early running before he was hounded down by the BMWs of Hill and Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport’s Adam Morgan late on. The race leader dealt with a safety car period in the closing laps, followed by intense pressure from behind, to eventually cross the line for his tenth BTCC career victory.

Hill then produced one of the standout moves of the season that fired him to victory in the next encounter.

The Kent driver lost second place to Halfords Racing with Cataclean’s Gordon Shedden in the opening laps, before Hill impressively reversed the positions around the quarter distance mark.

The move of the race came on lap 12 of 24 as Hill made the undercut through Luffield and Woodcote, completing the pass for the lead before Copse, as the huge Silverstone crowd watched on.

Butcher managed to hang on from Shedden to complete the podium, but it was Hill that quite rightly took the majority of the plaudits.

Two further title contenders battled it out for fourth place as the Motorbase Performance Ford Focus of Sutton fended off Ingram’s EXCELR8 Motorsport-run Hyundai.

The pair expertly diced in what was a respectful battle, particularly impressive when considering there’s a potential title on the line.

Ingram cruised to victory in the final race as he brought the curtain down on a wonderful penultimate day of racing in the 2022 BTCC season.

There was contact between pole-sitter Josh Cook and NAPA Racing UK’s Dan Cammish off the line, as the former squeezed the latter towards the pit wall, with Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport’s Morgan also briefly caught up in the melee.

There were a number of other dramatic moments on the opening lap, most notably when further contact between Morgan’s BMW and the Rich Energy BTC Racing Honda Civic Type R of Cook let Ingram, Sutton and Butcher through at Becketts.

Hill – one of the undoubted stars of the day – was also hit pretty hard at Brooklands by Shedden’s Team Dynamics Honda as a gaggle of cars scrambled for position on the opening tour.

The #24 BMW managed to survive the scare and then Hill immediately set about carving his way back through to fourth at the finish. The same unfortunately couldn’t be said for BMW stablemate Turkington, who could only manage 12th in the finale after a race one incident left him playing catch up for the remainder of the day.

So, it’s advantage Sutton ahead of the triple header finale at Brands Hatch, whilst Hill is just five points in arrears with Ingram a further two back. Turkington is 27 points off the summit, but with 67 still on offer, it remains all to play for at the famous Kent circuit next month.

Despite the disappointing day BMW still tops the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ Standings, although relinquished the lead of the Teams’ order to NAPA Racing UK.

Cook has an unassailable lead in the Independent Drivers’ table, whilst his Rich Energy BTC Racing squad also chase the Independent Teams’ title.

Bobby Thompson has one hand on the Jack Sears Trophy with three races remaining.

Rounds 28, 29 and 30 of the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Brands Hatch on 8/9 October.

Rory Butcher said: “It’s been a fantastic day! After a double victory last year, I’ll take three podiums today so that’s made up for it. I’ve had some really good racing today, me and Jake [Hill] had a great drive in the first two races and then I got tucked up behind Ash [Sutton]. I just didn’t really have the legs on Ash to mount any pressure and also the guy’s fighting for a championship and so is Tom [Ingram] so you’ve got to take that into account, and they drove brilliantly.

“The car’s been amazing today – we proved it there. We suffered a little bit in the final sector earlier today, but we definitely found a little bit more performance there, so it was good.”

Jake Hill said: “That is possibly my most important win! It’s just such a nice feeling because I was so cautious coming into this weekend; I didn’t think the car would be where we needed to be pace-wise. In the past it’s not necessarily been a race-winning car, but we’ve come here, stuck it on the front row, got a second and now a win. I’m just super, super proud of everyone. They’ve done such a fantastic job. Craig continues to send that support from his hospital bed, we’re such a team here at West Surrey Racing and that’s what’s important.

“Both moves I made were good. Flash [Gordon Shedden] just left half a door open and that was enough, I managed to get up the inside. He put me on the grass on the inside a little bit on the exit, but I’m already there at that point. And then the move with Rory [Butcher] was totally fair, not a single touch. I really love racing Rory. He’s always been good to me and vice versa. That nice little cutback move filled me with joy.”

Tom Ingram said: “We really, really needed a good result to bring us back in because those first two races were good and pointsy but not quite pointsy enough. We knew we needed to get back in because obviously Ash [Sutton] was fast, Jake’s [Hill] been fast all weekend, so it was really important to get that one in the last race.

“Ash and I were just chatting then, we said we couldn’t have asked for it to have gone any better, it’s exactly like Moses. The sea parted, and I thought ‘oh, no, surely this isn’t working out for me?’ We needed a bit of luck because we’ve sometimes been on the other side of it. We needed luck to get that move to happen but I’m super, super pleased to get it done because, as I say, it is absolutely on! The three of us. Seven points in it. I’m not going to sleep between now and Brands – let’s get going!”

Ash Sutton said: “It’s like it’s been scripted all year! It couldn’t be tighter, you’ve got a great combination of front-wheel drive cars and rear-wheel drive cars, and Brands Hatch is our home circuit for the team. This is our weakest circuit and we’ve had a mega weekend so I’m looking forward to Brands.

“We’re in a really good place with the car. The second half of the season I’ve really felt at one with it. I’ve been able to tweak it, dial it in, get it right, chip away at it, and it got us into the championship lead. I couldn’t have asked for anything more going into the final rounds.”

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Silverstone

1.      Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com 24 laps
2.      Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +1.539s
3.      Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +2.072s
4.      Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +2.579s
5.      Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +4.724s
6.      Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +8.594s
7.      Tom CHILTON (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +8.924s
8.      Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +9.680s
9.      Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +13.997s
10.    Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +14.647s

Penalties

Race 1
George Gamble received an official reprimand and had his licence endorsed by the addition of two penalty points for an incident involving Ollie Jackson

Dan Cammish received an official reprimand and had his licence endorsed by the addition of two penalty points for an incident involving Ricky Collard

Jade Edwards received a verbal warning for an incident involving Rick Parfitt

Race 2
Nic Hamilton received a verbal warning for an incident with Rick Parfitt

Race 3
Josh Cook received a verbal warning for an incident involving Dan Cammish

Rick Parfitt received an official reprimand and had his licence endorsed by the addition of two penalty points for an incident involving Will Powell and Jade Edwards

General
CarStore Power Maxed Racing has had 20 points deducted from its Teams’ and Independent Teams’ Championship scores having changed an engine above the number permitted

Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com has had 30 points deducted from its Manufacturers’/Constructors’ and Teams’ Championship scores having changed an engine above the number permitted

From Thruxton
Ash Hand received a verbal warning for gaining an unfair advantage during Round 22

Ricky Collard received an official reprimand and had his licence endorsed by the addition of two penalty points for an incident involving Michael Crees and Dan Rowbottom. This is also counted as a strike.

TITLE-CHASING TOM INGRAM TRIUMPHS IN FINALE

Tom Ingram cruised to victory in the final BTCC race at Silverstone as the Hyundai man brought the curtain down on a wonderful day of racing at the famous Northamptonshire circuit.

Incredibly, with the season finale to come at Brands Hatch in two weeks' time, the top three drivers are now separated by just seven points with Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) leading from Jake Hill (ROKiT MB Motorsport) and Ingram (Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com), whilst Colin Turkington (Team BMW) remains in contention some 27 points off the summit.

Pole-sitter Josh Cook (Rich Energy BTC Racing) made contact off the line with NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish, as the former squeezed the latter towards the pitwall, with Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan also briefly caught up in the melee.

There was further drama on the opening lap as Morgan got into Cook at Becketts, which allowed Ingram, Sutton and race one winner Rory Butcher (Toyota GAZOO Racing UK) to nip through.

Hill – one of the stars of the day – was hit pretty hard at Brooklands by Gordon Shedden's Halfords Racing with Cataclean Honda as a gaggle of cars scrambled for position.

The #24 BMW managed to survive the scare and then Hill immediately set about carving his way back through to fourth at the finish. The same unfortunately couldn't be said for BMW stablemate Colin Turkington, who could only manage 12th and is now the fourth outside contender for the title.

Cammish and Cook recovered to finish fifth and sixth respectively, whilst Tom Chilton (Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com) scored another encouraging result with seventh.

Shedden had to settle for eighth at the finish, ahead of Ollie Jackson (Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan) and Aron Taylor-Smith (Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing).

Tom Ingram said: "We really, really needed a good result to bring us back in because those first two races were good and pointsy but not quite pointsy enough. We knew we needed to get back in because obviously Ash [Sutton] was fast, Jake’s [Hill] been fast all weekend, so it was a really important one to get that one in the last race.

"Ash and I were just chatting then, we said we couldn’t have asked for it to have gone any better, it’s exactly like Moses. The sea parted, and I thought ‘oh, no, surely this isn’t working out for me?’ We needed a bit of luck because we’ve sometimes been on the other side of it. We needed luck to get that move to happen but I’m super, super pleased to get it done because, as I say, it is absolutely on! The three of us. Seven points in it. I’m not going to sleep between now and Brands – let’s get going!"

Ash Sutton said: "It’s like it’s been scripted all year! It couldn’t be tighter, you’ve got a great combination of front-wheel drive cars and rear-wheel drive cars, and Brands Hatch is our home circuit for the team. This is our weakest circuit and we’ve had a mega weekend so I’m looking forward to Brands.

"We’re in a really good place with the car. The second half of the season I’ve really felt at one with it. I’ve been able to tweak it, dial it in, get it right, chip away at it, and it got us into the championship lead. I couldn’t have asked for anything more going into the final rounds."

Rory Butcher said: "It’s been a fantastic day! After a double victory last year, I’ll take three podiums today so that’s made up for it. I’ve had some really good racing today, me and Jake [Hill] had a great drive in the first two races and then I got tucked up behind Ash [Sutton]. I just didn’t really have the legs on Ash to mount any pressure and also the guy’s fighting for a championship and so is Tom [Ingram] so you’ve got to take that into account, and they drove brilliantly.

"The car’s been amazing today – we proved it there. We suffered a little bit in the final sector earlier today, but we definitely found a little bit more performance there, so it was good."

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Silverstone

1.      Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com 24 laps
2.      Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +1.539s
3.      Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +2.072s
4.      Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +2.579s
5.      Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +4.724s
6.      Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +8.594s
7.      Tom CHILTON (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +8.924s
8.      Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +9.680s
9.      Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +13.997s
10.    Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +14.647s
11.    Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +14.458s
12.    Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +14.881s
13.    Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +15.002s
14.    Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +15.383s
15.    Jason PLATO (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +15.827s
16.    George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +15.950s
17.    Dexter PATTERSON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +16.533s
18.    Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +16.965s
19.    Jack BUTEL (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +17.083s
20.    Michael CREES (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +17.334s
21.    Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +17.527s
22.    Rick PARFITT (GBR) Uptonsteel with Euro Car Parts Racing +21.079s
23.    Jade EDWARDS (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +1 lap
24.    Will POWELL (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +3 laps
25.    Nic HAMILTON (GBR) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +15 laps
26.    Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +19 laps
27.    Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +20 laps
28.    Ash HAND (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +20 laps
29.    Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +24 laps

HILL CLIMBS THE TABLE WITH RACE TWO TRIUMPH

ROKiT MB Motorsport's Jake Hill produced one of the standout moves of the season that fired him to victory in Round 26 of the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone.

Not only was Hill's masterful performance a huge standalone moment, but the triumph propelled him to within two points of the standings summit with just four races of the season remaining.

The #24 BMW lost out to Gordon Shedden in the Halfords Racing with Cataclean Honda in the opening laps, before Hill impressively reversed the positions around the quarter distance mark.

The move of the race came on lap 12 of 24 as Hill made the undercut through Luffield and Woodcote, completing the pass before Copse, as the huge crowd watched on.

Butcher managed to hang on from Shedden to complete the podium, but it was Hill that quite rightly took the majority of the plaudits.

Two further title contenders battled it out for fourth place with NAPA Racing UK's and new championship leader Ash Sutton fending off Tom Ingram's EXCELR8 Motorsport-run Hyundai.

The pair expertly nibbled away at each other in what was a respectful tussle, particularly when considering there's a potential title on the line.

Adam Morgan played his part in the top six scrap as the Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport man came home confortably ahead of NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish and Rich Energy BTC Racing's Josh Cook.

The Team HARD pairing of Bobby Thompson and Aron Taylor-Smith rounded out the top ten.

With the Silverstone finale to follow later this afternoon there are just 14 points separating the top four in the standings with Sutton leading from Hill, Ingram and Turkington, the latter having produced a comeback drive from the rear of the grid to claim 13th.

Jake Hill said: "That is possibly my most important win! It’s just such a nice feeling because I was so cautious coming into this weekend; I didn’t think the car would be where we needed to be pace-wise. In the past it’s not necessarily been a race-winning car, but we’ve come here, stuck it on the front row, got a second and now a win. I’m just super, super proud of everyone. They’ve done such a fantastic job. Craig continues to send that support from his hospital bed, we’re such a team here at West Surrey Racing and that’s what’s important.

"Both moves I made were good. Flash [Gordon Shedden] just left half a door open and that was enough, I managed to get up the inside. He put me on the grass on the inside a little bit on the exit, but I’m already there at that point. And then the move with Rory [Butcher] was totally fair, not a single touch. I really love racing Rory. He’s always been good to me and vice versa. That nice little cutback move filled me with joy."

Rory Butcher said: "To be honest [Shedden] is probably the guy I fear the most because I know he’s a hard racer. We’re mates, we’re family and we race hard together and actually it was good fun. Jake [Hill] just had a bit more pace and he did a really nice switchback on me, and I just decided ‘you’ve got this’ and it was a case of just trying to fend for myself and bring her home.

"I think [Hill’s] strengths were in the slow speeds and especially coming off the corner so when he went before Brooklands I think that was a smart thing for him to do. I’m quicker through turn one but he’s quicker through the final sector. He’s a smart little fox!"

Gordon Shedden said: "It was a little bit close at times but, having both cars a little bit stronger in different areas, I would’ve had to have moved him out the way I think. And then you’re playing a dangerous game. But we’re making progress as the day goes on, another podium’s great. Hopefully we can score a bunch more points in race three.

"There’s a few little niggles on the electronic side of things but we’re working hard at that. If we can get all our ducks lined up in a row, we’ll be okay. But I’ve got to say looking out of my rear-view mirror, there was a lot going on in that race! So, I think I’ll take my podium and we’ll move onto the next one and see how we get on with that."

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Silverstone

1.      Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport 25 laps
2.      Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +2.092s
3.      Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +2.452s
4.      Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +2.886s
5.      Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +3.078s
6.      Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +3.412s
7.      Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +4.189s
8.      Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +4.868s
9.      Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +5.897s
10.    Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +6.868s
11.    Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +8.118s
12.    Tom CHILTON (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +8.449s
13.    Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +8.603s
14.    Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +8.925s
15.    Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +9.000s
16.    Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +11.812s
17.    Jason PLATO (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +12.980s
18.    Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +13.639s
19.    Michael CREES (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +13.885s
20.    George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +14.230s
21.    Ash HAND (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +15.289s
22.    Jack BUTEL (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +15.469s
23.    Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +16.543s
24.    Jade EDWARDS (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +19.145s
25.    Will POWELL (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +20.728s
26.    Rick PARFITT (GBR) Uptonsteel with Euro Car Parts Racing +22.168s
27.    Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +9 laps
28.    Nic HAMILTON (GBR) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +13 laps
29.    Dexter PATTERSON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +21 laps

BUTCHER BAGS WIN AS TITLE CHASE TWISTS AGAIN

Rory Butcher's recent impressive run at Silverstone has continued in the opening Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship race, as the Scotsman claimed a lights-to-flag victory.

The Toyota GAZOO Racing UK driver took two victories at the Northamptonshire circuit last season, and he's followed that up with pole position and a first win of the 2022 season here today.

Butcher stormed clear in the early running before he was hounded down by the BMWs of Jake Hill (ROKiT MB Motorsport) and Adam Morgan (Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport) late on. The race leader dealt with a safety car period in the closing laps, followed by intense pressure from behind, but eventually crossed the line for his tenth BTCC career victory.

Much of Butcher's early advantage was due to the incredible battle for second going on in his rear view mirrors.

A gaggle of cars scrapped for position in the first few laps with title contender Tom Ingram (Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com) initially losing out and dropping down the order, but worse was to follow for championship leader Colin Turkington as the Team BMW car was bumped down to the rear of the field.

Further contact followed for the #50 BMW as he was caught up in a midfield melee and his hopes of scoring championship points were dashed.

Halfords Racing with Cataclean's Gordon Shedden made a couple of nice moves to take fourth at the finish, ahead of the recovering Ingram and NAPA Racing UK pairing of Ash Sutton and Dan Cammish – the team-mates having swapped positions on the final lap.

Ricky Collard (Totoya GAZOO Racing UK), Stephen Jelley (Team BMW) and Tom Chilton (Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com) rounded out the top ten positions in race one.

Incredibly when the dust settled on this frenetic opener we are left with the top four drivers in the overall standings being covered by just ten points.

Reigning champion Sutton now leads Turkington by four points – with the latter also having to start the second contest from the back of the grid – whilst Ingram and Hill are tied just a further six points in arrears.

Rory Butcher said: "It doesn’t get any easier, I tell you! That felt just like last year. I thought I’d checked out at the start, and I thought I’ll take a little bit of a break out of the hybrid and try and regen, but Jake [Hill] just made so much inroads, he was on my tail and then the safety car equalised everything. I just had to do 15 qualifying laps. My engineer was on the radio on every single lap counting down.

"I just have to say, I’ve been waiting so long for another win – it’s been a whole year – it’s a team effort. It’s not just me behind the wheel, it’s the engineers setting up the car, the mechanics doing their job, Christian and Amy [Dick] behind the scenes and the sponsors that make it all happen. And, of course, I’ve got my family down with me this weekend as well. It’s great to do it for everyone and finally repay them with another win."

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Silverstone

1.      Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK 24 laps
2.      Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +0.299s
3.      Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.551s
4.      Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +1.424s
5.      Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +1.714s
6.      Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +3.216s
7.      Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +3.404s
8.      Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +4.077s
9.      Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +5.511s
10.    Tom CHILTON (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +6.077s
11.    Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +6.483s
12.    Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +6.931s
13.    Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +7.286s
14.    Jason PLATO (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +7.882s
15.    Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +8.621s
16.    Michael CREES (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +10.814s
17.    Jade EDWARDS (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +13.162s
18.    Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +13.615s
19.    Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +14.436s
20.    Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +17.542s
21.    Rick PARFITT (GBR) Uptonsteel with Euro Car Parts Racing +18.151s
22.    Will POWELL (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +23.297s
23.    Nic HAMILTON (GBR) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +1 lap
24.    George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +1 lap
25.    Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +2 laps
26.    Dexter PATTERSON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +7 laps
27.    Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +9 laps
28.    Ash HAND (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +14 laps
29.    Jack BUTEL (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +15 laps

QUALIFYING IN QUOTES: SILVERSTONE

Following yesterday's qualifying session for Round 25 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, the official BTCC website caught up with the top three qualifiers to find out how they're feeling ahead of today's opener at Silverstone.

For a second successive year, it was Toyota GAZOO Racing UK's Rory Butcher clinching pole position during a close session, with ROKiT MB Motorsport man Jake Hill lining up second on the grid and Adam Morgan's Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport BMW in P3.

Butcher will no doubt be hoping to repeat his race-day performance from 2021 too, where he bagged a double victory at the Northamptonshire circuit:

Having clinched his sixth front row start of the campaign for race one, Hill is raring to go and aiming to boost his championship challenge in the trio of encounters today:

P3 for Morgan marks his best qualifying performance of the season so far:

Listen again! You can relive every moment from qualifying using the player below, with the circuit commentary podcast providing insight into the full session:

BUTCHER ROARS TO SECOND SUCCESSIVE SILVERSTONE POLE POSITION

BTCC gears up for penultimate race day of the season

Toyota GAZOO Racing UK's Rory Butcher claimed his second successive Silverstone pole position earlier today (24 September), as the Scotsman set the pace during qualifying for Round 25 of the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Having secured the top spot during the same event last season, Butcher has had to wait a full calendar year to repeat the trick as the #6 Toyota driver produced a fantastic performance around the 1.64-mile National Circuit.

While Butcher still has a slender chance of winning the Drivers' title this season, he knows that a good day tomorrow will fire him into the fight for another top-five finishing position overall.

Jake Hill was in celebratory mood after the session as he finished higher than the main championship contenders to claim second on the grid for tomorrow's opener.

The ROKiT MB Motorsport car had already clocked an impressive lap time early on, having received a tow from BMW stablemate Stephen Jelley, but Hill had some speed left in the tank as he improved further in the latter stages.

Adam Morgan scored his best qualifying result of the season so far with third, the Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport driver having shown good speed throughout the day.

Title challenger and Silverstone specialist Tom Ingram will line up fourth for tomorrow's opener as the Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com man held off the challenges from NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish and Toyota GAZOO Racing UK's Ricky Collard.

Reigning champion Ash Sutton was seventh although the NAPA Racing UK star was unable to show the ultimate pace during qualifying. Sutton is just six points off the standings' summit and will target his first-ever BTCC win at Silverstone tomorrow afternoon.

Halfords Racing with Cataclean's Gordon Shedden and Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com's Daniel Lloyd were eighth and ninth respectively, whilst championship leader Colin Turkington completed the top ten positions.

Team BMW's Turkington – running without additional hybrid power during qualifying by virtue of his standings lead – will have been further frustrated to see three of his championship rivals ahead of him.

It remains to be seen whether Sutton, Ingram or Hill can make inroads into the Northern Irishman's points advantage tomorrow afternoon, but the grid is perfectly poised for a thrilling penultimate BTCC event.

Rounds 25, 26 and 27 of the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Silverstone tomorrow with all three races being screened live and exclusively on ITV4 from 1100.

Rory Butcher said: "That felt really good. I didn’t know whether pole was going to happen in that session, obviously we got pole here last year and I didn’t require a tow, I did this year; I had to be quite strategic. The car’s handling was amazing and just reminded me of the feeling I had in the car last year. It’s nice to be back on pole, it’s been a whole year! A whole season’s worth of no pole positions. But we’re back and it sets us up so well for tomorrow. I’m so pleased!

"I’m the only driver in the top 12 that doesn’t have a race win, but we’ve put ourselves in a good position for tomorrow, so we’ll be gunning for a win. I’m just so pleased for the team. I’ve got my family here this weekend, my two kids and my wife Joy – I think they bring me a bit of luck as well, it’s great!

"I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I’ve been strong off the line this year – that’s one of my strengths – so hopefully we’ll get a good run off the line and then we can have a nice race!"

Jake Hill said: "I was watching it [the final minutes] biting my nails, just praying that we were going to end up P2 and we did. Huge credit to the team and my engineer Craig who’s in hospital with pneumonia so I hope he gets well soon, but a big well done to the team. ROKiT MB Motorsport has given me a car that I can really fight for this championship with.

"I did that great time early on which put me second just behind Rory [Butcher] and that time stayed for a while, but I had another go right at the end and I went four-hundredths of a second faster. I thought ‘have I done it?’ but no, not quite. Gutted to not have beaten Rory, but at least it’s him on the front row and not one of my championship competitors.

"Starting on the front row is massively important, especially against Colin [Turkington] who’s P10, I know Tom [Ingram] is right with me but Ash [Sutton] and Colin are a little bit further down so we’ve just got to make this work now whilst we can."

Adam Morgan said: "We maximised all the advantages we had with the hybrid. Unfortunately though, having lots of hybrid means you’re low down in the championship which is not what we want. But there’s two events left to go, and we know we’ve got a quick car. We’ve had some bad luck along the way, some technical issues, but let’s go out and finish the season where we should be!

"I don’t know what to expect with the cooler temperatures. It’s a step into the unknown for everybody as the day progresses and you get more rubber put down with the other categories going out. But I went out in that second tyre run then and must have done seven or eight laps bang on the same time. So our race pace is strong and I’m looking forward to having a go tomorrow."

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying – Silverstone

1.           Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK 57.374s
2.           Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +0.037s
3.           Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.088s
4.           Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.123s
5.           Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +0.130s
6.           Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +0.139s
7.           Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +0.189s
8.           Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.236s
9.           Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.300s
10.         Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.311s
11.         Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +0.350s
12.         Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +0.385s
13.         Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +0.406s
14.         Tom CHILTON (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.410s
15.         Ash HAND (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.415s
16.         Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +0.427s
17.         George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.465s
18.         Jack BUTEL (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.492s
19.         Jason PLATO (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +0.524s
20.         Michael CREES (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.542s
21.         Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.544s
22.         Dexter PATTERSON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.560s
23.         Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +0.600s
24.         Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.668s
25.         Jade EDWARDS (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +0.828s
26.         Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +0.882s
27.        Nic HAMILTON (GBR) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +1.247s
28.         Will POWELL (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +1.469s
29.         Rick PARFITT (GBR) Uptonsteel with Euro Car Parts Racing +1.656s

FIVE-STAR FINISH?

There’s a five-star finish brewing in this year’s Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with arguably a quintet of contenders still gunning for the title, as the series visits Silverstone this weekend (24/25 September) for the penultimate event of the season.

Four-time champion Colin Turkington currently leads the way with the Team BMW star targeting a record fifth BTCC crown.

Turkington recovered well during the most recent race weekend at Thruxton when he followed up two tenth-place finishes with a crucial podium in the final bout.

“The third race was critical for my championship campaign,” said the Northern Irishman. “It felt like a lot was riding on getting that result. I was pleased to have secured those points and keep the lead, despite a very tough weekend.

“Everyone has a bump in the road in this championship, but we dug deep and ended the day with a good points haul. It’s been an intense period lately, but I’m in a good place and feeling positive.”

Reigning champ Ash Sutton is hunting down his old adversary with the NAPA Racing UK man sitting just six points off the standings' summit.

Sutton has taken three wins from the previous three race weekends, although incredibly Silverstone is the only circuit where the talented peddler has not won a BTCC race so far in his career.

“I’m looking forward to Silverstone this weekend,” said Sutton.

“We’re getting down to the climax of the season now and I’m relishing what lies ahead.

“Three wins in as many events means we head into the weekend with some real momentum behind us, and despite Silverstone being a completely different challenge to Thruxton I’m confident we can be in the mix.

“The car is feeling awesome so let’s get after it and see what we can do.”

Tom Ingram (Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com) and Jake Hill (ROKiT MB Motorsport) are also within striking distance, with the former being touted as the most successful driver at Silverstone having taken four previous victories here.

“I’m still very confident because when the Hyundai is on-song, we know just how phenomenal it is and I really enjoy this part of the season – digging deep for those crucial last few points is a challenge I relish,” enthused Ingram.

“Silverstone and Brands Hatch GP are both tracks that should play to our strengths and where I’ve gone well in the past, so it’s full-scale attack from hereon in. Let’s see where that leaves us after the final flag falls…”

Rich Energy BTC Racing’s Josh Cook won the most recent race at Thruxton to keep his championship hopes alive, but the Bath racer knows he needs a similar outcome this weekend to remain in contention ahead of the finale.

Following this weekend’s BTCC triple header at Silverstone, the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will conclude at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time (8/9 October).

MORGAN LEADS BMW 1-2-3 AT SILVERSTONE

Adam Morgan set the fastest lap of the day so far as the Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport man headed home a BMW 1-2-3 in FP2 at Silverstone.

Team BMW's Stephen Jelley wedged his 330e M Sport ahead of the second Ciceley Motorsport-run machine of George Gamble, as the Bavarian marque locked out the prime positions.

Toyota GAZOO Racing UK enjoyed another impressive session with Ricky Collard and Rory Butcher in fourth and sixth respectively, as the Speedworks Motorsport-run team look to repeat their Silverstone race-winning performances from last season.

ROKiT MB Motorsport's Jake Hill and Team BMW's Colin Turkington ensured that all five BMWs were inside the top seven, whilst Jack Sears Trophy leader Bobby Thompson was eighth in his Team HARD-run CUPRA.

The NAPA Racing UK duo of Ash Sutton and Dan Cammish were notable absentees from the top order, as was FP1 pace-setter Tom Ingram, although all teams will have been running different strategies ahead of qualifying.

Rich Energy BTC Racing’s Jade Edwards failed to set a time as the squad looks to overcome a problem with its Honda Civic Type R.

"We're still struggling with issues," said Edwards. "The team's working as hard as possible to rectify it, but it looks like we'll be going into qualifying with next to no laps which isn't ideal!"

Qualifying for Round 25 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place at 1505 later today and will be streamed live via www.itv.com/btcc.

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 2 – Silverstone

1.         Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport 57.601s
2.         Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +0.014s
3.         George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.047s
4.         Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +0.080s
5.         Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +0.146s
6.         Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +0.167s
7.         Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.191s
8.         Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +0.240s
9.         Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.281s
10.       Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.298s
11.       Ash HAND (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.310s
12.       Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.364s
13.       Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.371s
14.       Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.392s
15.       Tom CHILTON (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.416s
16.       Jason PLATO (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +0.495s
17.       Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +0.506s
18.       Michael CREES (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.519s
19.       Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +0.549s
20.       Dexter PATTERSON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.567s
21.       Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +0.574s
22.       Jack BUTEL (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.755s
23.       Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +0.767s
24.       Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +0.822s
25.       Nic HAMILTON (GBR) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +0.826s
26.       Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +1.139s
27.       Rick PARFITT (GBR) Uptonsteel with Euro Car Parts Racing +2.185s
28.       Jade EDWARDS (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing NO TIME

INGRAM OUT FRONT IN FP1

Silverstone specialist Tom Ingram topped the times in the opening Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Free Practice session at the Northamptonshire circuit, as the title contender sent out an early warning to his rivals.

The Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com man clocked a 57.675s lap time – which was the pick of the bunch – as the top 20 cars were separated by less than half a second around the National Circuit.

"We’ve been here before so it’s a good start," said Ingram. "The car was feeling really good. As everyone was, we were all running around on old tyres, so it was nice to still be on the pace on old rubber. But we’ll wait and see how the day plays out. Obviously, these conditions are going to be quite difficult; for me this is the depths of winter. We don’t do cold weather, so this is the depths of winter. I’ve seen some people out at Woodcote in the grandstands and there seems to be a little bit of sunshine there so we’ll hold onto that!

"I’ve felt really chilled, even over the few weeks that we had off. You realise as you get older that you control the controllables. As long as you put the work in over the week and know you’ve done as much as you can, I know that the great team around me will put in as much work as I have, so you learn to control the controllables and you just have a little bit more calmness. Of course, there’s pressure for this weekend as everyone’s feeling it, but at the same time, I’m feeling pretty good."

Toyota GAZOO Racing UK enjoyed another good run at Silverstone with Ricky Collard and Rory Butcher ending up second and fourth respectively in FP1, the latter having won here twice last season.

BTC Racing Rich Energy driver Jason Plato was wedged between the Toyotas in third, as the BTCC legend looks to end his season on a high.

Championship leader Colin Turkington was fifth as he was followed home by the Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport BMW of Adam Morgan, who had set the pace overall earlier in the session.

Three time champ Gordon Shedden was seventh for Halfords Racing with Cataclean, whilst the top ten was completed by Daniel Lloyd (Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com), Aron Taylor-Smith (Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing) and Jake Hill (ROKiT MB Motorsport).

The session was red flagged in the closing seconds with Collard's car stranded out on track in an incident the potentially also involved the cars of Dexter Patterson (Laser Tools Racing) and Will Powell (Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero).

Free Practice 2 will take place at 1205 and Qualifying for Round 25 of the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship commences at 1505 and will be streamed live via www.itv.com/btcc.

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 1 – Silverstone

1.         Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com 57.675s
2.         Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +0.104s
3.         Jason PLATO (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +0.124s
4.         Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +0.126s
5.         Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.182s
6.         Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.196s
7.         Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.215s
8.         Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.284s
9.         Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +0.289s
10.       Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +0.291s
11.       Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +0.311s
12.       Ash HAND (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.338s
13.       Tom CHILTON (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.357s
14.       Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +0.364s
15.       George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.367s
16.       Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.407s
17.       Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.410s
18.       Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +0.438s
19.       Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +0.445s
20.       Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +0.485s
21.       Michael CREES (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.569s
22.       Nic HAMILTON (GBR) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +0.759s
23.       Dexter PATTERSON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.828s
24.       Jade EDWARDS (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +0.867s
25.       Jack BUTEL (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +1.009s
26.       Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +1.182s
27.       Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +1.185s
28.       Rick PARFITT (GBR) Uptonsteel with Euro Car Parts Racing +1.850s
29.       Will POWELL (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero NO TIME

EXCELR8 Motorsport targets strong Silverstone

Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com will bid to keep its Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship title challenge firmly on track this weekend when the series heads to Silverstone for the penultimate meeting of the year.

Tom Ingram currently sits third in the Drivers’ Championship but is just 18 points away from top spot as he arrives at a circuit where he has enjoyed huge success in his BTCC career to date.

Experienced team-mate Tom Chilton has endured a wretched run of form in the last two meetings after technical issues at Snetterton and race one contact at Thruxton left him unable to score in the last six races.

That was a particular source of frustration for the 37-year-old having shown improved pace at the wheel of his Hyundai i30 Fastback N, and he goes into the weekend hoping to turn his speed into three strong results on track.

Daniel Lloyd is also eager to challenge at the sharp end of the field at a circuit where he scored a brace of podium finishes last season.

This weekend will see Lloyd celebrate his 100^th start in the series and like Ingram and Chilton, he makes the trip to Silverstone looking to challenge for silverware.

Trophies are also the goal for Jack Butel, who will be seeking to fight for top honours in the Jack Sears Trophy for the second weekend in succession.

Tom Chilton, #3 said: “Although the results on paper might not reflect it in recent rounds, I feel we’ve taken huge strides forwards with my car and it leaves me feeling confident going into this weekend. We have worked hard to get the car where I want - and need - it to be, and I now feel we’re in a position to benefit from the huge amount of effort that has gone in from the whole team.

“I know I’m going to Silverstone - which is a circuit I love and where I’ve won in the past - with a quick car that is more than capable of fighting towards the sharp end of the field. It’s been too long since I was last on the BTCC podium, and that is something I want to put right before the season comes to an end.”

Tom Ingram, #80 said: “I’m really excited about the weekend ahead as Silverstone is a circuit where I’ve always gone well in the past. People say it looks like an easy circuit when there are only really four corners and a few straights, but that actually makes it more of a challenge because the times are so close.

“Although we’re now getting into the business end of the season, I’m feeling really relaxed going into the weekend. We’ll just focus on doing the best job possible and as far as I’m concerned, it’s a case of maximum attack.”

Jack Butel, #96 said: “Winning the Jack Sears Trophy last time out was a huge boost to my confidence after a challenging season, and it was a massive relief to get some points on the board. It showed that we have the pace to fight well inside the top 20 and just needed to avoid some of the bad luck we’d faced in earlier rounds.

“I’m really excited about the prospect of going back to Silverstone as it was one of my most competitive weekends last season in terms of pace, where I was setting times that were similar to Tom [Ingram].”

Daniel Lloyd, #123 said: “I’m feeling both excited and optimistic about the weekend ahead, and head to Silverstone confident about being back at the sharp end of the grid. After the challenges I’ve faced in recent months, the goal for me now is to have a strong end to the season - particularly with Silverstone and Brands Hatch being two circuits where I’ve enjoyed success previously.

“On a personal level, I had a great weekend at Silverstone last year with the double podium, and given how strong the Hyundai was, I’m hoping to try and replicate those results.”