Mikey Doble made a triumphant return to the top step of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship podium at Croft this past weekend (September 5/6) as he claimed a sublime lights-to-flag victory in race three.
The LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver played the long game on race day at the North Yorkshire venue and was rewarded with the ultimate prize as he comfortably reigned supreme in a thrilling reverse grid encounter.
That victory - his third in the UK’s premier motorsport series - means that Doble has not only closed the gap to fourth place in the overall Drivers’ Championship, but he has also maintained his advantage at the summit of the Independent Drivers’ Championship.
Like the previous round at Donington Park, Saturday proved to be a case of what could have been for the Audi A3 Saloon driver as Doble frustratingly suffered a mechanical issue while running towards the front of the field in the Race To Pole.
Having shown plenty of promise in Free Practice, the 27-year-old entered qualifying as one to watch and his pace was vindicated as he produced a sublime last-gasp lap to secure a second-row start for the Qualifying Race.
Running comfortably inside the top-four during the opening lap, Doble’s aspirations were quickly extinguished as his car suffered a sudden loss of power entering the Complex on lap two. After a quick reset, he managed to get going to finish the contest - albeit down in 21st.
Faced with the prospect of starting race day from towards the back of the grid, Doble began his fight back in emphatic fashion as he produced a wet-weather masterclass in a frenetic opening encounter.
In challenging conditions, Doble scythed his way up the order to take the chequered flag in ninth and then opted to run the hard tyre in race two; a gamble that paid off as he only ended up dropping one position after valiantly battling against a number of soft tyre cars.
After that, ball number ten was drawn by former two-time BTCC champion James Thompson, which placed Doble and teammate Aiden Moffat on the front row of the grid for the final race of the day.
Making the perfect launch on the soft tyre as the red lights went out, Doble held onto the lead on the opening lap before the safety car neutralised proceedings following a multi-car incident at the first corner.
On the restart, Doble was then wheel-perfect and quickly worked to pull clear of the chasing pack. Building up a comfortable two second lead within a handful of laps, the former Jack Sears Trophy title winner cruised home to secure a deserving second win of the season.
Leaving Croft, Doble now holds a 33-point lead in the Independent Drivers’ Championship. He has also moved up to eighth in the overall Drivers’ Championship and sits 21 points shy of fourth place.
Mikey Doble: “What a recovery and what a way to end the weekend. The pace was in the car from the minute we rolled it off the truck but after the mechanical issue on Saturday, we had to play the long game and had a clear plan to aim for the race three win.
“We could have done what a lot of others did and get the hard tyre out the way in race one but I knew it was important for us to make serious headway on the wets and we managed to execute that. Race two was all about surviving on the hards, the team gave me a great car to do just that.
“To then be drawn onto pole position was incredible and there really was no excuse for me not to deliver. Starting at the very front of the field and on the soft tyre was the perfect storm and once I built the gap up after the safety car it was just about bringing it home.
“I’ve got to say massive thank you to the entire team for their hard work and of course all of my sponsors. That second win of the year has been a long time coming and hopefully we can kick on further and grab some more - as well as some titles - at Silverstone and Brands Hatch GP.”
The penultimate round of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season takes place at the Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone (26/27 September).
