Restart Racing faced a weekend of highs and lows at Croft in Yorkshire, England, during the sixth event of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship. Despite a mix of technical issues and race incidents, the team managed to clinch their first independent win of the season, demonstrating increased pace in the car.
It was the team’s first visit to Croft in the BTCC, set against the backdrop of a scorching July summer afternoon, making it the hottest weekend of the season so far. Chris Smiley started strong with a season-best seventh in qualifying, while Scott Sumpton lined up 19th. The weekend was crucial as the championship returned after a summer break, and with the soft and hard tyres in play, there was ample opportunity for strategy to shake up the order.
The team opted to start both cars on the hard tyres for the opening race of the day but, Chris Smiley initially dropped to eighth as Jake Hill, on quicker soft tyres, overtook him early. A power steering glitch later hampered Smiley’s race, after it caused him to run wide on lap 12 and tumble down the order after running in and around the top ten for the majority of the race. Despite recovering some pace, he finished the race in 16th, later adjusted to 15th due to a penalty for Daryl DeLeon who jumped the start. Scott Sumpton advanced from 19th to 18th by overtaking two competitors but finished 17th once DeLeon’s penalty was applied after the race.
The second race of the day began quietly with little opportunity to move up the field until Smiley, now on soft tyres, moved up to 13th. His progress was cut short by a collision that triggered an oil temperature alarm, forcing his retirement. Sumpton ended the race in 15th, securing a well-deserved point to extend the team’s point scoring run to six races.
In the final race of the day, Smiley started from 19th on soft tyres and was able to make substantial progress, cutting his way through the field and after the two Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astras started fighting on the penultimate lap, Smiley was able to slip up the inside of the pair of them to finish in 11th and, claiming the team’s first independent win of the season in the process. Sumpton, from 15th, managed to finish 16th after enduring a less dramatic race than his team-mate and narrowly missed out on a second points finish of the day.
Chris Smiley, #222 driver, said: “A pretty tough day here at Croft. In race one we were inside the top ten and it was all going smoothly until we had a 12v (battery) issue and unfortunately, the power steering cut off which put me out of a good position in race one.
“In race two we still struggled with the power steering and also just our overall straight line speed but we worked really hard all day and never gave up. In race three we came from 19th to 11th and the first independent over the line which was a good end to a tough day. But ultimately it’s been a really good weekend, the pace we showed in qualifying to get inside the top ten is really encouraging going into Knockhill. The independent trophy is a silver lining to a tough day at Croft.”
Scott Sumpton, #29 driver, said: “A very productive race day at Croft for round six of the British Touring Car Championship. Croft is a really tricky circuit it got some really tight, slow corners in the complex but out the back you’re flat to the floor and hanging on so it’s tricky to get used to that.
“I think we did well, in race one we finished in 17th, race two 15th and in race three 16th so really, really happy with that. It’s good to get that championship point as well as that’s what I’m aiming for every time I go out on track.
“I’m really looking forward Knockhill in just under two weeks time and look forward to kerb hoping around there!”
Ben Taylor, Team Principal, said: “What a weekend for the team. We came into the weekend full of confidence after a strong showing at Oulton Park and the team delivered in qualifying. A big well done to Chris for getting the Cupra into the top 10 in qualifying for the first time this season, he drove brilliantly on Saturday.
“Sunday was a tougher test and it looked as though it wasn’t going to be our weekend after a power steering glitch in race one meant that we could only bring the car home in 15th for a single point, despite running in and around the top 10 for most of the race.
“Scott did a great job in race two to keep the team’s point streak running after Chris retired. Scott is getting more and more competitive with every meeting and we are all really proud of his season to date.
“It was a case of being in the right place at the right time in race three and I’m delighted we were able to finally show our pace and climb up the field to claim the team's first independent win of the season, a big congratulations and thank you to everyone who is involved in the team. Spirits are high and we’re all looking forward to Knockhill.”
The 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship action will continue at Knockhill Circuit on August 10-11.
