Team BMW's Colin Turkington produced a textbook performance in the opening Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship race at Brands Hatch, securing his first victory of the season with an inch perfect drive.

A solid getaway from pole position was arguably the only challenge that Turkington faced on the soft Goodyear option tyre as his team-mate Adam Morgan became embroiled in the frenetic scrap for the positions behind the leader.

Morgan faded quickly to the lower end of the top ten before his challenge was completely scuppered following contact with Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Ronan Pearson on the run up to Druids.

NAPA Racing UK's Ash Sutton had made his way by team-mate Dan Cammish into second before the positions were reversed a few laps later. Cammish, looking at a promising second place, was unfortunately dealt a blow when a puncture forced him into the pits.

So the fight for second was now between Sutton and his old friend Josh Cook. There was little friendship in the fight, however, with the pair swapping paint on a number of occasions before LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ's Cook eventually nudged his #66 Toyota Corolla down the inside of the #1 Ford Focus on the exit of Clearways.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK's Andrew Watson drove extremely well to take fourth from a resurgent Jake Hill in his MB Motorsport with Laser Tools Racing BMW, whilst NAPA Racing UK's Dan Rowbottom was also part of the same battle but had to settle for sixth.

Tom Chilton impressively dived by his Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' team-mate Tom Ingram for seventh, albeit with the latter carrying far less hybrid deployment by virtue of his championship position.

Aiden Moffat (LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ) and Árón Taylor-Smith (Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing) rounded out the top ten, the latter taking the Independents' win in the process.

In the first four races of the season are anything to go by then we could be looking at a great campaign with Ingram leading Turkington and Sutton by just two points in the overall Drivers' standings.

The second BTCC race takes place at 1430 and the final encounter begins at 1715 – all the action is currently live in the UK on ITV4 and live across the world via the ITV Sport TikTok channel.

Colin Turkington said: "Those races feel really good when you're not under too much pressure. Obviously, leading any race is a pressurised situation and not knowing when the tyres may drop off, but not getting too much pressure from behind certainly makes it easier to manage things. I am really pleased that we had a great car in qualifying yesterday and that we were able to convert that into the race today. WSR put in a huge effort pre-season and we're getting the fruits of that labour. It's nice when you feel super connected to the car and the car is definitely suiting me much better."

Josh Cook said: "It was good. It was the first time we've bolted soft tyres on the car so it was a little going into the unknown. The balance of the car was really good and the team have done a great job. Of course, I had to get my elbows out in the battle with Ash [Sutton], I just wanted to get past him and then manage the hybrid until the end of the race. There's a few things to improve with me and improve with the car, but it's a good start and I'll be getting my elbows out again in race two."

Ash Sutton said: "Mega, we've always had good battles. Josh [Cook] and I get on well, we're good friends and we had a great battle here in 2018 too. There was a little bit of contact but it's touring cars isn't it. We race hard and fair. We were on the back foot – less hybrid and on the medium tyre – I wanted a podium, second would have been great, but we will certainly take that."

Brands Hatch Indy - Race 1 - Classification

Qualifying at Brands Hatch yesterday proved to be another exciting affair, and the BTCC audio team caught up with all three drivers...

Colin Turkington - 1st

Adam Morgan - 2nd

Dan Cammish - 3rd

Team BMW's Colin Turkington claimed the 28th pole position of his Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship career after producing a superb lap around the 1.21-mile Brands Hatch Indy circuit earlier today (11 May).

Turkington – running the #20 on his BMW 330e M Sport to celebrate his 20th season in the BTCC – has seen it all over the years, but if anyone thought the new 'Quick Six' Qualifying format would be one for the young guns, the four-time champion has clearly signalled his intentions to fight for a fifth crown in 2024.

Fresh from a solid start to the season at Donington Park, which left Turkington fourth in the overall standings, the 42-year-old drove brilliantly during the second qualifying of the season to secure his first pole position since Snetterton in 2022.

It was a front row lockout for Team BMW with Adam Morgan following home his experienced team-mate on the timesheets, as the rear-wheel Bavarian machines seemingly enjoyed the warm and sunny conditions at the famous Kent circuit.

Three NAPA Racing UK cars made it into the final 'Quick Six' and it was Dan Cammish who proved to be the best of the chasing pack as he secured third on the grid, ahead of reigning champ Ash Sutton – the latter running well with minimal hybrid available.

LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ's Josh Cook was fifth, ahead of NAPA Racing UK's Dan Rowbottom, as progressing into the 'Quick Six' proved to be a monumental fight in itself.

The new-for-2024 'Quick Six' format features four short segments under an intense knockout system, with the field initially split into two groups for a pair of ten-minute qualifying sessions. The fastest half dozen cars from each group progresses to the next segment, before it is again whittled down to a final six.

Today's qualifying was also the first to be run with differing hybrid availability for each driver – based on championship positions – with both Sutton and standings leader Tom Ingram only just scraping through Part 1 of qualifying.

The second segment proved a step too far for Ingram as the Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS racer had to settle for eighth behind TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK's Andrew Watson, whilst Ronan Pearson and Tom Chilton completed the top ten to ensure there will be three Hyundais lining up together on the grid for tomorrow's opener.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK's Rob Huff and MB Motorsport with Laser Tools Racing's Jake Hill both made it into Part 2, but could only manage 11th and 12th respectively with both drivers citing balance issues with their cars.

Rounds 4, 5 and 6 of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Brands Hatch tomorrow with perfect weather conditions and a huge crowd expected, whilst those unable to attend can catch the action in the UK on ITV4 from 1100 or watch every race globally via the ITV Sport TikTok channel.

Colin Turkington, Team BMW, said: "A really good session for me and Team BMW with a one-two on the grid. The expectations were just trying to make it through to the 'Quick Six' and we developed the car through each segment. Come Q3 the car was on fire – I just did the lap when the car was at its peak. I'm really pleased to be on pole position, they are hard to come by, so we will celebrate that one tonight."

Brands Hatch Indy – Qualifying – Part 1 – Group 1:

Brands Hatch Indy – Qualifying – Part 1 – Group 2:

Brands Hatch Indy – Qualifying – Part 2:

Brands Hatch Indy – Qualifying – Quick Six:

Click here for the full grid for Round 4 of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS’ Tom Chilton made his way to the front of the order in the second Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Free Practice session at Brands Hatch.

NAPA Racing UK’s Dan Rowbottom held top spot for much of the running, before Chilton recorded a new benchmark of 48.047s – albeit a few tenths shy of Aron Taylor-Smith’s FP1 effort.

Looking to respond, Rowbottom clocked the fastest final sector of any driver before beginning another flying lap. Pushing to the limit, however, Rowbottom’s #32 Ford Focus went off at Paddock Hill Bend and his car made slight contact with the barrier.

"I just got a little bit too brave," said Rowbottom. "We've got good balance in the car, put new tyres on and wanted to try and make the most of it, but just pushed a bit too much."

"We've still got great pace, a little off doesn't change that, we've just got to prove it in qualifying and without ending up at the seaside!"

With five minutes on the clock at the restart there was little opportunity for improvement and much of the top ten remained unchanged until the chequered flag waved.

Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK), Josh Cook (LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ) and Ronan Pearson (Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS) were third, fourth and fifth respectively, with all three drivers looking to respond following mixed fortunes at the Donington Park season opener.

Team BMW’s Adam Morgan was next in the order, whilst Taylor-Smith again showed well with seventh in the Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall.

Donington Park race winner Aiden Moffat (LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ) was eighth, whilst Jake Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) and Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) rounding out the top ten.

The new ‘Quick Six’ qualifying format commences at 1525 today, and for the first-time drivers will contend with the hybrid differentials based on championship position.

It’s possible that Hill and Sutton’s times in FP2 owe something to the lack of hybrid available – in preparation for qualifying – which may have also influenced both Colin Turkington (Team BMW) and Tom Ingram (Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS) positions outside the top ten.

All will be revealed during qualifying... watch the action here live from 1515 on the ITV Sport YouTube channel.

Brands Hatch Indy - Free Practice 2 – Classification

See below for some our latest images from Brands Hatch or click here to view the full gallery:

Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing kicked off its Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship weekend at Brands Hatch in fine style by taking a one-two in the opening Free Practice session.

Árón Taylor-Smith and Mikey Doble enjoyed a promising curtain raiser at Donington Park last time out, taking a clean sweep of Independent wins while the latter leads the Jack Sears Trophy, but the squad remain focussed on targeting overall honours.

They've immediately signalled that intention in FP1 with the duo topping the times in what can only be described as beautiful conditions as the famous Kent venue – Taylor-Smith heading team-mate Doble by just 0.007s.

"When we tested at the circuit in pre-season the car felt really strong in both wet and dry conditions so I think we should have a fast package here," said Taylor-Smith. "I feel like we will be able to challenge up towards the front and I’m excited to see what we can do."

Team BMW's Colin Turkington was fourth, ahead of LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ's Josh Cook and NAPA Racing UK's Ash Sutton, with the top five covered by less than a tenth of a second.

Jake Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport), Dan Rowbottom (NAPA Racing UK) and Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK) also highlighted the prowess of the BMWs and Fords respectively by being next up in the timesheets, whilst Andrew Watson (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK) and Tom Chilton (Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS) completed the top ten.

Although Watson and Chilton showed solid pace it was a quiet opening session generally for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK and Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with more pace yet to come from both squads.

The 1.21-mile Indy Circuit so often creates some of the closest racing of the season and the top 13 drivers were blanketed by just half a second.

The BTCC is back on track at 1205 for the final practice session, whilst the all-important all-new 'Quick Six' Qualifying format kicks off at 1525 with the action being streamed live via the ITV Sport YouTube channel.

Brands Hatch Indy – Free Practice 1 – Classification

Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS will look to build on a strong start to the new Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season when the series heads for Brands Hatch for the second meeting of the campaign.

The EXCELR8 Motorsport-run team secured two wins from three at Donington Park two weeks ago to secure the early advantage in the championship standings, with 2022 champion Tom Ingram leading the way having scored victory in races one and two.

Tom Chilton recovered from a difficult Saturday to score a pair of points finishes having made the third highest number of places across race day, whilst youngster Ronan Pearson scored a career best result in qualifying and backed it up with an impressive top six finish on race day.

In tricky wet conditions, Nick Halstead picked up three solid finishes to go close to an overall points finish, and ended the weekend second in the Jack Sears Trophy – the classification for those drivers who haven’t yet finished on the overall BTCC podium.

Ingram has enjoyed plenty of success at Brands Hatch in the past, with the Kent circuit being the venue where he scored his first ever win in the series back in 2016.

Having also won around the shortest circuit on the calendar at the wheel of his Hyundai i30 Fastback N, Ingram goes into the weekend in confident mood although it remains to be seen how much of an impact his limited hybrid will have in qualifying.

Chilton – the most experienced driver on the grid – made his debut at Brands Hatch back in 2002 and is also a previous winner around his home circuit; one he readily admits is amongst his favourites on the calendar.

After the issues he faced in round one, Chilton will be looking to get his title challenge underway this weekend with his focus firmly on fighting towards the upper reaches of the top ten.

Pearson also has his sights set on front-running results after backing up solid pace in pre-season testing with his speed at Donington Park – where secured a new race lap record.

Unfortunate power steering issues hampered his challenge in two of the three races, and he will be eager to now fight for a first Jack Sears Trophy win of the year whilst also climbing up the overall order.

Halstead meanwhile finished one place outside the points in two of the three races at Donington Park in what was a largely trouble-free opening weekend.

Going into round two, Halstead will hope for much of the same with his main goal being to stay out of trouble and look to break into the points for the first time in 2024.

Tom Chilton, #3 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai, said:
“Donington was a bit of a tough start due to circumstances outside our control, so my season really starts this weekend. Brands Hatch is my home circuit and I absolutely love the place, so I’m really looking forward to getting out on track and showing what we can really do.

“We know from testing that the car is quick with the changes that were made over the winter, and hopefully that will be reflected in the results this weekend. It would be great to come away from it with a trophy.”

Ronan Pearson, #14 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai, said:
“I’m really excited to get back out on track this weekend after the pace we showed at Donington Park, both in qualifying and race trim. It shows I’m in a good place, and my goal is to try and replicate my performance from two weeks ago and avoid some of the bad luck!

“Setting a new qualifying best and setting a lap record was a great way to start the year, and I’ve got my eyes firmly fixed on pushing for some silverware during the weekend ahead.”

Nick Halstead, #22 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai, said:
“After all the rain we had last time, it looks like it’s going to be a warm one and that is something that should work in my favour. With no variables in the weather and consistent conditions, I hope to be able to make progress across the weekend and try to push forwards towards the points.

“On the back of a solid showing at Donington Park, I’m feeling confident and we had two days of testing at Brands Hatch before the season where the pace was good. The first goal is to try and qualify well on Saturday, and then push on from there.”

Tom Ingram, #80 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai, said:
“Donington was a fantastic way to start the season and obviously I’m feeling pretty good as we head towards Brands Hatch. The weather conditions look a lot more favourable which should make things a lot more hassle free and I think we are in a really good place.

“The big variable for us is going to be how much impact the revised hybrid rules have in qualifying, but I feel the performance of the car is at a level where we’ll still be in the mix to make it through to Q3 and push towards the front.

“I’m looking for a pointsy weekend to build on round one and maintain our strong start.”

Justina Williams, Team Owner, said:
“Donington Park was a solid start for us as a team, both in terms of the results and also the pace we showed across the weekend. Going to Brands Hatch, I feel confident that we will be able to replicate the performances we showed in the opening round and maintain our strong start, with the focus being to try and retain our lead in the Drivers’ championship and improve on our position in the Teams’ standings.”

Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing will look to build on its strong start to the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season this weekend (11/12 May) as the UK’s premier motorsport series sets course for Brands Hatch.

The Worcestershire-based team kicked off the new campaign in impressive fashion at Donington Park almost a fortnight ago as they claimed a clean sweep of Independents’ race wins.

Árón Taylor-Smith led the line for the Vauxhall Astra squad as he chalked up two Independent triumphs before team-mate Mikey Doble then claimed honours in the final bout; as well as clinching overall honours in the Jack Sears Trophy.

That success means that the team arrives at the second meeting of the year at the world-famous Kent venue sitting atop the Independent Drivers’ Championship, Independent Teams’ Championship and Jack Sears Trophy.

Both drivers will head into Brands Hatch in buoyant mood too with the circuit having been a happy hunting ground for the team down the years, with Senna Proctor claiming a famous win there in 2018 before Jason Plato triumphed a year later.

With the benefit of having enjoyed a positive pre-season test around the short 1.207-mile circuit at the start of April, hopes are high that the team can make their mark with a solid haul of results this weekend.

Árón Taylor-Smith said: “Heading to Brands Hatch I think the team can be full of optimism, especially coming off the back of our performances at Donington Park, and we all have our sights set on having a strong weekend.

“When we tested at the circuit in pre-season the car felt really strong in both wet and dry conditions so I think we should have a fast package. I feel like we will be able to challenge up towards the front and I’m excited to see what we can do.”

Mikey Doble said: “We started with a solid opening round where we scored points in all three races and came away with some silverware. Heading to Brands Hatch we’re looking to build on those results and hopefully use our additional hybrid to put the car well inside the top ten.

“This is going to be the first meeting of the season where we see the new tyre rules come into effect and I think that is going to spice the racing up even more. I’m fully focused on claiming more big points in the Jack Sears Trophy and Independents’; we should be right in the fight.”

Martin Broadhurst, Team Manager, said: “Brands Hatch has always been a strong track for us and I’m optimistic that this year should be no different; especially when you add in the alternative levels of hybrid power and the option tyres that are available.

“The BTCC is all about evolving and since Donington Park we’ve found a few little areas that we hope will improve the car and therefore allow us to fight closer to the front. It’s going to be competitive but we’re up for the fight.”

Adam Weaver, Team Principal, said: “Donington Park was a relatively solid start to the season for us as a team, however, we are by no means content, and we’ve been working hard to further improve the whole package over the past ten days or so.

“Brands Hatch plays to the strengths of the Vauxhall Astra so on paper it should be a strong weekend for Árón and Mikey. When you factor in the differences in hybrid deployment and the option tyres it should make for a really exciting weekend!”

Qualifying at Brands Hatch will be broadcast on the ITV Sport YouTube channel on Saturday from 15:25 before all three races are aired LIVE on ITV4 on Sunday. Race one is scheduled to begin at 11:50 ahead of race two at 14:30 and race three at 17:15.

The option tyre is set to inject another element of action and strategy into the BTCC weekend.

The 2024 British Touring Car Championship heads to Brands Hatch for its second meeting of the year. Rounds four, five and six will each take place on the Indy circuit layout on Sunday 12th May.

Brands Hatch hosted the very first BTCC race in 1958, but its racing roots stretch back to the 1920s as a grass circuit. The 1.2 mile Indy layout features six long and challenging corners, and bears a striking resemblance to the very first layout.

This weekend, the Goodyear medium tyre, used at the opening rounds at Donington Park National, remains the standard. It will be the mandatory specification for qualifying and two of the three races. Each driver will receive one set of white-branded ‘option’ tyres, with a softer compound which could boost performance by up to 0.7 seconds per lap.

However, drivers on the medium tyre are expected to have greater pace during the closing laps of the race compared to the softer compound.

Michael Butler, Goodyear’s BTCC Event Leader, discusses the strategic options facing the drivers this weekend: “Last time out at Donington, we saw some great racing up and down the field. With a soft tyre added to the mix for this weekend at Brands Hatch, expect to see a greater difference between cars, especially when it comes to using the soft during one of the races.

“Teams and drivers will need to analyse with their Goodyear tyre engineer which race is best to use the extra performance. For the fastest drivers, that’s likely to be during the reverse grid at the end of the day.

“We look forward to the soft tyre’s continued presence during this season. Feedback from last year was particularly positive, and it will be the standard tyre later in the season at Oulton Park, Croft and Knockhill.”

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK is headed for Brands Hatch this weekend (11-12 May) for the second instalment of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign, with a firm focus on converting the promise shown in last month’s season curtain-raiser into solid on-track results.
 
Between them, Rob Huff and Andrew Watson piloted the pair of Speedworks Motorsport-run Toyota Corolla GR Sports to five points finishes out of six at Donington Park, with the latter further underscoring the car’s palpable potential in qualifying by advancing to the ‘Quick Six’ shootout at the first time of asking.
 
After engaging in a crowd-pleasing duel for the lead with fellow Toyota driver Aiden Moffat in Leicestershire, Huff travels to Brands Hatch occupying ninth place in the title chase. It was around the Kent venue’s short ‘Indy’ loop that the former FIA World Touring Car Champion notched up his first BTCC podium finish in just his fourth start in the UK’s premier motor racing series back in 2004 – followed by a memorable maiden triumph later the same season.
 
Three spots further back in the points table, stablemate Watson was a winner at Brands Hatch in the Ginetta GT4 SuperCup in 2014. The 29-year-old Belfast native is preparing to tackle the ‘Indy’ layout for only the second time in a touring car, but he can take considerable encouragement from the team’s prior record there.
 
Indeed, the 1.21-mile circuit was the scene of Speedworks’ breakthrough BTCC success in 2016 with the Toyota Avensis. Continuing that form, the Corolla captured pole position and a podium hat-trick at the track four years later. 
 
Following Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session at 15:25 – streamed on ITV Sport’s YouTube channel – every moment of Sunday’s doorhandle-to-doorhandle action will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4, beginning at 11:00. All three races will similarly be shown on the ITV Sport TikTok channel, in the UK and globally.
 
Christian Dick, Team Principal, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “We go to Brands Hatch with a lot of confidence following our performance at Donington Park – and probably a little unfinished business, too, after not coming away with the kind of results we felt we deserved on the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK side of the garage.
 
“What we did take away with us were a lot of positives and reasons for encouragement, from Andrew’s excellent qualifying to Rob’s standout drive in race three, which leave us very optimistic that when we execute a full weekend, we will reap the rewards.”
 
Rob Huff, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “Brands Hatch is a place with a lot of history for me. My first-ever touring car win there in 2004 came at the end of what was probably one of the most famous last laps in BTCC history. 
 
“There was a safety car intervention that set up a single-lap dash to the line, with my team-mate Jason Plato leading from Matt Neal, Yvan Muller and me. All hell broke loose on that final lap, and after going into Paddock Hill Bend in fourth place, somehow I came out of Druids in the lead. To this day, I’m not entirely sure how that happened! It was an amazing way to win my first BTCC race, and it’s a moment that is still talked about now.
 
“It’s a fantastic spectator circuit that always attracts a big crowd, and hopefully the sun will put its hat on this time and we get some dry weather! We certainly go to Brands armed with plenty of useful data from pre-season testing, and we learnt a lot at Donington, too, both on-track and from an operational point-of-view.”
 
Andrew Watson, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “You never maximise everything during the first weekend of the season, but overall, Donington Park was a really promising start. We know we have a lot of opportunities to further improve performance, and we know where those opportunities are, but the important thing is we’re in the mix.
 
“We’ve shown we can get the job done in qualifying, so next, we need to translate that single-lap speed into race results. I had a few issues in the races at Donington, but we’re confident they have now been resolved. All four drivers are working well together and the team is pushing hard in every area. Aiden [Moffat] has proved what the Corolla is capable of over a race distance, so once we piece everything together, we will be aiming for podiums and wins every weekend. We’re fully up for the fight!”