NAPA Racing UK star surges to the fore after standout start in 2026
Three different winners from three dramatic races at Brands Hatch further underlined the competitive nature of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship earlier this month, as the series now heads to Snetterton for Rounds 7, 8 and 9 this weekend (23/24 May).
Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK - Ford) sits 47 points atop the drivers’ standings, finishing no lower than second in any round of the championship thus far. Placing his Ford Focus Titanium third on the grid for the all-new ‘Qualifying Race’ last time out, the four-time champion wasted no time in reclaiming top spot. After front-row starters Tom Ingram (Team VERTU - Hyundai) and Daryl De Leon (WSR - BMW) ran wide at Graham Hill Bend on the opening tour, Sutton took the lead and would take his first-ever ‘Race to Pole’ victory.
Starting Sunday’s opening race from pole, the #116 would lead the grid for the first of three damp-track dry-tyre races in what proved to be a tricky day on-track at the Kent venue. Sutton did not have it all his way, trading places with Ricky Collard (Team VERTU - Hyundai) for the lead of the race, skating throughout the race day opener. But it would be Sutton who would eventually take the chequered flag, taking victory in three of the four opening races of the year and marking his 50th BTCC race victory at the same time.
The second race of the day saw one of the most entertaining touring car races in recent memory as the rain truly began to fall. Árón Taylor-Smith (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport - Toyota) gained 12 positions on his way to taking his first victory in 3,542 days. The ten-year wait was realised after a red flag brought an early end to the race as Charles Rainford (WSR - BMW) and Sam Osborne (NAPA Racing UK - Ford) were both parked in the gravel at Druids.
Race 3 saw a familiar face rise to the top step for the first time this season. Ingram stood victorious at the same venue that saw him become a two-time champion not seven months prior, after a stellar drive seeing him rise from sixth on the grid. The reigning champion took his maiden triumph of the year four races sooner than he did in his record-breaking 2025 title win.
Now, the BTCC heads from the shortest track on the calendar, to the longest track on the calendar - the 2.97-mile Snetterton 300 Circuit. The Norfolk venue is a mainstay on the BTCC calendar, having held races on various layouts since 1979.
Read on for more details on the Snetterton stats, TV times, circuit timetable and the all-important ticket information…
Snetterton Stats
In recent years, there has been no machine that is thought to have an advantage at Snetterton, with two of the last four years seeing double victors in rear-wheel-drive BMWs, the rest all front-wheel-drive. The most recent race at Snetterton saw the last race win for the Vauxhall Astra and the first win for Mikey Doble (LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing - Audi), a car-driver combination that is no more since the squad has moved to Audi machinery for 2026.
Last year’s polesitter, Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK - Ford), will be looking to return to his table-topping pace, after only seeing the podium once so far in 2026. The multiple race winner took the Qualifying Lap Record and eased to victory in the opener one year ago.
Championship leader Sutton will be heading into the weekend as content as ever despite his lack of TOCA Turbo Boost allocation by virtue of his position in the standings. The NAPA Racing UK driver has taken four victories at the Norfolk venue in the last five years, double that of any other current driver, with Ingram the only other to take home more than one.
Taking a lead of 47 points to Snetterton, the #116 will be feeling ahead of the curve, as since the change of points system in 2012, no one has arrived at the third event with a lead more than 16 points.
TV, Timetables and Tickets
Complimenting the tin top racing will be a sensational line-up of support series, as the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, The MINI CHALLENGE, The MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, and the Wera Tools F4 British Championship certified by FIA complete the schedule of exciting races.
BTCC will be wowing the crowds both trackside and at home, with Saturday’s ‘Race to Pole’ and the earlier qualifying session being streamed live via ITV Sport’s YouTube Channel from 1355, before ITV4’s seven-and-a-half-hour race day broadcast gets underway at 1045 on Sunday.
Remember, continuing what started for the first time in the championship’s history in 2025, the BTCC is being broadcast globally with every race being streamed live in 2026 via the BTCC YouTube Channel, whilst fans in North America can watch the action on the Racer Network. Look out for the races on Sunday starting at 1130, 1430 and 1720 (BST).
There’s no place like being there of course, and fans can purchase tickets in advance or on the gate throughout the weekend – visit here for more details.
