NAPA Racing UK's Ash Sutton won the opening 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship round at Donington Park, having got the better of a few old rivals in the first bout of the new campaign.

Sutton's first challenge was to get by pole-sitting team-mate Dan Cammish on the opening tour, which the four-time champion lined up straight off the line. The #116 nipped by the sister Ford Focus having ran side-by-side with Cammish's car through Redgate and Hollywood, before concluding the move at the Craner Curves.

Team Vertu's Tom Ingram also passed Cammish a few laps later, and the latter faced more frustration with a front left puncture shortly after.

The front two pulled clear as a game of cat and mouse ensued with Sutton on the Goodyear soft tyre while Ingram was on the medium compound.

The battles behind proved frenetic with contact between Tom Chilton (Team Vertu) and Josh Cook (One Motorsport), before the latter also swapped paint with Mikey Doble's Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall in the closing stages of the race, whilst Ronan Pearson (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA) received a ten second penalty for a false start.

When the dust settled it was NAPA Racing UK's Dan Rowbottom securing the final spot on the podium, ahead of reigning champion Jake Hill in the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW, with Chilton and Doble rounding out the top six order.

Cook had to settle for seventh on-the-road and was disappointed following the incident with Chilton that squeezed his Honda Civic Type R into the tyre stack at the final chicane.

Chilton received a five-second post-race penalty for his part in the incident, which as a consequence promoted Doble to fifth, Cook to sixth, whilst Chilton dropped to seventh.

Cammish recovered brilliantly to claim eighth, having pitted for fresh rubber, whilst Aiden Moffat (LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR) and Chris Smiley (Restart Racing) completed the top ten order.

It was all eyes on the scrap at the front for the final two laps as the duel swayed one way and then the other. Ingram hauled his Hyundai onto the rear bumper of Sutton's machine, and made one attempt at the start of the final tour, but the latter held on to secure a fantastic win.

The action is now LIVE across the UK on ITV4 with Races 2 and 3 taking place 1435 and 1725 respectively.

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Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK, said:

Tom Ingram, Team Vertu, said:

Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK, said:

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2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 1 – Donington Park – Final Classification: