Despite two victories last time out it was not Colin Turkington but Ash Sutton leading the way into Snetterton. Even in fine form it would be another BMW taking the headlines after a wet and windy weekend...
Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s Jake Hill enjoyed a dream Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship weekend at Snetterton as he backed up Saturday’s pole position with a dominant double on Sunday (25/26 May).
The BMW talent took two lights-to-flag victories, but that doesn’t tell the full story, as the Kent driver had to win each contest in very different circumstances.
Championship leader Ash Sutton scored a seventh successive podium before than run eventually came to an end in race two, when the NAPA Racing UK star crashed out late on.
Podiums for Bobby Thompson, Dan Cammish, Josh Cook and Aiden Moffat also shook-up proceedings as the title race continues to take shape.
The final word went to home hero Rob Huff as he headed an incredible Toyota 1-2-3 in the final encounter, securing his first BTCC triumph in 20 years.
When the rain eventually cleared in Norfolk it was Sutton leaving the circuit with a ten-point advantage over Team BMW’s Colin Turkington in the overall Drivers’ standings, with Hill and Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS’ Tom Ingram only a further point in arrears – the top four blanketed by just 11 points with Cook also closing in.
The Alliance Racing/Ford outfit jumped BMW in the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ order, whilst NAPA Racing UK also tops the Teams’ table.
Árón Taylor-Smith and his Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing squad still hold sway in the Independents’ championships, whilst team-mate Mikey Doble is the Jack Sears Trophy leader.
Lucky 13 for Jake Hill
The list of 2024 BTCC race winners continued to grow after Hill scored his 13th career success, becoming the fifth different race winner of the season so far.
Hill bounced back from a challenging Brands Hatch last time out to take pole position in Norfolk yesterday, and he duly backed that up with a dominant display in the opener around the 2.97-mile circuit.
The battle for the other places on the podium kicked off almost immediately as NAPA Racing UK's Sutton slotted into second, whilst Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR's Thompson blasted into fourth behind Team BMW stablemate Adam Morgan.
Morgan's pace seemed to fade by mid-distance as Thompson cruised by, before the latter focused on hunting down Sutton's #1 Ford Focus.
The moment eventually came as the new striking purple BMW blasted by Sutton on the start/finish straight to secure second.
Third still represented an impressive result for championship leader Sutton, as it confirmed his seventh successive podium to kick off his title defence.
Hill climbs the standings with stunning race two win
BMW star Hill then claimed a stunning victory in a frenetic race two.
A huge storm descended onto Norfolk just minutes prior to the original start time, which caused a delay while water was removed from the track surface.
Incredibly, the circuit was basked in glorious sunshine shortly after as a mixture of wet and dry tyre options began to take shape during the race.
The drama had already started on-track too with pole-sitter Hill and his Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR stablemate Thompson receiving a ten second penalty for jumping the start.
The race win almost looked impossible for Hill, but he immediately set about stretching the gap at the head of the field, and when rain began to fall again later in the contest the race started to swing back the way of the Kent driver.
Hill was truly sublime in the wet conditions, pulling away from the chasing pack by more than 15 seconds to score a superlative second victory of the day.
NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish took second ahead of LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ's Cook, with the latter impressively rising from 14th on the grid.
Home hero Huff heads Toyota 1-2-3
It has been a weekend of incredible stories with Huff's first BTCC win in 20 years headlining the final encounter in Norfolk.
There had been much talk about Huff's most recent BTCC win – at Snetterton way back in 2004 – so for a man that lives around half an hour from the circuit it was arguably written in the stars that he would repeat the trick here today.
An incredible race began with Hill looking like he would score an historic hat-trick as the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport star gambled on the Goodyear wet tyres from ninth on the grid.
Hill blasted by the entire field on the opening lap and began pulling away from the slick-shod runners, bringing the only other car on wets – Andrew Watson's Toyota – with him.
A masterclass from Hill was on the cards and with it the opportunity to join the very short shortlist of just Dan Eaves and Jason Plato to win three BTCC races in the same day.
The crossover happened around mid-distance, however, as the dry Goodyear tyres were soon quicker than the wets.
The chasing pack reeled them in, and after TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK's Huff had fought off LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ stablemate Cook and dodged a half-slide from Aiden Moffat, he was soon past Hill and into the lead.
Hill began to fade as Speedworks romped on to an incredible result, with Huff leading home Moffat and Cook for a memorable 1-2-3 for Toyota – the first podium lockout for the Japanese marque in the history of the BTCC.
Not only was that an incredible stat for Toyota, but Huff’s first BTCC victory in nearly 20 years also represented the longest gap between wins for a single driver.
Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said: “The car was just absolutely beautiful to drive. I can't thank Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport enough; they've given me a car that is just absolutely awesome. The car has been through a lot of development over the winter and this is just the best it's felt by such a long way
“That (race two) means absolutely everything, probably the best and most professional race of my life. The car was absolutely awesome, it was like I was driving a car in the dry. The car is great and I'd like to think I'm doing a pretty good job too. I am so proud of everyone and I'm proud of myself, which is nice. The Laser Beemer strikes again!”
Rob Huff, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “Race 3 here at Snetterton does it again for me at my home track. I genuinely didn't know I was leading, I knew I was coming through, I was just picking them off one-by-one but I didn't quite know where we were.
“The car was fantastic, it's safe to say we were dialled into that today and to win here at my home track is just mega! The car was exactly what I've been searching for so far this year, what a race!”
2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Snetterton 300
1. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport 12 Laps
2. Bobby Thompson, Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR +1.922s
3. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +4.009s
4. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +5.130s
5. Andrew Watson, TOYOTA Gazoo Racing UK +8.021s
6. Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +8.770s
7. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +12.041s
8. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +19.824s
9. Rob Huff, TOYOTA Gazoo racing UK +22.219s
10. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +22.426s
2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Snetterton 300
1. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport 12 Laps
2. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +6.260s
3. Josh Cook, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ +9.974s
4. Mikey Doble, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing +14.794s
5. Tom Chilton, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +15.696s
6. Andrew Watson, TOYOTA Gazoo Racing UK +16.626s
7. Bobby Thompson, Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR +16.643s
8. Aiden Moffat, LKQ Euro Parts with SYNETIQ +23.431s
9. Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK +26.823s
10. Daryl DeLeon, Duckhams Racing with Bartercard +29.165s
2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Snetterton 300
1. Rob Huff, TOYOTA Gazoo Racing UK 12 Laps
2. Aiden Moffat, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ +2.338s
3. Josh Cook, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ +3.297s
4. Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +3.501
5. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +12.830s
6. Tom Chilton, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +14.169s
7. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +16.470s
8. Bobby Thompson, Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR +19.425s
9. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +20.025s
10. Mikey Doble, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing +21.864s
Penalties:
Race Two
Tom Chilton received a five second time penalty during Round 8 of the championship, for completing an overtake after leaving the track on Mikey Doble
