Sutton and Hill share the spoils as title chasing duo top the table
Jake Hill has enjoyed one of the best fortnights of his BTCC career, having followed up his Snetterton double victory last time out with another here at Thruxton today (9 June).
Rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship were not without drama as Hill inherited one victory after title rival Tom Ingram was handed a post-race penalty.
A huge crowd descended on the hugely popular Hampshire venue as the fastest track in the country provided the highly anticipated thrills and spills.
The final reverse grid race was won by NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton – his first of the season and the 40th of his BTCC career so far – as the Essex driver moved back to the summit of the standings, five points ahead of Hill.
Ingram is third with Colin Turkington fourth, whilst Dan Cammish hauled himself back into championship contention with an impressive trio of second place finishes at Thruxton.
Alliance Racing/Ford and its NAPA Racing UK outfit tops both the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ tables.
Árón Taylor-Smith and his Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing team continue to dominate the Independents’ order, whilst team-mate Mikey Doble still holds sway in the Jack Sears Trophy.
The BTCC returns at Oulton Park in two weeks’ time (22/23 June).
Hill climbs the summit with race one win
Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Hill became the first treble winner of the season with victory in the opener.
Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Ingram bogged down from pole position, as Hill blasted his #24 BMW 330e M Sport off the line. He immediately nipped between second placed Cammish and ahead of Ingram, as the latter got swamped by a trio of NAPA Racing UK cars.
There was contact further down the order early on as a clash between Team BMW's Adam Morgan and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK's Andrew Watson dislodged the tyre stack at the final chicane, resulting in a brief safety car period.
Things settled down among the top positions following the restart, albeit at a ferocious pace, as Hill led home the NAPA Racing UK duo of Cammish and championship leader Sutton.
Jake Hill inherits victory after Ingram penalty
Hill made it a double-double in race two as he inherited the victory following a post-race penalty for on-the-road winner Ingram.
Kent driver Hill came into the Snetterton weekend last time out languishing behind in the standings, but an incredible four victories from five races propelled him up to the top of the order.
Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Ingram initially fired his Hyundai i30N to the chequered flag first but was later demoted to third after gaining an unfair advantage in an incident involving Cammish.
Having relinquished pole position in race one – eventually having to settle for fourth – Ingram was keen to put things right in the second contest.
Pole man Hill made a stellar getaway in his Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW, as the NAPA Racing UK duo of Sutton and Cammish tried to keep Ingram behind.
Ingram got by Cammish as the duo ran side-by-side towards the final corner, the former being adjudged to have gained an unfair advantage as he straight-lined the chicane.
Sutton and Ingram hounded Hill for the win, but the #1 Ford Focus suffered damage to the front splitter around mid-distance.
Struggling for traction at the ultra-high-speed Hampshire circuit, Sutton was soon relegated to third by Ingram, who then blasted by Hill a few laps later before romping away.
Sutton was further demoted by his NAPA Racing UK team-mates – Cammish and Dan Rowbottom – and eventually had to settle for fifth, but the headlines belonged to Hill after Ingram’s post-race penalty.
Sutton returns to standings lead after 40th BTCC career victory
The BTCC saved the best until last with an exciting reverse grid race at Thruxton, as Sutton returned to the top of the standings with his first win of the season and the 40th of his impressive career so far.
Starting from fourth on the grid Sutton initially dropped back and was embroiled in a scrap with some of his rivals, but he soon set about rising through the order.
He saw off NAPA Racing UK team-mate Cammish and he eventually got the better of long-time leader Adam Morgan.
Team BMW’s Morgan was then tangled in another incident, as on-the-track race two winner Ingram experienced a case of Déjà vu when approaching the final chicane late on in a fight for fourth.
Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Ingram looked to have got past Morgan before being hit in the side, forcing him to straight-line the chicane for the second successive race, but this time through no fault of his own.
Ingram rejoined in third to complete the podium behind race-winner Sutton and Cammish – the latter having taken an impressive podium hat-trick during the day.
Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said: “What a day! I didn’t think we could possibly do any better than Snetterton, but amazingly we have. Thruxton; you’ve been a diamond; two wins and a fifth place. I’m over the moon. The Laser Beemer has been unbelievable and I’m over the moon. We’re only a couple of points off the lead, which has been a mega comeback since Brands. We’ll go to Oulton ready to get some more.”
Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK, said: “I massively fancied my chances. I knew we had a quick race car, we saw glimpses of that in race two. To go out there and utilise that was mega and to reward the guys was awesome. It’s been a bit harder this season, everyone else around us has upped their game. We just chose to go about it a bit differently this year with the new hybrid rules and option tyres, but when the opportunity comes and the car is beneath me, I will go out there and deliver!”
2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Thruxton
1. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport 18 Laps
2. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +1.216s
3. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +1.955s
4. Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +2.518s
5. Josh Cook, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ +13.147s
6. Tom Chilton, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +15.696s
7. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK
8. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +18.765s
9. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +19.151s
10. Árón Taylor-Smith, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing +19.752s
2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Thruxton
1. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport 16 Laps
2. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +1.262s
3. Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS
4. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +2.745
5. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +5.582s
6. Josh Cook, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ +7.002s
7. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +7.402s
8. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +9.809s
9. Árón Taylor-Smith, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing +12.512s
10. Rob Huff, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +15.073s
2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Thruxton
1. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK 19 Laps
2. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +4.449s
3. Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +7.962s
4. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +8.039s
5. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +8.198s
6. Josh Cook, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ +8.376s
7. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +9.464s
8. Árón Taylor-Smith, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing +10.002s
9. Rob Huff, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +10.275s
10. Ronan Pearson, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +10.990s
Penalties:
Qualifying
Árón Taylor-Smith was formally reprimanded during qualifying for Round 10 of the championship, for driving in a manner deemed to be potentially dangerous to others
Race One
Dan Rowbottom received a two place penalty during Round 10 of the championship, for gaining an unfair advantage during a restart on Tom Chilton
Race Two
Tom Ingram received a two place penalty during Round 11 of the championship, for gaining an advantage after leaving the track on Dan Cammish
Ronan Pearson received a one place penalty during Round 11 of the championship, for gaining an unfair advantage after leaving the track on Aiden Moffat
