Team HARD. Racing’s four CUPRA Leons enjoyed a mixed weekend during their first competitive outing at Thruxton’s Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season opener a little over a week ago.

Find out what drivers Jack Goff, Aron Taylor-Smith, Nic Hamilton and Glynn Geddie had to say about the first race weekend of the 2021 season below...

Jack Goff, Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct, said:
“[Thruxton] was our first weekend in the brand new CUPRA and overall we’ve got to look at it as a massive positive. I came into the weekend wanting to finish all three races and pick up some points where we could, and we’ve achieved both of those things. It was unfortunate for Glynn but obviously it is a massive testament to everyone at Team HARD. and Willie Poole for building a very safe and strong car.

“We progressed the car every single session. The first weekend in a new car is never easy, let alone at Thruxton which I think shows up any issues with a car: it’s high speed, bumpy, has high braking zones, high-speed corners and you’re on a harder tyre so you haven’t got as much grip to hide any faults with the car. Then throw into the mix that every time we got on track it was different conditions. We had heavy rain in FP1, FP2 was a drying track on wets, in qualifying we started on wets, then went to slicks in the damp. Race one was our first time in the dry and driving the car on the hard tyre, then we made changes for race two which were positive. Our pace was a lot better in race two but then for race three it was wet again, everyone was on different tyres, it was dry in phases, then heavy rain, so overall it was a really tough weekend.

“However, the car ran faultlessly, and we managed to make improvements in every condition. We’ve come away from the weekend with our heads held high, but not getting ahead of ourselves. We are currently fighting in the top ten and are sitting just on the outskirts for outright pace which is good for the first weekend in the car out of a 29-car grid. I think we need to find two tenths, which is very achievable to get ourselves sitting comfortably within the top ten. I think everyone at Team HARD. should hold their heads high.”

Aron Taylor-Smith, Team HARD. with HUB Financial Solutions, said:
“For the CUPRA’s first weekend, every variable possible was thrown at it; from a new tyre compound in the hard tyre, to changeable conditions, to wet conditions, to even just running on wets for the first time – there were so many variables that needed to be overcome throughout the weekend and to be fair, everyone in the team took it in their stride.

“We made significant progress between races one and two and again from two to three. For me, I left Thruxton more confident than I’ve ever been in this team. This package, this new chassis, I know that everything has enormous potential and that it will challenge at the front. We are scraping at the surface of what it can achieve and already we are on the pace which is an enormous credit to everyone in the team.

“It’s also not lost on me that this is my first touring car and front-wheel drive race weekend in four years and my first race weekend in over 12 months. For the team to have made me feel as comfortable as I am within the car, the crew and the race conditions, is a credit again to the structure that both Tony [Gilham] and Jamie [Warren] have built. It’s only the start, and I can already tell there is going to be a very successful future. I couldn’t be happier to come away with a few good races under my belt knowing that we have a lot of potential and now we will roll into Snetterton and hopefully be in an even better place.”

Nic Hamilton, ROKiT Racing with iQuoto Online Trading, said:
“[Race day] was a decent day, and a learning day. For race one we were in the mix, but we had a grass and overheating issue with the engine which meant I had to pit and ended up a couple of laps down. Then race two was all about trying to develop the car to make it better and stronger. Thruxton is such as hard circuit. It’s high speed, you need to have a lot of confidence and belief in the car, and you need to know the car like the back of your hand. Obviously, this is a new car for us and the first time we’ve driven it in the dry, the wet and on hard tyres as well so there is still a lot to learn, but the team has been fantastic, and I’d say the car has been pretty faultless with no issues which is great.

“Race three I would say was a strong race for me. We were on the wet tyre and we seemed like we had good pace in comparison to the other wet runners. The problem is that our car goes off after a good three or four laps and that’s the development that we need to make. We need to keep on top of it and understand why to keep us in the pocket. P17 for me from P22 is pretty decent, I’m happy to bring the car home in one piece considering it’s Thruxton, which is generally a nightmare. All round I had a good solid weekend.

“There’s a lot of work for me to do on my pace but I think this is going to be my worst weekend this year and it was still not too bad so I’m going to keep pushing and we are going to get stronger. I’ll be coming back fighting at Snetterton.”

Glynn Geddie, Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct, said:
“I’m back in the BTCC with a literal bang. That wasn’t the weekend we were after, especially seeing the potential that the other guys in the CUPRA were able to show on race day in both the wet and dry conditions. I’m really disappointed to have only really raced in race one, which was basically a shakedown of the car after Saturday’s incident which also put us on the back foot.

“Race one was great. I made progress through the field which I was pleased about considering the race for me was all about finding balance in the car and learning what work there was to do on the set up of the car after the race. For race two, I was super excited to move forward further and try and get into that final few points-paying positions to reward my guys for re-building the front end of the car after Saturday, but unfortunately it seems that wasn’t meant to be. I was caught up in a three-car tangle down at turn one on the opening lap which ruined the car. It was a case of the wrong place at the wrong time for me and I am just devastated for all the team as I know how much effort they have put into building these new CUPRAs. It was one of those things I just couldn’t avoid but I’m OK. I went to the medical centre for a few checks, and was confirmed to be OK pretty soon after the accident, which is a testament to the guys who have built a safe car.

“For now, it’s back to the drawing board and back to Scotland for me. My season really starts at the next round at Snetterton where hopefully I will be able to come back stronger and see a few fans there too.”

The team’s next competitive outing will see the quartet of CUPRAs on track at Snetterton on 12/13 June, as the second event of the 2021 campaign gets underway in just under four weeks.

• Kwik Fit launch 'On The Limit' BTCC themed boardgame
• Free to download and print at home
• Allows fans to experience the drama of the BTCC at home

Kwik Fit are pleased to unveil ‘On the Limit’, a board game based on the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship

Free to download and print at home, the game pitches players against one another in a race around the board and features all the stars – and cars – from the 2021 season, allowing fans to bring the wheel-to-wheel action of the BTCC into their own homes.

It wouldn’t be the UK’s premier motor sport series without a curveball or two thrown in, though, and players will also have to battle through a wide variety of action cards, which could make – or break – their race.

With the hope that spectators can return trackside to events in the near future, it provides one last dose of lockdown fun for the series’ avid fanbase before packing the grandstands once more. 

Click here to download the FREE Kwik Fit 'On The Limit' boardgame.

Jason Plato and Daniel Lloyd made a welcome return to the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton last weekend (8/9 May) and the Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing squad took home some silverware too!

Plato's 600th BTCC race plus a podium for the tin top legend, as well as a top five finish for Lloyd were just some of the things discussed when the BTCC Media Team caught up with the drivers after race one and again after the final contest...

Dan Lloyd - Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing - Thruxton Race 1 - 9th May 2021

Jason Plato - Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing - Thruxton Race 1 and 600^th Race - 9th May 2021

Dan Lloyd - Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing - Thruxton Race 3 - 9th May 2021

Jason Plato - Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing - Thruxton Race 3 - 9th May 2021

The opening rounds of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship provided many thrills and spills at Thruxton last weekend and you can watch it all again with ITV over the coming days.

The 90-minute highlights show gets underway at 1200 on ITV4 on Saturday (15 May) lunchtime and can be seen a number of times following that on both ITV and ITV4, whilst the ITV Hub allows you to watch the programme wherever, whenever for the next 30 days – look out for the show being posted on the Hub from tomorrow afternoon.

See the full listings below:

Saturday 15 May
ITV4: 1200-1330
ITV Hub: 1200-1330 (and anytime over the next 30 days)
ITV4+1: 1300-1430

Sunday 16 May
ITV4: 0705-0830
ITV Hub:  0705-0830 (and anytime over the next 30 days)
ITV4+1: 0805-0930

Wednesday 19 May
ITV1: 2340-0100
ITV Hub:  2340-0100 (and anytime over the next 30 days)

Fans in the UK can already watch the FULL broadcasts from the opening BTCC weekend via the ITV Hub with the Qualifying session available here, and the full 445-minute LIVE Sunday broadcast – including all of the support race action – here.

Viewers in North America will also get the chance to see the bumper-to-bumper action from Thruxton via the MotorTrend channel at 4pm (ET) on Friday 22nd May.

Our followers from around the world should look at their local listings as a multitude of networks ensures that Britain’s biggest motor sport series is broadcast across six continents, or you may choose to view our 'Story of the Day' highlights here.

Thruxton specialist Josh Cook got the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship off to a dream start for BTC Racing at the flat-out Hampshire track on Sunday (9 May) – taking two impressive back-to-back victories in rounds one and two of the new season.

Lining-up on the front row of the grid, having qualified just 0.053s off the pace of pole-sitter Ash Sutton, Cook was leap-frogged by the rear-wheel drive BMW of Colin Turkington but quickly hit back to re-take second into the complex. As he did so, Sutton spun out of the lead after contact from Turkington, and Cook immediately swept past into first place before the Safety Car was deployed following an incident in the pack behind.

Racing resumed on lap seven and Cook didn’t put a wheel wrong, setting the fastest lap of the session on his way to a fantastic and well controlled 2.3 second winning margin at the end of 19 laps. 

Eleventh-hour call-up for the squad, Dan Cammish raced superbly after slicing through from 12th on the grid to finish fifth, third in the Independents Trophy, before being elevated to fourth overall following a post-race penalty for Turkington. In a particularly impressive moment during the encounter, the BTC driver gained two places in one move, slicing past the duelling Jason Plato and Rory Butcher as the trio exited Seagrave. 

From 17th on the grid, PHSC with BTC Racing driver Jade Edwards battled in the thick of the midfield action throughout and lapped competitively. Although edged back to 21st at one stage, she fought back well and concluded her first race with the squad inside the top 20, 14th in the Independents and fourth in the Jack Sears Trophy.

Cook started round two from pole thanks to his earlier win and, even with 75kg of success ballast, the #66 Honda launched fantastically as he led through Allard with Cammish – carrying 39kg of ballast – following in fourth. No sooner had the race begun, the action was red flagged after a multi-car tangle in which Edwards was caught-up.

After a delay of around half an hour, the race re-started and Cook led away again at the second time of asking, with Cammish taking third off the line and then making it a BTC Racing one-two at the exit of the complex. Shortly after, the Safety Car was deployed following another incident.

With Cook just a couple of tenths of a second ahead of Cammish on the restart, the duo circulated pretty much nose-to-tail to the finish. Cammish proved to be the perfect rear-gunner, playing a terrific team role, as Cook wrapped-up his second win of the day and took fastest lap once more.

Just minutes before the start of race three, the arrival of rain delivered a major headache with regard to tyre choice. Cook opted for slick Goodyear tyres, lining-up tenth on the grid, but was unfortunately given a stop-go penalty as his wheels weren’t fitted in time before the cut-off. He went on to finish in 20th place, after two stops, but again confirmed his speed with a third fastest lap of the day.

Cammish chose to change to treaded wet rubber on the grid and moved through from the fifth row into the top six inside three laps. Soon enough though, the rain ceased, and conditions began to favour slicks. He pitted on lap seven to change tyres but as the race wore on the rain arrived again. After another stop, to revert to wets, he ended the race an unrepresentative 23rd. 

The BTC Racing mechanics made a Herculean effort to repair Edwards’ badly damaged car in the very short window of time between races two and three. Hopes of a strong conclusion to the weekend were dashed, though, when niggling electrical gremlins triggered retirement early on.

Snetterton 300 Circuit in Norfolk will host rounds four, five and six of the 2021 BTCC season over the weekend 12/13 June as the team aims to build on the speed and success of the opening weekend.

“Two wins from three races is never a bad weekend,” said Cook. “I’m over the moon to have made such a strong start to the season. I’m really pleased for everyone at BTC Racing, the hard work we’ve been doing has paid off.

"In race two it definitely helped having my team-mate there with me, I’ve got to say huge thanks to Dan. Taking a one-two, the second win of the day, it really did get things off to a dream start. The car was mega, even with the weight in, so huge credit to the team.”

“It’s been a great weekend, a crazy finish – I’m not sure I’ve had many races that are that up and down!” added Cammish. “The weather was always going to play a role at some point, it didn’t know what it wanted to do [in race three].

"We had great speed from the team all weekend, Josh has had a mega weekend with two wins and a second and a fourth for myself is really good. I’m glad I could play a part in the success of today and I wish BTC Racing all the best for the future, it’s been a pleasure.”

“We’ve got very positive foundations with the car, the team and me, but we just didn’t have the luck,” reflected Edwards. “There are still things I need to work on like my race starts, but the race two incident is obviously what essentially ruined our weekend. It’s disappointing, but there are plenty of positives to take to the next round. We’ve got five weeks until that so we can work on a lot of things before then.”

EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com enjoyed a strong start to the new Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season at Thruxton, with a podium finish from the opening round of the campaign.

The weekend marked the first competitive outing for the Suffolk-based squad as a four-car programme after doubling in size over the winter, with the returning Chris Smiley joined by team newcomers Tom Ingram, Jack Butel and Rick Parfitt.

Although qualifying started in wet conditions – which had been the order of the day so far – the rain stopped falling and the circuit started to dry, with drivers diving in to bolt on slick tyres for what would be a mad charge to improve in the closing moments.

Ingram found himself in the fight for pole position in his #80 Hyundai, eventually securing fourth on the grid for his first race with the team, with Smiley also putting himself firmly in the mix with tenth spot in the #22 entry. Although an oil leak ended his session early, Parfitt was an encouraging 25th for his first race in the series, with Butel lining up in 28th having been unable to get the most out of his slick tyre run.

The opening race provided the first chance for the four drivers to run in fully dry conditions, although it proved to be a race of mixed emotions.

Holding position at the start, Ingram moved up into third when Ash Sutton suffered a spin at the Complex, before launching his Hyundai up the inside of Colin Turkington at Church to move into second spot.  Although he would then push leader Josh Cook hard after an early safety car period, Ingram ultimately settled for second spot to kick off his title challenge with a podium. The result matched the team's best result in the BTCC to date.

Unfortunately, the early safety car came as a result of Smiley being forced into retirement, as he was collected by the Honda of Gordon Shedden and went off heavily into the tyres at Goodwood.

Both Butel and Parfitt would lose places at the restart as quicker cars that had been caught up in dramas on lap one made their way back through the field, with the pair running together through the early stages of the race.

Through the closing laps, Butel saw his chance to make up places and a number of impressive overtakes saw him climb his way up to 21st, with Parfitt crossing the line in 25th in the gaggle of cars behind as he successfully made it to the finish in his first BTCC contest.

A multi-car incident saw the race two action halted just seconds after the start, although all four Hyundais were able to avoid the drama.

On the restart, Ingram made his bid for the lead when the lights went out but would be shuffled down to fifth on the opening lap having lost momentum on the exit of the complex. With his i30 Fastback N now carrying additional weight, Ingram slipped behind the lighter Honda of Dan Rowbottom, but he kept Turkington’s BMW at bay to secure a second top six finish of the weekend.

Despite starting at the back and running in traffic throughout, Smiley was showing strong pace in his repaired car after hard work from the team saw him take his place on the grid, but his hopes of a points score were ended late on when he was forced into the pits with a mechanical issue.

Butel spent most of the race running inside the top 20 before eventually crossing the line in 19th, but unfortunately for Parfitt, he would fail to make the finish when a throttle problem saw his car go into limp mode.

The arrival of rain before the start of race three left teams scrabbling to change tyres on the grid, with Ingram, Butel and Parfitt all on wet-weather rubber, but Smiley gambling on slicks from 23rd.

A five-second penalty for an issue on the grid dropped Ingram out of contention for points and he gambled on pitting for dry tyres in the hope of moving up the order as conditions improved. However, when the rain returned, the gamble didn’t pay off and his weekend ended with 22nd place.

Having kept his car on track in the wet conditions early on, Smiley was able to make progress through the pack as the track started to dry out, and had broken into the top ten when the rain started to fall. Fighting hard to keep his car on track, the #22 machine survived a wild slide at Church and Smiley brought the car to the finish in 15th spot, bagging the final championship point.

Parfitt would finish little more than a second behind after his most competitive showing of the weekend, with the former British GT champion revelling in the conditions and only missing out on a potential points finish after a clash on track delayed his push forwards on the penultimate lap.

Butel also fought forwards on his wet tyres and picked up a second top 20 finish of the weekend to complete a solid first outing with the team.

The next rounds of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will see the squad head to Norfolk’s Snetterton circuit, on 12/13 June, with the first top ten shoot out of the campaign set to make for an interesting qualifying session.

"The results don't tell the full story this weekend,” said Smiley. “In race one I was wiped out through no fault of my own and then in race two, I'd got up from 28th toward the points but we had a small fault with an engine temperature sensor which showed the engine was overheating when it wasn't.

"In race three, I think we made a good call with the tyres and we were up into the top ten from the back but then the rain returned at the end. We managed to grab a point and whilst it is frustrating not to get more, there are a lot of positives to take away as we aren't a million miles away pace-wise.

"The team did a great job to repair the damage to the car for race three and they didn't really get rewarded for their effort. Everyone has a bad weekend during the season; hopefully I've just got rid of mine early!"

"It's been a real baptism of fire for me this weekend,” admitted Parfitt. “I now know I need to work on my starts a bit, but that final race was fantastic for me. I looked after the wet tyres early on and passed a lot of people; it was like the old days in karting when I used to love the wet. We were in 16th and with one more lap I could have got a point which is mad, and a great way to finish.

"I think I was far too polite in the first two races and it was a shame that a minor issue put me out of race two, but I had a good car under me in race three and was determined to fight for my position.

"The weekend was invaluable and I'm getting a better understanding of the car. The fundamentals are there, I just have to build on this weekend when we go to Snetterton."

"I'm really pleased with this weekend and I think we've done a fantastic job,” added Ingram. “We have turned up at a circuit where we haven't been with the car before and qualified fourth, stuck it on the podium and then added another top six finish so we can be pleased, even with what happened in race three.

"It's nice to have been able to get the podium finish early on. We know from race two where we now need to make improvements when we are carrying weight, and we have to make the most of what we have learned here as the season goes on and the ballast comes into play more.

"Personally, I'm not sure the punishment fit the crime in race three, but the rules are the rules and we're still sixth in the championship with decent early points on the board, and it also means we don't carry too much weight into the next round."

"I think it's been a good weekend after a tough qualifying session,” concluded Butel. “We just made the call to switch to slick tyres a bit too late as I couldn't get the heat in them that I needed.

"From there, I think I raced well and to get two top 20 finishes is very encouraging and we've shown some solid race pace, particularly in the opening race. Race three was a huge challenge with the conditions but I've gained a lot of experience this weekend and there is plenty that we have learned that will help as the season goes on.

"The team is pleased with how the weekend has gone, and that is the key thing."

Rory Butcher and Sam Smelt both scored points for Toyota Gazoo Racing UK in an eventful Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship curtain-raiser at Thruxton (9 May), as the 2021 campaign got underway with a thrilling trio of races around the high-speed Hampshire circuit.

Instantly demonstrating the pace and potential of the Speedworks Motorsport-prepared Toyota Corolla GR Sport, Butcher mastered wet-but-drying conditions in qualifying to launch to the top of the timing screens with seven minutes left on the clock as competitors switched over to slick tyres.

As the breathless 30-minute session neared its conclusion, the flying Scotsman remained at the summit. With several drivers still on quick laps and the track surface increasingly drying out, the times continued to tumble as the chequered flag appeared, but traffic in the chicane scuppered Butcher’s hopes of improving further, leaving him fifth in the final reckoning amongst the 29 high-calibre contenders.

In the opening encounter – the 34-year-old’s 100th in the cut-and-thrust BTCC – he survived a lively first lap to hold position, before coming under intense pressure from Jason Plato. Artfully fending off the attentions of the two-time BTCC champion throughout, fifth place cemented a strong start to the season for the Toyota man.

Race two was almost immediately red-flagged for a multi-car collision towards the back of the pack, and after making a bright re-start – vaulting from fifth to third – cold tyres then unfortunately caught Butcher out at Noble and resulted in a hefty impact with the circuit’s unforgiving barriers.

Following a stellar repair effort by the Speedworks crew, the Kirkcaldy star began the final contest from the rear of the grid, and in a wet-dry-wet affair, he was inching ever-closer to the points-paying positions when contact with the Infiniti of Carl Boardley ended Butcher’s race on the final lap.

Making his return to the UK’s premier motor racing series and in only his second-ever visit to Thruxton, team-mate Sam Smelt inevitably required some time to re-acclimatise to the circuit’s ultra-fast nature. After lining up 26th on the grid for race one, the Northampton-born ace avoided the early drama and gained three positions to finish 23rd, before progressing again to cross the line 20th in race two.

Smelt saved his best until last, however. With rain beginning to fall as the cars took to the grid for race three, tyre choice was the key question, but he judiciously elected to bolt wet-weather boots onto his Corolla and reaped the benefits. In tricky conditions, the 24-year-old gained four positions within the space of a single lap, thereafter producing a mature performance to take the chequered flag 14th – in so doing, registering his first BTCC points.

With a five-week break now until the BTCC resumes at Snetterton in Norfolk on 12/13 June, Butcher and Smelt occupy 15th and 22nd positions respectively in the Drivers’ Championship, with Toyota Gazoo Racing UK tenth in the Teams’ table and Toyota third in the Manufacturers’ classification.

“Despite the disappointing outcome, I genuinely feel there was a lot of cause for encouragement at Thruxton,” reflected Butcher. “I’ve got my starts dialled in now in the Corolla and I learnt more about the car throughout, but it just didn’t translate into the results we deserved.

“We had a very steady first race and collected some decent points, which was our goal, and I definitely feel like we improved the car for race two, but the accident obviously put paid to our hopes of another good score. It was just unfortunate; I lost the rear through Noble and couldn’t gather it back up. That was frustrating, because I’d made a good start and was confident I could go on the attack.

“In race three, we then got caught up in another driver’s incident, which clearly wasn’t the way we wanted to end the weekend. As I came around the corner, Boardley was rolling backwards and in that kind of situation, you make a split-second decision. It is what it is. Let’s keep our heads up and move on. I feel like the car is giving me all the right feedback, so next time out, I want to exploit that good feeling and get some results for myself and the team.”

“It was nice to finish the weekend on a high by scoring my first BTCC points,” added Smelt. “I think even if it had been consistently dry throughout, it would have been challenging coming back to Thruxton after three years and with no prior testing at the track, but the changeable weather in every session made it more difficult still.

“We just tried to stay focussed on what we were doing and keep gaining experience and, following a bad qualifying, the plan was to chip away in each race, which is what we did. It was good to actually get stuck in and fight with some other drivers in race three, because in the first two, it felt like I had been hanging on a little bit. It was nice to finally be able to show what I can do.

“With the rain starting, stopping and then starting again, I didn’t know how much I needed to look after my tyres and in hindsight, I could probably have pushed a little bit harder in the middle phase of the race, but it paid off in the end and it was great to get the monkey off my back.”

Consolidating its long-standing relationship with Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems, the BTCC has signed the company to continue the supply of its ground breaking onboard Zero 275 fire extinguisher system to all entrants through to the end of 2026.

Continuing the technical partnership in the critical area of fire safety assures both drivers and engineers that development of the FIA 8865:2015 standard Zero 275 is always up-to-date.

Weighing less than 3.5 kg the complete system is noted for its ease of installation and compactness of design. Of particular interest is the use of CFD modelling in the design of the nozzle, allowing it to be floor mounted in the vehicle.

Jim Morris, managing director of Lifeline explains: “This undoubtedly helped us to achieve a more efficient deployment of suppressant, while reducing the amount used – all contributing to weight loss, lower centre of gravity and an elegant solution to reduce the complexity of packaging.”

For a driver’s peace of mind, the speed with which a system activates is paramount and Zero 275 extinguishes the FIA’s fire test in less than one second.

“Our design engineers have for years worked closely with the FIA rule makers,” continues Morris, “which has enabled us to produce this advanced system which is recommended for all FIA categories but is mandatory for touring cars.”

Full details of the range of Lifeline fire suppression systems, together with a range of ancillary safety products and list of worldwide dealers can be found at www.lifeline-fire.co.uk

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season opener threw a mixed weekend the way of newly expanded three-car outfit Laser Tools Racing, as the fluctuating conditions at Thruxton played their part throughout.

Qualifying on Saturday got off to a wet start, following a pair of damp free practice sessions, but as the track slowly dried, it was a frenetic last few minutes as the order at the top switched a number of times.

A last roll of the dice saw the #1 machine of Ash Sutton jump from third to the top spot as the clock ticked down to zero, with team-mate Carl Boardley bagging 13th on the grid for the opening contest, while fellow Infiniti man Aiden Moffat secured 21st, as the Scot struggled to pick up tyre temperature.

The first race of the 2021 campaign, with Sutton on pole, saw the cars get the opportunity to run on a fully dry 2.36-mile track for the first time during the weekend, but it wasn’t without its fair share of drama.

Contact from the BMW of Colin Turkington during the opening tour resulted in a spin for defending champion Sutton, dropping him down the order from the lead.

Meanwhile, Boardley and Moffat both carved their way through the pack into tenth and 15th respectively before an off for Gordon Shedden and Chris Smiley caused a safety car period.

On the restart, the trio continued moving forwards, with Boardley running as high as ninth at one point. Sutton continued his recovery drive from 21st up to tenth, with Moffat and Boardley immediately following him across the finish line in 11th and 12th.

A post-race penalty for the incident between Turkington and Sutton saw the BMW man receive a 17-second addition to his race time, promoting Sutton to ninth place.

Buoyed by the speed of their Infinitis in race one, and following the first-lap incident which saw the race restarted, the drivers were hopeful for more overtakes in the second encounter.

As the safety car period began, after an off for Rory Butcher, Sutton was forced to pit as his Infiniti suffered boost problems, before rejoining at the back of the field.

Moffat worked his way up to eighth, as Sutton picked off the pack up into tenth with two laps remaining, while Boardley was running in 20th due to a five-second race time addition.

The final lap saw Sutton up into ninth place, behind his eight-place team-mate, Moffat. Boardley, who crossed the line in 13th, would finish 17th in the results with his penalty.

As the final race of the day loomed, and more importantly, the clouds rolled in, Sutton and Moffat were put onto third and fourth on the grid, by virtue of the reverse grid draw.

Starting on Goodyear wet tyres, Sutton got a great start up to second and was immediately on the tail of pole-man Stephen Jelley before taking the lead on lap two.

Moffat enjoyed a defensive drive in fourth from returning champion Jason Plato for the first six laps, before he ran wide onto the grass with a problem during the battle. The #16 Infiniti dropped down the order on the following laps before retiring from the race with seven laps remaining.

Team-mate Boardley got off to a strong start, running in the top 15 before becoming involved in a number of mid-field battles. The 45-year-old suffered from bad luck in the final laps, as contact ended Boardley’s race two laps early.

As the rain slowed, and the slick-shod machines began to gain advantage, the Ford of Jake Hill scythed into the lead, dropping Sutton into third on the road with Tom Oliphant’s BMW second. A penalty for Oliphant, however, saw Sutton into second spot.

The rain returned for the final few laps of the contest, and Sutton’s wet rubber once again switched on, as the two-time titleholder set his sights on the win.

The #1 machine took back the race lead as Hill began to struggle on the increasingly wet track, as Sutton took his first victory of the 2021 campaign.

Leaving Thruxton, the squad sits fourth in the Teams’ standings, with Sutton holding the same spot in the Drivers’ title battle.

All three drivers are currently within the top 15 in the Independent Drivers’ championship, as the team turns its attention to the next race weekend, at Snetterton (12/13 June).

A popular feature from the 2020 campaign returns as you can once again listen to all the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship action from Thruxton via the circuit commentary podcast.

With podcasts for all three races, BTCC fans can re-live all the thrills and spills from the Hampshire speedbowl using the players below, via the BTCC Audio Portal or on the Official BTCC App.

Race 1

Race 2

Race 3