Free Practice 1 is not always a pointer to the weekend ahead in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, but a number of title contenders have fired out of the block this morning with Colin Turkington, Ash Sutton and Dan Cammish leading the way in the opening session at Croft.

With just three events of the campaign remaining and 17 points separating the lead trio it seems that the race for supremacy may have started earlier than usual at the North Yorkshire circuit with Team BMW, Laser Tools Racing and Halfords Yuasa Racing all putting in considerable mileage during the 40-minute run.

It was Turkington who claimed FP1 bragging rights with his 1:22.145s lap time topping the order, as the Northern Irishman completed a total of 20 laps of the 2.13-mile circuit – the most of any driver in the field.

Team BMW team-mate Tom Oliphant also holds hopes of winning the UK's most coveted motorsport crown and he ended up fourth, just behind Sutton and Cammish.

There were mixed fortunes for the other championship protagonists as Motorbase Performance's Rory Butcher ended up tenth, whilst Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters' Tom Ingram failed to set a lap time.

Motorbase Performance produced a fantastic effort to ready Butcher's Ford Focus after the Scotsman suffered a huge accident at Silverstone last time, so kudos to the Kent team for ensuring that their man has been able to kick off his weekend in steady fashion.

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters is on the back foot, however, as a manifold issue with its Toyota Corolla prevented Ingram from setting a time. The Speedworks Motorsport-run outfit is looking to bounce back after misfortune at Silverstone in races 2 and 3, and now they'll be needing to make up for lost time in FP2 here at Croft.

MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square's Jake Hill was best of the rest in fifth, with BTC Racing's Josh Cook in sixth – both benefitting from relatively ballast-free Hondas at this stage of the weekend.

Adam Morgan's Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools Mercedes grabbed seventh – continuing his solid run – whilst Honda man Matt Neal and Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat were eighth and ninth respectively, ahead of the aforementioned Butcher.

RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport experienced a mixed session with Jack Goff running extremely well in 11th, whilst returning team-mate for the weekend – Mike Bushell – went off at Turn 1 in the early running.

Free Practice 2 takes place at 1205, before Qualifying for Round 19 of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship commences at 1455 – the latter being streamed live via www.itv.com/btcc.

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 1 – Croft

1        Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +1.22.145s
2        Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.125s
3        Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.158s
4        Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.164s
5        Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.240s
6        Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.505s
7        Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +0.549s
8        Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.586s
9        Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.712s
10      Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.751s
11      Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +0.827s
12      Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +0.836s
13      Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +0.898s
14      Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +0.968s
15      Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.032s
16      Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +1.155s
17      Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +1.183s
18      Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +1.332s
19      Mike BUSHELL (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.457s
20      Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +1.463s
21      Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +1.971s
22      Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +2.035s
23      Jac CONSTABLE (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +2.242s
24      Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +2.485s
25      Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +3.638s
26      Tom INGRAM (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters NO TIME

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship team Excelr8 Motorsport turns its attention to Croft this weekend, as the squad celebrates reaching new heights and far outweighing the achievement of its maiden 2019 campaign with three events remaining.

For Senna Proctor, Yorkshire’s premier destination for the top Touring Car series in the country marks his local event. The Driffield driver will be determined to put on a good show for his supporters who will be eagerly watching the live ITV coverage at home.

Having picked up his best result of 2019 at Croft, team-mate Chris Smiley will be relishing returning to a happy hunting ground, as the pair will aim to repeat their successes and fight for more silverware.

It has been a rollercoaster ride for the team in 2020, bringing in new technical staff, two new drivers and the pair of newly built Hyundai i30s. In doing so, the team has gone from strength to strength, developing from an outfit aiming to score points to one who has proven a podium threat.

Already this year, the team has picked up a maiden reverse pole, podiums and numerous double top-ten finishes, and heads into the seventh race weekend of the campaign seventh in the overall and fifth in the Independent Teams’ standings.

“I’m glad to be back here at Croft as we prepare for the final push in the championship fight,” said Team Owner Justina Williams. “Excelr8 Motorsport has made a multitude of major improvements this year and with a top three in the Independents’ championship and top five in the Teams’ Championship still a viable goal for our talented engineers, I'm confident we can work together to achieve it.

“There will be a lot of positivity among our drivers as well this weekend, not least from Senna, who will be hoping to put on a performance on home turf, continuing that momentum he displayed at Silverstone. For Chris too, this place will bring back many happy memories with the previous season’s podium and I’m confident he can translate it into a promising result.”

The track action begins today, 10 October, with qualifying on itv.com/btcc from 14:40, while all three races can be caught live on ITV4 on Sunday from 1130.

Following Motorbase Performance's confirmation that Rory Butcher will be contesting this weekend's Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship event at Croft, here's a recap of the moment it all went awry during Race three at Silverstone...

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBTCC/videos/668923507061564/

 

...and an insight into the squad's mammoth effort to rebuild the car for Rounds 19, 20 and 21...

With just nine races remaining in the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, this weekend sees Britain’s elite motorsport series head to Croft.

Traditionally scheduled just before the annual ‘summer break’, the revised calendar has resulted in a cooler setting for the North Yorkshire action, with the October climate presenting teams with new challenges up and down the field.

As the title battle continues, this weekend could prove make-or-break, as the championship contenders begin to separate from the rest of the pack...

Ash Sutton heads into the seventh event of the season at the summit of the standings, while reigning champion Colin Turkington holds second, just four points in arrears.

A change towards the top last time out sees Dan Cammish now in third, as the Honda man will aim to move further up the order following his taste of the top spot during last year’s frenetic Brands Hatch finale.

Catch all the BTCC race action from this weekend as the popular series returns to its home channel, ITV4, for all three remaining 2020 events.

Qualifying LIVE: Saturday 10 October
ITV.com/BTCC from 1450
ITV Hub Available anytime for the next 30 days

Raceday LIVE: Sunday 11 October
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1130-1805
ITV4+1 1230-1905
ITV Hub 1130-1805
ITV.com/BTCC 1130-1805

Highlights: Saturday 17 October
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1225-1400
ITV 4 +1 1325 – 1500
ITV Hub Available anytime for the next 30 days

Highlights: Sunday 18 October
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 0835 – 1005
ITV4 +1 0935 – 1105

Highlights: Wednesday 21 October
ITV & STV 2340 – 0055
ITV+1 & STV+1 0040 – 0155

MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square heads to Croft in optimistic mood as the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Championship heads to the North Yorkshire circuit, which plays host to the seventh event of the campaign this weekend (10/11 October).

Following a successful outing at Silverstone, which saw the squad claim four points finishes out of a possible six, the aim at Croft will be to build on this performance.

The team will also hope to see a continuation of Jake Hill’s superb qualifying record across the season so far – with the 26-year-old scoring a starting spot inside the top ten during every session of the championship so far. Sam Osborne has also found good form on Saturday afternoon, qualifying on the fringes of the points-paying positions at Silverstone.

The 2.13-mile Croft track features two long, fast straights and a variety of technical corners – all creating one of the most unique challenges on the calendar for both driver and car to contend with. Despite being a circuit that often favours the rear-wheel drive entries, the Honda Civic Type R FK2 has held its own in recent years – taking a win here in 2018.

Entering the weekend, Hill currently occupies sixth place in the Independent Drivers’ championship and Osborne in 15th. In the Goodyear Wingfoot Award, Hill holds fifth while his team-mate maintains fourth in the Jack Sears Trophy.

MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square sit sixth in the Independent Teams’ Championship and will be aiming to bring themselves within striking distance of the top five.

“Coming away from Silverstone with several points finishes – at a track which doesn’t typically suit our car – gives us confidence that we can go even better at Croft this weekend,” said Team Principal Shaun Hollamby. “Both Jake and Sam are fully fired up for the weekend and ready to give it their all.”

“We’re reaching a pivotal point in the season where every result and every point is crucial,” added the squad’s Sporting Director, Mark Blundell. “We’ve taken all the opportunities given to us so far and we’ll be aiming to perform just as strongly again at Croft - the team has found a good rhythm and we’re looking forward to another productive weekend.”

“Overall I was pleased with how Silverstone went, if a little disappointed with how race three turned out, so I’m looking for even more at Croft this weekend,” reflected Hill. “Qualifying has been a real highlight for us this season and I can’t wait to get out there and go for another top ten result which will give us the chance for a great result on Sunday!”

“My aim this weekend is to use the momentum we built up at Silverstone to push even further towards the top of the Jack Sears standings,” professed Osborne. “We knew we could’ve come away with more last time out so this weekend is all about delivering consistently and pushing as far forward as we can in the championship.”

Following his maiden victory at Silverstone, btcc.net caught up with Ollie Jackson to find out how he's feeling about joining the BTCC winners' circle, his journey to where he is now and look forward to this weekend's Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship action at Croft.

"I always look to improve and move myself on as a driver and that's how I set my goals. I think my optimism is rooted around being progressive and hitting the targets I set for myself. I'm not one of those drivers who jumps in the car and thinks 'I'm going to win' every time I go out.

"I like to be realistic with what I think I can do and I like to think it helps the team in that they participate in that journey with me and enjoy it with me when I hit the goals. I've just got to choose that next goal now!"

Listen to the full interview below...

Just three race weekends remain in the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with the destination of this year’s title very much in the balance.

Despite the delays and challenges brought about by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the UK’s elite motorsport series eventually hit the track in early August and has since produced six pulsating weekends of racing.

The action has been relentless – and not just because of the highly-condensed calendar - with nine different race winners from the 18 races so far. Now, the 2020 BTCC campaign is building towards an exciting climax with a trip to Croft next on agenda...

Reigning Champion Colin Turkington recently relinquished his lead of the overall standings, with Laser Tools Racing’s Ash Sutton now topping the table following the visits to Thruxton and Silverstone.

Just four points separate the dynamic duo, however, and Croft has often been a favourite hunting ground for BMW star Turkington.

“We head to Croft next which has always been one of our stronger tracks, so I can’t wait to get driving again at my favourite circuit and see what I can do,” said Turkington. “It’s going to be a fight until the final flag drops, but I’m fired up for it and will continue to push myself and do everything I can to outwork the others.”

The record-equalling four-time champion has taken an unrivalled 12 career wins at the North Yorkshire circuit, but Sutton has challenged his ‘King of Croft’ crown over the last five years – scoring four victories to Turkington’s two.

The chasing pack seemingly have it all to do with Sutton or Turkington taking pole position at the 2.13-mile circuit in five of the previous seven visits.

Despite Croft statistics pointing towards both Sutton and Turkington, recent momentum has been with Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish – the Honda star having outscored both in each of the last two race weekends.

The Yorkshireman registered a record-breaking points haul at Silverstone last time out – including a commanding race victory – and now lies just 17 points off the summit heading into his home event.

Tom Ingram (Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters) and Rory Butcher (Motorbase Performance) have experienced a mixture of glory and misfortune during the 2020 season so far, the latter having recently endured a high-speed spectacular accident at Silverstone two weeks ago, whereas Team BMW’s Tom Oliphant has been a picture of consistency.

All three remain in contention to win the most coveted motorsport crown in Britain, but a decisive move forwards at Croft may be required.

There will be more than a dozen contenders for victory at the likeable North Yorkshire venue – with Excelr8 Motorsport’s Driffield-based Senna Proctor being among them at his local track.

Rounds 19, 20 and 21 of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Croft this weekend (10/11 October).

Saturday’s qualifying will be streamed live from 1440 via www.itv.com/btcc, whilst ITV4 will screen all the race day action live and exclusively from 1130 on Sunday.

GKR TradePriceCars.com has today (7 October) confirmed a change to its Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship driver line-up after agreeing a deal with multiple Renault Clio Cup UK title winner Paul Rivett for the final two events of the campaign.

Rivett will make his long-awaited debut in the series at the wheel of the Audi S3 that has been driven thus far in 2020 by James Gornall, who has taken the difficult decision to stand down from his seat.

Gornall secured the team's best result of the year to date, with a fine seventh place at Brands Hatch –  the highest finish for a rookie driver across the past two seasons. He also secured one of the three Jack Sears Trophy victories that the team has taken this year during the same weekend.

In his place, Rivett makes the step up into the BTCC as the most successful driver to have ever competed in the Renault Clio Cup UK, winning the championship title no fewer than four times.

The Surrey man will compete in the final two events of the season at Snetterton and Brands Hatch, with a prior commitment preventing him from racing this weekend at Croft.

As a result, team regular Bobby Thompson will fly the flag alone for GKR TradePriceCars.com in North Yorkshire as he looks to build on the solid results he enjoyed last time out at Silverstone.

The Essex-based racer picked up a brace of points-scoring finishes at the wheel of the #19 Audi, whilst his results across the weekend saw him rewarded with victory in the Jack Sears Trophy - open to drivers who haven’t yet taken an overall podium in the series.

That victory, Thompson’s second of the season, moved him into the JST standings lead, with a slender advantage of eight points and nine races still to run.

Thompson’s focus across the Croft weekend will be on trying to successfully retain his place at the head of the order, while he is also eager to try and make the most of recent improvements made to the Audi to push towards the top ten overall.

The 24-year-old has a single top ten amongst the nine points-scoring finishes he has secured this season, but makes the long trip north in confident mood at a circuit where the Audi has gone well in the past.

This weekend’s racing will air live on ITV4 from 1130 on Sunday, with qualifying being streamed at itv.com/btcc on Saturday from 1440.

"It’s no secret that I have always wanted to race in the BTCC and at the age of 42, I know I’m not getting any younger,” said Rivett. “My mother sadly passed away earlier this year and it really made me realise that I can’t let time pass by, and that I had to try and make it happen.

"I spoke to a few people to see what opportunities there might be for next season, and suddenly the opportunity has come along for me to take part in the final two events of the campaign. That’s something I’m hugely excited about, and that I certainly wasn’t expecting.

"I’ve obviously watched the BTCC through the years whilst racing on the support package and have competed against a lot of the drivers on the grid during my time in the Clio Cup, and even before that when I was racing in Fiestas and had my novice cross alongside guys called Colin Turkington and Gordon Shedden, who have gone on to do quite well!

"My goal is to use these two weekends to show what I can do. I’ve always adapted quite well to new cars and the aim will be to get quicker every time I go out on track and look to keep progressing forwards. Snetterton will all be geared towards preparing for Brands Hatch as that’s my home circuit, and I’d love to be able to go out there in the final races and challenge for some good results.

"It’s a shame that I’m not able to also race at Croft this weekend, but I’ll be cheering Bobby and the team on and look forward to joining him on track. I have to say a huge thank you to Trade Price Cars for the opportunity to fulfil a dream, and also to my long term sponsors WDE Recruitment and Tachosys for helping to make this possible."

"It’s a shame that James won’t be racing with us for the remainder of the season as he has been a popular member of the team,” added Andy Wilmot, Joint Team Principal. “But at the same time, we’re delighted to be able to give Paul the opportunity to join the grid for the final two rounds. Speaking to him at Silverstone, it is clear to see the desire that he has to get into touring cars, and his record in the Renault Clio Cup through the years speaks for itself.

"Although it is a big ask for a driver to step into the BTCC mid-season, we’re confident that Paul will be able to do a good job on track at both Snetterton and Brands Hatch, and will form a strong partnership with Bobby as he looks to battle for the Jack Sears Trophy title."

"If we can start the weekend at Croft in the same place we finished at Silverstone then I think we’ll be in good shape,” considered Thompson. “We should have a good base set-up to work with, and Croft as a circuit is one that should be better suited to the Audi – so I’m feeling confident.

"At Silverstone, we made a lot of changes to the car that have given me more confidence in the front end, and that is something that is really important at Croft with the various high-speed corners. We also saw an improvement in tyre wear, and that should also help us to push for some strong results during the weekend ahead.

"We were really playing catch-up in the Jack Sears Trophy going to Silverstone but now we have the lead, I don’t want to lose it again! It’s something that I need to consider when I’m racing against people who aren’t in the class, but at the same time, I want to be fighting for more overall points finishes.

"I still think that it will be a big ask to break into the top ten in qualifying, but we have a car that is capable of racing there on Sunday."

Mike Bushell is set the make his return to Team HARD. Racing for this weekend’s Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship event at Croft, as recent GT commitments in Belgium see Tom Onslow-Cole unable to take part in the event due to current COVID travel quarantine restrictions.

Bushell – who was the squad’s top points-scorer when he last raced under the Team HARD. Racing banner in 2018 – was set to return to the team line up full-time in 2020 before suffering from Myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, on the eve of the original season start date.

Having recovered from his illness but unable to commit to the full delayed campaign, Bushell was able to return for selected rounds with Power Maxed Car Care Racing in the team’s Vauxhall Astra earlier in the season, and will now take to the driving seat once again in the RCiB Insurance with Fox Transport Volkswagen CC alongside team-mate Jack Goff.

“It’s good to be back with Team HARD. Racing after testing the CC at the recent tyre test at Snetterton in July,” said Bushell. “It’s been a rollercoaster year for me personally, both on and off track, but I’m happy to be back in the seat that I originally had nailed down before my illness and Coronavirus hit.

“I enjoyed my time in the Vauxhall at Oulton Park and Knockhill and, despite coming away from those weekends pointless, I proved to everyone including myself that my speed is still there despite everything which has happened to me recently

“Having driven the VW CC at the tyre test, the team has improved the car since I last drove it prior to the 2019 season. I’m looking forward to teaming up with Jack and Nic to extract the maximum out of the car!"

“Firstly, I’m gutted for Tom who had a strong showing at Silverstone despite the results may be saying otherwise,” added the squad’s Managing Director, Tony Gilham. “He was on the pace of Jack and the pair worked together to fine tune the car's setup.

“However, Mike is a great replacement for this weekend at Croft and I’m happy to see him back with the team after such an up and down year. It wasn’t nice to see Mike driving for a rival team but his speed out of the box was proven yet again and I’m confident he can have a strong showing in the VW CC this time, out and bring home his first points of the season.”

Tom Ingram has vowed to adopt ‘an aggressive strategy’ when the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship resumes at Croft in just less than a week’s time (10/11 October), as the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters star bids to reignite his title charge on a milestone weekend.
 
Little over a week ago, Ingram was less than a handful of laps from the chequered flag at Silverstone when a late-race puncture cruelly denied him a third victory in five starts – a result that would have propelled him to within touching distance of the summit of the standings in the UK’s premier motor racing series.
 
As it is, the two-time BTCC Independents’ Champion will travel to Croft sitting fourth in the chase for the coveted crown amongst the 30 high-calibre protagonists, 42 points adrift of the top of the table – but still very much in contention. Not only is he arguably the series’ in-form driver right now, but Ingram also has a strong track record around the North Yorkshire circuit, with three podiums and 12 top ten finishes from 18 previous races there – not to mention multiple wins in TOCA support championships.
 
What’s more, the 27-year-old Bucks-born ace is set to make his 200^th BTCC start next weekend, and he is aiming to celebrate that landmark with a third triumph of the campaign behind the wheel of his Speedworks Motorsport-prepared Toyota Corolla – a car that has been going from strength-to-strength in recent weeks.
 
All of the doorhandle-to-doorhandle action will be broadcast live on ITV4 on Sunday, 11 October, beginning at 1130.

“Croft has always been regarded as a rear-wheel drive track,” said Team Principal Christian Dick, “but the gap to the front-wheel drive guys like ourselves has definitely been closing and the recent resurfacing seemed to narrow it even further. It’s also somewhere we’ve tended to perform well – in our final season with the Avensis in 2018, we led the FWD charge at Croft, so we know what it takes to make a car tick round there.
 
“Its date on the calendar last year meant the race weekend came quite early on in the Corolla’s life cycle and we didn’t quite have it dialled-in where we wanted it to be, but the car is right on the money at the moment and seems to work well everywhere, and Tom is in a real sweet spot with it. We’re excited every time we go to a race circuit now. Croft’s diverse characteristics should play to the Corolla’s strengths, and irrespective of weight or weather conditions, I’m confident we will be in a strong position again.
 
“Qualifying will as ever be an important element of the weekend – even more so as we approach the business end of the season – but we’ve turned a bit of a corner in that respect since Knockhill and at both Thruxton and Silverstone, Tom absolutely nailed it to line up on the front row of the grid with significant success ballast on-board.
 
“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t qualify right up towards the sharp end again at Croft, and expectations are pretty high. We’re certainly going there with an optimistic mindset. As a team, we pride ourselves on taking the positives out of every situation and using adversity to motivate us and drive us forward, and after the disappointment of Silverstone, it’s vital that we fight back straightaway. We can’t play the long game anymore – we need to be targeting big points now every time out.”
 
“Croft is a circuit I enjoy – even more so since it was resurfaced,” added Ingram. “It’s a very technical track, with a bit of everything to it. The front-wheel drive cars are quick through the first sector, while the rear-wheel drive cars have the advantage through the final sector. That makes it a balancing act, and establishing a strong set-up for the whole lap is probably the biggest challenge of the weekend.
 
“Last season, Croft was a bit of a ‘light bulb’ moment for us as it was there that we realised we had been pursuing the wrong direction with the Corolla. That marked a real turning-point in the car’s development, and given the significantly later date this year, I’m hoping we’ll show even more of a step forward in performance than we have elsewhere. There’s no question that we’re going back there with a much better car. Everybody has improved, of course – but hopefully we have improved that little bit more...
 
“I left Silverstone ruing a missed opportunity, but the reality is we were bang on the pace again weekend-long. To be 42 points away from the championship lead following four failures to score – all of which were outside of our control – is obviously disappointing, but also underlines how quick we have been. If we had picked up just 11 points in each of those races – which is lower than our average score this season – we’d be leading the championship right now. So that’s frustrating and encouraging all at once.
 
“The momentum tends to ebb-and-flow in the BTCC, and hopefully it will swing back our way again at Croft. We need to recover points, and we are fully prepared to adopt an aggressive strategy in order to do so. The bottom line is that I’m aiming to win again next weekend. If we want to get back into the championship battle, it has to be maximum attack from this stage on.”