Continuing the 7-Eleven series during the mid-season break, we turn to one of the seven different race winners so far in 2026: Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Árón Taylor-Smith. Unlike most of the names in this series, the Irishman's story isn't one of building consistency; it's a single, unforgettable afternoon in the rain that stands as his only visit to the podium so far this season.

Brands Hatch Indy

Taylor-Smith arrived at Brands Hatch off the back of a difficult season opener, starting Race 2 down in 13th as intermittent rain turned to a downpour through race day. As the track worsened, the Toyota Corolla GR Sport came alive, with the Irishman carving through half the field in a car that looked transformed in the wet, climbing to second before catching and passing Ricky Collard (Team VERTU) down the main straight to take the lead. Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) also found a way past the fading Collard moments later, but couldn't close the gap to the flying Corolla before contact between Charles Rainford (WSR) and Tom Ingram (Team VERTU) at Druids brought out a red flag and halted any chance of the gap being reeled in, which sealed the result. It was Taylor-Smith's first BTCC win in ten years, his last having come at Rockingham back in 2016, and the fifth victory of his career.

The Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver looks toward Thruxton still chasing a follow-up to that afternoon, with the Brands Hatch triumph remaining his only podium of the campaign so far. Despite this being the case, a strong showing at Oulton Park just before the mid-season break shows Taylor-Smith and the Toyota Corolla GR Sport have more pace to show. The #50 and the rest of the grid return to action at Thruxton on 25 and 26 July.

Power Maxed Racing will expand to a four-car entry in the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, with Nick Halstead returning to the team for the second half of the season.

The expansion marks the first time that the Warwickshire-based team will field four cars in its BTCC programme, strengthening its presence on the grid in the UK’s premier motorsport championship.

Halstead rejoins Power Maxed Racing having previously competed with the team during the 2025 season. Following that campaign, the British driver relocated to Australia, where he remained active in motorsport. He now returns to the BTCC with a familiar outfit as part of PMR’s expanded line-up.

The team’s first four-car appearance will come next month at the Knockhill race weekend of the 2026 season (8/9 August).

Power Maxed Racing will mark the moment as a triumph and celebration as Race Day comes exactly 12 months to the day, since the horrific fire that devastated the team’s base. Famously, the squad scrambled to get its cars and kit together in under a week, with the support of the entire motorsport community, and made it onto the grid in Scotland.

This time around, however, Power Maxed Racing will be arriving at the much-loved circuit in Fife with four brand new Audi A3 Saloons.

Adam Weaver, Team Principal, said: “Expanding to four cars is a significant step for Power Maxed Racing and reflects the continued progress the team has made in recent seasons. It’s a credit to everyone involved, both on and off-track.

“When we looked at the opportunity to add a fourth entry, Nick was a natural fit. He understands how the team operates, integrated well in 2025, and has continued to build experience since then. With it also commemorating the anniversary of the fire, with Nick providing so much support in getting back racing this time last year, it’s very fitting that he is getting in the car at Knockhill. We’re pleased to welcome him back and look forward to working with him again.”

Nick Halstead said: “I’m really pleased to be returning to Power Maxed Racing and being back on the BTCC grid.

“Since moving to Australia, I’ve had some great opportunities to continue racing, but the BTCC has always been where I wanted to be competing. It’s great to be back with a team I know well, and I’m looking forward to getting started again and seeing what we can achieve together.”

Four events into the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, Mikey Doble (LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing) sits at the top of the Independent Drivers' Championship, holding a five-point lead over Daryl De Leon (WSR). Behind them, the fight is just as tight, with only fourteen points covering second to fifth in the standings with Aiden Moffat (LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing) and Gordon Shedden (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) separated by just a single point.

Donington Park

Doble made the perfect start to his campaign at the opening round, taking the top spot ahead of Charles Rainford (WSR) and Shedden in a race that would see him take not only the top spot in the Independents Trophy, but the overall race win as well.

Despite the strong start for Doble, it would be Toyota Corolla GR Sport of Shedden that would take the honours in the second bout of the weekend, finishing just ahead of fellow countryman Moffat. It would be the #16 that would walk away from the Leicestershire venue in top spot, as the Scot would come home in Race 3 as the leading independent in the race and across race day.

1 - Aiden Moffat | 50	2 - Charles Rainford | 47	3 - Gordon Shedden | 44
4 - Dexter Patterson | 37	5 - Mikey Doble | 35	6 - Daryl De Leon | 34
7 - Árón Taylor-Smith | 31	8 - Chris Smiley | 29	9 - James Dorlin | 23

Brands Hatch

Doble was the man to beat again in the Kent opener, crossing the line to head the independents ahead of Chris Smiley (Restart Racing). Race two brought a rain-affected contest, and it was Árón Taylor-Smith (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) who made the conditions count, taking both the overall and independent honours for what was his first overall win in over a decade.

The roles would reverse once more in this tight championship as Doble rose to the fore once again in the final contest of the weekend, taking his second overall podium in a strong start to the campaign. De Leon was the next independent on the road, ahead of Shedden, as LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing left the shortest circuit on the calendar with a one-two in the standings.

1 - Mikey Doble | 90	2 - Aiden Moffat | 85	3 - Daryl De Leon | 74
4 - Árón Taylor-Smith | 72	5 - Gordon Shedden | 70	6 - Charles Rainford | 70
7 - Chris Smiley | 62	8 - James Dorlin | 58	9 - Dexter Patterson | 57

Snetterton

The order shifted yet again at Snetterton as Rainford charged forward after the BMW 330i M Sport driver started from first in Saturday’s Race to Pole, then led from start to finish and converted pole position into WSR's first independent win of the year in Race 1.

Despite this impressive performance from the now three-time BTCC race winner, Shedden took control for the remainder of the day, winning both race two and race three - the latter the 54th overall race win of his BTCC career. Shedden's haul was enough to draw level with Doble at the head of the Independent Drivers' order heading to Cheshire with both WSR drivers within three points of the lead duo.

1 - Gordon Shedden | 123	2 - Mikey Doble | 123	3 - Daryl De Leon | 121
4 - Charles Rainford | 120	5 - Aiden Moffat | 111	6 - Chris Smiley | 102
7 - Árón Taylor-Smith | 99	8 - James Dorlin | 87	9 - Dexter Patterson | 82

Oulton Park

Taylor-Smith would arrive at Oulton Park on the pace, topping qualifying to lead the Race to Pole from the front. Come race day, the #50 would take his second independent triumph of the season in the opening exchange. 

Closing out the first four events would become a WSR affair, with both De Leon and Rainford taking the top spot in the remaining two races. Even without making headlines as the mid-season break approached, Doble returned to the outright lead as Shedden fell from equalling the Audi A3 Saloon driver down to fifth.

1 - Mikey Doble | 166	2 - Daryl De Leon | 161	3 - Charles Rainford | 159
4 - Aiden Moffat | 148	5 - Gordon Shedden | 147	6 - Chris Smiley | 142
7 - Árón Taylor-Smith | 127	8 - Dexter Patterson | 120	9 - James Dorlin | 113

The field is poised to return to action as the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship heads to Thruxton (25/26 July), with the nine drivers to have contested the Independent Trophy so far separated by less than a single event's points.

WSR has today (13 July) announced an expanded three-car line-up for the remainder of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship as Scottish single-seater racer Lewis Gilbert joins the team.

Lewis, 22, joins BTCC race winners Charles Rainford and Daryl De Leon at WSR and will make his championship debut at Thruxton (25/26 July).

His signing means that the 18-time series champions will run a trio of BMW 330i M Sport race cars as the push for more wins and podium finishes gathers momentum.

Lewis, from Dalry, North Ayrshire, is a European Champion kart racer, having won the Euro Series X30 Junior title in 2018 as well as the Kartmasters British GP crown in the Rotax Junior class the same year.

Those accolades came in only his second season of high-level karting. More recently, he was runner-up in a number of Senior Max class finals.

After testing F4 and Formula Regional cars, he made his car racing debut earlier this year in the GB3 Series and has recorded multiple top-ten finishes to date.

He will test his WSR BMW for the first time at Snetterton later this week before making his race debut at Thruxton the following weekend. His status as a Rookie means he will be eligible for the Jack Sears Trophy as well the overall and Independent Championships.

Lewis Gilbert said: “I’m thrilled to make my touring car debut with WSR and to join the BTCC – a series I’ve watched and loved for a long time. I’m only half a season into my car-racing career and already fortunate to be in a position to move into the BTCC, which has been a long-term aim since I started karting. WSR are the most successful team ever in the BTCC and with all the championships they won in single-seaters before that and the experience they have, I know I’m in the best place possible. I definitely feel like I’m in at the deep end with the fastest circuit on the calendar – Thruxton – first, and then my home track at Knockhill, which couldn’t be more different, straight after. But with the knowledge around me at WSR, I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “We’re very pleased to welcome Lewis to WSR. Throughout our history we’ve developed a strong track record of working with young drivers and turning them into champions, whether it be Colin Turkington and Jake Hill in touring cars, or Ayrton Senna and Mika Hakkinen in Formula 3. Lewis is the latest in a long line of such young talents, and he makes the switch from single-seaters to touring cars with a huge amount of promise waiting to be untapped. He’s probably quite a new name to many BTCC supporters, but we think he’ll be a fast learner and definitely has the potential to surprise quite a few people during the second half of the year.”

We turn to Ricky Collard for the next driver in our 7-Eleven series as the Team VERTU star has taken a podium at every event so far this season. The 84-time starter has stood on the podium five times in the first 12 races on his return to the BTCC, more than every driver bar championship leader Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) and title rival Tom Ingram (Team VERTU), yet the outright win has eluded him. Here's how he's built one of the most consistent campaigns of the season so far.

Donington Park

Collard's first podium of the year came in the reverse-grid finale. Lining up in pole position, the  #11 made a good start but had to withstand early pressure from Charles Rainford (WSR), who dived inside at the Old Hairpin to briefly take the lead before Collard reclaimed it through the Craner Curves a lap later. After leading Sutton and Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK) for several laps, the four-time champion found a way past on lap nine as his teammate and Ingram also found a way through by lap 13. Collard held on for third at the flag as Cammish had a ten-second time penalty for exceeding track limits applied to his race time, his first podium since returning to the championship and only the third of his BTCC career.

Brands Hatch Indy

Collard was Sutton's closest challenger throughout the opening race of the weekend, spending long spells locked in a fight for the lead and briefly moving ahead during a thrilling mid-race sequence. The #11 ultimately had to settle for second at the flag, his best BTCC result to date.

The Hyundai i30N driver was back on the rostrum in worsening conditions in Race 2, briefly leading after a bold move on Sutton as the rain intensified, before Árón Taylor-Smith (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) charged through the pack to snatch a remarkable maiden win. Collard crossed the line third when the race was red-flagged after Sutton made his way back through, resulting in a third podium in four rounds.

Snetterton 

Collard's podium run continued at Snetterton in the second race on Sunday after starting from eighth, where he was promoted into the fight after Ingram retired from the lead with an alternator failure. The Frimley-born driver had already been making ground of his own, pulling off a superb move around the outside of Cammish into Brundle to move up to second, before Tom Chilton completed a Team VERTU two-three behind Sutton. Collard crossed the line 1.009 seconds behind the winner, his fourth podium of the campaign.

Oulton Park

The weekend finale brought Collard's closest attempt yet at an elusive maiden win. Starting fifth on soft tyres directly behind Rainford in third, the pair made their way to the front by lap five as Rainford swept around the outside of Chris Smiley (Restart Racing) at Cascades, with Collard following through at Lodge to seize second. The #11 held Rainford honest, but the WSR driver held firm to take the win by 1.319 seconds. Collard's second-place finish made it a podium at every event so far in 2026, his fifth of the campaign.

Continuing the 7-Eleven series during the mid-season break, celebrating the seven different drivers to win a race and the 11 different drivers to reach the podium so far in 2026, we turn to the man leading the way in both categories: four-time champion Ash Sutton. The NAPA Racing UK driver has been the standout performer of the opening third of the season, taking five wins and nine podiums from the first 12 races to build a commanding 48-point lead. Here's how the #116 took every one of those podiums.

Donington Park

Sutton's year got off to the unlikeliest of starts. A clash with Tom Ingram (Team VERTU) in Saturday's Qualifying Race left Sutton out of that contest and last on the grid for race day. The Ford Focus Titanium racer wasted no time in rectifying his Saturday, gaining eight places on the opening lap alone to move up to 13th, before continuing his charge through the field to cross the line fourth on the road. With Ingram later disqualified for a significant overboost infringement and Daniel Rowbottom (Cataclean Plato Racing) handed a time penalty, Sutton was promoted to second, salvaging an impressive result.

There was no stopping the #116 after that. Starting Race 2 from second on the grid, Sutton took the lead by the exit of Redgate on the opening tour and never looked back, controlling the race to the flag for his 48th career BTCC win. Sutton doubled up in Race 3, making it two wins from two to complete a perfect turnaround from his Saturday setback. The victory closed out the opening weekend of the season and marked his 300th BTCC start in style.

Brands Hatch Indy

The NAPA Racing UK driver made it three wins in a row in the opening round of the weekend, starting from pole and keeping the chasing pack at bay. Ricky Collard (Team VERTU) mounted a serious challenge in the closing laps, eventually passing Sutton for the lead on lap 12 in what developed into a top-class scrap between the pair. Sutton returned the favour just a lap later to reclaim the position and hold on for his 50th career triumph in just 301 starts.

Race 2 brought the unknown in worsening conditions. Sutton retained the lead from pole, darting clear through Druids before a first-lap safety car paused the action. As rain intensified through the second half of the race and drivers scrambled, Árón Taylor-Smith (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) delivered a sensational drive from 13th on the grid, catching and passing Sutton to claim a first win in ten years. Sutton crossed the line second, unable to match the pace of the flying Toyota Corolla GR Sport.

The weekend finale saw Sutton produce one of the drives of the weekend. Starting seventh, he stormed through the field to fight around the outside of polesitter James Dorlin (Restart Racing) at Paddock Hill Bend to challenge for the lead, before settling for second as Dorlin held firm out in front. Sutton held on to complete six podiums from six races to open the campaign, a perfect start that took his championship lead to 47 points heading into the season's hottest weekend so far.

Snetterton 300

Sutton answered a difficult Race to Pole in trademark style on Sunday. Starting Race 2 from 10th on the grid, the #116 carved his way forward, passing Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK) before setting his sights on Ingram out front. The pressure told on the approach to the Wilson hairpin, where Ingram ran deep and handed Sutton the lead. From there, the NAPA Racing UK star controlled the race to the flag, sealing a dominant win by more than six seconds, his 51st career triumph.

Race 3 brought a further podium in a frenetic finale. Sutton spent much of the race chasing down leader Gordon Shedden, closing to within a few tenths on multiple occasions, but the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver held his nerve to the flag. Sutton crossed the line second to extend his championship advantage to 57 points.

Oulton Park Island

Sutton was back to his best in the second race of the day in Cheshire. Starting seventh, he was up to fifth by the end of the opening lap before passing Josh Cook (Speedworks Corolla Racing) for fourth, setting his sights on the battling leaders ahead. On lap three, the #116 used his soft-tyre advantage to sweep past title rival Ingram into Cascades, before quickly passing NAPA Racing UK teammate Cammish as the duo were on differing strategies, to a lead he would never relinquish. With a clear track in front of him, Sutton romped away to cross the line 19.333 seconds clear for his fifth win of the campaign.

Sutton sits in the summer break now with a 48-point lead over Ingram at the top of the standings, and his sights firmly set on building towards a record-breaking fifth BTCC title when the championship resumes at Thruxton (25/26 July).

Four events into the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing sit in the mid-season break at the top of the Independent Teams Championship, holding a slender one-point advantage over WSR. Three different outfits have taken the chequered flag first in the class standings across the opening 12 races, with the gap at the front getting ever tighter over the last two events.

Donington Park

Mikey Doble set the early pace for LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing (PMR) at Donington Park, his opening race success doubling as the overall win of the round. Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport interrupted the sequence in race two, with Gordon Shedden crossing the line third overall to take the honours among the independent teams. PMR hit back in the finale, Aidan Moffat's fourth-place finish was enough to seal a second success of the weekend for the team and put it eight points clear of WSR, taking points in every round over its nearest competitor.

1 - LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | 57	2 - WSR | 49	3 - Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | 46
4 - Steal Seel with Power Maxed Racing | 41	5 - Restart Racing | 35

Brands Hatch

The pattern continued at Brands Hatch, where Doble was again the man to beat in the opener, heading home ahead of James Dorlin, whose runner-up finish marked Restart Racing's best result of the season in the independent standings. Race two brought a rain-affected contest at the Kent circuit, and it was Árón Taylor Smith who made the conditions count, taking both the overall and independent honours for Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, the Irishman's first overall success in a decade. Doble completed the set in race three, a second triumph of the weekend and his third of the campaign so far, leaving LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing on top in four of the opening six races.

1 - LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | 114	2 - Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | 94	3 - WSR | 92
4 - Restart Racing | 80	5 - Steal Seel with Power Maxed Racing | 65

Snetterton

WSR opened its account in round seven, the opening race of the Snetterton weekend. Charles Rainford converted pole position, secured after winning the prior day's Qualifying Race, into the team's first independent triumph of the year. Gordon Shedden then took control for the remainder of the day, topping both race two and race three, the latter marking the 54th overall race win of his BTCC career. With Rainford and Shedden both among the independents to take overall victory, the weekend continued the theme of an independent team taking the outright race win at every event so far this season, a feat that would continue in Cheshire.

1 - LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | 153	2 - Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | 149	3 - WSR | 146
4 - Restart Racing | 127	5 - Steal Seel with Power Maxed Racing | 98

Oulton Park

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport made it three in a row in the first exchange at Oulton Park. On this occasion, it was Árón Taylor Smith who took the opening race of the Oulton Park weekend. It then became a WSR weekend as Rainford followed up his Snetterton pace with a second success of the season in race two, before Daryl De Leon shared the spoils in race three, the perfect run-in for the most successful outfit in BTCC history ahead of the mid-season break. Between them, Rainford and De Leon's Oulton Park results meant WSR had taken three of the six races across Snetterton and Oulton Park.

1 - LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | 200	2 - WSR | 199	3 - Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | 184
4 - Restart Racing | 170	5 - Steal Seel with Power Maxed Racing | 137

LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing retains the outright advantage by the smallest of margins, its four successes from the opening two events still just enough to hold off an oncoming WSR, which has taken three of the last six races without reply from the championship leaders. Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport remains firmly in the conversation too; the team's five successes across the campaign so far is the most of any outfit in the championship, even if it has not yet translated into the outright lead. With the destination of the Independent Teams Championship still finely poised between all competing teams, the fight is set to continue when the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship resumes at Thruxton (25/26 July).

The 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season has produced one of the most fiercely contested Jack Sears Trophy seasons, with three different drivers taking home the coveted silverware across the first four events. As the grid heads into the mid-season break, Dexter Patterson leads the way with two stellar weekends keeping him atop the table.

Donington Park

Dexter Patterson made sure the season could not have opened in more ominous fashion for the rest of the Jack Sears Trophy field. On his first outing for Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing, the Scot claimed a clean sweep of Jack Sears Trophy triumphs across all three races at Donington Park, in the process recording the best weekend of his BTCC career to date. A pair of seventh-place overall finishes before a sixth-place finish in the finale equalled his previous career-best of sixth, set at Knockhill back in 2023.

Behind him, Sam Osborne (NAPA Racing UK) left Leicestershire as the closest challenger, with James Dorlin only two points further back in third after an encouraging opening weekend for the Restart Racing driver.

1 - Dexter Patterson | 60	2 - Sam Osborne | 47	3 - James Dorlin | 45
4 - Lewis Selby | 41	5 - Max Buxton | 23	6 - Nic Hamilton | 21

Brands Hatch

Event 2 told a different story. Dorlin took his moment at Brands Hatch, finishing second to Osborne in the opening race of the weekend before backing it up with a class victory in both remaining races. Patterson's weekend unravelled from the start, a non-finish in race one costing him dearly and handing the Jack Sears Trophy lead to the Restart Racing driver heading into Snetterton.

Lewis Selby (NAPA Racing UK) and Nic Hamilton (Team VERTU) would also take top-three class finishes across the weekend, continuing after what was an impressive debut for Selby at Donington Park and, for Hamilton, a result that would pre-empt a sensational weekend to come in Norfolk.

1 - James Dorlin | 102	2 - Dexter Patterson | 94	3 - Sam Osborne | 82
4 - Lewis Selby | 69	5 - Nic Hamilton | 47	6 - Max Buxton | 36

Snetterton

Snetterton produced one of the most memorable scenes in recent BTCC history. Dorlin topped the opening bout, with Selby second and Patterson third, before the NAPA Racing UK driver went one better in race two to take his maiden first-place finish in the first Jack Sears Trophy, with Hamilton second and the pacesetter’s teammate Osborne third. It was the final race of the day that sealed the story with the #77 taking top spot ahead of Hamilton and Patterson, but it was the Team VERTU driver’s consistency across the day that carried him to the overall honours.

This was Hamilton’s first career podium, sealed in front of a huge and emotional Snetterton crowd, and was one of the most popular in recent memory. Dorlin, however, held on to the season-long Jack Sears Trophy standings lead throughout, his relentless points-scoring proving the difference even on a weekend with only one top spot.

1 - James Dorlin | 145	2 - Dexter Patterson | 135	3 - Sam Osborne | 117
4 - Lewis Selby | 116	5 - Nic Hamilton | 94	6 - Max Buxton | 71

Oulton Park

The last event before the mid-season break arrived with a story eerily similar to how the season got underway. The Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing driver arrived at Oulton Park to sweep all three races once again, reclaiming both the weekend honours and the season lead. Osborne came home in second in the first two races before a third in the finale, while Dorlin took third in the opening two races before Hamilton claimed second in the last race of the weekend. The Team VERTU driver's efforts were enough to leapfrog Selby in the standings in Cheshire.

1 - Dexter Patterson | 195	2 - James Dorlin | 188	3 - Sam Osborne | 166
4 - Nic Hamilton | 132	5 - Lewis Selby | 129	6 - Max Buxton | 106

Heading into the break, Dexter Patterson leads the Jack Sears Trophy standings by just seven points over James Dorlin, despite having claimed double the number of class first-place finishes.

With Sam Osborne, Nic Hamilton and Lewis Selby both very much part of the conversation, the fight for the Jack Sears Trophy looks set to remain one of the tightest battles on the 2026 grid when the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship resumes later this month at Thruxton (25/26 July).

Kicking off our 7-Eleven series we go back to where the year began, at Donington Park, with the first of our seven race winners in 2026, Mikey Doble. The Independent frontrunner opened the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season in the best possible way, taking victory at Donington Park before later backing it up with a hard-fought podium at Brands Hatch. A perfect start to life aboard Power Maxed Racing's new Audi A3 Saloon and an early statement of intent from the LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver.

Donington Park National – Race 1

Doble's win in the opening round of the season arrived in unlikely circumstances. Starting Sunday as the lead Independent after staking his claim in the championship's inaugural Qualifying Race, the #88 Audi A3 Saloon fell to fifth after the opening tour of race day, making a top-step triumph seem all the more unlikely. After the Safety Car period for Josh Cook’s  (Speedworks Corolla Racing) stranded Toyota Corolla GR Sport, the 2024 Jack Sears Trophy Champion started to make his way forward, and his race burst into life.

Charles Rainford (WSR) was the first car in Doble’s path, and the #88 made sure to get past the BMW 330i M Sport immediately after racing resumed. It would be lap 18 when Doble would make the eventual move for the win, without knowing it at the time. Exiting Coppice faster than polesitter and inaugural Qualifying Race winner Daniel Rowbottom (Cataclean Plato Racing), Doble passed the Mercedes A35 Saloon on the run to the final chicane to take second place on the road.

Crossing the line behind an imperious-looking Tom Ingram (Team VERTU), it appeared Doble would take the runners-up spot in the opening bout of the year, but with Ingram later disqualified for a significant overboost infringement, it was Doble who was elevated to the top step. A second career BTCC win, and the perfect way to christen Power Maxed Racing's new machinery.

Brands Hatch Indy – Race 3

Doble was back among the front-runners at Brands Hatch at the very next event. Initially, the #88 dropped back in the early laps after starting from third in the final race of the weekend. The Audi A3 Saloon driver then produced one of the moves of the weekend as he swept around the outside of Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) and James Dorlin (Restart Racing) at Paddock Hill Bend on lap six to briefly hold second place. The Restart Racing driver would reclaim second place later that lap before Doble would once again hold the position, this time for a prolonged period.

Sutton would eventually take the second spot from the #88 on lap 20 on the run up to Druids as Ingram surged clear for his own maiden win of the season, but Doble held firm to the flag for third. Resulting in his second podium of the campaign and another Independents' class victory for the LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing star.

Doble currently sits seventh in the Drivers’ Standings, and leads the Independent Drivers’ Standings by five points. The #88 and the full BTCC grid return to action later this month at Thruxton (25/26 July).

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship fans are being offered the once-in-a-lifetime chance to take to the skies, as BTCC partner Goodyear celebrates the arrival of the Goodyear Blimp in the UK.

The iconic airship touches down in the UK in early July, and to mark the occasion, BTCC and Goodyear are launching an exclusive flash competition giving fans the chance to experience a flight aboard the Blimp for themselves.

Three lucky winners will each receive two seats aboard the Goodyear Blimp, meaning they can bring a friend or family member along for the ride. The flight will depart on Thursday 9 July at 15:30, with the experience lasting approximately 90 minutes. Passengers will need to arrive on site 30 minutes ahead of departure. The departure location will be in Essex, and the definitive location will be made known to the winning fans.

The competition will run for 24 hours only via the BTCC website and social media channels, ending at 15:00 Saturday 4 July. Fans will need to complete the form at the bottom of this page for their chance to win.

Given the flash nature of the competition, entrants are encouraged to act fast, with the window to enter closing just 24 hours after launch.

Please note: as with any flying activity, the Goodyear Blimp flight schedule is subject to change depending on weather conditions or other external factors, and in rare cases may be cancelled at short notice, including on the day itself. Full terms and conditions will be available here.