Ashley Sutton produced a strong performance in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton this past weekend (August 3/4) but was left to wonder what might have been after just two points finishes.

Qualifying around the 2.97-mile circuit proved challenging for the Subaru Levorg driver, who would ultimately find himself in 18^th place to start the opening encounter.

Staying out of trouble and capitalising on the troubles that those ahead of him encountered in race one, Sutton progressed up the order and took the chequered flag in 12th.

Starting on the sixth row for race two, the 25-year-old continued his charge through the field as he produced a string of overtakes to move inside the top ten and finish seventh.

Virtue of the reverse grid draw Sutton lined up in second place and, as the lights went out, the 2017 champion made a strong start and slotted into second place. From there, a titanic battle for the lead took place which saw Sutton fight tooth and nail to claim his first win of the season. 

Sutton made a daring move for the lead in lap seven, which sadly didn’t last long as contact from Plato heading into Agostini just one corner later dropped him back a spot.

Continuing to hound Plato, the crucial moment in the race came on lap nine as both Sutton and Rory Butcher flanked Plato. During the fierce fight for the lead, contact between Sutton and Plato caused the Subaru to spin across the track, dropping down the order to 20^th.

Leaving Snetterton, Sutton sits sixth in the BTCC Drivers’ Championship whilst Adrian Flux Subaru Racing are third and seventh in the BTCC Manufacturer/Constructors Championship and BTCC Teams’ Championship respectively.

“After qualifying down the field we came up with a strategy that would hopefully mean we would be in the mix and on the right tyre for race three, which paid off," said Sutton. "Races one and two were tough but I managed to stay out of trouble and utilise the cars strengths to make progress.

“Getting drawn on front row of the reverse grid and with the soft tyre, whilst those around us were on the hard compound, couldn’t have been better. I gave it absolutely everything in race three but that still wasn’t enough as it came to an end.

“I can’t thank the team enough, they’ve worked their socks off all weekend and deserved a result in that last one. We go back to Thruxton in a few weeks and that will likely be tough for us given the characteristics of that circuit but we’ll do our best to bounce back from this weekend and keep fighting.”

Next on the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship calendar is a second visit to the fastest circuit in the country, Thruxton, for Rounds 19, 20 & 21 on August 17/18.

EXCELR8 Motorsport’s preparations for the 2020 British Touring Car Championship season have been handed a substantial boost after the team confirmed a fresh title sponsorship agreement with Draper Tools, the family owned hand and power tool distributor.

EXCELR8 made its debut in the BTCC this year with a pair of MG6 GT machines, driven by Rob Smith and Sam Osborne. Draper Tools has already been a key partner for the team, with Smith’s car running with support from the major UK tool brand.

That partnership will now be taken to the next level with the announcement that Draper Tools will become a title sponsor for EXCELR8 Motorsport for the 2020 season. The early confirmation of the deal will allow both parties valuable time to make vital preparations ahead of the 2020 BTCC campaign.

Draper Tools is a leading industry name, and is celebrating its centenary year in 2019, having been founded by Bert Draper as B. Draper & Son Limited back in 1919 at its then Kingston upon Thames base.

Since then, Draper has developed to supply a range of over 10,000 tooling and hardware products around the world and has previously been headline sponsor to organisations like Southampton Football Club.

Justina Williams, Team Owner of EXCELR8 Motorsport, says she is excited to extend the partnership with Draper Tools, emphasising that the company’s support would bring multiple benefits to the team’s BTCC preparations for 2020.

"We are extremely excited and proud to continue our relationship with our partner and great British business, Draper Tools,” said Williams. “With this early decision and with their help, we plan to undertake a more robust testing programme over the winter, to ensure more of a head start for 2020 compared with our maiden 2019 season. Between us, we will continue to develop and promote the Draper Tools brand to millions of people via our BTCC race programme, along with working together to develop key client and supplier relationships. To be chosen by Draper Tools as their brand partner in BTCC for 2020 is an absolute privilege and we are truly grateful to them for being such a very big part of the EXCELR8 family."

Clive Richardson, Marketing Director at Draper Tools said: “We are delighted to announce our ongoing partnership with EXCELR8. They’ve impressed us with their dedication across 2019 and we know this drive and focus will continue into the 2020 season. Like us, they’re committed to working hard to strengthen what they do. We’re pleased to say that partnering with EXCELR8 in our centenary year has not only been enjoyable, but also incredibly valuable to us as business. We’ve had plenty of positive feedback from our customers and the BTCC fans as well as some fantastic exposure for the Draper Tools brand. We can’t wait to see what opportunities the new season brings.”

A tenth victory of the season was the highlight of another strong weekend on track for the new BMW 3 Series as the British Touring Car Championship season resumed at Snetterton.
 
Team BMW pair Colin Turkington and Tom Oliphant, as well as BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan, headed into the sixth event of the season looking to add to an ever-growing collection of silverware ­– the trio having enjoyed a solid two-day test at the Norfolk circuit over the summer break.
 
The team utilised the two Saturday practice sessions to work on set-up at a circuit that has traditionally favoured front-wheel drive cars. Defending champion Turkington headed the BMW challenge in qualifying despite the additional 55 kilograms of success ballast in his car thanks to his position as championship leader.

Colin secured a fine fifth place on the grid with Andrew directly behind in seventh place, although a track limits penalty for Tom meant he lost his fastest lap in the session and was left in an unrepresentative 20th place on the grid.
 
A regulation change for the Snetterton weekend required drivers to run all three compounds of tyre – soft, medium and hard. Colin and Andrew both elected to run the medium tyre for the opener.
 
Colin enjoyed a trouble-free run to fourth place as the best placed driver on the medium-compound tyre, with Andrew following him home in fifth after battling his way ahead of Jason Plato in the closing stages. Given his starting position, Tom elected to run the least suited hard-compound tyre, but was still able to progress to 16th place, just missing out on the points.
 
Both Colin and Andrew elected to then run the preferred soft-compound in race two, and both made up places on the opening lap. Colin jumped into second and Andrew into fourth. The latter then fought his way ahead of the Honda of Dan Cammish, with the two BMWs chasing down the race-leading Toyota of Tom Ingram.
 
Colin made his move at Wilson on lap seven and was able to get ahead into the lead, easing away from the pack behind to secure his fifth victory of the season. Andrew joined him on the podium in third, whilst Tom – who also selected the soft – was able to work his way up to 11th place, missing out on the top ten by just a tenth of a second.
 
The reverse grid draw left Andrew as the best placed BMW on the grid for race three and he capped the weekend with a solid fifth place finish. Colin sealed ninth as the pair produced solid drives on the hard tyre.
 
It would prove to be a tough end to the weekend for Tom however, as he was forced to retire with damaged suspension after multiple bouts of contact.

At the conclusion of the action Turkington had extended his advantage at the top of the Drivers’ standings with Jordan maintaining second overall. Oliphant is 12th. BMW and Team BMW top both the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ tables.

Colin Turkington said: "That was the plan. I wasn't particularly confident beforehand as in the BTCC you never know. You should be faster on the softs but you can never be sure. I knew it was switched on from turn one and I had to be patient to make the right move and get the traction on exit from the 3 Series BMW. I don't think it's any more than I did in 2014. The 1 Series was very strong back then too. The guys made a decision to up the game still for this year. We wanted to be better and we built a faster car - we're reaping the rewards. The points lead is slightly larger than it was before so we move on to Thruxton aiming to keep this momentum going.”

Tom Oliphant, Driver said: “Qualifying killed my weekend. I should have been top-10, or even top-five, but I lost the lap because of track limits and that put me on the back foot. It was the right choice to take the hard tyres for Race One and I was quite pleased with the progress I made on the hard and the soft. Race Three was tough, because although I was on the medium tyre, everyone around me was on soft and that meant they were faster. It still should have given me decent points, but I was hit by Matt Neal and spun off the track at The Esses, and then had broken suspension when Mark Blundell came into Aiden Moffat and me at the hairpin. Thruxton’s next and we’ll all be hoping for a better weekend.”

Andrew Jordan, Driver said: “It’s been a strong weekend given that we came here with a lot of success ballast and with some of the other things beyond our control coming into this event. But we’ve come out in more or less exactly the same place we started in relation to Colin Turkington, and further ahead of the rest. I’d say we went cautious on the tyre strategy, but that this was the right decision because there’s no point trying to be a hero at this point of the season; we just needed to match what Colin did and try and get ahead of him on the track. I’m a bit frustrated about Race Two because I thought the move for the lead on Tom Ingram was on, and it just didn’t quite work out, but I’d try that move around the outside again. Back to Thruxton next, where we won twice last time. I’d expect us to be strong again.”

Tom Ingram, Colin Turkington and Rory Butcher claimed a win apiece as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship blasted back into action at Snetterton today (4 August).
 
Team Toyota GB with Ginsters’ Ingram sealed a first pole position for the new Corolla during yesterday’s qualifying session, and he duly converted that success into a second race win of the season.
 
Turkington started his race day with a steady fourth place finish, before nipping by race one winner Ingram to take victory in the second encounter.
 
Having provided sensational entertainment throughout the weekend, the UK’s premier motorsport series saved the best until last with a final race that will live long in the memory.
 
Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance’s Butcher eventually won the barnstormer as he benefitted from a breathtaking battle between Jason Plato and Ash Sutton.
 
A further layer of intrigue was added to the triple-header with the inclusion of all three Dunlop Sport Maxx tyre compounds – hard, medium and soft. Each compound had to be used on race day for the first time in BTCC history, which created exciting racing throughout the field.
 
The day began with Ingram kicking off the second half of the BTCC season in the best way possible as he produced a dominant display in the opening race.
 
While Ingram’s first victory of 2019 came in the reversed-grid race at Donington Park, this was the first time the car had been the pace-setter from the outset. The Bucks ace fended off Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish in the early running but last year’s Championship runner-up gradually stretched his legs to win by more than three seconds.
 
Cammish claimed a lonely second whilst Sam Tordoff completed the podium positions in his Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Honda Civic Type R.
 
Title-chasing Turkington then came out on top of a five-car battle to win the next race.
 
It was the tenth victory so far in 2019 for the WSR-run BMWs – a record number achieved by the Surrey outfit in a single season – while a rostrum for stablemate Andrew Jordan meant the team also secured a 200^th podium for the WSR/BMW partnership.
 
Cammish made it two successive second place finishes as he showed stellar pace in the manufacturer-backed Honda Civic Type R (FK8).
 
Scotsman Butcher then won arguably the race of the season so far as the curtain came down in enthralling style at Snetterton.
 
BTC Racing’s Chris Smiley held the initial lead from pole position before Plato sneaked through in the Sterling Insurance Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall.
 
Sutton was soon into second and the Adrian Flux Subaru Racing star then immediately closed in on his old team-mate Plato. The pair battled for what seemed like forever, swapping paint several times as the crowd collectively held its breath. 
 
Plato and Sutton went side-by-side on lap five before the latter eventually slipped through two tours later. Further contact followed and Plato’s Astra recaptured the lead at Agostini. 
 
The chasing pack was closing in with myriad changes taking place as the likes of Butcher and Josh Cook had scythed their way through from 12th and 15th on the grid respectively.
 
The race was building towards an exciting climax when Plato, Sutton and Butcher went three-wide down the back straight and that simply wouldn’t work going into Brundle’s. A heart-stopping moment followed as Butcher carved his way down the inside of both, as Plato ran wide and slid into Sutton’s Subaru. The Levorg was tipped into a spin while Plato also lost ground, and suddenly it was Butcher’s Honda sailing away to take his second win of the season.
 
BTC Racing duo of Cook and Smiley took a comfortable second and third respectively, with the latter being the only driver to score a podium on the Dunlop Sport Maxx hard tyre today.
 
At the conclusion of the action, Turkington had extended his advantage at the top of the Drivers’ standings with BMW stable-mate Jordan now 36 points in arrears.
 
BMW and Team BMW top the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ order, whilst Rory Butcher and his Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance squad leads both Independents’ tables, as well as the Jack Sears Trophy.
 
The 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returns at Thruxton in two weeks’ time (17/18 August).
 
Tom Ingram said: “That was just how I wanted it to go (in race one). I was happy to try and get a gap at the start and manage it from there. I was more than happy to make it a boring race for me! We’ve made a massive step forward at the test. It was so important for us. The way that the BTCC works over a race weekend, time is so tight and you can’t try the things you’d like to. The team have worked so hard to get every single last bit out of it. It was better there than the Avensis ever was, and if we’re there already – it’s a real good sign.”
 
Colin Turkington said: “That was the plan. I wasn't confident beforehand as in the BTCC you never know. You should be faster on the softs but you can never be sure. I knew it was switched on from turn one and I had to be patient to make the right move and get the traction on exit from the 3 Series BMW. I don't think it's any more than I did in 2014. The 1 Series was very strong back then too. The guys made a decision to up the game still for this year. We wanted to be better and we built a faster car - we're reaping the rewards.”
 
Rory Butcher said: “Once I took the lead I thought ‘this is going to happen on the road’. I wasn’t going to lose that one there. I’ve struggled this weekend with the car and the track. We flipped it on its head in terms of set-up for race three and it worked! There were so many opportunities where Ash (Sutton) almost got by Jason (Plato). I wondered how long I could do it for and I held my breath under the bridge! It was a massive relief when I came out in front. I’m so happy for the team. I’ve kept my championship alive with that win.”

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 16 – Snetterton

1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters 12 laps
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +3.o71s
3 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +7.199s
4 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +12.499s
5 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +16.918s
6 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +19.783s
7 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +20.333s
8 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +20.492s
9 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +21.090s
10 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +28.584s

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 17 – Snetterton

1 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 12 laps
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +4.386s
3 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +4.777s
4 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +6.110s
5 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +7.123s
6 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +7.574s
7 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +7.997s
8 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +10.681s
9 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +12.342s
10 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +13.324s

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 18 – Snetterton

1 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance 12 laps
2 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +1.450s
3 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +8.275s
4 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +8.748s
5 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +9.873s
6 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +7.123s
7 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +16.985s
8 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +17.165s
9 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +17.385s
10 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +17.517s

Penalties

Race 1

Ollie Jackson was officially reprimanded and had his licence endorsed with two penalty points for an incident involving Matt Neal

Race 2 

Michael Crees was officially reprimanded and had his licence endorsed with two penalty points for an incident involving Matt Neal

Race 3

Jason Plato was penalised by the addition of a cumulative 15-seconds to his overall race time for incidents involving Chris Smiley and Ash Sutton

Tom Ingram was penalised by the addition of 6.7-seconds to his overall race time and received three penalty points

Scotsman Rory Butcher has won arguably the race of the season so far as the curtain came down in enthralling style at Snetterton.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has provided sensational entertainment throughout the weekend in Norfolk but the UK's premier motorsport series saved the best until last with a race that will live long in the memory.

BTC Racing's Chris Smiley held the initial lead from pole position before Jason Plato sneaked through in the Sterling Insurance Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall.

Ash Sutton was soon into second and the Adrian Flux Subaru Racing star immediately closed in on his old team-mate Plato.

The pair battled for what seemed like forever, swapping paint several times as the crowd collectively held its breath. 

Plato and Sutton went side-by-side on lap five before the latter eventually slipped through two tours later. Further contact followed and Plato's Astra recaptured the lead at Agostini. 

The chasing pack were closing behind with myriad of changes also taking place there as the likes of Butcher and Josh Cook had stormed their way through from 12th and 15th on the grid collectively.

The race was building towards an exciting climax when Plato, Sutton and Butcher went three-wide down the back straight and that simply wouldn't work going into Brundle's. A heart-stopping moment followed as Butcher carved his way down the inside of both, Plato was bumped wide and slid into Sutton's Subaru. The Levorg was tipped into a spin as Plato also lost ground and it was Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance's Butcher into the lead to take his second win of the season.

"Once I took the lead I thought 'this is going to happen on the road'," said Butcher. "I wasn't going to lose that one there. I've struggled this weekend with the car and the track. We flipped it on its head in terms of set-up for race three and it worked! There were so many opportunities where Ash (Sutton) almost got by Jason (Plato). I wondered how long I could do it for and I held my breath under the bridge! It was massive relief when I came out in front. I'm so happy for the team. I've kept my championship alive with that win.

BTC Racing duo of Cook and Smiley were now in a comfortable second and third respectively, with the latter being the only driver to score a podium on the Dunlop Sport Maxx hard tyre today.

"It's been a long day," said Cook. "We were a little out of position in qualifying and had to get rid of the hard tyre and ballast in race one. We're still working the car out. I didn't make up as much ground as I wanted in race two. It was a busy one in the finale. Fair play to Rory (Butcher) and Mike (Bushell) they've worked so hard for it. Double podium for us. We needed that."

The PMR boys of Rob Collard and Jason Plato were fourth and fifth at the finish after the two-time champion let his team-mate through late on. 

BMW Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan was one of very few drivers to keep his nose clean throughout the 12 lap contest and he claimed sixth ahead of Sam Tordoff and Tom Ingram – the Toyota man making a great surge from 23rd on the grid.

Ollie Jackson rounded off a hugely impressive day as the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher claimed ninth – his third top ten of the day and his ever weekend points haul in the BTCC.

Team BMW's Colin Turkington allowed the frenetic action to carry on ahead of him, choosing to pick up valuable championship points with tenth.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 18 – Snetterton

1 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance 12 laps
2 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +1.450s
3 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +8.275s
4 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +8.748s
5 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +9.598s
6 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +9.873s
7 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +7.123s
8 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +10.465s
9 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +16.985s
10 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +17.385s
11 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +17.517s
12 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +18.483s
13 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +19.449s
14 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +20.270s
15 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +20.556s
16 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +21.150s
17 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +21.552s
18 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +26.560s
19 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +26.912s
20 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +27.567s
21 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +33.725s
22 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +3 laps
23 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +3 laps
24 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +13.324s
25 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +5 laps
26 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +6 laps
27 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +6 laps
28 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +10 laps
29 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +11 laps
30 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +12 laps

Team BMW's Colin Turkington came out on top of a five car battle to win Round 17 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton.

It is the tenth victory so far in 2019 for the WSR-run BMWs – a record number achieved by the Surrey outfit in a single season – but it proved to be one of the team's toughest.

"That was the plan," said Turkington. "I wasn't confident beforehand as in the BTCC you never know. You should be faster on the softs but you can never be sure. I knew it was switched on from turn one and I had to be patient to make the right move and get the traction on exit from the 3 Series BMW.

"I don't think it's any more than I did in 2014. The 1 Series was very strong back then too. The guys made a decision to up the game still for this year. We wanted to be better and we built a faster car - we're reaping the rewards."

Dan Cammish claimed second for Halfords Yuasa Racing after fighting back shortly after mid-distance, whilst BMW Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan took the final spot on the podium –  the 200th BTCC rostrum in total for the WSR/BMW partnership.

Tom Ingram has kicked off the second half of the BTCC season in the best way possible by producing a dominant display in the opening race at Snetterton.

The Team Toyota GB with Ginsters driver stormed to a first pole position for the new Corolla during yesterday's qualifying session, and he duly converted that success into a second race win of the season.

While Ingram's first victory of 2019 came in the reversed-grid race three at Donington Park, this was the first time that the car has proven to be the pace-setter from the outset. The Bucks ace fended off Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish in the early running but last year's runner-up gradually stretched his legs to win by more than three seconds.

"It's hot, hard work out there," said Ingram. "It's about 25 degrees above ambient when you're in the car! That was just how I wanted it to go. I was happy to try and get a gap at the start and manage it from there. I was more than happy to make it a boring race for me!

"We've made a massive step forward at the test. It was so important for us. The way that the BTCC works over a race weekend, time is so tight and you can't try the things you'd like to. The team have worked so hard to get every single last bit out of it. It was better there than the Avensis ever was, and if we're there already – it's a real good sign."

Cammish claimed a lonely second whilst Sam Tordoff completed the podium positions in his Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Honda Civic Type R.

"That's a good 19 points on the board," said Cammish. "I didn't have the best of starts. It looked close to start with but I couldn't keep up and we didn't have enough in the car. He had a bit of a quicker package this morning. I could see where he was good and couldn't match it. They've worked hard, we all are. They found time that we couldn't between FP2 and Quali. I'm not just here to beat him though, I'm here to beat the rest as well."

"We'll take that," responded Tordoff. "It was a good start to the day. Dan (Cammish) was in a bit of a different race to me, even with the soft tyre on the car. The hard tyre won't be the tyre to choose. I'll ask my team-mate to see how he got on with it but we'll try and get some more points in the bag in race two."

The final place on the rostrum looked to be heading the way of Tom Chilton before a puncture fired his Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher Ford Focus out of the race.

The lead trio all ran the soft Dunlop Sport Maxx tyre with the BMW duo of Colin Turkington and Andrew Jordan being the first medium compound runners home in fourth and fifth respectively.

Jordan was involved in the most high profile manoeuvre of the race as he muscled his way past Jason Plato on lap 10. Both cars touched through the Esses and Jordan completed the move at the Bombhole. 

Rob Collard followed his Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing team-mate past the chequered flag to take seventh, ahead of Ollie Jackson in the Shredded Wheat-backed Focus. Jackson was involved in an earlier incident which led to the retirement of Halfords Yuasa Racing's Matt Neal, after the pair made contact.

The top ten positions were completed by Matt Simpson (Simpson Racing) and Jake Hill (TradePriceCars.com). Ninth place for Simpson was his best result of the season, having only previously scored one championship point so far, whilst Hill was the first driver to finish on the Dunlop hard tyre.

A trio of title contenders faced a difficult race with Rory Butcher, Ash Sutton and Josh Cook finishing 11th, 12th and 20th respectively.

A special mention for Aiden Moffat and Laser Tools Racing as the Infiniti Q50 finished just narrowly outside of the points on its debut. 

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 16 – Snetterton

1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters 12 laps
2 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +3.o71s
3 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +7.199s
4 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +12.499s
5 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +16.918s
6 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +19.783s
7 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +20.333s
8 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +20.492s
9 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +21.090s
10 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +28.584s
11 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +29.419s
12 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +29.689s
13 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +33.946s
14 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +34.871s
15 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +36.178s
16 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +44.997s
17 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +45.475s
18 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +45.886s
19 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +46.199s
20 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +52.334s
21 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +53.244s
22 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +53.834s
23 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +56.934s
24 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +58.699s
25 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +1m03.242s
26 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1m06.880s
27 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1m41.591s
28 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +7 laps
29 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +8 laps
30 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +11 laps

Toyota star tops Honda's Dan Cammish by just 0.002s at Snetterton

Team Toyota GB with Ginsters' Tom Ingram claimed an incredible Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship pole position after producing a sensational lap at Snetterton.

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish had already dipped well under the qualifying lap record, before Ingram pipped the manufacturer Honda driver's effort by just 0.002s. The Snetterton 300 layout is the longest on the BTCC calendar at 2.97-miles, making the margin between the top two all the more impressive. 

Cammish had topped both earlier practice sessions and seemingly looked in control of qualifying in the early stages, but Ingram's stunning 1:54.737s lap time proved decisive in grabbing a first pole position for the all-new Toyota Corolla.

While Ingram and Cammish proved to be the class of the field, it was Sam Tordoff who claimed best of the rest honours in the Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Honda.

Tom Chilton – pace-setter in the recent two-day test at the Norfolk circuit – claimed fourth in the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher's Ford Focus, ahead of championship leader Colin Turkington. Team BMW's Turkington still produced a mightily impressive effort and he'll be happy to be lining up on the third row in his ballast-laden 3 Series.

Jason Plato had to settle for sixth after admitting he had extracted the maximum potential of his Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra during the earlier practice session, where he had trailed Cammish's morning benchmark by a less than two tenths of a second.

Andrew Jordan has won five times already this season and the BMW Pirtek Racing star will look to claim top honours again tomorrow from seventh on the grid. Jordan is currently Turkington's closest challenger in the overall standing's and he line-up directly behind his BMW stablemate in the opening contest.

Matt Neal was seven tenths off his Honda team-mate but it was good enough for eighth, whilst Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan and Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing's Rob Collard were next in the order. Morgan made a welcome return to form during the recent test and ninth today proved to be his best qualifying result of the season, whilst Collard ensured both Vauxhall Astras were inside the top ten.

A number of title contenders endured a challenging afternoon with Rory Butcher (11th), Ash Sutton (18th) and Josh Cook (19th) all failing to trouble the leading lap times.

Rounds 16, 17 and 18 of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Snetterton tomorrow with tens of thousands of fans expected at the Norfolk track, whilst ITV4 has everybody else covered with live coverage commencing at 10:45 and running through until the end of the day at 18:15.

A further layer of intrigue and excitement has been added to tomorrow's triple header with the inclusion of all three Dunlop Sport Maxx tyre compounds. For the first time in BTCC history, each one must be run on race-day.

Tom Ingram said: “It’s fantastic and I’m so pleased. We’ve been quietly going about trying to understand everything about the car just nibbling away. We’ve found some amazing things at the tyre test and ticked a lot of things off that we wanted to try. Everyone will have made a step, and we’ve gone another step further still. A heck of a lot of work has gone in behind the scenes. It’s great to get the Corolla’s first pole and the first on Team Toyota GB’s BTCC return. It’s always close here and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. I’ll sleep tonight as I’ve got that monkey off my back!”

Dan Cammish said: “Two thousandths of a second is nothing but there wasn’t any more I could do. For Tom (Ingram) to jump one better is fair play. I’ve got nothing to feel bad about – the car feels great and I did my maximum. The season got off to a bad start, I made mistakes, but since Thruxton we’ve been strong, scoring podiums and outscoring those around us. Tomorrow’s another chance to do that. It’ll be different with the tyre choices this weekend. It depends a lot on where you qualify. Race three is a bit of a lottery and you’ve got to take points out of races one and two.”

Sam Tordoff said: "I'm really happy with the lap time and what we put together there. I was disappointed we were only third there. I would have taken a 1m55.000s all day long so to break into the 54's is really pleasing. The lap time was in the car and it was just a case of extracting it. I struggled to go any quicker after my first run. In some ways, third is a better place to start than second here with the line into turn one. We need to keep our championship momentum going. There's the tyre unknowns and I'm not sure what we'll do but you want the least risky option to consolidate a good starting position." 

Honda's Dan Cammish topped the timesheets once again at Snetterton, this time in Free Practice 2, and in the process became the first driver to head the way in both Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship practice sessions on a given weekend this season.

The Halfords Yuasa Racing driver went well back in testing at the Norfolk venue a fortnight ago, ending up second-quickest overall at the two-day Dunlop Tyre Test, and the Honda Civic Type R (FK8) is looking like a potent package so far this weekend. His 1m55.546, set early on, was enough to see him head the way for the remainder of the session - though it was slightly slower than his morning benchmark.

Cammish's margin to the chasing pack was 0.029s in the opening session but final practice proved even closer as Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing's Jason Plato fell just 0.017s short of the Honda man's flyer.

"Having the test here a few weeks ago helps," said Plato. "We ran through some set-ups and bolted onto the car all the things we know worked. That lap of mine just then was as good as it'll get. I feel like I've got a good car underneath me - maybe a winning one but we're still down in the speed traps. We're losing a few tenths around the back of the lap. You've got to make the best of what you're given."

30-year-old Cammish and double champ Plato proved the class of the field as Sam Tordoff (Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance), Chris Smiley (BTC Racing) and Tom Ingram (Team Toyota GB with Ginsters) were next on the timesheets.

Matt Neal backed-up Halfords Yuasa Racing's pace by going sixth – one better than he did this morning – whilst Tom Chilton again produced top ten speed in the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher Ford Focus.

Adam Morgan showed improved form at the recent two-day Snetterton test and he's continued that run here with eighth, ahead of Andrew Jordan's BMW and Jake Hill's Audi.

Interestingly, four of the top five drivers in the current overall standings failed to make the top ten in this session as Rory Butcher (12th), Colin Turkington (13th), Ash Sutton (17th) and Josh Cook (19th) continue to get to grips with their ballast-laden machines around the Snetterton 300 layout – the longest BTCC circuit on the calendar at 2.97-miles.

Qualifying for Round 16 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place at 15:00 and will be streamed live via www.itv.com/btcc.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 2 – Snetterton

1 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 1m55.546s
2 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.017s
3 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.921s
4 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +0.543s
5 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +0.580s
6 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.652s
7 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.793s
8 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.843s
9 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.849s
10 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +0.895s
11 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.931s
12 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +1.008s
13 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +1.019s
14 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +1.025s
15 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +1.124s
16 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.141s
17 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.197s
18 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +1.419s
19 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +1.524s
20 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +1.547s
21 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.555s
22 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +1.752s
23 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.868s
24 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.971s
25 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +2.272s
26 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +2.376s
27 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +2.525s
28 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +2.853s
29 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +3.659s

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish has set the early Snetterton pace in the opening Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship practice session.

Matt Simpson led the way for much of the segment in the previous spec Honda Civic Type R before manufacturer man Cammish stretched his legs in the new Fk8 to top the times by just 0.029s.

It was an incredibly close session, despite being the longest circuit of the BTCC calendar, as Team Toyota GB with Ginsters' Tom Ingram was just a 0.030s further back.

BMW Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan was next in the order, followed by the Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall duo of Rob Collard and Jason Plato.

Teams arrived at Snetterton having enjoyed a two-day test at the Norfolk circuit just two weeks ago, but lap times at the head of the field are already more than half a second quicker than last month's benchmark effort from Tom Chilton.

Matt Neal was seventh this morning for Halfords Yuasa Racing, ahead of Team BMW's Tom Oliphant and TradePriceCars.com's Jake Hill, whilst Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher's Chilton rounded out the top ten.

Not only were teams carrying out their own practice programmes following the five-week summer break but they're also preparing for the first ever BTCC weekend to include a trio of Dunlop tyre compounds. Each car will be required to run hard, medium and soft Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres across the three races tomorrow, so tactics will also come into play throughout the day.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will be back on track for FP2 at 12:00 before qualifying commences at 15:00, with the latter being streamed live www.itv.com/btcc.

2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 1 – Snetterton

1 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 1m55.478s
2 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.029s
3 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Team Toyota GB with Ginsters +0.030s
4 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.439s
5 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.641s
6 Jason PLATO (GBR) Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing +0.727s
7 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.780s
8 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.803s
9 Jake HILL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +0.817s
10 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.829s
11 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.877s
12 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.899s
13 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance +0.921s
14 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.034s
15 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +1.041s
16 Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1.070s
17 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Racing +1.230s
18 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +1.236s
19 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Cataclean Racing with Ciceley Motorsport +1.239s
20 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +1.359s
21 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.455s
22 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +1.467s
23 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.535s
24 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Motorbase +1.566s
25 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +1.700s
26 Rob SMITH (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +1.774s
27 Mark BLUNDELL (GBR) TradePriceCars.com +2.150s
28 Michael CREES (GBR) GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct +2.219s
29 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +3.255s
30 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +3.397s