COMPETITION: TEE-OFF WITH KWIK FIT BTCC STARS AHEAD OF DONINGTON PARK

The BTCC season is in full swing, and now you have a chance to join the fray… on the fairways!

Once again, thanks to series title sponsor Kwik Fit, you and a friend could be teeing-off with BTCC stars next Thursday (7 October) – you will play an 18-hole golf challenge ahead of rounds 25, 26 & 27 of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park.

If you love golf and motorsport then this is the perfect money-can’t-buy experience for you, so if you want to tee off ahead of the weekend bursting with BTCC action then follow the details below…

Date: 7 October
Time: 13:30pm
Venue: Within 7 miles of Donington Park

To win this exclusive chance to leave the BTCC boys in the bunker AND RECEIVE A KWIK FIT GOODIE BAG all you need to do is like and comment on the BTCC Facebook or Twitter post and to make sure you follow Kwik Fit on Facebook or Instagram.

Terms & Conditions

By agreeing to take part, you are committing to being at the venue stated and the time agreed.

1 like/comment on BTCC post plus 1 like/follow of Kwik Fit Instagram or Facebook = one entry. Winners picked at random. The competition will close at 4pm on Sunday 3 October.

The winner will be announced via BTCC social media channels on Monday morning and will receive a separate email that will require a response within 24 hours. If this does not happen, another winner will be selected. The prize is non-transferrable.

Precautions in relation to COVID-19 are in place but please do observe social distancing and wear a mask when appropriate. Any communal equipment (buggies/trollies etc) will be sanitised by the golf course prior to use. You will need to supply your own clubs. Face coverings/masks are not mandatory on the course, but we would recommend wearing one if you are in close proximity to others.

HYBRID POWER SET TO HAVE POSITIVE IMPACT AT SILVERSTONE

Research shows many motorists believe BTCC hybrid will help drive change on the road

With a hybrid powered car taking to the track in the UK’s biggest motorsport championship for the first time this weekend (24-26 Sept), new research reveals the importance of this development for the everyday motorist.

A study by Kwik Fit, title sponsor of the British Touring Car Championship, found that motorists believe introducing hybrid power to the grid will have a positive impact - both for racing and in speeding up the shift to electric in road cars. 57% of drivers believe that using hybrid or electric power in motor racing will help convince those who remain sceptical that these cars are credible alternatives to traditionally fuelled vehicles.

This rises to 65% among motorsport fans and a majority say these developments have a direct impact on their own views. 54% of racing fans say that seeing cars with hybrid or electric engines in racing makes them more likely to consider buying a low emission vehicle themselves.

The BTCC will switch to hybrid power in all cars for the 2022 season and in advance of that, a test vehicle will make its maiden outing in the Silverstone meeting this weekend. Around one in six drivers (18%) say that a specific manufacturer’s performance in motor racing influences their view of that car brand. However, showcasing technology in an entire race series can be influential for many more drivers. The Kwik Fit research found that some 58% of drivers, around 24 million motorists, believe that it’s important to demonstrate that hybrid or electric power is suitable for racing as it shows the high performance and reliability of these engines.

The TOCA Hybrid car will take part in practice, qualifying and all three races at Silverstone, albeit starting from the pitlane. Participating in race conditions, with 2013 BTCC champion Andrew Jordan at the wheel, is a crucial part of the ongoing test and development programme ahead of next season’s grid-wide adoption of the new technology.

Andy Lane, marketing director at Kwik Fit, said: “It’s important that technological development remains a focus of racing, and that fans can see advances which are reflected in everyday motoring. Seven in ten drivers think that technology in road cars often comes from racing innovations, and we believe that this is especially relevant to a series where motorists can easily relate to cars which are advanced versions of their own vehicles.”

As well as the influence that introducing new technology into racing can have on the road, motorists believe that innovation is vital to the future of racing itself. The overwhelming majority of drivers, 73% (rising to 82% of motorsport fans), say that they expect there will be strict restrictions on racing in cars with petrol engines within the next 20 years and for motor racing to survive it will have to develop hybrid or electric replacements. Two thirds of drivers (67%) believe that it’s important for motor racing to show that they are working to reduce emissions from their cars.

The Silverstone meeting is the first chance for fans to see the new hybrid in a race format. Although Andrew Jordan won’t be able to score any points for the championship and the car is only part-way through its development cycle, all eyes will be on how the car performs at the home of British motor racing, with everyone looking for pointers for next season.

2021 marks 50 years since Kwik Fit opened its first centre and the company is celebrating the milestone at Silverstone. To highlight how motoring has changed in those decades, both on the road and in racing, a replica of Toyota’s BTCC title-winning Corolla from the 1980s will take to the track alongside the new TOCA Hybrid Corolla between practice sessions. Kwik Fit will be interviewing drivers Sam Smelt and Andrew Jordan to explain the key differences and sharing their thoughts and experiences on the company’s social media channels including Facebook and Twitter.

COMPETITION: TEE-OFF WITH KWIK FIT BTCC STARS AHEAD OF CROFT

Overtaking them on a circuit may not be an option but here is your chance to out-drive the BTCC stars on the fairways instead!

Once again, thanks to series title sponsor Kwik Fit, you and a friend could be teeing-off with BTCC stars in the Darlington area next Thursday (16 September) - you will play a 9-hole golf challenge ahead of rounds 19, 20 & 21 of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Croft.

If you love golf and motorsport then this is the perfect money-can’t-buy experience for you, so if you want to tee-off ahead of the weekend bursting with BTCC action then follow the details below…

Date: 16 September
Time: 3pm
Venue: Within 8 miles of Croft

Terms & Conditions

By agreeing to take part, you are committing to being at the venue stated and time agreed.

1 like/comment on BTCC post plus 1 like/follow of Kwik Fit Instagram or Facebook = one entry. Winners picked at random. The competition will close at 4pm on Friday 10 September.

The winner will be announced via BTCC social media channels the on Monday morning and will receive a separate email that will require a response within 24 hours. If this does not happen, another winner will be selected. The prize is non-transferrable.

COLIN TURKINGTON CLINCHES POLE AT KNOCKHILL

Team BMW star reignites BTCC title hunt with stellar lap in Scotland

Four-time champion Colin Turkington delivered when he needed it most as the Team BMW man took pole position for Round 13 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Knockhill earlier today (14 August).

Currently languishing down in ninth in the overall Drivers' standings following challenging events at Brands Hatch and Oulton Park respectively, Turkington turned on the style around the tight and twisty Scottish circuit to set the fastest lap during a tense qualifying session.

The Northern Irishman will be further fuelled by the fact that his West Surrey Racing team currently stands on 99 BTCC race victories, having first entered the UK's premier motorsport series back in 1996. WSR boasts a rich history in the sport and, being the squad's most coveted star, the 39-year-old will be hoping for a century celebration tomorrow afternoon.

Oulton Park pole man Senna Proctor continued his rich vein of form in qualifying trim to take second, whilst his BTC Racing team-mate Josh Cook was fourth.

Chris Smiley left it until the final moments to reward his Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com squad as he blasted his way up to third – splitting the two BTC Racing Hondas in the process – to complete an impressive day for the 29-year-old.

The #22 Hyundai pilot was second-quickest in the opening practice session, before going one better in FP2, whilst his qualifying pace confirmed his top three status throughout Saturday.

MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square's Jake Hill was just 0.002s slower than Cook, but the Kent driver will have been pleased to edge out championship leader Ash Sutton.

Laser Tools Racing returned with sixth and seventh places as Sutton topped team-mate Aiden Moffat, whilst Toyota Gazoo Racing UK's Rory Butcher had to make do with eighth despite looking like a pole position contender earlier in the day.

Tom Ingram will be relatively satisfied with ninth on the grid, having admitted to struggling slightly in his ballast-laden Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com Hyundai.

Team BMW's Tom Oliphant pipped Halfords Racing with Cataclean's Gordon Shedden for the final place in the top ten, with the latter failing to find the ultimate pace in the second and third sectors of the lap.

Rounds 13, 14 and 15 of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place at Knockhill tomorrow (15 August) with a sizeable crowd expected to attend the favourite Fife circuit.

Those not in attendance can catch all of the action live on ITV4 from 1115.

Colin Turkington said: "It’s really good to be back at the front of the grid – P1 is excellent. Knockhill is always a circuit I enjoy coming to and a great track for the BMW 3 Series. I thought we could be on the first couple of rows given I don’t have too much success ballast in the car, but again you just never know because everybody is always fast!

"Dick [Bennetts, Team Principal] said he would buy a bottle of champagne for whoever gets that 100th win, so that has my name all over it! It’s going to be tough; the gap was very small and I have a lot of very fast cars behind me. It’s not going to be an easy race, but I’m confident in the car and I think I can score good points tomorrow."

Senna Proctor said: "When the opportunity came, I just got everything together and there was no traffic so it was good! I’m glad I got the lap in, but I know we’re stronger in the race than we are in qualifying. It’s looking good!

"I’ll try not to make a mess of the start like I did at Oulton Park, and I’ll try to have a better race day and get a couple of podiums tomorrow. We’ve done a few practice starts at shakedown this time. I’m sure Colin [Turkington] will be hard to beat off the line, but we’ll give it our best shot!"

Chris Smiley said: "It was that last lap that got it done. The traffic absolutely murdered us at the start! There were a couple of laps that were up a little bit more, but that’s just how it is around here, it’s one of those places that doesn’t forgive you if you get caught up by a car in front of you.

"The car feels awesome, it has done all day in both the wet and the dry. Qualifying in this championship definitely is key. We’ve been working hard on qualifying pace – I haven’t really shown it this year. I think I’ll put on a good show from P3."

2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying – Knockhill

1          Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW 50.836s
2          Senna PROCTOR(GBR) BTC Racing +0.117s
3          Chris SMILEY (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +0.168s
4          Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.183s
5          Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.185s
6          Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.199s
7          Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.200s
8          Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +0.211s
9          Tom INGRAM (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +0.243s
10        Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.265s
11        Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.284s
12        Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +0.351s
13        Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.409s
14        Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +0.426s
15        Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +0.437s
16        Tom CHILTON (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.459s
17        Ollie JACKSON (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.513s
18        Jack GOFF (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +0.554s
19        Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.651s
20        Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +0.684s
21        Sam SMELT (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +0.781s
22        Jade EDWARDS (GBR) PHSC with BTC Racing +0.832s
23        Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Team HARD. with HUB Financial Solutions +0.850s
24        Paul RIVETT (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +0.893s
25        Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.927s
26        Jack MITCHELL (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +0.936s
27        Jack BUTEL (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +1.072s
28        Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with iQuoto Online Trading +1.305s
29        Rick PARFITT (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com NO TIME

COMPETITION: TEE-OFF WITH KWIK FIT BTCC STARS AHEAD OF KNOCKHILL

Overtaking them on a circuit may not be an option but here is your chance to out-drive the BTCC stars on the fairways instead!

Once again, thanks to series title sponsor Kwik Fit, you and a friend could be teeing-off with a duo of BTCC speedsters – Tom Ingram and Adam Morgan – in 18-hole golf challenge ahead of rounds 13, 14 & 15 of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Knockhill.

Following the hugely successful ‘Kwik Fit Majors’ challenge prior to Brands Hatch, the BTCC and Kwik Fit are excited to continue the feature throughout 2021, with further golfing events scheduled at Croft and Donington Park. BTCC drivers are already fired up to take part with the likes of Adam Morgan, Tom Oliphant, Senna Proctor, Tom Ingram and Sam Smelt signed up throughout the year.

Date: 12 August
Time: 12pm
Venue: Within 15 miles of Knockhill

Terms & Conditions

By agreeing to take part, you are committing to being at the venue stated and time agreed.

1 like/comment on BTCC post plus 1 like/follow of Kwik Fit Instagram or Facebook = one entry. Winners picked at random. The competition will close at 4pm on Sunday 8 August.

The winner will be announced via BTCC social media channels the following morning and will receive a separate email that will require a response within 24 hours. If this does not happen, another winner will be selected. The prize is non-transferrable.

EXCELR8 WITH TRADEPRICECARS.COM SALVAGES POINTS FROM BRUISING OULTON PARK WEEKEND

EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com battled hard on track to secure points from what proved to be a bruising weekend at Oulton Park during the fourth meeting of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

The Suffolk-based team headed to the Cheshire circuit off the back of a strong weekend at Brands Hatch, with confidence high of maintaining the impressive form seen so far this year.

All four drivers showed solid pace through free practice in mixed weather conditions, but it proved to be a tough qualifying session for the quartet, with Chris Smiley best-placed of the four in 20th spot having struggled with the front end of the #22 Hyundai.

Rick Parfitt and Jack Butel would line up 24th and 27th in a hugely competitive session but there was disappointment for Tom Ingram as a wastegate issue left him unable to set a time and consigned him to the back of the grid for the opening race.

After the questionable conditions on Saturday, race day dawned with more favourable weather as the series welcomed back a full crowd for the first time since 2019 and all four drivers headed into the day aiming to progress up the order.

Smiley made a good start jumping up four places on the opening lap to sit on the fringes of the points, while Ingram also made up spots in the early stages to quickly climb into the top 20, despite the additional ballast on his car.

Things went awry however on lap seven, when the BMW of Tom Oliphant was tipped into a spin at the final corner and rolled back across the circuit right in front of Smiley, who was powerless to avoid heavy contact that left the front of his car extensively damaged.

Ingram was able to sneak through as the drama unfolded ahead, but Parfitt was unable to avoid the BMW when he came around the blind corner running just outside the top 20 and also collided with Oliphant’s car. Taking to the grass, Butel made it safely through before the race was halted.

The race would resume as a six lap sprint, with Ingram shuffled back to 19th spot at the finish by a number of lighter cars, and Butel working his way up into the top 20 as the pair crossed the line together.

With the Oulton Park meeting featuring a particularly tight racing schedule, the team worked wonders to ensure that all four cars were able to take the start of race two, headed by Ingram and Butel on row ten.

Now free of the success ballast he had carried to that point, Ingram was able to show the pace of the Hyundai with a battling drive up to tenth spot, setting the fastest lap – and a new lap record for the 2.23-mile circuit – as he fought his way through the field in impressive fashion.

An equally impressive run from Northern Irishman Smiley saw him come from 26th on the grid through to 14th to score well earned points and repay the team for its hard work, whilst Butel went close to making it three Hyundais in the top 15 as he crossed the line in 17th; having lapped noticeably quicker than he had in race one.

Parfitt meanwhile would take the flag in 23rd having stayed out of trouble to gain more valuable experience and also lapping quicker than in race one.

Race three would prove once again to be a frenetic affair, with a multi-car accident on the opening lap causing officials to bring out the red flag and Butel was one of those forced into retirement due to the damage his Hyundai endured during the incident. The #62 machine of Parfitt however took to the gravel to avoid contact.

On the restart, it was Ingram’s turn to run into misfortune when he was forced to take to the grass at turn one to avoid a spinning rival. This resulted in him picking up grass in the radiator, leading to a trip through the pits at the end of the opening lap. Dropping him to the back of the field, the #80 driver did however salvage a point for setting the fastest lap of the race, beating his earlier time to set another new lap record.

Having taken the restart in 14th, Smiley would spend the race embroiled in a battle for the top ten places and was rewarded for a solid drive with tenth spot when an incident in the pack around him at Druids led to the race being halted early.

That left Parfitt to finish in 19th having also avoided any dramas following the restart, with the former GT racer improving on his pace once again as he picked up a second top 20 finish of the campaign.

The team now heads for Knockhill in two weeks’ time (14/15 August) for the fifth event of the season.

"The team did a great job to repair the car after the opening race and to come through and take 14th and tenth from there is a job well done,” said Smiley. “If you don’t finish race one, you know you are in for a struggle and it is difficult to pass around there, so I’m happy to salvage what we did from the weekend.

"I think in the final race, we just lacked that little bit extra that we needed to climb higher up the top ten, but it’s always good to score points on a weekend like this. When you look up and down the paddock, there have been people who have had worse luck than we have, so I’m happy to come away with something on the board."

"It was an immensely tough race day after what I felt was a good qualifying result for me on Saturday,” added Parfitt. “The only way to make up places around here is to be really aggressive as we have seen this weekend, and sadly in the first race, I was passenger when I turned into a blind corner and there was a car there - there was nothing I could do.

"It was good to get back out for race two, and P19 in race three was a good way to end things, although it has been a real shame to see so many incidents as that isn’t why we come racing.

"I have to give credit to the team this weekend as their efforts were heroic to get two very badly damaged cars repaired after race one. I owe them a lot as they are an amazing bunch – I’ll be buying them all a beer!"

"We got two fastest laps from three races which shows the speed was in the car,” reflected Ingram. “It’s not been an ideal weekend for us, but it goes to show how things have gone for other people as we have had two finishes outside the points and one relatively low score, but we have kept second in the standings.

"Obviously the others have closed in behind, but we are still there and we live to fight another day. The car felt fantastic in the last race but we were out of position after having to pit, and I think that pace is the big positive to take away from Oulton Park.

"Beyond that, I think this is one for us to put behind us and move forwards."

"It’s hard to find the words after the final race,” admitted Butel. “We’d had a bit of a tough qualifying session, but the team worked to make changes to the car for race day and it was a lot better.

"We had to deal with some understeer in race one, but then in race two we had the soft tyre on and the performance was really strong. To get close to the points meant we were in a good position for race three but unfortunately we then got caught up in someone else’s incident and it has left the team with more repair work to carry out.

"It’s such a shame as the race pace was strong and there were points to be scored, but it’s one of those things we have to put behind us."

COMPETITION: TEE-OFF WITH KWIK FIT BTCC STARS AHEAD OF BRANDS HATCH INDY

The BTCC season is in full swing, and now you have a chance to join the fray… on the fairways!

Once again, thanks to series title sponsor Kwik Fit, you and a friend could be teeing-off with a duo of BTCC speedsters – due to be revealed next week – in a 9-hole golf challenge ahead of rounds 7, 8 & 9 of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch Indy.

Following the hugely successful ‘Kwik Fit Majors’ last year, the BTCC and Kwik Fit are excited to continue the feature throughout 2021, with further golfing events scheduled at Knockhill, Croft and Donington Park. BTCC drivers are already fired up to take part with the likes of Sam Smelt, Adam Morgan, Tom Oliphant, Stephen Jelley and Tom Ingram signed up throughout the year.

Date: 24 June
Time: 1pm
Venue: Within 5 miles of Brands Hatch Indy

Terms & Conditions

By agreeing to take part, you are committing to being at the venue stated and time agreed.

1 like/comment on BTCC post plus 1 like/follow of Kwik Fit Instagram or Facebook = one entry. Winners picked at random. The competition will close at 4pm on Monday 21st June.

INGRAM SIGNS OFF SEASON WITH POLE POSITION AND PODIUM HAT-TRICK

Tom Ingram proved that his Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters Corolla is more than a match for any of its rivals in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch last weekend (14/15 November), splashing through the spray to pole position and a full house of podium finishes that have left him feeling bullish indeed about his prospects going into 2021.

Ingram has been a contender season-long in the country’s premier motor racing series, but a variety of misfortunes meant he entered the final weekend as an outsider in the chase for the coveted crown, at 34 points adrift of the summit of the standings. Be that as it may, he headed to Brands’ short Indy circuit vowing to push right to the end and have some fun along the way – and he was every bit as good as his word.

In a tense and eventful qualifying session – punctuated by three red flag stoppages for accidents – the Bucks-born ace mastered inclement conditions to secure his fourth career BTCC pole amongst the 27 high-calibre protagonists. On a wet track surface, he then went on to lead the opening 12 laps of the curtain-raiser in front of the live ITV4 television cameras, before ultimately having to give best to Dan Cammish and Ash Sutton following energetic wheel-to-wheel duels as the trio sped clear of the chasing pack.

The sun emerged before race two, leaving a drying circuit, but the early laps on slick tyres were still something of an adventure and Ingram was one of five drivers to slide sideways through Paddock Hill Bend for the first time, skating through the gravel and rejoining down in 13th. That served as the catalyst for a stirring recovery charge as the 27-year-old fairly scythed his way back past his adversaries, posting a flurry of fastest laps and pulling off some sensational overtakes to move into second place by lap 13.

He proceeded to practically halve the 8.7-second deficit separating him from leader Sutton by the chequered flag, and then – from 11th on the partially-reversed grid – produced an almost carbon copy performance in race three. In fully wet conditions again, Ingram belied the 54kg of success ballast aboard his Corolla to advance to seventh by the end of lap two and climb to second by mid-distance.

Thereafter, he slashed Rory Butcher’s advantage from six seconds to just 1.5 seconds by the close to seal his 11th rostrum finish of 2020 – the second-highest tally in the field and a personal career-best – and cement his status as the weekend’s top scorer.

Ultimately missing out on the title by only 24 points – having conceded at least 20 at Silverstone due to a puncture and a further six when he was taken out at the last corner at Snetterton – the two-time BTCC Independents’ Champion concluded the campaign with the best average score of the top five based on races finished without any major issues. Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters secured sixth in the final Teams’ table – and leading single-car outfit.

“We said going to Brands Hatch that to be in with a shot, we would need to throw absolutely everything at it and that’s exactly what we did,” reflected Team Principal Christian Dick. “It was maximum attack throughout. To take pole position and then come away with three podium finishes, I really don’t think we could have done very much more. Tom drove superbly in all conditions, and his recovery in race two was particularly special. It was probably the best weekend we’ve had with the Corolla to-date.

“It was the first time we’ve achieved a podium in every race, which is no mean feat in the BTCC with the reversed grid format and ballast to factor into account – not to mention the unpredictable weather that we had to contend with at Brands. I think it’s fair to say we have shouldered more than our fair share of misfortune this year, and we always knew we would need the other guys to have some bad luck too if we were to take the title. Whilst that didn’t happen, we can all hold our heads very high.

“It’s been an absolutely astonishing team effort all season. With such a condensed calendar and a number of back-to-back weekends and tight turnarounds, the work rate has been nothing short of relentless. The whole Speedworks crew have been outstanding, leaving no stone unturned, and I want to pay tribute to each and every one of them.

“Disregarding the penalty at Croft, Tom qualified inside the top three at each of the last five events – with significant weight on-board – and we would have finished the season with six consecutive podiums if it hadn’t been for what happened at Snetterton. We are gaining momentum every time out, and it’s just a shame we don’t have a tenth race weekend as we normally do, because I would really fancy our chances if we did.

“Still, we go into the winter feeling very positive for next year. We’ve shown repeatedly just what the Corolla is capable of now – it’s been the strongest front-wheel drive car in recent weeks, and arguably the strongest car outright. We’ve been consistently in the hunt at every circuit, and have really got on top of what makes it tick. The start of next season truly can’t come soon enough!”

“What a fantastic weekend!” beamed Ingram. “To come away with a podium in every race was amazing – without the little squabble at Snetterton, it would have been six on the bounce. With no direct pressure on us, I felt very relaxed going to Brands – probably the most relaxed I’ve felt all season, in fact, and I really enjoyed every single lap.

“It was incredibly slippery in qualifying – the circuit felt very different to how it had in free practice, and it took quite a while to settle into a rhythm. You only get a narrow window with the wet tyre at its absolute peak performance, especially around such a short lap as Brands Hatch Indy with so much traffic and people going off and bringing out red and yellow flags. We were chasing the set-up for quite a lot of the session, but then my engineer ‘Spenny’ made a couple of inspired calls that transformed the Corolla.

“The conditions were really tricky again in race one, and it seemed like they were changing every lap. We struggled with the front tyres and I didn’t really have an answer for Dan [Cammish] or Ash [Sutton] towards the end, but it was pleasing to get a podium nonetheless.

“I got a really good launch off the line in race two and I knew I had to try to make up as many places as I could, so I gave it a go – it was a case of ‘lick the stamp and send it’ and see what happens. I went to the outside through Paddock Hill Bend, but lost the rear and ended up doing a bit of rallycross! They’re conditions I absolutely love, though, and it was brilliant fun fighting my way through. It took me back to being about six-years-old, when my dad was too tight to buy me wet tyres for my go-kart! It was a similar story in race three – the Corolla felt superb again and we were able to pull off a lot of very satisfying moves.

“There are always ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’, aren’t there, but we’ve shown in recent weeks that we’ve got some serious pace in this car. We’ve been right up there in qualifying and have scored at least one top three finish every weekend since Knockhill, but we’ve just lacked a bit of luck, with the puncture at Silverstone, the driveshaft failure at Oulton Park and being taken out at Brands GP, Silverstone and Snetterton.

“We’ve performed so well as a team all season, and the results we’ve achieved over the second half in particular – with five podiums from the last six races – quite frankly speak for themselves. In a championship as ultra-competitive and fiercely-fought as the BTCC, that’s a hell of an achievement and extremely encouraging. It puts us in a very good place heading into the winter now, and we fully intend to carry this momentum forward into next year.”

BRANDS HATCH FAREWELL FOR CICELEY MOTORSPORT MERCEDES'

The 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season finale marked the swansong of Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools’ pair of Mercedes-Benz A-Classes.

Having announced the move to the German manufacturer while running a Toyota Avensis in 2013, the new machine would join the grid the following season, with the squad’s single-car entry manned by Lancashire-driver Adam Morgan.

Bringing a second into the mix from 2018, the pair of NGTC Mercedes’ have contested 286 rounds over the years and have amassed 1,517 BTCC points.

Furthermore, the Ciceley Motorsport-run machines have achieved eight victories, most recently at the squad’s local circuit of Oulton Park with Morgan’s emotional race three win, as well as a total of 30 podiums.

Morgan’s win and a further pair of podiums in the latest campaign reflect a strong reputation for the #33 car, as the 32-year-old has finished in the points in every round he has completed this year.

The 32-year-old secured fifth place at flagfall at Brands Hatch to send the Mercedes off on a high note.

"It’s been a great car and even in its last race the Mercedes-Benz A-Class is still competitive," he said. "You could come and buy these two cars with a comprehensive spares package, be on the BTCC grid next season and be competitive, that is how good the car has proved to be. I’ve had a win this season and been regularly up at the front, so the car still has pace.

"It’s the end of an era after seven years but we’ve had some great days and the first outright win for a Mercedes in the BTCC, so we can be proud of what we have achieved."

Team-mate Jack Butel has manned the second Mercedes for 2020, recording an impressive near-perfect finish rate, with only one retirement throughout his rookie season in the championship.

The squad’s announcement marks the third team to reveal a change of machine for 2021, with Team HARD’s Cupra Leon announcement in September and the latest news of Trade Price Cars Racing merging with Excelr8 Motorsport to run a quartet of Hyundais next year.

SUTTON EDGES CLOSER AMID TOPSY-TURVY ENCOUNTER

Ash Sutton won a wet-dry penultimate round of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch as the Laser Tools Racing star edges closer in his quest to win a second Drivers' title.

The majority of cars went to the grid on Goodyear wet tyres before a flurry of changes shortly before the start, but it was those choosing to stick with grooved rubber that initially had the better of the contest.

BTC Racing's Tom Chilton hit the front early on after choosing to run the wets – ahead of the slick-shod Sutton – with Andy Neate surging into third in the Motorbase Performance Ford Focus.

Chilton's joy was short-lived, however, as those running the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport dry tyres were soon in the ascendancy.

Sutton scythed his way into an unassailable lead, also taking fastest lap on his way to his fifth victory of the season, whilst the other contenders all survived bruising encounters.

Toyota's Tom Ingram and Honda's Dan Cammish endured a sychronised half spin at Paddock Hill Bend on the first lap, whilst BMW's Colin Turkington was caught up in contact with BTC Racing's Josh Cook and MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square's Jake Hill shortly after mid-distance.

The title chasing trio were left to play catch up during the race and they eventually did exaclty that with Ingram taking second, ahead of Turkington and Cammish.

There was one contentious and heart-in-the-mouth moment when Team BMW's Turkington made it by Halfords Yuasa Racing's Cammish on the run-up to Druids. The Audi S3 of Paul Rivett was left stranded on-track in a separate incident, and Turkington was able to pass Cammish while taking avoiding action of Rivett's car ahead of him.

In summary, the result leaves Sutton nine points clear of Turkington, with Cammish the only other driver still in contention. Ingram's valiant title fight has come to an end but his second place again showed what a fierce competitor he is.

Motorbase Performance's Ollie Jackson had his second successive top five finish, ahead of the Ciceley Motorsport-run Mercedes of Adam Morgan. Hill survived to finish seventh.

Excelr8 Motorsport's Senna Proctor continued his day-long recovery – following his crash in qualifying yesterday – to finish eight, whilst BTC Racing's Josh Cook and Motorbase man Rory Butcher completed the top ten positions.

There was cause for celebration further down the order as Michael Crees moved into an unassailable points lead in the Jack Sears Trophy, capping off a wonderful season for the Kent driver at his home track.

Round 27 – the grand finale – takes place at 1515... all the action is live on ITV4 and a champion will be crowned.

Ash Sutton said: “Obviously, on the opening lap everybody’s a bit cautious and all hell broke loose behind me. I got a little tap from Tom [Ingram], but it’s just those conditions – there was nothing he could do, I think he was getting pushed from behind. From that moment on, it was just a case of getting my head down, keeping out of trouble and pulling the gap we needed. It’s touring cars, and it can change so quickly. Obviously I would have liked a few more cars between myself and Colin [Turkington], but he took advantage of what happened on lap one and came through. Anything can happen in the reversed grid race, so we’ll wait and see. We’re in a good position as it is, so it’s just going to be a case of managing the points gap to Colin.”

Tom Ingram said: “I got a really good launch off the line and got a bit of momentum. I knew I had to try to make up as many places as I can, so it was a case of ‘lick the stamp and send it’ and see what happens. I just got to the outside, but lost the rear, did a bit of rallycross and kept going. I think we were down in 13^th at one point and it was just a case of battling forwards from there. They’re conditions I absolutely love. It takes me back to being six-years-old and my dad was too tight to buy me wet tyres for my go-kart! It was mega fun and good to recover from where we were.”

Colin Turkington said: “I’m just thankful I avoided [Paul Rivett] – that’s the biggest shock you can have as a driver. Paddock Hill Bend is blind on the entry, so I had no idea he was there at all and there were no yellow flags out. It was such a shock to get to almost the bottom of the hill and see the road blocked. Just at the last moment I dived right, and I thought Dan Cammish was on the inside. I was expecting to get speared across the front of him, but those are the little bits of luck that you need to win this championship. It could be a pivotal moment. It was a really strong race for me even before that. We obviously made the call to go on slicks, and the car took a while to get going but once it did, it just switched on and I had excellent pace, so really well done by Team BMW.”

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Brands Hatch Indy

1          Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing 24 laps
2          Tom INGRAM (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters +4.762s
3          Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +9.370s
4          Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +9.688s
5          Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +10.832s
6          Adam MORGAN (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +13.422s
7          Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +14.088s
8          Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +14.418s
9          Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +14.919s
10        Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Motorbase Performance +17.900s
11        Chris SMILEY (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport +22.605s
12        Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +28.823s
13        Michael CREES (GBR) The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing +33.011s
14        Sam OSBORNE (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +37.119s
15        Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +37.712s
16        Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +42.984s
17        Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +43.415s
18        Tom CHILTON (GBR) BTC Racing +1 lap
19        Jack BUTEL (GBR) Carlube TripleR Racing with Mac Tools +1 lap
20       Jack GOFF (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +1 lap
21        Andy NEATE (GBR) Motorbase Performance +1 lap
22        Brad PHILPOT (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +1 lap
23        Paul RIVETT (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +1 lap
24        Ethan HAMMERTON (GBR) GKR TradePriceCars.com +1 lap
25        Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with Team HARD +3 laps
26        Glynn GEDDIE (GBR) RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport +22 laps
27        Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) HUB Financial Solutions with Team HARD +23 laps