Jake Hill finished the first official test of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship pre-season on top of the timesheet after a day of mixed conditions at Brands Hatch.
The Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver made the most of the ever-improving conditions in the afternoon session to make his mark in the #24 BMW.
The track was still damp from the morning rain as the afternoon session got underway, and it was Josh Cook in his Speedworks-run Toyota leading the way early on, with EXCELR8 Motorsport's Ronan Pearson a close second.
Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing's Árón Taylor-Smith was next in the order as the times started to tumble throughout the afternoon. Cook's consistency was clear to see in his new Toyota, as the Bath racer set several competitive lap times.
Reigning champion Ash Sutton was never far from the action as he continued to place himself third in the standings through both the opening hours. NAPA Racing UK's #1 ended the day just outside the top five in sixth.
The last 30 minutes were where the lap times were coming in thick and fast as the day drew to a close. Hill topping the times with a 47.868 second lap with series returnee Rob Huff taking second for Toyota Gazoo Racing UK and, the morning-session's fastest man, Adam Morgan less than a tenth behind in his Team BMW machine.
The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship now moves on to Croft for its second test on 10 April, before the final run at Donington Park on 16 April.
Click here for the full classification from today's test at Brands Hatch.
Team BMW's Adam Morgan set the pace during the opening morning of the first official pre-season BTCC test at Brands Hatch.
The 2024 testing programme got underway today, 3 April, with Morgan setting the benchmark in the drying morning session.
Track action was limited as the lights went green. With only the BMWs of both Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Jake Hill and Team BMW’s Colin Turkington taking to the track as conditions were less than ideal during a spell of heavy rain.
Soon after the on-track action ramped up as the rain had settled. A repeat of 2023 took place early on as reigning champion Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) topped the timesheet come the end of the first hour. Hill and Tom Ingram (EXCELR8 Motorsport) followed behind to start 2024 with the same top three of last season.
The rain continued to pour throughout the opening hours as Andrew Watson, new Toyota Gazoo Racing UK driver, topped the times at the end of hour two.
Watson’s ex-team-mate Árón Taylor-Smith (Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing) was among the drivers climbing the timesheet in the second hour, breaking into the top five before moving to the summit at the end of the third hour.
Conditions improved late on as the track began to dry for the first time of the test. Taylor-Smith's time would see him in tenth as the track was drying and Morgan set his time late on to put his BMW top of the timesheet. Closely followed by Dan Cammish for NAPA Racing UK and the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK of Watson.
"The time is obviously not important at this stage but I feel good in the car and I'm excited about my second season with WSR," said Morgan.
"Seeing what the team has done over the winter is phenomenal. It's incredible to see that every aspect of the car has been looked at and improved."
British Touring Car Championship fans’ favourite Bobby Thompson will join WSR for this week’s official series test on the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit on Wednesday, 3 April.
The 28-year-old from Hornchurch, Essex, will drive a BMW 330e M Sport at the Kent track as WSR continues to evaluate options for the fourth car for the coming season.
Bobby has started over 100 BTCC races and achieved his best finish of second at last year’s Brands Hatch round in May.
He will join WSR’s three confirmed race drivers for the season; Colin Turkington, Adam Morgan (both Team BMW) and Jake Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) at the Brands Hatch test, which is open for race fans to attend.
The BTCC season starts at Donington Park, East Midlands, on April 27-28.
Bobby Thompson said:
“I’m thrilled to test the BMW 330e M Sport at Brands Hatch and I have to thank everybody involved who has worked so hard to create this opportunity. I’ve never had the opportunity to drive a championship-winning car in the BTCC so this will be a first for me and I really hope it can lead to a race seat for the 2024 season. I’m working incredibly hard with my partners to put together a package for this year, but we’re still a bit away from where we need to be in order to make the dream a reality. The BTCC is about to enter a new era with a ground-breaking global broadcast deal with ITV Sport and TikTok, which should be a game-changer in what the series can do to promote a commercial sponsor, and there’s honestly nowhere else I’d rather race. I hope this can be a first step towards something really special.”
Dick Bennetts, WSR Team Principal, said:
“Bobby’s one of a group of talented drivers who have come along in the past few seasons, ruffled a few feathers and achieved some very good results when both the machinery and circumstance have allowed it. He’s one of the drivers right now who has built an incredibly loyal fanbase and someone who definitley enhances the BTCC just by being there. He has plenty of rear-wheel-drive experience, albeit not in a touring car, so this test will focus on getting him comfortable in the BMW and seeing what we can do as a group. This is just a test at this stage as we continue to push very hard to make sure our fourth BMW is on the grid this season, but we’re well aware of Bobby’s determination to race and hope we can play a role in making things happen.”
Following two hugely successful seasons together, NAPA Racing UK is proud to also announce that it has agreed with reigning British Touring Car Champion Ash Sutton a deal that will see him continue to race in NAPA’s iconic colours until the end of 2026. Ash joined forces with NAPA Racing UK ahead of the 2022 season having just secured his third BTCC title, making him the youngest driver to achieve the feat.
Despite having to adapt to the switch back to front-wheel drive for the first time since his rookie campaign in 2016, Ash put his Ford Focus ST on the podium during the opening weekend of the season at Donington Park and would go on to score three wins as he finished the season second in the standings. Ash would also play a key role in helping NAPA Racing UK secure the Teams’ Championship title in its first year as part of Britain’s premier race series. That would be the precursor to a frankly astonishing 2023 season as Ash scored a record-equaling fourth title in stunning fashion - becoming the first driver in series history to win the title in both front-wheel and rear-wheel-drive machinery. Along the way, he equalled Alain Menu’s long-standing record of twelve wins in a season as well as James Thompson’s six pole positions, whilst his 446 points is the highest scored by a driver in a single campaign. The new deal between NAPA Racing UK and Ash will run through to the end of the 2026 season, giving ample opportunity for the 30-year-old to further cement his position as one of the greatest drivers in the long history of the championship.
Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK, said:
“After an incredible two years with the team already and the latter being a record-breaking year claiming my fourth title, this now means I am fully focused to go after more. Let’s get 2024 underway"
The 2024 season will get underway at Donington Park in late April, with NAPA Racing UK again committed to running a multi-car programme as it bids to maintain the high standards set in 2023 and challenge for more championship silverware.
The NAPA Racing UK name will continue to chase top honours in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship until the end of 2026 at least after an extension of the ultra-successful partnership between NAPA Auto Parts and the Alliance Racing team.
NAPA Racing UK first appeared on the BTCC grid in 2022 after a commercial partnership was agreed between the famous automotive parts brand and what was then known as Motorbase Performance, fielding two cars in Britain’s premier racing series for multiple champion Ash Sutton and proven race winner Dan Cammish.
In what would be a successful start to the new partnership, both drivers would make it onto the top of the podium during the season, with Sutton ending the year second in the standings and NAPA Racing UK beating Team BMW to lift the Teams’ Championship.
That would only be a taster for what was to come, with records tumbling as NAPA Racing UK’s expanded four-car programme emerged as the dominant force in 2023.
A stunning season on track saw NAPA Racing UK romp to championship glory on three fronts, with Sutton taking a record-equalling fourth Drivers’ title, and the team not only defending the Teams’ Championship, but also ending BMW’s run of success in the Manufacturers’ / Constructors’ standings.
Along the way, there were no fewer than 16 race wins, 32 podium finishes, 13 fastest laps and a scarcely believable nine pole positions out of ten; a reflection of the astonishing work put in by Alliance Racing’s ace engineering squad to transform the team’s Ford Focus ST into one of the most complete packages seen in the series in recent memory.
The announcement of a new three-year agreement between NAPA Racing UK and Alliance Racing is a reflection of the strong bond formed between the two parties, and comes at an exciting time for the team, which is in the process of relocating to new headquarters in the Midlands in preparation for the 2024 season.
Pete Osborne, Team Owner, Alliance Racing, said:
“This is a fantastic day for everyone involved in Alliance Racing. Since forming a partnership with NAPA, over 2 years ago, we have worked together to deliver success both on and off the track. We are excited to commit to 3 more years together and continue to grow from strength to strength for all our staff and sponsor partners.
“I wish to thank everyone involved with our team, their hard work and dedication is what make this partnership so successful. It has been fantastic to witness the growth of the NAPA brand in the UK and Europe through their support of UK motorsport. Especially the most prestigious series of them all, the British Touring Car Championship.
“We can’t wait to see NAPA Racing UK back on the grid in 2024.”
Steve Richardson, Managing Director, NAPA Racing UK, said:
“The signing of this agreement marks the next step in the evolution of NAPA Racing UK and our partnership with Alliance Racing. From the outset, Alliance Racing have proved to be the perfect platform for the NAPA brand and share our ethos of continuous growth & improvement.
“We’re delighted that the partnership will continue for at least the next 3 years. We’ve broken records and achieved significant success to date and look forward to seeing where the journey forward takes us.”
Driver, Nationality, Number
Andy Rouse, British, 4
Colin Turkington, British, 4
Ash Sutton, British, 4
Matt Neal, British, 3
Bernard Unett, British, 3
Frank Gardner, Australian, 3
Bill McGovern, British, 3
Win Percy, British, 3
Gordon Shedden, British, 3
Jason Plato, British, 2
John Cleland, British, 2
Richard Longman, British, 2
Jack Sears, British, 2
Chris Hodgetts, British, 2
Fabrizio Giovanardi, Italian, 2
James Thompson, British, 2
Alain Menu, Swiss, 2
Doc Shepherd, British, 1
Rickard Rydell, Swedish, 1
Robb Gravett, British, 1
Roy Pierpoint, British, 1
Tim Harvey, British, 1
Will Hoy, British, 1
Yvan Muller, French, 1
Andrew Jordan, British, 1
Laurent Aiello, French, 1
Sir John Whitmore, British, 1
Frank Biela, German, 1
Alec Poole, British, 1
Frank Sytner, British, 1
Gabriele Tarquini, Italian, 1
Jim Clark, British, 1
Joachim Winkelhock, German, 1
John Fitzpatrick, British, 1
John Love, Zimbabwean, 1
Jeff Uren, British, 1
Tom Ingram, British, 1
Year, Name, Car
1958, Jack Sears, Austin 105 Westminster
1959, Jeff Uren, Ford Zephyr Six
1960, Doc Shepherd, Austin A40
1961, Sir John Whitmore, Austin Se7en
1962, John Love, Mini Cooper
1963,Jack Sears,Ford Galaxie/Lotus Cortina
1964, Jim Clark, Ford Lotus Cortina
1965, Roy Pierpoint, Ford Mustang
1966, John Fitzpatrick, Ford Anglia
1967, Frank Gardner, Ford Falcon Sprint
1968, Frank Gardner, Ford Escort Twin Cam
1969, Alec Poole, Austin Cooper 970S
1970, Bill McGovern, Sunbeam Imp
1971, Bill McGovern, Sunbeam Rallye Imp
1972, Bill McGovern, Sunbeam Imp
1973, Frank Gardner, Chevrolet Camaro Z28
1974, Bernard Unett, Hillman Avenger GT
1975, Andy Rouse, Triumph Dolomite Sprint
1976, Bernard Unett, Chrysler Avenger GT
1977, Bernard Unett, Chrysler Avenger GT
1978, Richard Longman, BL Mini 1275GT
1979, Richard Longman, BL Mini 1275GT
1980, Win Percy, Mazda RX-7
1981, Win Percy, Mazda RX-7
1982, Win Percy, Toyota Corolla
1983, Andy Rouse, Alfa Romeo GTV6
1984, Andy Rouse, Rover Vitesse
1985, Andy Rouse, Ford Sierra XR4ti Turbo
1986, Chris Hodgetts, Toyota Corolla GT
1987, Chris Hodgetts, Toyota Corolla GT
1988, Frank Sytner, BMW M3
1989, John Cleland, Vauxhall Astra GTE 16v
1990, Robb Gravett, Ford Sierra RS500
1991, Will Hoy, BMW M3
1992, Tim Harvey, BMW 318iS
1993, Joachim Winkelhock, BMW 318i
1994, Gabriele Tarquini, Alfa Romeo 155 TS
1995, John Cleland, Vauxhall Cavalier
1996, Frank Biela, Audi A4 quattro
1997, Alain Menu, Renault Laguna
1998, Rickard Rydell, Volvo S40
1999, Laurent Aiello, Nissan Primera
2000, Alain Menu, Ford Mondeo
2001, Jason Plato, Vauxhall Astra Coupé
2002, James Thompson, Vauxhall Astra Coupé
2003, Yvan Muller, Vauxhall Astra Coupé
2004, James Thompson, Vauxhall Astra Coupé
2005, Matt Neal, Honda Integra
2006, Matt Neal, Honda Integra
2007, Fabrizio Giovanardi, Vauxhall Vectra VXR
2008, Fabrizio Giovanardi, Vauxhall Vectra VXR
2009, Colin Turkington, BMW 320si E90
2010, Jason Plato, Chevrolet Cruze
2011, Matt Neal, Honda Civic
2012, Gordon Shedden, Honda Civic
2013, Andrew Jordan, Honda Civic
2014, Colin Turkington, BMW 125i M Sport
2015, Gordon Shedden, Honda Civic Type R
2016, Gordon Shedden, Honda Civic Type R
2017, Ash Sutton, Subaru Levorg GT
2018, Colin Turkington, BMW 125i M Sport
2019, Colin Turkington, BMW 330i M Sport
2020, Ash Sutton, Infiniti Q50
2021, Ash Sutton, Infiniti Q50
2022, Tom Ingram, Hyundai i30N
2023, Ash Sutton, Ford Focus
The first years of the 21st century marked a turbulent time for the BTCC. Several companies – chiefly the US-based Octagon Group – attempted to lead it according to the new so-called ‘BTC-spec’ technical regulations devised under Alan Gow who, having led the series to household fame in the Nineties, decided to sell TOCA and take a ‘sabbatical’. The regulations, introduced as a measure to slash costs, took hold in 2001 and the season produced a small grid of BTC cars, boosted in numbers by the addition of the GpN-based Production class.
Vauxhall and Peugeot were the two manufacturers to field official teams, and the former was the dominant force in the top flight BTC category with its new Astra Coupe. The Triple Eight-engineered car won 25 of 26 races and in a dramatic final round at Brands Hatch – after a season of bitter rivalry – Jason Plato beat team-mate Yvan Muller to achieve his first title.
In 2002, the Astra was again untouchable, although manufacturer entries from Honda (Civic) and MG (which achieved victories with its WSR-prepared ZSs) kept it on its toes. James Thompson this time beat Muller to the laurels. Vauxhall would win the next two titles with Muller and, again, Thompson, the latter’s second crown in 2004 being achieved by a margin of just one point from his French team-mate – thanks to setting the fastest lap in the season’s very last race. Two significant developments had occurred during this two-year period, however…
With Octagon announcing its withdrawal from the UK, Gow was lured back in mid-2003 by the British Automobile Racing Club’s Dennis Carter to reassume control of the championship. There was a sudden new energy about the BTCC and Gow took no time in announcing that from 2004 onwards, cars complying with the same Super 2000 technical regulations raced in the FIA European Touring Car Championship would be permitted into the BTCC. This spelt the end of the GpN-based Production class, but opened the way for new teams and manufacturers to enter the championship and fight for outright honours with cars already available to use.
It was a masterstroke, and SEAT became the latest manufacturer to enter with its S2000-spec Toledo model. Having left the series after his 2001 title, Plato was back on board to make it three champions on the grid (along with Thompson and Muller). Furthermore, Gow had also altered the sporting rules – now there were three rounds at each event for the crowds to savour and Plato was able to triumph for newcomer SEAT on the first day of the season. Ultimately, though, after going 12 mid-season races without reaching the top step of the podium as the competition intensified, Vauxhall’s Astra Coupe again ran out the winner in its final campaign – the car remains one of the most successful in BTCC history with an incredible 62 victories from 96 starts in the manufacturer’s hands.
Another all-time great was to follow in 2005 and 2006: the Honda Integra which, run by Team Dynamics, would achieve 26 wins from 60 starts. Dynamics (under the Team Halfords banner) developed the car and, with driver Matt Neal, made history by becoming the first privateer team/driver combination since 1991 to defeat the might of the manufacturers and clinch the outright crown in both seasons. Neal’s chief threat in 2005 was Muller in Vauxhall’s new Astra Sport Hatch and in 2006 Plato in SEAT’s new Leon. It was in 2006 that the BTCC welcomed seven-time (and three-time European) touring car champion Fabrizio Giovanardi as a replacement for Muller at Vauxhall. Up until Knockhill that season, Vauxhall had – almost unbelievably – gone a year without a victory but then came along two in a row. There was notably its landmark 100th when Giovanardi also broke his BTCC duck and then, next time out at Brands Hatch, the 101st.
For 2007, the BTCC took on another new guise as the championship effectively went fully S2000 (although some smaller teams continued to run the older BTC cars as they were gradually phased out). SEAT with its Leon was joined at the front of the field by S2000 cars from Vauxhall, BMW and Honda. Vauxhall’s new Vectra was a superb machine and, in its first season of development, enabled Giovanardi to win his first BTCC title in the most dramatic of final round showdowns against Plato. The BMW (320si) and Honda (Civic) efforts were entered by privateer teams who were also able to mount serious championship challenges thanks to the BTCC’s equivalency rules that, unlike those of other championships, remained untouched throughout the whole of 2007 and undoubtedly helped result in regular grids in the mid-20s (the biggest seen since the early 1990s). Vauxhall’s Vectra and the Honda Civic run by Dynamics were classic examples of teams using the BTCC’s own ‘local homologation’ regulations to enter unique shapes of S2000 machinery not seen in other series.
Giovanardi and Vauxhall would claim a second consecutive crown in 2008 ahead of Plato and SEAT, whose Leon was now using turbodiesel power (Plato having given the technology a first-ever BTCC win at Donington Park earlier in the season). The man from Modena, though, was foiled in his bid to become the first driver since the early Eighties to make it three titles in a row as Colin Turkington in his WSR/Team RAC BMW hung on to take overall glory in 2009 just ahead of Plato (now in a Chevrolet Lacetti) and Giovanardi. In fact, Plato won all three races on Finals Day in a season that netted him seven triumphs in all – the first for the Chevrolet name in the BTCC in 25 years and also successes that took him to 53 career victories (just seven shy of Andy Rouse’s all-time record of 60).
Plato would equal Rouse’s record in 2010 as he finally collected a second title, having been the bridesmaid so often in previous years. Notably, he took the championship in Chevrolet’s new Cruze model – the first time a Chevrolet had won the BTCC since Frank Gardner’s Camaro in the early Seventies.
While Chevrolet and – for the first time since 2000 – Honda (with Dynamics) fielded official factory teams, 2010 also witnessed the advent of new liquefied petroleum gas engine technology that enabled the Ford name to return to the winner’s circle as the Arena-prepared Aon Focuses, driven by Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole and using LPG-turbo power, challenged for outright glory. Onslow-Cole was one of an unprecedented four drivers who went into the season finale still in with a chance of winning the championship…
Significantly, the BTCC’s new ‘Next Generation’ turbo engine was also trialled by several teams and won twice in the Pirtek Vauxhall Vectra of Andrew Jordan – this ahead of full-blown NGTC cars (chassis and engine) being eligible to compete from 2011. Before the season was out, TOCA’s NGTC prototype car, based on a Toyota Avensis, had been demonstrated before a record crowd at Brands Hatch to offer a hint at the shape of things to come. The universal praise received from the industry, media and fans served to underline the BTCC’s reputation for setting the standard.
In 2012 more than half of the competitors had made the transition, and in 2013 rules ensuring parity with older S2000 specification cars were removed. With S2000 cars no longer comparable in performance, every car on the capacity 2014 grid was an NGTC car and that has been the case ever since, with the rules and regulations proving to be the most successful and cost effective in the series’ illustrious history.
The decade from 2010-2020 largely belonged to a combination of Honda and BMW with the world famous marques sharing all but two of the Drivers’ championships. Plato’s title with Chevrolet kicked off the decade before Honda went on to grab five (Shedden x3, Neal x1 and Jordan x1) with BMW taking three (Turkington x3). The only other manufacturer to join the championship winning party was Subaru in 2017, as young gun Ash Sutton roared to his first overall success.
Turkington’s most recent title – in 2019 – moved him equal with Andy Rouse’s four BTCC titles, as the Northern Irishman moves ever close to becoming the most successful British Touring Car driver of all-time. Since then, Ash Sutton has clinched his second, third and fourth BTCC Drivers’ titles and heads into the 2024 season level with Turkington.
Several enhancements have been introduced for the 2024 campaign, including double the hybrid-boost now available for each car and a new 'Quick Six' qualifying format.