BTCC 2023: Sutton stamps his mark on title race
Sutton's fast start in the first race set up his winning weekend
Ford Focus driver takes double win at Snetterton before Ingram wins finale
NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton scored a supreme British Touring Car Championship double triumph at Snetterton before the Hyundai of Tom Ingram took victory in the finale at the Norfolk circuit.
The BMWs of Colin Turkington and Jake Hill both reached the rostrum on two occasions during the day, whilst Toyota’s Rory Butcher and NAPA’s Dan Rowbottom completed the podium in the reverse grid race.
Sutton now holds a seven-point advantage in the standings over reigning champion Ingram, with Turkington currently third overall.
*Ash Sutton keeps Jake Hill at bay*
Three-time champ Sutton took his 30th career BTCC victory in the opening contest, as he held off a late charge from Hill’s BMW 3 Series.
Sutton made a sensational start – immediately pulling away from the chasing pack – as WSR stablemates Turkington and Hill slipped into second and third respectively.
Sutton had pulled out a three second gap after just three laps but a fight for the lead eventually materialised when Hill made an opportunistic move by Turkington for second in the closing stages.
Hill’s pace was blistering as he hauled in Sutton’s #116 Ford Focus at a rapid rate. Unfortunately for the Kent driver, he simply ran out of time with the pair separated by just 0.270s as the chequered flag waved.
Turkington claimed a podium ahead of Ingram and a lonely Team BMW duo of Adam Morgan and Stephen Jelley.
*Sutton secures Snetterton double*
NAPA Racing UK star Sutton continued his domination of the event, as the former champion claimed his second win of the day and his fourth successive triumph of the season – following on from his recent successes at Brands Hatch.
The 29-year-old led from lights-to-flag and was never under any pressure as both he and his impressive Motorbase-run Ford Focus looked in complete harmony around the Snetterton 300 layout.
Hill and Turkington ran line astern to complete the podium once more, whilst Rowbottom continued to make impressive progress with fourth place – his final pass by Team BMW’s Morgan including some contact between the two.
*Ingram takes his first win of 2023*
Ingram fought his way from seventh on the grid to win the finale around the 2.97-mile circuit.
Rowbottom had carved his way into the lead on lap two and looked to have victory in his sights, but the Hyundai of Ingram, Toyota of Butcher and Ford Focus of Dan Cammish were soon making similar progress.
Ingram disposed of Butcher’s Corolla early on and then made a move stick for the lead by Rowbottom at Riches on lap five. Butcher got past Rowbottom on the same lap and the leading pair began pulling away.
NAPA Racing UK’s Cammish – starting 11th on the grid – had got by team-mate Sutton and was then let through by Rowbottom, as he set about attacking for victory in the closing stages.
Butcher had to relinquish second to Cammish with just two laps to go and the latter immediately carved into Ingram’s advantage.
Ingram fended off Cammish until the finish by just 0.587s, but there was drama post-race when the latter’s car failed ride height checks and he was subsequently disqualified from the result.
Butcher inherited second, bringing some reward for his Toyota Gazoo Racing UK squad, whilst the NAPA-backed duo of Rowbottom and Sutton completed the top four.