Cammish, Sutton, and Turkington were the stars of the show as the 2023 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) resumed at Croft this weekend. The Napa Racing UK team dominated the qualifying session, securing a 1-2-3 on Saturday. They continued their impressive form by sweeping the podium in the first two races on Sunday.
In the final race, Team BMW’s Colin Turkington emerged victorious, followed by Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8’s Tom Ingram. However, a crash for Ash Sutton, the current leader in the drivers’ standings, narrowed his advantage to just six points.
Turkington’s win propelled him to third place in the overall standings, ahead of his WSR stablemate Jake Hill. Meanwhile, Dan Cammish reignited his championship challenge with a strong performance at Croft.
The next rounds of the BTCC will take place at Knockhill in Scotland on August 12th and 13th.
Cammish Dominates in Opener
Dan Cammish started from pole position and claimed victory in the first race of the day. His Napa Racing UK teammates, Ash Sutton and Dan Rowbottom, finished second and third, respectively. The trio showcased their dominance throughout the race.
Sutton and Rowbottom had a brief skirmish for second place early on, with Sutton opting for the medium Goodyear tire compound while his teammates chose the quicker soft option. In the end, Rowbottom played the team game and let Sutton through to take second on the final lap.
Cammish cruised to his third victory of the season, kickstarting the second half of his campaign. Josh Cook, driving for One Motorsport with Starline Racing, finished fourth with a brilliant defensive drive.
Sutton Secures Seventh Win
In the second race of the day, Napa Racing UK once again locked out the podium. Ash Sutton, driving the #116 Ford Focus, started second on the grid and quickly took the lead from his teammate Cammish. Sutton pulled nearly eight seconds clear of the chasing pack and secured his seventh win of the season.
Cammish finished in second place, while Rowbottom held off Tom Ingram to claim third. Ingram relentlessly pursued Rowbottom but couldn’t make a move stick and settled for fourth.
Turkington Triumphs in Final Race
Colin Turkington, representing Team BMW, dominated the final race at Croft. Tom Ingram finished second, closing the gap to Sutton in the drivers’ standings to just six points. Josh Cook, starting from the front row, couldn’t overtake Turkington and had to settle for third place.
There was drama behind them as Stephen Jelley, also from Team BMW, was involved in an incident with three Napa Racing UK cars. The clash between Sutton’s Ford and Jelley’s BMW forced both cars into retirement. A safety car was called, but Turkington maintained control of the race at the restart.
Cammish and Rowbottom finished fourth and fifth, respectively, completing a fantastic day for the Napa Racing UK team. Aiden Moffat from One Motorsport with Starline Racing secured a top-six finish.
BMW maintained its lead in the Manufacturers’ standings, while Napa Racing UK remained at the top of the Teams’ leaderboard. Josh Cook and his One Motorsport with Starline Racing outfit had a solid weekend, leading in the Independents’ honors. Mikey Doble from CarStore Power Maxed Racing topped the Jack Sears Trophy table.
The BTCC action will continue at Knockhill in Scotland, where fans can expect more thrilling races and intense battles for the championship title. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting motorsport event.