Colin Turkington claimed his fifth victory of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season with a composed performance on the Donington Park Grand Prix circuit this afternoon (Sunday).
Northern Ireland’s four-time champion made the most of his rear-wheel-drive to overtake pole-sitter Josh Cook from the line, with the Team BMW 330e M Sport sweeping into the lead as the field streamed into Redgate. Cook’s LKQ Car Parts with SYNETIQ Toyota initially slotted into second just ahead of Ash Sutton who rose from third to fourth at the start with another strong start.
Behind that, Tom Ingram attempted to make rapid progress in his Hyundai i30N and the series leader was lining up a move on Mikey Doble’s Vauxhall as the duo approached the Fogarty Esses. Ingram didn’t quite make the corner, but still emerged ahead and was holding his position when Doble made contact at Goddards. This dropped both down the order with Ingram sunk to 12th.
Amidst the shuffling, Jake Hill climbed to fourth after starting seventh, with Aron Taylor-Smith, Rob Huff, Daniel Rowbottom, Adam Morgan, Dan Cammish and Sam Osborne completing the top-ten.
The next major move came two laps later as Sutton made the most of a wide moment from Cook on the exit of the Old Hairpin. The NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus ST quickly drew alongside the Toyota and drove past on the run towards McLeans to secure second. Further back, Ingram began a hard charge back towards the front of the order, moving his Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS machine back into the top-ten.
The race was neutralised shortly afterwards following an off-track impact for Andrew Watson, whose stricken Toyota needed to be cleared away. At the same time, Rowbottom slowed suddenly with a puncture, and he was forced to give up his seventh place to dive to the pits.
Full pace action resumed on lap eight with Turkington leading as the race distance was extended to 17 laps. As the BMW continued to lead at the front, there was a brief moment of drama for Taylor-Smith, whose Vauxhall Astra got out of shape through the Fogarty Esses. This allowed both Ingram and Cammish through with the former also passing the latter to take seventh. 2022 champion Ingram continued his move through the order two laps later with a pass on the inside through McLeans and Coppice to take sixth from Morgan.
With just a handful of laps to run, Turkington began to face pressure from Sutton who was pressing hard. But no obvious opening presented itself. And after running comfortably in the podium positions for much of the race distance, Cook became another to clip inside of the Fogarty Esses, allowing Hill through into third.
The battle at the front settled in the final laps with Turkington doing enough to hold on and secure a 72nd career victory in the BTCC as the chequered flag fell, with Sutton and Hill joining him on the podium. Cook secured fourth, just under eight seconds behind the victor.
Behind that, Ingram’s impressive recovery drive ended with fifth position after a move on Huff just five laps from home. Morgan also passed Toyota’s former World Touring Car Champion to take sixth with Huff seventh ahead of Cammish. Taylor-Smith and Osborne completed the top-ten.
Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, Race 1, Donington Park
- Colin Turkington, Team BMW, BMW 330e M Sport
- Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK, Ford Focus ST, +1.863s
- Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, BMW 330e M Sport, +6.416s
- Josh Cook, LKQ Car Parts with SYNETIQ, Toyota Corolla GR Sport, +7.693s
- Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS, Hyundai i30N, +10.188s
- Adam Morgan, Team BMW, BMW 330e M Sport, +10.817s
- Rob Huff, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, Toyota Corolla GR Sport, +13.884s
- Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK, Ford Focus ST, +14.655s
- Aron Taylor-Smith, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing, Vauxhall Astra, +15.259s
- Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK, Ford Focus ST, +16.212s
Click here for full timings from this event.