Ash Sutton drove to victory in the second Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship race of the day on the Donington Park Grand Prix circuit this afternoon (Sunday).
It was just the second win of the season for the reigning champion and the four-time title winner wasted no time in seizing the initiative around the East Midlands circuit’s longer layout. Colin Turkington’s Team BMW machine initially enjoyed a strong rear-wheel-drive launch from pole position but Sutton crucially held on to second place as the field flowed into Redgate.
Sutton’s NAPA Racing UK Ford was rapidly into the lead after producing a strong run out of the Old Hairpin to blast past Turkington into Schwantz Curve. Tom Ingram was another early mover, initially attempting a pass on Jake Hill’s Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW on the Melbourne loop before making certain of the position at Redgate as lap two started.
Whilst Sutton continued to lead, Ingram made further progress in his Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai, producing a superb run through the Fogarty Esses to pass Turkington before they reached the Melbourne Hairpin. Ingram then immediately set about hunting Sutton down and he was hounding the leader as they reached the midway stage of its 14-lap race distance.
Ingram applied consistent pressure over the laps that followed, initially making contact with Sutton as they diced for the lead at Melbourne on lap eight before locking up the next time around. The Hyundai’s hunt for victory was dramatically halted when Ingram lost pace however, losing places to both Turkington and Hill before returning to the pits with a technical problem.
Ingram’s retirement left Sutton to drive home to a comfortable win with Turkington and Hill’s BMWs joining him in the top-three. Behind that, Josh Cook finished fourth after hunting down Hill for much of the race, but the LKQ Car Parts with SYNETIQ Toyota was unable to steal a place on the rostrum.
Adam Morgan completed the top-five following a battling drive in which he spent much of the race facing the rear bumper of Rob Huff’s Toyota. The BMW was eventually able to find an opening however, with Morgan taking fifth whilst Huff wound up seventh. They were split by the end by Daniel Rowbottom who carved his way through to sixth after starting 14th.
Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing enjoyed a strong showing from its two drivers with Aron Taylor-Smith and Mikey Doble finishing eighth and ninth respectively. They, emerged from a lively midfield fight with Sam Osborne claiming the final top-ten spot just behind.
Dan Cammish was unfortunate to suffer an off-track detour after being tagged on the exit of Redgate on the first lap. But the NAPA Racing UK driver recovered to 11th and was rewarded with pole position in the reverse-grid draw for race three.
Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, Race 2, Donington Park
- Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK, Ford Focus ST
- Colin Turkington, Team BMW, BMW 330e M Sport, +1.712s
- Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, BMW 330e M Sport, +5.121s
- Josh Cook, LKQ Car Parts with SYNETIQ, Toyota Corolla GR Sport, +5.540s
- Adam Morgan, Team BMW, BMW 330e M Sport, +11.242s
- Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK, Ford Focus ST, +13.741s
- Rob Huff, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, Toyota Corolla GR Sport, +15.024s
- Aron Taylor-Smith, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing, Vauxhall Astra, +16.376s
- Mikey Doble, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing, Vauxhall Astra, +18.034s
- Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK, Ford Focus ST, +25.009s
Click here for full timings from this event.