BTCC Silverstone: Sutton sensational to win from back of grid

The win, remarkably Sutton’s first of his BTCC career at the Northamptonshire circuit, came after long-time leader Jake Hill suffered a misfire just as the race restarted following a half-distance safety-car interlude.

Hill, starting from pole in his West Surrey Racing BMW 330e M Sport, looked odds-on for victory, especially with Sutton, Tom Ingram, Colin Turkington and Dan Cammish starting in the bottom six following the dramatic opening race of the day.

Sure enough, the Kentishman built up a solid advantage early doors as Andrew Watson, at the wheel of his Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra, fended off team-mate Aron Taylor-Smith, Adam Morgan (WSR BMW) and Rory Butcher (Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Corolla).

It was all action in the pack behind – Ingram and his Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N were forced wide at Brooklands on the opening lap as the reigning champion avoided errant Team Hard Cupras, costing him several positions, including to the Motorbase Performance Ford Focus ST of Sutton.

Ironically, it was shards of Motorbase Ford debris on the track at Becketts that caused the safety car at the end of the 14th lap of the scheduled 22, with Sutton by now up to sixth.

Taylor-Smith had forced his way past Watson on the eighth lap, with Morgan and then Butcher following him through, so the Dubliner was now running second to Hill. Sutton was already up to sixth.

Hill made a cracking restart, but was soon in trouble with the misfire – Taylor-Smith forced his way inside at Luffield, the BMW and Vauxhall making contact on the exit, and Morgan and Butcher also passed the stricken Hill at Copse.

Sutton soon passed Watson around the outside of Brooklands, and quickly got ahead of the fading Hill for fourth. With five laps to go, he got inside Butcher at Becketts for third, and did the same to Morgan with two and a half laps remaining for second.

Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus ST (Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images)

Quickly the Ford latched onto Taylor-Smith – with a lap remaining, Sutton got a great exit from Luffield and squeezed down the inside at Copse.

“What a way to do it – I’m speechless if I’m honest,” said Sutton. “I knew it was going to be tough, and it was until Jake ran into trouble with his engine.

“I’ve missed hybrid – it’s the first time I’ve had it in a long while and I made the most of it, using it to pass the guys I thought would be harder.

“Aron was one of them, and it just happened to be on the last lap for the win.”

Ingram, who had started 22nd, completed the podium after his own spectacular rise, passing Morgan at Luffield on the penultimate lap in a move that also allowed Butcher through for fourth, and he also took the fastest lap.

Watson was sixth ahead of Josh Cook, whose One Motorsport Honda Civic Type R had endured a heated battle with the Team Hard Cupra Leon of Bobby Thompson, who eventually went to the pits and retired.

Up to eighth came Turkington’s WSR BMW, with Dan Lloyd (Hard Cupra) and Dan Rowbottom (Motorbase Ford) completing the top 10. Rowbottom ran fourth early on but lost time on the second lap when he half-spun while sandwiched by Taylor-Smith and Morgan.

Behind Ronan Pearson (Excelr8 Hyundai), Hill looked set to claim 12th, despite the car woes and being pitched off at Copse by contact with Rowbottom.

Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW 330e M Sport (Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images)

But he then got spun around by Aiden Moffat (One Honda) on the very last lap of the race, and in the ensuing chaos Hard Cupra racer Michael Crees vaulted from 18th to 12th – and just snatched reversed-grid pole, with 10 drivers blanketed by a second. Moffat was reprimanded for the incident.

The result means that Sutton extends his points advantage to 47 over Ingram and 61 to Hill, with Turkington now out of mathematical contention.

BTCC Silverstone race two results (24 laps):

Main Information Additional Data Additional Data Driver Info

       

Driver Info			Main Information Additional Data
Cla	Driver	#		Car	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h	Retirement	Points
1	A. Sutton NAPA Racing UK			Ford Focus ST	24	24'27.732				20
2	A. Taylor-Smith CarStore Power Maxed Racing			Vauxhall Astra	24	+0.411	0.411			17
3	T. Ingram BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8			Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance	24	+1.405	0.994			15
4	R. Butcher Toyota Gazoo Racing UK			Toyota Corolla GR Sport	24	+2.257	0.852			13
5	A. Morgan Team BMW			BMW 330e M Sport	24	+2.578	0.321			11
6	A. Watson CarStore Power Maxed Racing			Vauxhall Astra	24	+3.093	0.515			10
7	J. Cook One Motorsport with Starline Racing			Honda Civic Type R	24	+3.774	0.681			9
8	C. Turkington Team BMW			BMW 330e M Sport	24	+3.942	0.168			8
9	D. Lloyd Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils			Cupra León	24	+4.659	0.717			7
10	D. Rowbottom NAPA Racing UK			Ford Focus ST	24	+4.984	0.325			6
11	R. Pearson BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8			Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance	24	+5.269	0.285			5
12	M. Crees Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils			Cupra León	24	+12.789	7.520			4
13	A. Moffat One Motorsport with Starline Racing			Honda Civic Type R	24	+12.794	0.005			3
14	R. Collard Toyota Gazoo Racing UK			Toyota Corolla GR Sport	24	+12.952	0.158			2
15	M. Doble CarStore Power Maxed Racing			Vauxhall Astra	24	+13.026	0.074			1
16	T. Chilton BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8			Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance	24	+13.096	0.070
17	S. Osborne NAPA Racing UK			Ford Focus ST	24	+13.153	0.057
18	S. Jelley Team BMW			BMW 330e M Sport	24	+13.300	0.147
19	D. Patterson Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD.			Cupra León	24	+13.332	0.032
20	J. Hill Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport			BMW 330e M Sport	24	+13.550	0.218
21	N. Halstead BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8			Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance	24	+13.677	0.127
22	J. Edwards Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD.			Cupra León	24	+15.539	1.862
23	G. Gamble Toyota Gazoo Racing UK			Toyota Corolla GR Sport	23	1 lap
24	D. Cammish NAPA Racing UK			Ford Focus ST	23	1 lap
25	J. Butel Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown			Cupra León	23	1 lap
26	D. De Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD.			Cupra León	21	3 laps
27	B. Thompson Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown			Cupra León	18	6 laps
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