Marking an outstanding achievement in the debut season of NAPA Racing UK, the team – comprised of drivers Ash Sutton and Dan Cammish – won the coveted crown 57 points clear of their nearest rivals. Motorbase Performance/Ford took second in the BTCC Manufacturers’/Constructors’ battle.

Additionally, Sutton ended his maiden campaign with Motorbase and NAPA, and his first since 2016 with a front-wheel drive car, as BTCC Drivers’ Vice-Champion having gone into the last race at the 2.43-mile Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit still with a chance of securing a fourth career title.

With so much at stake this weekend the action was always set to be peak BTCC and round 28 delivered from the outset. Sutton, from third on the grid, launched well with fellow second row starter Cammish attempting to keep Jake Hill’s rear-wheel drive BMW at bay.

Contact early on left damage which hampered progress, but Sutton held onto third and a pressure-filled race followed which was peppered with contact. Two early Safety Car periods punctuated the action and at the second re-start Sutton was the victim of another hit. In the end, having struggled with speed issues as well, he took fourth after Hill went past on lap 16 and Cammish finished ninth.

From the second row in round 29 Sutton made a great start to shadow title rival Hill, but after a handful of laps he began to lose ground and instead came under immense pressure from Colin Turkington. On lap eight, at Surtees, the BMW went through but Sutton did then somehow manage to maintain fifth to the flag despite more pressure from George Gamble and Adam Morgan’s BMWs.

In the sister NAPA Racing UK car, Cammish lost a couple of places on the first lap to drop to 11th but he fought back well to reclaim both. Climbing into the top 10 on lap four, Cammish took ninth from Bobby Thompson on lap six and then took eighth at the finish due to a time penalty for Gamble.

Going into round 30 third in the driver standings and 14 points shy of the championship lead, Sutton had a huge task ahead of him but he did all he possibly could and raced incredibly hard to battle back from a sluggish start, dropping from sixth to ninth, to climb into the podium placings. In the end, he had to settle for a fighting fourth place but it was enough to claim the Vice-Champion’s spot.

Cammish began the race from third on the grid and instantly grabbed second on the run into Paddock Hill Bend, but after contact from behind forced him wide he dropped to seventh. Again doing a fantastic team job, Cammish kept Sutton’s chief rivals at bay for some time but eventually finished the final round in eighth place.

Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan’s Ollie Jackson started race one from 23rd place in his Ford Focus, resplendent in its new NASCAR themed Valvoline livery, and he made progress up the order into 19th before the second of the Safety Car periods. Gaining another place on lap 14, his race was then run on the next tour when heavy contact at Surtees from one of the Infiniti drivers triggered retirement.

Jackson lined-up alongside his team-mate Sam Osborne for race two, starting in 24th spot, and made steady progress over the first few laps. By the fifth tour he was in 21st position, but soon after he was then on the receiving end of several attacks – dropping to 24th by lap seven but ultimately taking 23rd at the finish to follow Osborne home just 0.6 seconds shy.

Starting 23rd for round 30, Jackson raced well and gained places early on and was into the top 20 before mid-distance. With plenty of action and, unsurprisingly, some contact too he finished the last race of the campaign in 22nd place.

Sam Osborne started off the final weekend of the BTCC season on the backfoot, when a clutch problem ruled him out of the opening practice. With a knock-on impact to qualifying, he had to settle for 27th on the grid for round 28, but in the race he moved up towards the top 20 before an unfortunate excursion at Paddock Hill Bend on the penultimate lap.

In race two, Osborne put together a great first lap to move up from 23rd into the top 20 and he wasn’t done there after taking 19th on lap two. Edged back a position on lap four, Osborne then lost a couple more places during the second half of the 15-lapper to end the contest in 22nd, right on the tail of Michael Crees’ Vauxhall Astra.

The championship finale was the best of the bunch for Osborne with a terrific drive towards the points, just missing out on his second top 15 of the year by 0.6 seconds. Leaping into 18th place on lap one, from 22nd on the grid, Osborne was 17th during an early Safety Car period and raced very impressively to take 16th late on.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“Not quite the fairy tale ending we were all hoping for, but the whole team can hold their heads high this season. Winning the Teams’ Championship is a huge achievement in the BTCC and we proved numerous times this season to be the envy of others with our incredible team spirit. There were a lot of changes over the winter which can often take time to work effectively, but the mixture of the original crew and the new members to the team proved to create a winning formula – a team I’m incredibly proud to be a part of! Congratulations to Tom Ingram and his team on a job well done this season. We now get to concentrate fully on some exciting plans over the winter with NAPA Racing UK and we’re more determined than ever to come back and claim the number ‘1’ back from Tom next year.”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“We gave it our all this weekend, it wasn’t enough unfortunately but the boys and girls at NAPA Racing UK, Motorbase and Mountune have all turned this package around. At the start of the year we had a qualifying car, not a race car, and I think everyone wrote us off to some extent. We’ve proved them wrong being in with a shout of the championship into the last race. We all want the Drivers’ title, but we’ve wrapped up the Teams’ Championship for NAPA and that shows what me and Dan have extracted from the car. I can’t thank everyone enough.”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“This day got away from us in a way, I’m disappointed about that. In race one I sort of shot myself in the foot, I was so desperate to help Ash I just over-cooked it and then got caught-up in dramas. I turned the corner for the next one, drove really well and we were racey. Race three, starting third, I thought we’ve got a great chance but I didn’t even make it through Turn Two – you do everything right and then get hit so hard by someone. You think to yourself, what do I have to do? There’s too much lack of respect out there for my liking but, obviously, we’ve won the Teams’ title so there’s a lot to be proud of.”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“I kind of thought we’d turned a corner, but we’ve just not had the sweet spot all weekend. I struggled to find a balance on Saturday and didn’t really hook it up for the races. I got beaten up in the first race and second race, I was hoping to make a bit more progress in the third race but it didn’t work out. It’s a shame to have ended the season this way after a positive upturn. There are some positives to take away, more lows than highs – it’s been educational!”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“I’m gutted really we didn’t quite get into the points. If you’d said at the start of the weekend we’d come away with 16th place I would have said ‘no way’. We missed FP1 with a clutch problem, which meant it was an engine-out job and a full strip down, so the guys did an amazing job to get me into FP2. From there, we’re on the backfoot and it was a knock-on effect all weekend. We went quicker and quicker each time we went out, so it’s a shame. I’m looking forward to 2023 now!”

2022 BTCC Drivers Championship
2nd Ash Sutton, 382pts; 8th Dan Cammish, 207pts; 22nd Ollie Jackson, 33pts; 25th Sam Osborne, 1pt

2022 BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship
2nd Motorbase Performance/Ford, 717pts

2022 BTCC Teams Championship
CHAMPIONS: NAPA Racing UK, 582pts; 13th Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, 40pts

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 329pts

The post NAPA RACING UK – 2022 BTCC TEAMS’ CHAMPIONS! appeared first on Alliance Racing.

The No.48 and No.77 Ford Focus ST cars of Ollie Jackson and Sam Osborne, run under the Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan banner, are being given the full NASCAR treatment for the last three races of the BTCC season.

Mike McCabe, Valvoline Marketing Director:
“As Technical Partner to Motorbase Performance we wanted to do something special to recognise their amazing work this season, challenging for both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships with NAPA Racing UK.

“Using our iconic NASCAR livery is an exciting visual surprise for those attending Brands Hatch this weekend. Fans will also have the opportunity to win exclusive Valvoline merchandise by posting pictures of either car using the #ValvolineBTCC hashtag.”

Current NASCAR Champion Kyle Larson, racing for Hendricks Motorsport, used the Valvoline livery winning the 2021 title with a record 10 wins, equalling the legendary Jimmie Johnson from 2007. Valvoline returned to the BTCC this year after a period away from the championship, following many successes going back to the 1980s.

The post ICONIC VALVOLINE NASCAR LIVERY TO APPEAR WITH MOTORBASE AT BTCC FINALE appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Motorbase, situated a literal stone’s throw from the circuit in nearby Wrotham, goes into the last three races of the campaign with its NAPA Racing UK entry leading the Teams’ Championship and Ash Sutton heading the Drivers’ Championship, following a strong outing at Silverstone a week ago.

Additionally, the BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors crown is also up for grabs as the category makes its second visit of the year to Brands, with Motorbase Performance/Ford currently second in that particular title battle.

Sutton, the reigning BTCC Champion, has produced an excellent second half of the season which has included three wins. With a total tally up to now of 12 podiums for the year, the three-time BTCC title winner heads into the finale with a five point advantage at the top of the Drivers’ standings.

While facing a major challenge in his bid to win the UK’s premier motor racing championship in his first season with Motorbase, Sutton is confident going into the Brands finale. Notably, of course, if he can claim the coveted crown for a record-equaling fourth time, it would also be his first BTCC title in a front-wheel drive car – his first season in FWD since his touring car debut in 2016.

NAPA Racing UK team-mate Dan Cammish, eighth in the standings, is aiming for a big finish to his first campaign with the Motorbase-run squad and he certainly deserves it after a season which has been badly impacted by some outrageous misfortune.

Starring during the visit to Brands Hatch’s Indy Circuit configuration back in May, with his first two podiums of the year, Cammish then experienced some dreadful luck over the next five race meetings before finally getting the break he deserved at Thruxton in late August – taking NAPA Racing’s UK’s maiden BTCC pole position and converting that into a lights-to-flag victory.

Of course, aside from his undoubted ability, Cammish has also been an outstanding team player this year. Foregoing a second win at Thruxton to enable Sutton to claim the victory and extra points in race two of the weekend, he also moved aside to assist his team-mate at Silverstone. Relishing the trip to Brands GP, it’s a track where Cammish has won each time he has visited in the BTCC.

At Silverstone just over a week ago, Ollie Jackson produced some excellent performances on his way to a pair of well-deserved points finishes for Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan – the highlight being ninth place in the weekend finale, having finished 11th in the preceding contest.

Getting increasingly comfortable with the Hybrid-powered Ford Focus ST as the season has moved on, especially the change in driving style required to accommodate the additional weight the system adds to the cars, Jackson is determined to end the season on a high at Brands Hatch GP. He will be pushing to take his tally of points finishes into double figures during the last three races of 2022.

It’s been a character-building season for Sam Osborne in the sister Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan car, and he is long overdue a straightforward and trouble-free weekend. Silverstone was a case in point, a tough qualifying session followed by multiple occurrences of contact on raceday.

Like team-mate Jackson, Osborne has been making incremental steps with his understanding of the Hybrid car and the differences it has made to the Ford Focus. For the three Brands Hatch GP rounds he has his sights set on a return into the points-paying top 15 and a push towards the top 10.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“What a season! This season has had it all but, most importantly for us, we’re aiming for glory in the finale in our own back yard at Brands GP. Ash has been here before and so have a lot of the people in the team. We’re top of the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships going into that last round for a reason, so at this stage we just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing this season and make our own luck going into the weekend. It’s the BTCC and so often things can swing one way and then completely the other. Whatever happens, I’m sure it will be a typically tense final BTCC weekend.”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“I’m absolutely buzzing and can’t wait to get to Brands Hatch this weekend! If you’d have told me early on in the season that we’d be heading into Finals Day leading then I’d have bit your hand off. Everyone at NAPA Racing UK has done a mega job to get us to this point and now we need to get it over the line. Seven points between three of us is nothing, you really couldn’t script it. Anything can, and usually does, happen at the final round but I’m feeling very comfortable with the situation I’m in as I know the demands that come with the finale, both in and out of the car. I love the Grand Prix Circuit and I’m confident the car will be really strong. I’m just ready to go now!”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“I’ve gone well at Brands GP in the past, I’ve won at the track every time I’ve raced there in the BTCC and it is a circuit I really enjoy. Its obviously a massive weekend for Motorbase and NAPA Racing UK, in the Teams’ Championship, Drivers’ Championship and the Manufacturers’ as well, which is a great achievement in our first season together – and I’ll have a role to play there. From a personal point of view, I really hope I can end the season challenging for wins and back on the podium and I’ll be doing all I can for the team in the championship fight as I did at Thruxton and Silverstone. I can’t wait to get to Brands and get started!”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“I’m really looking forward to Brands after a stronger showing at Silverstone. Brands GP is definitely my favourite track of the year, so it’s always good to go back there – and especially with it being the team’s home track as well. Hopefully I’ll be able to continue on from Silverstone and be back up there to finish the season with some strong results, and support the overall team in the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships.”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“Brands GP is always a fun track, it’s a proper drivers’ track, and I’m hopeful we can have a good weekend there to finish the season off positively. You need good confidence from the car, if you have that you can throw caution to the wind a bit and really attack the circuit. We have been making positive improvements, it’s not completely there yet but we’re getting there and I hope we can make a bit of a breakthrough at the weekend and end the season back inside the points. The top 10 is always the aim, if we can get there I’ll be happy.”

Opening free practice at Brands Hatch GP Circuit will begin at 09.30 on Saturday, 8th October, with session two following at 12.05 and the last qualifying session of the BTCC season will follow at 15.40 – streamed live online at www.itv.com/btcc

On Sunday, 9th October, round 28 will get underway at 11.30, round 29 is scheduled to start at 14.30 and round 30 is timetabled to begin at 17.15. All three races will, of course, be screened live on ITV4 and streamed online.

2022 BTCC Drivers Championship
1st Ash Sutton, 345pts; 8th Dan Cammish, 184pts; 22nd Ollie Jackson, 33pts; 25th Sam Osborne, 1pt

2022 BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship
2nd Motorbase Performance/Ford, 648pts

2022 BTCC Teams Championship
1st NAPA Racing UK, 522pts; 13th Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, 40pts

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 305pts

The post BTCC CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERS MOTORBASE RELISHING BRANDS GP HOMECOMING FOR TITLE DECIDER appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Garford started off the double-header conclusion to the season at PF International near Grantham with second and sixth in the two Heats on Saturday. Starting the Final on the front row, he hit the front inside two laps and went on to take a jubilant win – or so he thought. Incredibly, his kart’s rear bumper had snapped in half on the last lap and so he was disqualified due to the damage.

After such immense disappointment, Garford hit back in style on Sunday and achieved the redemption he’d been seeking. Qualifying on pole position, he won the first Heat and finished second in Heat Two. Beginning the Final on pole, he did slip to second but after a stunning final lap, trading the lead multiple times, he sealed the lead and the win in style with half a lap to go.

In the Daniel Ricciardo Series at Hooton Park, near Ellesmere Port, Bryn Calder was fastest in qualifying and broke the track record for an IAME 100 kart. In the opening Heat he led the entire race, just missing out on the last lap and finishing second. In the Pre-Final, Calder started in second place and finished runner-up after fighting hard for the win throughout.

Beginning the Grand Final second on the grid, Calder aced his start to rocket into the lead but the action was soon red flagged and a full re-start took place. Pushed wide onto the grass when the race got underway, Calder kept a cool head and finished second again to make it a hat-trick of podiums.

At Silverstone National Circuit, where Motorbase Performance’s Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship team departed with the lead of the Teams’ Championship with its NAPA Racing UK entry and the Drivers’ Championship lead with Ash Sutton, Academy racers delivered additional success in support categories Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Ginetta Junior and the MINI CHALLENGE.

In Porsche, NAPA Racing UK’s Hugo Ellis produced a star weekend for JTR. Qualifying seventh overall, second in Pro-Am, he finished race one in those positions and then delivered even more in race two. From the fourth row of the grid he charged to a superb fifth overall and second again in Pro-Am, only 0.3 seconds shy of the class winner and just 0.7 seconds from the overall podium.

Harri Reynolds re-took third in the Ginetta Junior Championship with a very competitive outing for Assetto Motorsport. Qualifying third, a great battle at the sharp end in race one ended with him taking fourth – having fought back from seventh after contact on lap one. In race two he finished second, thanks to a great last lap pass at the final corner, and then added second again in race three.

JWB Motorsport team-mates Jack Mitchell and Jamie Osborne were both rapid at Silverstone in the MINI CHALLENGE, the former taking third place in race three before a penalty dropped him to fifth position. He started off the event with sixth in the opener, up from 10th on the grid, and finished fifth in race two also.

Osborne, younger brother of BTCC racer Sam, produced an excellent qualifying inside the overall top 12 – third fastest of the Rookies. Finishing 11th overall and third in class in race one, he was fourth in the Rookies and 14th overall in the second contest. Set for a top 10 result in race three, an unfortunate penalty for a false-start dropped him to 18th in the classification, fifth of the Rookies.

Pete Osborne – Motorbase Performance Team Owner and Team Principal:
“Another fantastic weekend across the board, from our BTCC team right the way through the Motorbase Driver Academy racers in the TOCA support categories and in karting. Alfie delivered an outstanding weekend in the British Kart Championship, hitting back brilliantly with his final round win, and Bryn was on superb form as well in DRS with a hat-trick of podiums. Fantastic stuff!

“Hugo was incredibly impressive in Porsche, so close to that first Pro-Am win and right up there beating a number of the established Pros. It was great to see Harri on the podium twice in Juniors and Jack and Jamie were strong in MINIs. I was very impressed with Jamie’s pace this weekend, he was unlucky in the last race but overall a fantastic weekend.”

The post EXCELLENT WEEKEND FOR MOTORBASE DRIVER ACADEMY RACERS IN KARTS AND CARS appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Following rounds 25, 26 and 27, the Wrotham squad’s NAPA Racing UK entry has opened a healthy 42 point lead in the Teams’ Championship while reigning BTCC Champion Ash Sutton has moved five points clear at the top of the Drivers’ Championship. Motorbase Performance/Ford, meanwhile, is second in the BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors title battle.

Sutton initially took over the lead of the driver standings following an action-packed opening race, not least thanks to more selfless teamwork from Dan Cammish – just as he displayed at Thruxton. From fifth on the grid, Cammish made a good start and although slipping to sixth into lap two he moved up to fourth a couple of laps later as the action in the lead bunch became increasingly frenetic.

Sutton, who had slipped to ninth after a sluggish getaway, fought back through and by lap nine the two NAPA Racing UK Fords were sixth and seventh. After a mid-race Safety Car the pair ran nose-to-tail and on the final lap, at Brooklands, Cammish moved aside to allow Sutton to claim sixth and vital extra points – more crucial than ever with erstwhile series leader Colin Turkington not scoring.

Starting sixth and seventh for round 26, Sutton and Cammish immediately gained a place apiece off the line and Sutton then moved into fourth at the end of the first lap. Cammish, meanwhile, was shuffled back to seventh and remained there for the duration while Sutton challenged for third right to the finish, all the while having to soak up huge pressure latterly from title rival Tom Ingram.

Cammish started round 27 from second on the partially reversed grid, with Sutton starting fifth, but the former’s great start was badly hindered almost immediately when pole-starter Josh Cook moved sharply across to the right and Cammish’s Ford Focus brushed the pit wall.

Sutton was able to emerge through it all in second place at Becketts, with Cammish down to fifth, and Sutton remained there throughout for his 12th podium of the year. Cammish battled hard with Cook over fourth place on lap five and although gaining the position with some great determined driving, he was latterly edged to fifth by Jake Hill’s BMW on lap 18.

Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan’s Ollie Jackson experienced a mightily frustrating round 25, after a great qualifying run and a strong first few laps were compromised due to plenty of contact. Starting the race 13th, Jackson ran comfortably in the lead group and climbed to the cusp of the top 10 by lap four. After being put wide, though, and taking more contact he ultimately had to settle for 19th.

Race two went much more smoothly for Jackson, a fantastic drive from the 10th row of the grid almost delivering a deserved top 10 result. Slicing through the order superbly during the opening laps, by the fourth tour he was 12th and running brilliantly. Following the second of two Safety Car periods Jackson was 11th – due to Ricky Collard’s Toyota expiring in flames – where he stayed.

Round 27 was even better, Jackson moved up from 11th into seventh on a terrific opening lap and although passed by Tom Chilton into lap four Jackson managed to get ahead of Adam Morgan so remained seventh. Following the first of two Safety Car periods Jackson was challenged by Gordon Shedden and Jake Hill so slipped to ninth, but held off all other challengers to match his season best.

Osborne had a lot of work to do in race one from 26th on the grid but battled hard, and emerged from an incident-packed contest with a top 20 result just behind his team-mate. Gaining three spots on lap one alone, during the middle of the race the battle see-sawed but Osborne secured 20th with a couple of laps to go, and also his sixth top three result of the year in the Jack Sears Trophy class.

The start of round 26 didn’t go as intended for Osborne, dropping to almost the tail of the field after more contact not of his making. But from 27th place on lap three, he maintained his concentration and gradually worked his way back through to finish in 23rd position. In the final race he was again a magnet for contact from rivals, but eventually managed to bring his Ford Focus home in 21st place.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“Another great weekend as we get another step closer to the end of this season. There was some good teamwork on Saturday, the drivers and crews working together for a tow helped in qualifying which was important for this weekend. Then working together again in the races has ultimately given us a small edge over the competition going into the last weekend. In the BTCC the smallest margin can be just enough. As tight as it is, it’s awesome to be going into the final round leading the Drivers’ Championship and leading the Teams’ Championship. Now it’s our job to make sure it’s the same leaving Brands Hatch!”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“It’s like it’s been scripted all year hasn’t it, let’s be honest! It couldn’t be any tighter, you’ve got a great combination [at the top of the championship] of two front-wheel drive cars and a rear-wheel drive car. Brands is our home circuit for the team and we’ve had a mega weekend here, so I’m looking forward to Brands. We’re in a really good place with the car, the second half of the season I’ve felt at one with it. We’ve been able to dial it in, tweak it, chip away at it and it’s got us into the championship lead. I couldn’t have asked for any more going into the final round.”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“This weekend reminded me of Oulton Park, we’ve been nicely well inside the top 10 all day but just not quite quick enough to mix it with the top four – we struggled to unlock that last little bit we needed. Race three was my big chance, it all happened so fast at the start and I think I did just brush the wall but Josh [Cook] apologised afterwards. Without that, it might have been different. I played the team role again in race one to help Ash [Sutton] and as a team we’ve scored really well with both cars, it’s been a great weekend again for NAPA Racing UK.”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“I could’ve done without the punt in race one, but we’ve had good pace all weekend and I’m finally starting to get a handle on this Hybrid car. Races two and three were very strong. In the last race, when [Tom] Chilton got in front I decided I wasn’t going any further forward – I’d been up in sixth or seventh at one point – so I was a bit more defensive and playing the team game there to keep the other guys behind. We’re definitely getting better rocking up with a car that just needs tweaks, not major changes. I’m definitely feeling positive for Brands.”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“There was so much contact this weekend, smashing the steering about in all three races. It feels like the more racing room you give, the more they take advantage and just don’t care about driving into you. I always pride myself on being one of the cleanest drivers out there, so it’s frustrating when things happen like that. It is what it is though. We’re still not quite there coping with the extra weight of the Hybrid, it’s only little steps we need to make though until everything clicks.”

Motorbase’s home track, Brands Hatch in Kent, will host the BTCC season finale over the weekend 8th/9th October. Rounds 28, 29 and 30 will be contested on the full length Grand Prix Circuit.

2022 BTCC Drivers Championship
1st Ash Sutton, 345pts; 8th Dan Cammish, 184pts; 22nd Ollie Jackson, 33pts; 25th Sam Osborne, 1pt

2022 BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship
2nd Motorbase Performance/Ford, 648pts

2022 BTCC Teams Championship
1st NAPA Racing UK, 522pts; 13th Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, 40pts

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 305pts

The post SUTTON MOVES INTO BTCC POINTS LEAD AT SILVERSTONE AND NAPA RACING UK TAKES ADVANTAGE IN TEAMS BATTLE appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Following on from his third win of the campaign last time out at Thruxton, memorably achieved in his 200th BTCC race, reigning champion Ash Sutton is second in the Drivers Championship ahead of the penultimate event of the year after accruing a big haul of points.

Only six points shy of current leader Colin Turkington, Sutton’s season in the No.1 Ford Focus ST is really beginning to come together and a record-equaling fourth BTCC crown is an increasing reality in his first year with NAPA Racing UK, and his first season since 2016 in a front-wheel drive car.

Team-mate Dan Cammish was finally able to cast aside the misfortune which had blighted the bulk of his season during the second visit of 2022 to Thruxton last month, and in the best way possible too with NAPA Racing UK’s maiden pole position and a superb lights-to-flag victory in race one.

In the second contest, Cammish aced the start again and was on course to make it two wins from two. But as the incredible team player he is, the three-time Porsche Carrera Cup GB Champion enabled Sutton to move through on the penultimate lap to take the victory and the vital extra points for his title bid. Cammish heads to Silverstone eighth in the standings and eyeing more success.

Such was the points haul last time out in the NAPA Racing UK camp, the highest scoring team at Thruxton, the squad is second in the BTCC Teams Championship. Motorbase Performance/Ford is also second in the Manufacturers/Constructors Championship.

Ollie Jackson and Sam Osborne will both be pursuing consistent points finishes at Silverstone for Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, with Jackson looking to build on the strong drive to 14th place achieved in the last of the Thruxton races and also the season-best ninth place he secured during the previous race meeting at Snetterton. He is, of course, a former BTCC race winner at Silverstone.

Osborne had an unfortunate conclusion to the Thruxton weekend, with contact on lap two pitching his Ford Focus ST into retirement. While somewhat frustrated with the event’s results, as Thruxton is one of his least favoured tracks he is now relishing the trip to Silverstone where he will be targeting a return to the outright top 15 for the first time since the BTCC first visited Thruxton back in May.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“With two race meetings to go this is the time you have more than one eye on the championship standings. We had an outstanding weekend last time out at Thruxton, with multiple wins and podiums with both NAPA cars, and that’s put Ash right in the mix at the top end of the title fight. Hopefully we can replicate that form at Silverstone and make sure we go into Brands Hatch with a really good chance. Silverstone is always so close on times with such a short and relatively simple lap. We’ve been strong there in the past so we’re looking forward to seeing what the weekend will bring! The teamwork throughout the whole crew is very evident this year and that’s a big help when you’re in this position.”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“I’m looking forward to Silverstone this weekend. We’re getting down to the climax of the season now and I’m relishing what lies ahead. Three wins in as many events means we head into the weekend with some real momentum behind us, and despite Silverstone being a completely different challenge to Thruxton I’m confident we can be in the mix. The car is feeling awesome so let’s get after it and see what we can do.”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“I am feeling confident for Silverstone, we actually turned a corner at Snetterton but you just had to look a bit deeper. Then we turned up at Thruxton, put it on pole, won race one and had the speed to win race two. Winning a BTCC race is a huge achievement, so to give the [race two] win away like we did at Thruxton shouldn’t be underestimated. As a team we’re fighting for three titles though, so it was the right thing for me to do. It’s all about the bigger picture for NAPA Racing UK and Motorbase, not just this year but going forward. I’m excited ahead of Silverstone and looking forward to it.”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“Looking forward to Silverstone, traditionally the car has been strong there and I’ve usually been competitive. We’ve been getting stronger and stronger in the second half of the season as our understanding of the car builds, so hopefully this is the one where we crack it and get back up into the top 10. Quali is the key so that’s what we’re going to be focusing on. If we get lucky on the reverse grid I could bring back some silverware, or perhaps even repeat my win!”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“I always look forward to racing, so looking forward to Silverstone! Since Thruxton I’ve spent some time on the sim, refining things, and it should be mega close in qualifying – just a couple of tenths lost and you’re way down the grid. Ash and Dan have their cars in a really good place, so we’ll try to work from their base and challenge for the top 10 – that’s always my aim. I think it’s achievable, there’s been a lot of ‘shoulda, coulda’ this season so we just have to make it all come together.”

Opening free practice for the touring cars will get underway at 09.25 on Saturday, 24th September, with the second session beginning at 12.05 ahead of qualifying at 15.05 – the latter to be streamed live at www.itv.com/btcc

On Sunday, 25th September, round 25 of the BTCC season will start at 11.40, round 26 will follow at 14.25 and round 27 will conclude the on track action at 17.10. All three races will be streamed online and screened live on ITV4.

2022 BTCC Drivers Championship
2nd Ash Sutton, 305pts; 8th Dan Cammish, 155pts; 22nd Ollie Jackson, 21pts; 25 Sam Osborne, 1pt

2022 BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship
2nd Motorbase Performance/Ford, 576pts

2022 BTCC Teams Championship
2nd NAPA Racing UK, 453pts; 13th Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, 27pts

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 268pts

The post MOTORBASE AIMING HIGH FOR SILVERSTONE AS BTCC TITLE RACE ENTERS CRUCIAL STAGE appeared first on Alliance Racing.

In round four of the Wera Tools British Karting Championship at Whilton Mill in Northamptonshire, Garford – returning to the circuit which gave him his first ever race victory during his formative years in Cadets – was runner-up after a fantastic weekend of racing.

Finishing Heat One in second place and Heat Two in fourth, having led each of them, he achieved pole position for the Final. Holding the lead, he pulled away from the pack along with the second placed driver but a Full Course Yellow cautionary period was called with three minutes to go.

Closing everyone up ahead of a two lap sprint to the flag, Garford was shuffled back to fourth but managed to fight his way back into second before the conclusion – continuing his fantastic recent run of podium results.

At Llandow in South Wales, Bryn Calder enjoyed a great weekend during round five of the Daniel Ricciardo Series capped off with a third place finish in the Final. Starting off well in practice on old tyres, Calder was caught-up badly by traffic in qualifying but still secured the sixth fastest time.

Contact in Heat One dropped him all the way down to 16th place, but Calder recovered impressively to seventh position. He then improved to fifth in the Pre-Final after another enforced recovery, more contact dropping Calder down to 12th position before a great fightback. Lining-up eighth for the Final, he made a clean getaway and made fantastic progress to take the chequered flag in third.

Alongside the BTCC at Thruxton, the Ginetta Juniors were in action and Harri Reynolds experienced one of his most frustrating outings of the 2022 season. Things looked very promising after qualifying, taking second on the grid for race one and then claiming pole position for race two.

Having to settle for seventh place in the first of the three races at the Hampshire track, the Assetto Motorsport driver was in the front-running battle throughout the second contest but into the chicane on the final lap, while running second, contact led to a spin and an eventual finish of 12th.

In race three, Reynolds again showed what might have been by surging through into the top six on lap one from 12th on the grid. More contact, though, dropped him to the tail of the field but he fought back impressively to 11th before a penalty for an incorrect starting position led to 15th spot.

NAPA Racing UK backed driver Hugo Ellis started the first of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB races from fourth in Pro-Am, 15th overall, after having two laps times disallowed in qualifying. While race one ended with retirement on lap nine, in the second contest the JTR driver raced through to the Pro-Am podium in third place, 15th overall, having started 18th on the grid.

On Bank Holiday Monday, 29th August, the TCR UK Championship resumed at Donington Park in Leicestershire where Matt Wilson experienced a mixed outing with JWB Motorsport. Qualifying 11th fastest for the race one grid, Wilson took his Cupra Leon to ninth position in a strong race.

Starting the ‘reverse grid’ second race from the front row of the grid, although dropping to fifth after a sluggish start a good finish was still in prospect. Unfortunately, though, the race unraveled and after slipping back to 10th on lap four an incident two laps later meant Wilson plummeted to last and he eventually finished in 15th position.

Pete Osborne – Motorbase Performance Team Owner and Team Principal:
“On such a successful weekend for our BTCC squad, it was great to also see the Motorbase Driver Academy delivering some strong results with Alfie and Bryn both impressing. It’s fantastic Alfie kept his podium momentum going in the British Karting Championship and Bryn thoroughly deserved his podium in DRS with a great performance.

“Harri proved his pace in the Ginetta Juniors, the races just didn’t go his way unfortunately, but Hugo bounced back well from race one disappointment in Porsche GB to get onto the Pro-Am podium in race two. Matt was unlucky the way things turned out in TCR UK, but there are positives for him to take from the first race and his overall performance.”

The post KARTING ACES GARFORD AND CALDER SECURE PODIUM SUCCESS FOR MOTORBASE DRIVER ACADEMY appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Over the course of a fabulous couple of days in Hampshire for the Motorbase Performance-run team, Cammish finally achieved his long-awaited first win of the season, and in some style too, with a faultless lights-to-flag drive in round 22 at the wheel of the No.9 Ford Focus ST.

Converting his superb race one pole position, NAPA Racing UK’s first in the BTCC, into a textbook win, Cammish was on course to do the double in round 23 but played the perfect team game in allowing title contender Sutton – who also had fastest lap – to go through on the penultimate tour.

Sutton, who ensured a NAPA Racing UK podium double in race one with third place after an action packed first few corners where he was momentarily second having started fourth, duly took his third victory of the campaign in his landmark 200th BTCC race in the second contest. With team player Cammish following home in second, it marked the first one-two for NAPA Racing UK in the BTCC.

In round 24, Sutton charged through expertly from 11th on the grid to finish in fifth position and wasn’t all that far away from another podium. Cammish started in 10th place and did rise into ninth, but was edged back to 10th late on.

With just two race meetings remaining this season, at Silverstone National Circuit and Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, reigning champion Sutton is second in the championship and just six points shy of leader Colin Turkington. Cammish’s best weekend of the season has elevated him into the top eight.

In the BTCC Teams Championship, NAPA Racing UK is back into second place after Thruxton and only four points shy of the top of the table. Motorbase Performance/Ford is also second in the BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship.

It was a mixed weekend for the Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan drivers, although Ollie Jackson did chalk-up more points with a competitive drive to 14th place in an action-packed round 24. Raceday began with Jackson 24th on the grid for round 22, after his best lap time in qualifying was debatably disallowed, and he made good early progress before finishing in a strong 18th position.

In race two, Jackson was in the thick of the action again and especially during the latter stages where he was embroiled in a very close battle with Jason Plato. He looked on course for potential points but had to settle for 17th after some contact. Aiming for more in round 24, he delivered with a great drive to 14th position – including a quality move on Aiden Moffat into the fearsome Church corner.

Team-mate Sam Osborne started off with 23rd place in round 22, an improvement of two positions on his starting slot. Moving up the order early on and progressing towards the top 20, Osborne lost out in a multi-car melee on lap 10 and ultimately ended the race in 23rd position.

In round 23 the Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan racer chalked-up a top 20 finish after steadily working his way up the order but round 24 came to an early conclusion on only the second tour, after he was the helpless victim of contact into the complex which ruled him out on the spot.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“What a weekend! It’s been coming and this weekend it all came together. Highest scoring two drivers, team and manufacturer of the weekend, it doesn’t get much better than that! Dan has been exceptional all weekend and was rewarded with pole and his first win, he was unbeatable. It was also a fantastic weekend for Ash, a win, podium and top five in the reverse grid race has him right up there in the championship as we get closer to the decider. For my role in the team it’s essential to have a team and, in particular, drivers who are the whole package – they’re rarer than you might think. This weekend proved to me more than ever, I have the best in the pitlane!”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“If you need a teammate Dan [Cammish] is the man for that. He’s shown that he’s supporting the campaign and what we’re trying to do as an outfit and hopefully soon I can repay the favour. We got the fastest lap in at the start, I let Dan get some air, and then I tried to focus on getting a mix going on behind me. When [Gordon] Shedden and [Jake] Hill started battling I thought ‘right, let’s crack on’ and then the call came to switch positions.”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“To finally take our first win of the season, and to do it in the manner we did from pole, is fantastic and especially after such a long time coming – it’s a great reward for everyone who has kept the faith. We took an amazing pole in qualifying, the first for NAPA Racing UK, and it was a great start to race one which I was really happy about. In race two, it was all about what was best for the team and for the championship. I did everything right, it would’ve been two wins from two, but at the end of the day it’s a team game and it was the right choice to make.”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“We had a bit of a nightmare with qualifying, our best lap was disallowed – which really shouldn’t have been – and that altered the course of the weekend as we started further back than we should have. We struggled to find a balance, we only really got there for race three, but we still made some progress and then came away with a couple of points from a good final race. Thruxton isn’t my best track, so to still come away with some decent finishes is pretty pleasing.”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“I didn’t qualify very well, unfortunately, and that set the tone for the weekend really. We didn’t race too badly in the first two, then in race three I got tangled up in someone else’s mess. Two cars a fair way behind me going into the complex tangled, there was nowhere I could go because of cars in front of me, and my right-rear got hit which caused a lot of damage and that was game over. It’s a shame it ended that way, onwards and upwards now for Silverstone.”

Rounds 25, 26 and 27 of the BTCC season, the penultimate race meeting of the campaign, will take place at Silverstone National Circuit in Northamptonshire over the weekend 24th/25th September.

2022 BTCC Drivers Championship
2nd Ash Sutton, 305pts; 8th Dan Cammish, 155pts; 22nd Ollie Jackson, 21pts; 25 Sam Osborne, 1pt

2022 BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship
2nd Motorbase Performance/Ford, 576pts

2022 BTCC Teams Championship
2nd NAPA Racing UK, 453pts; 13th Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, 27pts

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 268pts

The post REMARKABLE WEEKEND AT THRUXTON FOR NAPA RACING UK WITH VICTORIES FOR CAMMISH AND SUTTON appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Travelling to the Hampshire speedbowl off the back of its second victory of 2022 with NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton just over a week ago at Snetterton, the Wrotham squad is also returning to a track where reigning champion Sutton chalked-up a hat-trick of podiums during the previous visit in May.

Fourth in the championship ahead of the eighth race meeting of the campaign, Sutton is just a single point shy of third position and only 10 points adrift of second place. In total, the Ford Focus ST racer has nine podiums to his credit this year.

Dan Cammish was the fastest of the Motorbase qualifiers at Snetterton a week ago, and was on course for a strong event until being caught-up in a luckless incident early in race two. He will be more determined than ever to get back to where his ability and pace deserve – the BTCC podium.

Likewise, the NAPA Racing UK driver – who has been stateside in recent days working with Australian single-seater racer Marcus Flack – was the top Motorbase performer in qualifying at Thruxton in May, third fastest and just 0.081 seconds shy of pole. Cammish is long overdue some good fortune.

Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan’s Ollie Jackson produced a superb season-best result of ninth place in the third of the scorching hot Snetterton races the weekend before last, capping an impressive event where he made great progress across the board and raced well.

Off the back of his strongest showing of the campaign to date, Jackson will clearly be hoping to harness that and move further forward at Thruxton where there is unfinished business from the May visit – power issues and an enforced engine change badly hampering the third meeting of the year.

Returning to the scene of his first points finish of the season, Sam Osborne is hungry to add more in the sister Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan Ford Focus ST and goes to Thruxton increasingly happy with the direction of travel in terms of set-up

Getting the second half of the season off to a solid start at Knockhill at the end of July, almost making it back into the points-paying top 15, at Snetterton the end results may not have been what he wanted but Osborne raced well and was only prevented from more after some robust contact.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“We’re getting to the business end of the season now! Another win for Ash last time out was great, now we look to the final three events of the championship. It’s all pretty close at the top between ourselves, BMW and the Hyundais and the Focus was pretty good last time we were at Thruxton earlier this year. We’ve made some clear improvements to the cars since then, so there is no reason why we shouldn’t be right up there. It’s a unique circuit which all drivers seem to love, probably because it needs 100% commitment which, in turn, requires the drivers to have 100% confidence in the car being underneath them. We’re looking forward to it!”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“I’m looking forward to heading to Thruxton this weekend! We’re coming off the back of two wins in as many race weekends so confidence is high and everyone at NAPA Racing UK is pushing so hard. We were strong at Thruxton earlier in the year and came away with a hat-trick of podium finishes so I’m feeling confident, especially as we have really moved the car on since then. We’re at a critical point in the season now and we’ve got a little ground to make up so it’ll be maximum attack!”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“I’m really looking forward to heading back to Thruxton this weekend, we were fast there earlier in the season and it is a track I’ve always gone well at and really enjoy. We had some good speed at Snetterton and should’ve come away with much more than we did, but as has been the story this year it didn’t work out for us due to factors out of our control. We need a big, consistent weekend and that’s the absolute focus. I’m determined to be back on the podium and get some momentum.”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“Hopefully we’ll be able to start where we left off at Snetterton with a good balance and competitive pace, although Thruxton is a very different track. Our last visit there earlier in the season was pretty challenging with some mechanical issues that set us back but, in reality, we had enough pace to stage a fight from the back of the grid almost into the points, so I’m optimistic. Our understanding of the Hybrid car is growing round by round and I’m now getting to grips with the driving style needed, so I’m positive about turning out some points finishes and stay in the running for the reverse grid.”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“We’ve been making good steps recently, I’ve been racing well and we’ve had good pace in the car so hopefully that can continue at Thruxton. We obviously got into the points when we were there in the Spring, and had a good run into the top 12 at Thruxton last year, so we have put in some good performances there. There’s no other track on the calendar like Thruxton, you need the car working well to provide the confidence to take it to the limit – hopefully we’ll have that.”

Free practice at Thruxton will start at 09.30 on Saturday, 27th August, with the second session following at 12.05 and qualifying – which will be streamed live online at the www.itv.com/btcc website – getting underway at 15.25.

Round 22 of the season will begin at 11.45 on Sunday, 28th August, round 23 will commence at 14.35 and round 24 is set to start at 17.20. All three races will be streamed live online and screened live on ITV4.

2022 BTCC Drivers Championship
4th Ash Sutton, 257pts; 12th Dan Cammish, 109pts; 22nd Ollie Jackson, 19pts; 25th Sam Osborne, 1pt

2022 BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship
3rd Motorbase Performance/Ford, 480pts

2022 BTCC Teams Championship
3rd NAPA Racing UK, 364pts; 13th Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, 24pts

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 240pts

The post MOTORBASE CHARGING BACK TO THRUXTON WITH CONTINUED SUCCESS IN SIGHTS appeared first on Alliance Racing.

The top karters from across the UK gathered for the biggest one-off TKM race of the year and Garford delivered the crown in style, a fabulous victory in the Final as well as the fastest lap to boot.

Qualifying fourth and then finishing Heat One in second position, he was second again in Heat Two and then took third place in the last of the Heats. Starting the Pre-Final second on the grid, Garford finished the penultimate race second after a photo-finish, missing the win by just 0.01 seconds.

Again lining-up second for the Final, Garford ran a comfortable second for the first half of the race and with five laps to go he made his move for the lead. Over the final three laps, the lead train of six karts battled fiercely but Garford was able to repel all challengers and took a memorable and thoroughly deserved win.

Massive congratulations Alfie from everyone at Motorbase!

The post KARTING ACE GARFORD WINS 2022 TKM FESTIVAL CROWN appeared first on Alliance Racing.