With NAPA celebrating its 100-year anniversary, the team headed into the weekend topping the driver’s and team’s standings with Ash Sutton after his double victory in the Donington Park season opener.

To commemorate NAPA’s 100-years, Ash’s team ran a black and yellow livery of the original NAPA colours.

PRACTICE & QUALIFYING

After two busy practice sessions on Saturday morning, the NAPA Racing UK quartet headed into qualifying in a confident mood, but it would be a tough session for championship leader Sutton, who failed to make it through from his group in Q1 by just 0.054s.

Dan Rowbottom missed out by an even smaller margin in the other group – 0.012s – to leave the pair 13th and 14th on the grid for the opening race.

Q2 saw Sam Osborne knocked out as he ended up seventh on the grid, which marked a new personal best qualifying performance, with Dan Cammish flying the flag into the Quick Six battle for pole before securing fifth on the grid.

RACE 1

Running the soft compound tyre in the opening race, Cammish saw off the early challenge of Mikey Doble to kick off the weekend with a sold fifth-place finish, whilst Osborne ran strongly in the top ten throughout, although he would be shuffled back to eighth late on in a frenetic midfield battle.

Given their positions outside the top ten, both Sutton and Rowbottom elected to run the less favoured hard tyre at the first opportunity, with Sutton battling his way to tenth at the finish and Rowbottom taking 18th, having lost out to softer-shod cars behind.

Race 2

With the top three forced onto the hard tyre for race two, Cammish was well placed to fight forwards from the third row and wasted little time in making up progress as he climbed to second in the early laps.

Unfortunately, a technical gremlin ahead of the restart after an early safety car period saw his car come to a halt on the circuit before he was hit from behind, damaging the suspension and putting him into retirement.

Instead, it was Sutton who lead the NAPA Racing UK challenge as he made the most of the soft tyre and the extra turbo boost now available to romp his way through to third spot and grab a podium finish – ensuring silverware on a weekend when he was running a special livery on his car to celebrate NAPA’s 100th birthday. The result also saw Ash reach a landmark 100th podium in the BTCC, an incredible achievement.

Osborne ran strongly to cross the line in eleventh spot before dropping down to 17th as a result of a five-second penalty for a false start, with Rowbottom showing his pace on the soft tyre as he worked his way through into ninth.

Race 3

Drawn on pole for race three, Rowbottom did well to fend off two fast-starting BMWs at the start and held the lead through the first lap before a forceful move from Charles Rainford on lap two demoted him down to second.

Rowbottom would slip down the order as the race progressed to end up ninth, with Sutton instead topping the NAPA Racing challenge once again as he battled his way to fourth spot thanks to a late move on the Hyundai of Chris Smiley.

Both Osborne and Cammish were left to run the hard tyre in the final race, which hampered their chances of making up ground from their respective starting positions.

Despite that, Cammish rose through the pack from 23rd place to finish 14th as the third best driver on hard rubber, with Osborne missing out on the points his weekend pace deserved in 18th.

The post NAPA RACING UK RETAINS TOP SPOT AT BRANDS HATCH appeared first on Alliance Racing.

To celebrate, NAPA Racing UK’s four-time British Touring Car Champion, Ash Sutton, will be behind the wheel of a special livery inspired by the original colours and logo of NAPA. May 10-11th will see the BTCC visit the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit for the 2nd round of the series, with Ash leading the championship.

Watch out for Ash’s black and yellow NAPA Ford Focus and custom Alpinestars race suit. To mark NAPA’s centenary, Ash will be running the #100 and has commissioned Joe at Rennat Design to complete the look with a custom-painted Arai GP-7 helmet to match his suit and car.

Here’s to the next 100 years.

NAPA’S 100-YEAR HISTORY

In the 1920s, America fell in love with the automobile. The National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA) was established in 1925 to meet America’s need for an effective parts distribution system.

Throughout the decades, NAPA expanded to distribute NAPA-branded parts alongside industrial parts, electronic materials, commercial vehicle parts, and more. The brand has become synonymous with trust, professionalism, and tradition across the globe.

NAPA IN THE UK AND IRELAND

NAPA is now a market-leading brand in the UK and Ireland. With more than 40 product categories, NAPA offers a comprehensive catalogue of OE-quality aftermarket parts, accessories, and consumables to the UK and Irish market – and the commitment to quality doesn’t end there.

The championship-winning NAPA Racing UK team has launched the brand into the spotlight with a strong presence in the BTCC, MINI Challenge, and more. NAPA Truck keeps fleets moving with a quality range of commercial vehicle parts. NAPA Auto Parts boasts over 290 branches nationwide, joining a global network of over 6,000 locations.

The NAPA Network has the parts you need when you need them.

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF NAPA

In May 2025, NAPA proudly celebrates its 100th anniversary with a renewed commitment to driving the industry forward. A variety of birthday activations are taking place across the globe throughout May and the rest of the year.

NAPA Auto Parts UK & IE are celebrating with a month-long Spin to Win promotion, offering customers as chance to win over 23,000 prizes, including a trip to the legendary SEMA Show in Las Vegas, F1 tickets and much more.

The post CELEBRATING NAPA’S 100 YEARS OF HISTORY AT BRANDS HATCH appeared first on Alliance Racing.

The Alliance Racing-run outfit was bidding to retain its position at the head of the Teams’ Championship standings on a weekend where it adopted a fresh look both on and off track to raise funds and awareness for Race Against Dementia – the charity founded by multiple F1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart.

PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING

On the circuit, the weekend started well as Dan Rowbottom topped the times in mixed conditions in the opening practice session, and the pace of the Ford Focus ST was further evident in a dry FP2, where Rowbottom again led the way with Ash Sutton making it a NAPA Racing 1-2 at the front.

Come qualifying, Sam Osborne just missed out on progressing to Q2 alongside Rowbottom, Sutton and Dan Cammish although only Rowbottom would then make it into the Quick Six after a frenetic ten minutes of track action.

Cammish would miss out by just a tenth of a second to line up eighth, with Sutton in twelfth, with Rowbottom ultimately securing a place on the second row of the grid with the fourth best time in Q3.

RACE 1

Rowbottom was the only one of the four to take the harder tyre option for race one as he bolted on a set of medium rubber, taking a different strategy to his three team-mates who all went with the soft tyre.

Despite being on the slower tyre, Rowbottom was able to take the flag in seventh place as the second best medium-shod runner, just behind Sutton who displayed impressive race pace to work his way through to six – taking the spot from his team-mate on the final lap.

Cammish would be involved in the midfield scraps as he crossed the line in ninth spot, with Osborne making the most of his tyre choice to climb six spots into the points in twelfth.

RACE 2

Rowbottom’s gamble of running the slower tyre first then worked in his favour in race two as he was able to charge his way through the pack to take the flag in second spot. The fact finished as runner-up came despite a five second penalty for being out of position at the start, further indicating his pace as he scored a first podium of the year.

Forced onto the medium tyre, Sutton and Cammish were both able to improve on their race one results as they took the flag in fifth and seventh, with Osborne sticking with the soft rubber and finishing in 15th – losing ground when he was run wide through turn three whilst part of a huge battle for position.

RACE 3

The final race of the weekend saw the top twelve on the grid reversed, but Cammish was unable to benefit from starting on the third row when he was forced off across the grass at Clarks in the early stages – dropping him down to 16th place.

He battled back well to take the flag in eighth place, which was two spots behind Rowbottom as he again showed his pace to come through from eleventh on the grid to take his second top six finish of the weekend.

Sutton maintained his record of improving his position in each race with fourth – just missing out on the podium – whilst Osborne was forced onto the slower medium tyre and had to contend with a mid-race pitstop, but still scored points in 15th to wrap up the weekend win in the Jack Sears Trophy.

BTCC STANDINGS

At the end of the weekend, Sutton remains third in the Drivers’ Championship with Cammish and Rowbottom in fourth and eighth, whilst Osborne won the Jack Sears Trophy for the weekend and currently sits third in the Jack Sears.

NAPA Racing UK meanwhile continues to head the Teams’ Championship.

MINI CHALLENGE

The penultimate weekend of action in the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE proved to be a positive one for Jamie Osborne, Lewis Selby and Cameron Richardson, who all picked up silverware from the weekend.

JCW CLASS

A strong performance from Osborne saw him finish all three races inside the top three on the road, although an unfortunate penalty in the second race for gaining an unfair advantage whilst working his way up the order dropped him back to fifth. Osborne is now just three points away from second in the battle to finish the season as runner-up.

The main beneficiary however was Selby as he moved up into third spot, with the points he secured being enough to confirm him as the winner of the Directors Cup with a round still to run.

JCW SPORT CLASS

Richardson picked up a strong haul of points as he secured a hat-trick of podium finishes, which leaves him second in the standards going into the final round – 39 points off top spot.

MINI CHALLENGE STANDINGS

Osborne leaves third in the standings, with Selby in sixth and Cam leaves still sitting second in the JCW Sport class standings.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO JOINED THE TEAM IN THE RACE AGAINST DEMENTIA.

Our highlights video and the total money raised will be announced soon.

The post podium and points for napa rACING AT KNOCKHILL appeared first on Alliance Racing.

The Ford squad headed for North Yorkshire on top of the Teams’ Championship, with both defending champion Ash Sutton and local racer Dan Cammish firmly involved in the title fight.

PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING

Saturday’s free practice sessions provided plenty of promise for the Alliance Racing-run Fords, with Dan Rowbottom setting the quickest time of the four NAPA Racing UK drivers in FP2, where he ended up in fifth spot.

Sutton and Cammish had earlier run inside the top ten in the first session, where Osborne set his fastest lap before being caught out by rain showers in FP2 that arrived before he had set a quick time.

Qualifying would be a mixed bag for the quartet of drivers as Cammish and Sutton made it to the Quick Six stage to secure second and sixth on the grid, but both Rowbottom and Osborne dropped out in Q1.

That was particularly tough for Rowbottom, who set two laps quick enough to make it into Q2 only to lose the times for track limits infringements.

RACE 1

Although Cammish lost a spot to Tom Ingram on the opening lap of race one, he would run in the top three throughout the race on the soft tyre to score his sixth podium of the season. Also running the soft tyre, Sutton fought his way into the top four in the early stages before chasing Cammish home to the flag, with Rowbottom and Osborne both electing to get rid of the hard tyre at the first opportunity.

Despite that, Rowbottom was able to gain three places to break into the top ten, with Osborne ending the race in P19.

RACE 2

With most of the cars ahead forced to then run the hard tyre in race two, Rowbottom made his strategy pay off in impressive fashion as he charged his way through the field to break into the top three by the half-way stage, allowing him to score his first podium finish of the campaign.

Cammish and Sutton held third and fourth through the opening lap before Sutton got ahead on lap two, with the defending champion surviving a clash with Colin Turkington to ultimately end the race in fifth as the second best car on the harder rubber, with Cammish this time chasing him home to the flag.

Like Rowbottom, Osborne maximised the fact he was now running on the soft tyre as he gained six spots from his starting position to break into the points in 13th.

RACE 3

The top eight would be reversed on the grid for the weekend finale, leaving Cammish and Sutton sharing the second row for the start.

Running side-by-side down to turn one, the pair emerged unscathed through the opening turns despite losing a place, with Cammish ending the opening lap in fourth but Sutton being shuffled down to eighth after contact.

Cammish grabbed second spot on lap two when Ingram and Aron Taylor-Smith ran wide through the Esses, and held the place to the flag to make it seven podium finishes in the last twelve races.

Sutton survived mid-race contact that left his car sideways at Sunny In to take fourth after recovering from his tough opening lap, whilst Rowbottom also had to deal with contact in the race as he took the flag in eighth. Osborne scored his second points finish of the weekend with twelfth spot after a hard-fought battle in the mid-field.

BTCC STANDINGS

Heading away from Croft, Sutton and Cammish sit third and fourth in the standings with Rowbottom having now moved into the top ten, whilst NAPA Racing UK continues to head the Teams’ Championship. Osborne meanwhile remains third the Jack Sears Trophy.

MINI CHALLENGE – JCW

Croft also marked the latest rounds of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE, with both the JCW and JCW Sport classes in action across two races.

In the JCW Class, Jamie Osborne produced a stunning performance in qualifying to score a double pole position, although a grid penalty carried over from Oulton Park meant he would line up in fourth place for the opening race.

Osborne would run in the podium places for the majority of the race and only missed out on second spot on the final lap when defending champion Dan Zelos managed to nip ahead. Team-mate Lewis Selby meanwhile strengthened his lead in the Directors Cup with another class win, taking the flag in sixth overall.

From pole in race two, Osborne led the early stages before being overhauled by Tom Ovenden on lap five – leaving him to settle for the runner-up spot in second place. Selby would follow him home in third, to make it eight podium finishes for the pair so far this season.

MINI CHALLENGE – JCW SPORT

In JCW Sport, Cameron Richardson topped the times in qualifying to snare pole for race two, although he would line up in second place for race one – the same position in which he would ultimately finish behind current points leader Dylan Hotchin.

Holding the lead at the start of race two, Richardson was overtaken by rival Albert Webster and then spent the remainder of the race fixed onto his tail as he repeated his race one result for a strong haul of points.

MINI CHALLENGE STANDINGS

Osborne leaves third in the standings, with Selby in sixth and Cam leaves still sitting second in the JCW Sport class standings.

The post TRIPLE PODIUM FOR NAPA RACING UK AT CROFT appeared first on Alliance Racing.

The Ford team headed for the picturesque Cheshire circuit on a high following a strong weekend at Thruxton in which Ash Sutton grabbed a first win of the season and Dan Cammish scored a hat-trick of second place finishes.

PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING

Carrying that pace into the Oulton Park weekend, the Alliance Racing-run squad was right at the sharp end from the start as Dan Rowbottom topped the times in free practice and come qualifying, he joined Sutton and Cammish in making it through to the Quick Six element of the session and the fight for pole position.

Despite his lack of hybrid as championship leader, Sutton produced a storming lap to earn a place in the front row of the grid, with Cammish just behind in third and Rowbottom taking fifth – only missing out on the second row by 0.005s. Sam Osborne would drop out in Q1 to end up in 17th place on the grid for race one.

RACES 1, 2 AND 3

That opening race saw NAPA Racing UK maintain its run of podium finishes as Sutton and Cammish took the finish in second and third, with the former having pushed hard in the early stages to try and grab the lead from Tom Ingram – at one stage nosing ahead at the hairpin.

Cammish meanwhile followed them home in third for a fourth successive podium finish and grabbed the bonus point on offer for fastest lap, whilst Rowbottom looked to have made it a 2-3-4 for the team when he crossed the line close behind having taken advantage of an error by Jake Hill to make up a spot mid-race.

However, a 30 second penalty handed out after the race for damaged bodywork on his car saw him demoted back down to 15th place, one spot ahead of Osborne who had been the only one of the four to run the slower hard compound tyre.

Race two would prove to be one of mixed emotions, with Sutton running in a strong third in the early stages on the hard compound tyre before he sustained damage to his car that forced him to come into the pits for repairs.

That meant he went from fighting wheel-to-wheel for second place to a 16th place finish and a no score, leaving Cammish to lead the charge for more silverware.

Cammish looked good to maintain his run of podiums as the #27 Focus held third until the final lap when Hill’s BMW was able to edge ahead to demote him to fourth.

Despite the fact he too was on the hard tyre, Rowbottom drove well to fight his way from 15th on the grid to finish inside the top ten in ninth, whilst Osborne – the only one of the four now on the soft tyre – was able to break into the points in 15th.

The final race before the summer break would again provide a mixed bag of results for the team, with Cammish maintaining his impressive run of consistent finishes as he took the flag in fifth place – making it eight top fives in the last nine races to sit fourth in the championship standings.

Rowbottom followed him home in sixth after a battling performance that saw him race forwards from ninth on the grid although there was frustration for both Sutton and Osborne as they failed to score.

Sutton had been running seventh behind Rowbottom when he was forced to pit with bodywork rubbing against a tyre after clipping a tyre stack, leaving him with just a single point to his name for fastest lap, whilst Osborne was unable to finish after bringing his car into the pits to retire.

MINI CHALLENGE

Oulton Park would also host the latest two rounds of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE, where the highlights came courtesy of Cameron Richardson in the JCW Sport category.

Despite a tricky qualifying session that saw him have to settle for fourth in class, Richardson was fighting for third on the road when a small mistake at the chicane dropped him away from the lead pack, although he would still be classified in third due to the invitational status of a car ahead.

Richardson then went one better in race two however as he secured a solid second place to head into the summer break sitting second in the points.

In the JCW class, Lewis Selby extended his lead in the Directors Cup standings with a seventh class win of the campaign in the opening race, where he also secured a solid eighth overall ahead of team-mate Jamie Osborne.

The roles were then reversed in the second race as Osborne took the flag in seventh spot with Selby in ninth, but a post-race penalty for an on-track clash dropped Osborne back to ninth in the results and left Selby with another top eight result.

STANDINGS

Sutton remains the best placed NAPA Racing UK driver in the BTCC standings in third spot, with the team continuing to lead the Teams’ Championship. In the MINI CHALLENGE, Osborne sits fifth in the points, with Selby in seventh and Cam second in the JCW Sport class.

NEXT STOP

The championships head into the summer break until Croft on the 27/28 July.

The post DOUBLE PODIUM FOR NAPA RACING UK AT OULTON PARK appeared first on Alliance Racing.

It was back to serious business at the weekend as the team headed to Thruxton, the fastest circuit in the UK. Thruxton is a test of any driver’s commitment and nerves as much as it is the car’s performance. The combination of both saw NAPA Racing and Ash Sutton taste the victory champagne for the first time in 2024. Dan Cammish scored a hat-trick of 2^nd place finishes seeing him rise into championship contention with a fantastic weekend for the NAPA ace. These results were a testament to the whole team as both drivers overcame adversity on and off the track to enjoy NAPA’s most successful weekend of 2024 (so far).

Coming into the weekend under the weather, Cammish had been struggling in FP1 and FP2. But fuelled by the adrenaline of qualifying and some crucial set-up changes by his team, Dan pulled out his best qualifying performance of the year and put his NAPA Focus on the front row of the grid. Like Cammish, Rowbottom scored his best qualifying result with a 4^th place ahead of Ash in 5^th. Sam Osborne lined up 15^th in the fourth NAPA car.

Race 1 saw a double podium for Cammish headed home to Sutton to see NAPA 2^nd and 3^rd. Some “rubbing” was deemed to be illegal and the rule makers dropped Rowbo from 5^th on the road to 7^th place in race 1, with Sam finishing 16^th. Race 2 again saw a 3-car NAPA train battling at the front. Unfortunately, whilst battling for the lead,  Ash Sutton sustained some damage, seeing him finish behind Dan Cammish, who again scored a fantastic 2^nd place finish, with Dan Rowbottom 4^th and 15^th.

The damage sustained in race 2 to Ash’s Focus was a little more severe than cosmetic. With the short turnaround between races 2 and 3, the full NAPA team descended on the car to turn it around to get it back out, a true show of teamwork. Ash rewarded the incredible work from the crew with the team’s first victory of the season, heading Dan Cammish to the line in 2^nd. Dan Rowbottom was on the pace all weekend and set for a great race 3 result, but contact with a BMW sent the #32 into the barriers. Sam again brought the car home in the points with a 13th-place finish.

Leaving Thruxton, NAPA Racing leads the BTCC Drivers, Manufacturers and Teams championship. A huge thanks to all our partners, we look forward to Oulton Park in 2 weeks, where the BTCC will be joined by the MINI team again.

The post Thruxton: Return To The Top Step appeared first on Alliance Racing.

The four-strong BTCC line-up headed into the third meeting of the season on a high after another strong showing at Brands Hatch had allowed Ash Sutton to hit the front in the Drivers’ championship and seen the Alliance Racing-run squad maintain its lead in the Teams’ standings.

PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING

The Snetterton weekend started off in positive fashion during free practice, where Dan Cammish was the quickest of the Ford Focus STs, going second fastest in both sessions with Sutton and Dan Rowbottom close behind.

The results from second practice saw all four cars drawn into Group 2 for the first stage of qualifying, where Sutton led the way from Cammish and Rowbottom set the fourth best time as the trio made it through to Q2, although Sam Osborne – fresh from an outing in the British Truck Racing Championship – dropped out at the first stage.

Q2 saw both Cammish and Sutton again progress as Rowbottom missed out by two-tenths of a second to finish tenth on the grid, with the final Quick Six shootout seeing Sutton overcome his lack of hybrid to take second place on the grid, with Cammish securing fourth with his only timed lap.

RACES 1, 2 AND 3

Sutton, Cammish and Rowbottom all elected to run the soft tyre in race one with Sam choosing the medium, and a positive start to the day saw Sutton and Cammish cross the line in third and fourth.

Sutton had held second early on before being overhauled by Bobby Thompson but still retained his 100 per cent podium record, with Cammish battling his way ahead of Adam Morgan mid-way through the race to follow him home.

Rowbottom had found himself shuffled back to 13th on the opening lap but showed strong pace to recover back through to tenth at the finish, with Osborne just missing the points in 16th.

Rain delayed the start of race two but with circuit conditions changing quickly, both Sutton and Rowbottom gambled on a switch to slick tyres after the green flag lap in the hope that the circuit would dry out.

The wet-shod cars had the advantage early on as Cammish found himself running in third spot, with Osborne rocketing up into the top ten on the opening lap. Sutton and Rowbottom meanwhile would be further down the order but hopeful of progressing forwards as conditions improved.

Further rain however meant the gamble on slicks had been the wrong call, with Rowbottom electing to pit a second time as he ended up back in 17th and Sutton back in 20th after a rare off track excursion heading on the Bentley straight.

It left Cammish to fly the NAPA Racing flag as he took advantage of a mistake from Andrew Watson to move into second spot and grab his first podium finish of the season, with Osborne scoring ninth place for his best result of the year to date.

The final race of the weekend saw the quartet back on dry tyres on what was a damp but drying track, with Ash producing a storming drive through the pack from the back of the pack on the medium tyres to race his way through to fifth spot despite having to deal with fumes entering the cockpit of his car after early contact damaged the exhaust on his car.

Forced to run the least favourable hard tyre, Cammish slipped back from eighth on the reverse grid to end up in 13th place for a third points finish of the weekend, although Rowbottom’s hopes of joining Sutton in racing through the field were ended when unfortunate contact resulted in a puncture that saw him forced into a pitstop and left him outside the points.

Osborne meanwhile started from the reverse grid pole but a lurid slide on soft tyres at turn one saw him spin onto the grass and drop to the back of the field. Despite that, he recovered through to 14th by the finish to pick up a handful of points.

STANDINGS

The weekend ends with Sutton ten points clear in the Drivers’ standings and with NAPA Racing UK 21 points ahead in the Teams’ Championship. The Alliance Racing-run squad also heads BMW in the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ title race, whilst Osborne lies third in the Jack Sears Trophy.

MINI CHALLENGE JCW

The three Vertu MINI CHALLENGE drivers faced a busy weekend with a fourth race added to the schedule to replace the one lost to poor weather conditions during the opening round of the campaign at Donington Park.

Heading into the weekend sitting second in the standings, Lewis Selby found himself in the wars in the opening race when he suffered a trip off track on tricky wet conditions and was forced to make an unscheduled pitstop that dropped him down to 16th in the end results.

Battling for the podium positions for most of race two, Selby end up classified in eighth place after a chaotic final lap before the third race of the weekend saw him unfortunately forced to bring the car in to retire with a driveshaft issue. A gamble on slick tyres in the final race ultimately came to nothing, with a spin off track on the third lap forcing him into retirement.

Jamie Osborne’s weekend kicked off with a fine podium finish in the rescheduled Donington Park race, setting the fastest laps in the damp conditions to match his best result of the season to date.

Osborne just missed out on the podium finish in the second race of the weekend in fourth spot before repeating the feat in race three – with fifth in the fourth and final encounter completing a solid showing that moves him up to third in the standings, one spot ahead of Selby. Selby also retains a comfortable lead in the Directors Cup.

MINI CHALLENGE JCW SPORT

Cameron Richardson’s JCW Sport weekend saw him take second in class in the rescheduled Donington encounter before he overcame an intermittent power issue at the start of race two to recover through to third place.

Fourth place in race three after a late battle with Ben Crossley for the final podium position was followed by a battling third place in the finale that leaves Cam second in the standings at the end of the weekend.

NEXT STOP

Whilst the BTCC quartet return to action at Thruxton in a fortnight, the three MINI CHALLENGE drivers will be out next at Oulton Park in late June.

The post NAPA RACING BATTLES THE ELEMENTS AT SNETTERTON appeared first on Alliance Racing.

The test at Donington Park, which will play host to the opening three races of the season next weekend, was the third and final official test of the winter and saw all 20 cars currently featured on the entry list take to the track.

Keen to further refine the title-winning Ford Focus ST after a number of upgrades were introduced during the winter, the Alliance Racing-run squad topped the times at the East Midlands circuit with reigning champion Ash Sutton, who was able to set the only sub 1:08s lap of the day.

That came during limited running in the afternoon before the arrival of rain, with Sutton edging team-mate Dan Cammish out of top spot and Dan Rowbottom also lapping inside the top five.

Sam Osborne meanwhile was 15th on the combined times, and third quickest of those driver who are eligible to battle for the Jack Sears Trophy.

Pre-season running had kicked off in early April with a day of running at Brands Hatch, which had been the home circuit for the NAPA Racing UK team before it relocated to new premises in the Midlands.

A hugely productive day on track saw the four drivers complete more than 500 laps of the short Indy circuit and whilst the focus was on development work rather than chasing outright lap times, both Sutton and Cammish were little over three-tenths of a second off the pace.

The Focus would also show strong pace at Croft during the second test, where mixed weather conditions once again played a part – although Cammish, Sutton and Rowbottom all lapped inside the top six.

“We have made great use of the wet weather to really refine our wet setup and some of the findings have filtered down into the dry setups too. We’ve had a pretty well structured testing plan building our knowledge and understanding of the Focus, which allows us to dial a car in quicker on race weekends with limited practice before qualifying! As a summary I think we’ve taken a small step forwards this year and it’ll be interesting to see how we measure up against the competition at round 1 in just over a week!” Antonio Carrozza, Chief Engineer. 

NEXT STOP

With plenty of mileage under their belts, the four drivers now return to Donington Park on the 27/28 April for rounds one, two and three of the season looking to replicate the results seen twelve months ago, where Rowbottom scored pole and Cammish went on to secure a double win.

KEEP UP TO SPEED

Keep up with the team this year by subscribing to our newsletter for the latest information, news and exclusive offers – SUBSCRIBE HERE

DRESS LIKE CHAMPIONS

The post NAPA READY AFTER PRODUCTIVE TESTING appeared first on Alliance Racing.

NAPA Racing UK returns for its 3^rd season, this time as champions. Ahead of the season opener we are proud to unveil the 2024 lineup and liveries that will be competing across the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), MINI Challenge, BRISCA F1 and the British Truck Racing Championship (BTRC). NAPA Racing is going all out to add to their record-breaking 2023 season. All vehicles will be decked out once again in the iconic yellow and blue colours of NAPA and NAPA Auto Parts. For 2024 there is an added splash of white to tie into our US-based NASCAR team.

The Ford Focus STs prepared by Alliance Racing are set to return, with Ash Sutton’s car proudly supporting the #1 and gold plate to identify the reigning champion. Whilst the silhouette of the car may look similar to last year, don’t let outward appearance deceive you. Chief engineer Tony Carrozza and the team have sweated the details during the off-season to ensure the NAPA cars are once again challenging for victories and overall honours. Ash leads an unchanged driver lineup with Dan Cammish, Dan Rowbottom and Sam Osbourne, all aiming to repeat the historic season and retain the hattrick of titles won in 2023.

Joining the NAPA Racing UK lineup are three JCW MINI Challenge cars for Jamie Osborne, Lewis Selby, and Cam Richardson. Expect to see the stunning NAPA JCW MINIs challenging for glory. All three MINIs will be built and run from Alliance Racing’s brand-new state-of-the-art race shop in Northampton.

Reigning British Truck Racing Championship (BTRC) Division 2 Champion Paul Rivett returns to the championship to defend his title and adds sponsors CV Components and TOP Truck to his 1000bhp MAN race truck.

BRISCA F1 racer Jack France completes the line-up in his 600bhp Chevrolet-powered F1 monster. Jack will once again be battling it out in the #216 machine on the shale and tarmac ovals across the UK.

2024 PARTNERS:

For 2024 we are delighted to continue our relationship with Valvoline, using the iconic VR1 racing performance range of braking and engine products across all our cars.

We are thrilled to extend our technical partnership with the NAPA Racing UK team. With our VR1 Racing engine oil powering all of the cars, we’re poised for yet another successful season pursuing victory in both the BTCC Team and Driver Championship.

Mike McCabe, Valvoline Marketing Director EMEA

Leading UK fuel additive and cleaner Cataclean, once again return. The passionate North-West UK team ensures the team’s engines are performing to the highest level thanks to their patented fuel cleaners.

“Cataclean has supported the BTCC/TOCA package and our brand ambassador Dan Rowbottom since 2017. 2024 sees us enter the second year of our partnership with NAPA Racing UK. All our team look forward to being part of another year with the Cataclean-backed cars challenging at the front of the grid”.

Ross Baigent, Cataclean

The NAPA Racing pits, and workshop will once again be stocked with Caryle Tools and Milwaukee power tools. Training and recruitment specialist; Autotech Group are also returning, providing a gateway for students and graduates mechanics to enter motorsport.

“The British Touring Car Championship is one of the best-loved, most illustrious motor racing championships in the world, captivating millions of fans every year. We are delighted to continue our support of the NAPA Racing UK team who enjoyed a highly successful season last year.”

Simon King, CEO of Autotech Group.

Leading garage-finding website Approved Garages also returns to support the team along with Tayna Batteries, and electric and hybrid service network specialist Nexdrive.

Joining us this year will be leading dash and safety camera specialist; Road Angel, providing us with audio and visual camera equipment. Also joining the roster are Australian performance clutch manufacturer; Uni-Clutch and the UK’s leading aftermarket hot emissions brand BM Catalysts. Lighting specialists Osram and Ring Automotive are represented along with Turtle Wax, the UK’s leading detailing brand.

“We are delighted to partner with NAPA Racing, a team at the pinnacle of British motorsport. To know the Halo Ultra dash cam will be used inside the championship-winning BTCC car fills everyone at Road Angel with pride and we can’t wait to start seeing the footage from testing.”

Gary Digva, Visionary behind Road Angel

The NAPA Racing shop will once again be trackside at all BTCC venues with official team merchandise developed by sportswear and outdoors specialists OSO.

NAPA Racing UK is proud to raise awareness and work alongside automotive charity Ben through 2024. Ben supports the lifeblood of the automotive industry- its people, providing support for mental health, physical health and wellbeing.

The NAPA Racing UK season kicks off with the BRISCA and BTRC season on 1^st April, with BTCC and MINIs taking to the grid 28/29^th of April at Donington Park.

 Keep up to date on all our drivers this year @naparacinguk or click HERE to buy NAPA Racing merchandise.

The post NAPA RACING UK 2024 LIVERY LAUNCH appeared first on Alliance Racing.

NAPA Racing UK will chase title glory across four different championships in 2024 after today finalising its expansive racing programme for the upcoming campaign.

BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP

Following a stunning 2023 season that saw it win the Drivers’, Manufacturers’ and Teams’ Championships, NAPA Racing UK will once again compete in the biggest series in the UK with a four-car assault on the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship alongside partners Alliance Racing.

An unchanged driver line-up will be led by defending champion Ash Sutton, who goes into 2024 looking to become the first driver in series history to win five championship titles. Ash equalled the record held by Andy Rouse and Colin Turkington last year after a dominant campaign that included no fewer than twelve wins, with the 30-year-old emerging as the class of the field in a season that will live long in the memory.

“After an incredible two years with the team already and the latter being a record-breaking year claiming my fourth title, this now means I am fully focused to go after more. Let’s get 2024 underway, the car finished in a good place but that doesn’t mean it’s been left there. More development has been going on back at HQ and I can’t wait to get back in the hot seat,” says Ash Sutton #1.

Dan Cammish embarks on his third year in NAPA Racing UK colours looking to join Ash in challenging for the championship having shown race-winning pace across the past two seasons. The multiple Porsche Carrera Cup title winner was a three-time victor last season as he played his part in the team’s championship success, and goes into 2024 amongst the fancied runners in the battle for top honours.

“I am proud to be part of such a fantastic team and have learnt a great deal over the past two seasons. I intent to use everything at my disposal to bring NAPA Racing more success and look forward to getting back on track with my teammates,” says Dan Cammish #27.

Daniel Rowbottom returns for his second season as part of the NAPA Racing UK family on the back of his strongest BTCC campaign to date last year. A race winner at Thruxton, Daniel secured his best championship finish so far and set a new personal best for points scored. With these two records, he will now be looking to join Cammish and Sutton in the hunt for championship honors.

“To go into 2024 with NAPA Racing UK is an amazing feeling, with one year under our belt we have a great understanding of how we all work. To be apart of the success of 2023, and to be able to have contributed in a positive way is a great feeling, but it has left me hungrier and more ready than ever. I’ve been in the gym since the flag fell at Brands GP and I don’t think I’ve ever placed myself in a better position to start a season. It’s going to be a great one, lets go racing!” – Dan Rowbottom #32.

The four-car line-up is once again completed by #77 Sam Osborne. A career-best finish at Donington Park, combined with a total of 14 points finishes (almost doubling his previous best), meant that like Rowbottom – Osborne enjoyed the best season of his BTCC career in 2023. Osborne will once again be challenging for the Jack Sears Trophy title.

MINI CHALLENGE, BRITISH TRUCK CHAMPIONSHIP AND BRISCA F1

NAPA Racing UK will continue to have a presence elsewhere on the TOCA package, with a three-car entry into the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE.

As was the case in 2023, Jamie Osborne and Lewis Selby will chase honours in the headline JCW class with Jamie chasing overall honours having secured the Graduate Cup last year – helped by a breakthrough victory at Oulton Park. Lewis meanwhile picked up multiple top-ten finishes and was a winner in the Directors Cup, a title he will bid to secure during the year ahead.

The pair will be joined on the grid this season by Cameron Richardson, who graduates from the Cooper category into the all-new JCW Sport class and has his sights firmly fixed on fighting for the inaugural championship title.

“I’m excited to be back for another year with NAPA Racing UK and better yet, in the JCW Sport. It’s intriguing to get into this championship for it’s first ever year. With Jamie and Lewis and the best team behind us, I know we’ll have the car. It’s a case of head down and make the most out of this incredible opportunity,” says Cam Richardson.

Cameron will be coached throughout the season by the experienced figure of four-time Clio Cup Paul Rivett, who will also seek to defend his Division 2 title in the British Truck Racing Championship.

Paul’s season-long fight with Adam Bint for the championship crown last year went right to the wire and ended with NAPA Racing taking the title thanks to a superior win record – picking 18 victories compared to the six of his rival.

The NAPA Racing UK line-up for 2024 is completed by Jack France, who embarks on his fourth year with the team in BriSCA F1 looking to maintain the front-running form he displayed last year en-route to a share of tenth in the Grand National Championship.

Keep up to date on all our drivers this year @naparacingukor click HERE to buy NAPA Racing merchandise.

Follow @NAPARacingUK on social media to never miss an update!

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The post NAPA RACING UK 2024 DRIVER LINEUP appeared first on Alliance Racing.