Alliance Racing has announced the appointment of multiple BTCC championship-winning race engineer Kevin Berry for the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season.

Berry brings over two decades of touring car expertise to the Northampton-based operation, having worked in the BTCC since 1999. During his time with Triple Eight Racing, he guided the team to eight manufacturers’ titles and six drivers’ championships across 13 years with the Vauxhall Vectra programme.

More recently, Berry engineered Colin Turkington to drivers’ championships in 2014 & 2018 at West Surrey Racing, earning him the prestigious Engineer of the Year award in 2018. He has since gained valuable international experience with Cyan Racing Lynk & Co in the FIA World Touring Car Cup & FIA TCR World Tour, engineering Yann Ehrlacher to 3 drivers world championships in 2020, 2021, and 2025.

“I’m excited to join Alliance Racing for what promises to be a competitive season,” said Berry. “The team already has an outstanding pedigree and I’m looking forward to working with the drivers and engineering staff to build on the success they achieved in 2025. There’s an expectation of excellence here and I look forward to contributing to further success in 2026.”

Team Principal Pete Osborne added: “Bringing Kevin on board improves an already very strong group of people. His championship-winning pedigree—multiple titles, Engineer of the Year recognition—combined with our established success makes for a formidable combination. With the development work we’ve completed over the winter, Kevin’s expertise will be crucial as we push for the title in 2026.”

Berry joins Alliance Racing’s four-car BTCC operation as the team prepares for the season opener at Donington Park in April. 

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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.

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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.

Osborne will once again line-up alongside Ash Sutton, Dan Cammish and Dan Rowbottom as he embarks on his fifth season at the wheel of a Ford Focus ST, the last two of which have been in NAPA Racing UK colours.

 “To be honest, I didn’t want last season to end, we got things going and I was on a bit of a run. I think it was nine consecutive top-ten finishes in the last nine races. Midway through the year, we added Rory (Butcher) to my car crew, and along with Rich (Townsend, my engineer) and my side of the team, it progressed us in all areas on and off track.  Since Brands Hatch, it’s been non-stop with work and preparing for the 2025 season.  We’re determined to start the season strong and put all the hard work to good use.”

Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK

Having debuted in the series back in 2019 after previously racing in both the MINI CHALLENGE and the Renault Clio Cup, Osborne showed flashes of speed in his early years in the series, but it was the tie-up with NAPA Racing UK at the start of 2023 that saw him take huge strides forward. Picking up a podium at Donington Park in a chaotic, rain-affected race, Osborne would go on to be a regular point scorer and ended the year with 65 points to his name – more than in the previous four seasons combined.

“Sam becomes the final piece of the BTCC Team jigsaw with the announcement that Sam will continue with NAPA Racing into the 2025 season. Sam has forged a great relationship with his new for 2024 Engineer Richard Townsend and the addition of Rory Butcher as driver coach mid-season in 2024 really brought out the best in him. His performance in the latter half of 2024 gives the team high hopes for 2025 with particular focus on the Jack Sears Trophy.”

Malcolm Swetnam  Director – Motorsport

Things would then get even better for the 31-year-old last year as he again improved his seasonal score to end the year in a personal best, finishing 15th in the championship standings. En route, Osborne would score points in more races than ever before – including 14 in a row in the second half of the year – whilst the latter stages of the campaign saw him regularly inside the top ten, with eight top ten results from the final nine races. Away from the BTCC, Sam showed his versatility behind the wheel of the NAPA Racing UK Division 2 Truck. Sam is no stranger to HGV, as a qualified HGV driver and mechanic for The Green Group. Sam showed his versatility and speed as a driver and won two rounds of the BTRC at Pembrey standing in for the injured Paul Rivett.

“We’re proud for NAPA to continue with Sam for another season. On the track, Sam continues to ascend towards the front of the grid, in 2024 it was fantastic to see him consistently challenge the top 10 and for Jack Sears Trophy wins. In 2025 we’re looking forward to seeing him alongside his NAPA Racing UK teammates on the overall podium.”

Steve Richardson, Managing Director, Alliance Automotive Group

Going into 2025, a season in which he will celebrate his 200th BTCC start, Sam will seek to build on the momentum generated last season and look to challenge for overall podiums. Having only visited the podium once before, Sam will again be eligible to campaign for the Jack Sears Trophy. With one of the most competitive fields in years, Sam will start the year as one of the championship favourites.

The post SAM OSBORNE COMPLETES THE UNCHANGED NAPA RACING UK LINE-UP appeared first on Alliance Racing.

“I’m fit, I’m healthy and I’m ready to win this championship. Last year we just didn’t get the results the team’s efforts deserved, but I know how hard we’ve all been working to ensure we can deliver in 2025.

As many of you know I had some major heart surgery over the winter, thank you to all the fans who reached out and showed support, I really appreciate that. It has at times been overwhelming, the BTCC supporters are truly something else.

To have NAPA Racing UK around me, along with some incredible sponsors, means that I’m confident we can be challenging at the front of the grid this year. See you all at Donington Park”.

Rowbottom first joined the BTCC grid back in 2019 and after a year out in 2020 as a result of the pandemic, made his return in 2021 at the wheel of a Team Dynamics-run Honda Civic. A successful two-year stay that included a maiden win at Oulton Park was the precursor to Rowbottom joining forces with NAPA Racing UK ahead of the 2023 campaign as it doubled its presence on the grid from two to four cars.

The move to the Alliance Racing-run squad and the Ford Focus ST saw the 36-year-old kicked off in fine style when he scored pole on his debut with the team at Donington Park. A consistent presence inside the top ten throughout the year, Rowbottom raced to a fine victory at Thruxton on a weekend when NAPA Racing UK secured a hat-trick of victories and bagged four further podium finishes as he secured seventh in the championship standings.

Rowbottom’s on-track performances also contributed to the team securing the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ title for the first time, ending a run of success for BMW that had stretched back to 2016        

Returning to the team in 2024, Rowbottom picked up a further two podium finishes in another solid campaign.  Rowbottom would also play an important role in helping NAPA Racing UK wrap up the Teams’ Championship for a third successive season.

“We’re delighted that Dan has committed to NAPA Racing UK for a further two years. Since Dan joined the team, he has proven to be a great ambassador on and off the track for NAPA and coming from a family workshop background, really understands what we’re trying to achieve. Time and time again, he has proven he has the speed to race at the front and has been an essential team player in our on-track success.”

Steve Richardson, Managing Director, Alliance Automotive Group  

The off-season has been somewhat different for the popular Midlander, undergoing planned heart surgery. However, Dan has been working hard during a winter of rehab to ensure he is fully recovered and ready for the season ahead.   

Following two seasons inside the NAPA Racing/ Alliance family we are delighted that Dan has resigned for another two years. Dan has demonstrated that he is a team player who also has a burning desire to succeed in BTCC. We know he will hit the ground running in 2025 and beyond”.

Pete Osborne, Team Owner, NAPA Racing UK/ Alliance Racing

Rowbo struck a strong relationship with his new engineer Paul Ridgeway last season. Finishing 2^nd place on the podium, Croft 2024

Embarking on his sixth season in Britain’s premier racing series, Dan is set for another highly competitive season. His sights are firmly set on challenging for the most illustrious prize in British motorsport, the BTCC Drivers title. Alongside his personal goals, Dan will join his teammates in defending NAPA Racing UK’s Teams Championship for a 4^th year and battling to recapture the Manufacturers title.

The post DANIEL ROWBOTTOM EXTENDS NAPA RACING UK STAY 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.

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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.

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Cammish was the first driver to sign up as part of the NAPA Racing UK programme in late 2021 when the automotive parts brand joined forces with what was then Motorbase Performance for its first foray into Britain’s premier racing series.

His first season in NAPA Racing colours saw Cammish finish eighth in the championship standings with a win at Thruxton, whilst he took sixth in the points last year with three wins – a result all the more remarkable considering he was forced to miss the three races at Donington Park GP following an incident in qualifying.

Cammish is firmly on track to better that performance at the mid-way point of the 2024 campaign and is one of the form drivers on the grid going into the second half of the season, having taken five podium finishes in the nine races, before the summer break.

It means the 35-year-old – a three-time winner of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB title – sits fourth in the standings, with his points-per-race this season being the second highest of his BTCC career to date.

News of the new multi-year deal comes ahead of Cammish’s home round of the season at Croft, a circuit where he enjoyed one of his best weekends of the year twelve months ago.

Then, Cammish put his Ford Focus ST on pole position before leading team-mates Ash Sutton and Dan Rowbottom to a podium lock-out, and then joined the pair on the podium in race two where he took second behind Sutton.

Cammish’s contract extension further strengthen’s NAPA Racing’s commitment to the BTCC, with the partnership between NAPA Auto Parts and Alliance Racing having been extended earlier this year.

Defending champion Ash Sutton has also already committed his future to the team in a similar multi-year deal.

Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK driver, said:

“It is fantastic to have signed another multi-year agreement with Alliance Racing. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the team thus far, and I am very proud to be continuing our relationship.

“The support I have from the team – along with NAPA – is something very special and I can’t thank [Alliance Racing boss] Pete Osborne and Steve Richardson enough for their help and trust with this opportunity. I can’t wait to get back on track this weekend at Croft knowing this great team is behind me now, and in the future”

Steve Richardson, CEO of NAPA UK / Alliance Automotive UK Ltd, said:

“Dan’s been with us since bringing NAPA into BTCC and I couldn’t be prouder of what he’s helped us and the team achieve, so I’m delighted to be continuing our incredible journey together.

“I have the pleasure of knowing Dan on and off the track, his professionalism is exemplary and mirrors our own values so it’s natural to keep building on such a strong relationship.”

Pete Osborne, Alliance Racing Team Owner, said:

“We couldn’t be happier to extend Dan’s stay with NAPA Racing UK and in the BTCC, Dan has been a key part of the achievement of the team and a fantastic person to have in our pits.

He’s a true professional on and off the track and has shown the speed, race craft, and consistency to battling up there with the very best on the BTCC grid. We’re all delighted to have Dan and his family as part of NAPA Racing UK for another 2 years and we look forward to achieving even more success with Dan.”

The post DAN CAMMISH INKS MULTI-YEAR NAPA RACING UK EXTENSION 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.

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