“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 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.

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.

QUALIFYING AND RACE 1 

It was a sea of blue and yellow at the front of the grid, after Dan Cammish blasted to pole position in qualifying, with Dan Rowbottom in second and team-mate Ash Sutton in third, marking the team’s first ever 1-2-3 lock-out.

With all three tyre choices on offer, Sutton opted for the medium compound, while both Dan’s went for the advantageous soft tyres for the first race of the day. As the lights went out, the Ford Focus’ made the perfect getaway as the NAPA team headed down to turn one in formation, holding off those behind to maintain their positions.

As the concertation shifted further down the grid, the NAPA machine of Sam Osborne had a sensational start from P16, commanding his way through the pack and gaining six places by lap eleven. As the race unfolded, Osborne showed great skill by managing to retain his position in P10, despite being under pressure from the four cars close behind.

Cammish was wheel-perfect as he took to the chequered flag with a lights-to-flag victory ahead of Sutton and Rowbottom with the team celebrating a historic first-ever 1-2-3 podium.

RACE 2

After another front row NAPA three-time champion, Sutton emerged victorious. With the soft tyres, Sutton managed to blast off the line from third on the grid and cruised around the outside of teammate Cammish into turn one.

Continuously stretching his advantage throughout the 15-lap bout, Sutton claimed his seventh win of the season by more than seven seconds – with Cammish and Rowbottom in tow to clinch a second successive NAPA Racing UK podium sweep.

RACE 3

REVERSE STARTING GRID POSITIONS

P4 – Dan Rowbottom

P5 – Dan Cammish

P6 – Ash Sutton

P13 – Sam Osborne

As the final race of the day got underway, the Ford’s lit up the starting line after an initial good getaway however, Sutton was unfortunately caught in an incident, causing a puncture and forcing him to retire the car.

Another fantastic finishing position for both Cammish and Rowbottom saw them come home in fourth and fifth respectively to complete an impressive day for the duo. Meanwhile, after a spin earlier on in the race, Osborne crossed the line to finish P17, moving up to third in the Jack Sears Trophy.

THE TEAM

DAN CAMMISH – NAPA RACING UK, NO.27:

“What a result for NAPA! It’s fantastic to get a 1-2-3 for the first time in Qualifying for us yesterday. It’s great being at the front but you can also get it very wrong if you are not careful. For myself to win at my home circuit, my first ever win at Croft in a touring car, so very pleased with that. One down and two to come!”

ASH SUTTON– NAPA RACING UK, NO.116:

“Those changes overnight have definitely worked – that car just came alive, it’s absolutely mega on the soft tyre. All cars are but that was just something else.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1^st – Ash Sutton: 258

5^th – Dan Cammish: 212

7^th – Dan Rowbottom: 144

17^th – Sam Osborne: 45

JACK SEARS TROPHY

3^rd – Sam Osborne: 250

TEAM STANDINGS

1^st – NAPA Racing UK: 465

MANUFACTURERS / CONSTRUCTORS

2^nd – Motorbase Performance/Ford: 497

Next stop, Knockhill for Rounds 19, 20 and 21 of the BTCC championship on the 12/13 August.

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The post A NAPA GRID LOCK-OUT AT CROFT appeared first on Alliance Racing.

BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP

On Saturday, Ash Sutton demonstrated his exceptional driving skills by securing his third BTCC pole of the season at Oulton Park, beating Jake Hill by only 0.225 tenths.

Sutton managed to secure second place in both Race One and Race Two, earning crucial points. Unfortunately, in Race Three, contact with Tom Ingram resulted in a DNF on the first lap. Meanwhile, teammate Dan Cammish had a consistent weekend, scoring consecutive points in all three races.

Dan Rowbottom and Sam Osborne faced some challenges in the first races of the day, but they persevered and showed what they were capable of in the final race as Rowbottom stormed from P21 to P8, while Osborne gained a fantastic eight places.

MINI CHALLENGE JCW

For the first race of the weekend, Osborne qualified in an impressive 7th place and Lewis Selby followed closely behind in 12th. Once the race began, Osborne skilfully overtook two cars on the opening lap and managed to finish in an impressive 6th place overall, thereby winning the Graduates Cup. Selby also showcased his exceptional driving skills by overtaking two cars on the track and eventually finishing in a solid 10th place.

In the second race, the starting grid was determined by a reverse draw, which placed Osborne in pole position after finishing, the previous race, in 6th place. He had a brilliant start and maintained his lead into the first corner despite Nelson King’s attempts to catch up. Despite the pressure, Osborne managed to widen the gap and keep his lead. Selby also made impressive progress with some successful overtaking manoeuvres until he, unfortunately, had to retire due to an incident.

Osborne emerged triumphant as the race ended, crossing the finish line, and clinching the final victory of the weekend. With this momentous win, he secured his first overall win of the season.

THE TEAM

PETE OSBORNE – TEAM PRINCIPAL

“To get the first outright JCW win for Jamie & NAPA Racing UK alongside another class win is just amazing! The whole team has been working so hard and people forget that the MINI is an all-new project for us, so there’s been a lot of learning and it’s been hard work for all of us. Today all that hard work has paid off so I’m over the moon for everyone involved! And I won’t lie, it was really special for me on Father’s Day to see Jamie get that first win.

A good points haul for the BTCC side of the squad to keep the momentum going for the Championship fight. We’ve seen this weekend how tight the BTCC is at the top and just how quickly things can turn around, but a brace of P2 podiums and top 6 finishes keeps the team Championship lead and Ash’s overall lead going into the summer break. We now have a bit of a break from racing but certainly not from workload, we keep developing and pushing behind the scenes as no doubt our rivals will be doing the same!”

Sutton’s recent qualifying dominance ensured he holds sway in the Goodyear Wingfoot Award as the BTCC heads into its mid-season break.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1^st – Ash Sutton: 218

5^th – Dan Cammish: 160

^8th – Dan Rowbottom: 103

16^th – Sam Osborne: 37

JACK SEARS TROPHY

4th – Sam Osborne: 202

TEAM STANDINGS

1^ST – NAPA Racing UK: 378

MANUFACTURERS / CONSTRUCTORS

2nd – Motorbase Performance / Ford: 408

The post A solid points haul in the BTCC as Jaime Osborne takes his maiden win in the Mini Challenge JCW appeared first on Alliance Racing.

QUALIFYING

Sutton claimed his second pole position of the season during qualifying at Thruxton on Saturday, 3rd June, with a stellar lap time, blasting to pole position with a 0.210 gap over Tom Ingram.

Basking in the bright sunshine, drivers found it challenging to maintain the same level of grip and balance they had during earlier practice sessions. However, Sutton was wheel-perfect to set a benchmark time of 1:15.489.

RESULTS

Ash Sutton – 1^st

Dan Cammish – 9^th

Dan Rowbottom – 14^th

Sam Osborne – 20^th

RACE 1

A packed out crown on Sunday, June 4th at Thruxton witnessed Sutton’s outstanding performance in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car opener. Despite the scorching heat, he showed his remarkable skills and led the race from the beginning, leaving no chance for his competitors to catch up. His domination and impeccable driving skills were evident throughout the race, as he maintained his lead, crossing the line with a 2.5-second gap from second-place, Ingram.

After starting in ninth place, Dan Cammish quickly made his way through the field, eventually finishing in fifth. Despite great progress, Rowbottom experienced a late rare puncture dropping him down the order.

Meanwhile, Sam Osborne’s efforts were hindered by unavoidable damage, leading to a drop in his position to 21st.

RACE 2

Sutton’s determination and skill were on full display in the second race as he once again started from pole. Despite the pressure of defending his previous victory, Sutton remained focused. With a powerful start, he quickly established a significant lead of over two seconds ahead of his closest competitor. His unwavering commitment to excellence paid off as Sutton secured yet another win, taking three consecutive double race weekend victories to extend his lead.

After starting near the back of the grid, Rowbottom drove an incredible race, making his way through the field, eventually finishing in P11.

RESULTS

Ash Sutton – 1^st

Dan Cammish – 5^th

Dan Rowbottom – 11^th

Same Osborne – P18

RACE 3

Rowbottom rounded out an incredible weekend for the team.  Despite starting fifth after a three-place penalty from race 2, he wasted no time in working his way up the order and hunting down pole-sitter Adam Morgan before making the decisive move as they sped towards the fastest corner to claim the lead before Church, and headed to his remarkable first win of the season.

RESULTS

Dan Rowbottom – 1^st

Dan Cammish –   8^th

Ash Sutton – 12^th

Sam Osborne – 20^th

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP GB

After a few weeks break, Hugo Ellis was back out in his Porsche for qualifying on Saturday (3^rd June). With track temp of 40’c, the Porsche is notoriously difficult to drive with drivers building up speed to bank the perfect lap, with the chequered flag out, Ellis qualified in 11^th place.

As the second race of the day commenced, the track temperatures noticeably increased, presenting a new challenge for the drivers. As the lights went out, Ellis demonstrated some impressive driving skills moving his way up the field. Unfortunately, after some great battles, he succumbed to 11th place and finished in P5 in the Pro category.

MINI CHALLENGE TROPHY

Cam Richardson and Callum Eason jumped back into action last weekend as the MINI CHALLENGE Trophy joined the TOCA package for the first time this year. As qualifying commenced, both drivers were setting some great times, eventually finishing in P21 for Eason and P22 for Richardson.

As race two began, both drivers got off the grid well with Eason flying past competitors and making some excellent overtakes to move up the field. Unfortunately, he was involved in an unavoidable accident that caused a DNF.

With his teammate out of the race, it was down to Richardson to bring the car home. From an extraordinary P16 on the grid, he fought his way through the field and into P10, finishing his best-ever career to date.

THE TEAM

OLY COLLINS – TEAM MANAGER

“What an amazing weekend. Thruxton is always a tough place to come to and we were well aware that qualifying was a key part towards a successful weekend. Ash did an incredible job when it mattered and continues his amazing run of form. I was really pleased for Dan (Rowbottom) too, he hasn’t been blessed with the luck this season and it looked to bite him again in Race 1. His comeback in race two was just brilliant and he really deserved that win! A really solid weekend for Dan (Cammish), slightly out of place in qualifying but came back to score some great points and then Sam just had terrible luck having a great start to the weekend ruined by getting caught in someone else’s incident.

As a team you always aim for this kind of success and you can’t do it without having the depth of talent that we have across our four-car team. Since we started this journey as NAPA Racing, everyone involved has constantly pushed to improve both as individuals in themselves and as a collective as a team and that keeps going. It’s almost contagious where the engineering department have improved the car, so has the reliability from the mechanics, and then the presentation, the promotion, the media and so on. It’s an absolute joy to be part of something so special and we’ll keep working hard to keep this momentum going.”

ANTONIO CARROZZA – CHIEF ENGINEER

“We’re in such a good place with the car at the moment and still trying to develop little bits here and there – everyone else should be working hard to catch up so we can’t sit on our laurels!”

DAN ROWBOTTOM – NAPA RACING UK, NO.32

“I made up places at the start and then it was a good battle with Aiden [Moffat]. Aiden put up a great challenge, but our car was fantastic and so once we got clear and into second, I set about chasing Adam [Morgan] down. I didn’t plan to make the move into Church, but it was a great feeling to take the win. 

The team have been brilliant all week – Ash [Sutton] won the first two races and we’ve won the third. I did not feel as positive at the end of Race 1 after the issue we had – I wondered if the weekend was finished – so to come back from that and show the pace that we had in Race 2 and in Race 3 is a great feeling. It’s a fantastic end to the day.”

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1^st – Ash Sutton: 183

5^th – Dan Cammish: 128

6^th – Dan Rowbottom: 95

16^th – Sam Osborne: 35

JACK SEARS TROPHY

2^ND – Sam Osborne: 173

TEAM STANDINGS

1^ST – NAPA Racing UK: 312

MANUFACTURERS / CONSTRUCTORS

1^st – Motorbase Performance / Ford: 339

Next stop, Oulton Park for Rounds 13, 14 and 15 of the BTCC championship on the 17th/18th June.

The post NAPA Racing UK achieves Thruxton triple appeared first on Alliance Racing.

A successful weekend saw him secure his first pole of the season, two wins and an incredible fourth place, despite being on the hard compound tyre, describing the car “the best touring car I’ve ever driven”.

QUALIFYING

Sutton sailed to pole for the first time this year, making it a hat-trick of pole positions for NAPA Racing UK, having seen Dan Rowbottom take the top spot at Donington Park and Dan Cammish repeating the feat at Brands Hatch.

The session was twice interrupted during the early phase of qualifying with the first caused by fluid which was deposited across the track at Coram. The second of the two red flags came when Dan Cammish made contact with the barrier on his second flying lap, subsequently having to start the race at the back of the grid.

When the session finally got underway, many drivers were yet to set a representative lap time. However, Sutton was yet again in a class of his own as he stormed to pole position, setting a new qualifying lap record of 1:54.526.

RACE 1

Sutton made a sensational start, immediately pulling away from the pack and creating a comfortable lead with an incredible three second gap after just three laps. Meanwhile Cammish, chose to run the hard compound tyre making extraordinary progress to move himself into 11th place.

With the chequered flag in sight, Sutton managed to hold off a late charge from Jake Hill to take his third win of the season.

RACE 2

Sutton continued his domination in race 2, claiming his second win of the day and becoming the first driver since 1997 to secure four BTCC race wins in a row. It was an incredible drive from Sutton who led from lights out to the chequered flag to take the win with a 3.6 second margin.

After starting in P7, Daniel Rowbottom continued to make impressive progress through the field eventually finishing in P4. Meanwhile, Jack Sears Championship leader Sam Osborne finished in P9, while Cammish crossed the line in P11.

RACE 3

As the weekend drew to a close, one race remained and it was still all to play for with the reversed grid in place.

STARTING GRID

Rowbottom – 3^rd

Sutton – 6^th

Osborne – 9^th

Cammish – 11th

As the lights went out Rowbottom had an excellent start, carving his way into the lead by lap two. Unfortunately, on better tyres, those behind managed to get passed, demoting him to third. Meanwhile, Cammish, after starting in 11th, had a sensational start moving his way through the field into P2. He then set about attacking for victory in the closing stages with just 0.587s between him and Tom Ingram as they crossed the line.

Unfortunately after post-race checks, the result was taken away but still an incredible and well fought drive by Cammish. After a fantastic result by Rowbottom he gained some valuable points and a the last minute P3 in the final race of the day.

It was another perfect weekend for Osborne as he walks away from Snetterton still in the lead of the Jack Sears standings after winning the trophy for the second weekend running.

MINI CHALLENEGE JCW

With the support races taking place, the JCW’s had mixed fortune weekend. But with Lewis Selby starting in P12 and Jamie Osborne in P19 for race 3, everything was still to play for. As the lights went green, both drivers had some incredible battles, with Osborne going from the back of the grid to P9 and Selby finishing in P11.

THE TEAM

ASH SUTTON – NAPA RACING UK, NO.116

“The car was on absolute rails. I said to the boys and girls at NAPA Racing UK that this is the best touring car I’ve ever driven. We had to pounce at the starts, as we know how long it can take for the rear-wheel drive cars to get the tyres up to temperature. 

“We haven’t changed the car since Brands Hatch and it’s just working so well. There might be days where it doesn’t quite feel like this, but for now it’s just mega.”

OLY COLLINS – TEAM MANAGER

“Another fantastic weekend at NAPA Racing UK, I’m enjoying this!

To get three poles in a row is outstanding, to do it with three different drivers just shows the depth of talent we have throughout the team. Then to transfer Saturday’s one lap performance into a masterclass on Sunday was so good to watch. In race trim Ash was dominant today, simply in a class of his own up front, Dan Cammish drove superbly from the back and we almost demonstrated the perfect recovery drive. It was mega to see Rowbo leading the way in race three and securing his first silverware for the year and another Jack Sears trophy for Sam after some great performances from him earlier on in the day completes the squad.

I said at the start of the season that we believe we have the best drivers & crew on the grid and today I think they proved it.”

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1^st – Ash Sutton: 135

4^th – Dan Cammish: 98

6^th – Dan Rowbottom: 69

14^th – Sam Osborne: 35

JACK SEARS TROPHY

1^st – Sam Osborne: 139

TEAM STANDINGS

1^st – NAPA Racing UK: 236

MANUFACTURERS/CONSTRUCTORS STANDINGS

1^st – Motorbase Performance/ Ford: 251

Next stop, Thruxton for Rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the BTCC championship on the 03/04 June.

The post SUTTON MAKES HISTORY AT SNETTERTON appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Sutton leaves Brands Hatch having achieved his biggest points haul ever in his career with two wins, a second place and three fastest laps.

QUALIFYING

After his success at Donington Park, Dan Cammish certainly returned to form as he produced one of the best laps of his career storming to pole position in the final seconds of qualifying on Saturday, 6th May.

Treacherous conditions on Saturday saw a very wet and slippery track for the first part of qualifying creating plenty of drama and several red flag stoppages. With the chequered flag in site the 10 fastest drivers got through to the second round.

The leading four cars were separated by just 0.070s as the clock ticked down during the ‘Top Ten Showdown’ before Cammish crossed the line and blew his rivals away by over a quarter of a second.

RACE 1

Sunday finally saw all drivers take to the grid on slick tyres, with Cammish starting in pole position and teammate Sutton in P4, it was all to play for as the lights went out. Sutton stormed around the outside of Jake Hill to take second place, before getting by teammate Cammish on the run through to Surtees.

An incident involving NAPA Racing UK’s Dan Rowbottom saw an immediate red flag. After a 45-minute delay, proceedings got back underway with the pack starting from their original grid positions.

A great battle between teammates saw Sutton come out on top to finish P2 while Cammish completed the podium.

RACE 2

With the NAPA Racing UK pair lining up in P2 and P3 it was Sutton that came out on top snatching the lead from the pole-sitter. A fantastic drive from Sutton saw him maintain the lead and went on to win his first BTCC race of the season.

Cammish finished in P5 with Sam Osborne rounding out the top 10. Incredible work by the mechanics saw Dan Rowbottom’s car back out for race 2, gaining a sensational 9 places before finishing in P15.

RACE 3

With the reverse grid drawn it was Osborne who started in P4 taking his best starting grid of the year. As the lights went out Sutton pulled off some sensational moves to go from P11 to P3 in only two laps. The soft tyres proved to be the best tyre compound as the three-time champion made pass after pass to win a dramatic and tense finale.

Meanwhile, Osborne pulled off some fantastic moves in the final race of the day to win the Jack Sears Trophy for the weekend.

MINI CHALLENEGE JCW

Race 1 of the weekend for the MINI JCW’s saw wet and tricky conditions on track, however that didn’t faze Jamie Osborne as he took P1 in the Graduates Cup and P5 overall, his first win of the year with NAPA Racing UK.

Meanwhile, Race 2 saw teammate Lewis Selby start down in P11, after some great on track battles Selby made his way through the pack and back up to P6. Selby took his first win of the year in the Directors Cup, to top things off the reverse grid draw saw him start in pole position for Race 3.

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

After two successful races across the weekend, Hugo Ellis gained valuable points leaving Brands Hatch P5 in the championship standings.

THE TEAM

OLY COLLINS – TEAM MANAGER

“What a weekend! The whole team has been on top of their game this weekend with outstanding performances by the drivers all weekend. Dan’s lap in tricky conditions on Saturday was mega, he pulled that out just when it mattered to secure pole position. Dan had three strong top 5 finishes in all three races to keep him leading the Championship. Then Ash’s performance on Sunday was simply breath-taking. I think that’s a career best for Ash and maybe the biggest weekend points haul of a driver in the NGTC era? Sam’s race-day performance was also the best of his BTCC career, which ultimately secured him two Jack Sears wins and the Jack Sears trophy for the meeting. An unfortunate incident for Dan Rowbottom after the DNF in race one really put pay to his weekend, despite that he still managed to come back with a great drive from the back and secure two important points finishes.

The results we’re currently seeing on track is simply a result of the hard work that has been put in behind the scenes since the flag dropped on the 2022 season. On and off-track NAPA Racing UK are at the top of our game, we’re well aware we now need to keep this momentum going as we continue through the season.”

ASH SUTTON – NAPA RACING UK, NO.116:

“It’s good to be back! The car was nice in Race 1 but that was mega. We made a handful of changes between Race 1 and 2 and the car was just leaps and bounds, miles better. 

“We were just managing the tyre, managing the gap. Tom [Ingram] got close at one point and a few little sweats came out but it was a case of just knuckling down. We knew we had the tyre at the end and had to use that. I’m just over the moon – the car was mega!

“NAPA Racing UK have done such a good job with this car. I think it’s clear from everyone we’ve just dialled in on the chassis and made improvements and it’s singing at the moment. I couldn’t ask for a better weekend – a second and two wins! Looking forward to Snetterton.” 

As the dust settles on a great weekend for NAPA Racing UK, Cammish still leads the championship with Sutton jumping to 3^rd, whilst the same Motorbase/NAPA Racing UK outfit tops both the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ tables.

Next stop, Snetterton for Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the BTCC championship on the 20/21 May.

The post DOUBLE VICTORY FOR SUTTON AS CAMMISH EXTENDS HIS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Qualifying

Making his debut for NAPA Racing UK, Dan Rowbottom sailed to pole position, edging out NAPA Racing UK driver, Ash Sutton by only 0.041s.

All drivers took part in the normal 30-minute qualifying session before the 10 fastest competitors took part in the new ten-minute pole position shoot out.

Rowbottom put in a stella lap to go P1, while Sutton’s initial lap time was removed for track limits, plunging him down the order. With a few minutes left of qualifying, Sutton had it all to do and after setting a purple sector, he eventually qualified in P2, making it a NAPA front row lock out for race 1, while Cammish qualified in 5^th and Sam Osborne in 19^th.

Race 1

Treacherous conditions on Sunday saw all drivers take to the starting grid on wet tyres. With Rowbottom struggling to get the power down in the conditions, Sutton eyed up the opportunity to surge into the lead, however contact with Jake Hill resulted into his car getting fired off onto the grass subsequently having to retire.

After some great on-track battles with the leaders, Cammish pulled a late, sensational move, going side-by-side with Hill through the Craner Curves, ultimately coming out on top and taking over the lead of the race.

As the chequered flag fell, Cammish took his and NAPA’s first maiden win of the BTCC season, a fantastic come back from 5^th on the grid.

Race 2

Tyre choice proved to be vital during race 2, but Sam Osborne mastered the wet and tricky conditions after cleverly choosing to switch to wet tyres early. After starting down in P17, Osborne made his way through the field, eventually finishing with his first ever podium in BTCC, which awarded him with the Jack Sears trophy – his best career position to date.

Race 3

With the third and final race approaching, NAPA Racing UK took their second front row lock out of the weekend. Cammish lined up in P1 with Rowbottom in second. NAPA Racing UK team-mate Sutton had it all to do from P15, but made an incredible come back to P4 going into the closing stages.

As pole sitter, Cammish drove off into the distance, leaving the final spots of the podium up for grabs. In the closing stages, Sutton squeezed past the BMW at Mcleans to gain P3, making it a third consecutive podium appearance and double podium for NAPA Racing UK

MINI CHALLENEGE JCW AND PORSCHE CARRERA CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

With the support races taking place, the JCW’s had a great first outing with Race 3 seeing Lewis Selby starting in P14 and Jamie Osborne lining up in P12. As the lights went green, both drivers had a fantastic start battling with others as they headed to the first corner. As the rain got heavier, conditions worsened, but it still didn’t hamper the two drivers and with the race coming to an early end, Osborne finished with an incredible P5 with team-mate Selby directly behind.

Over at the Porsche garage, Race 1 saw Hugo Ellis start down in P9, but after pulling off some great moves he eventually finished in P5.

THE TEAM

DAN CAMMISH – NAPA RACING UK, NO.27:

“Big smile! Yesterday did not go exactly to plan – I was happy with P5, but also a bit conscious that maybe it wasn’t the best we could have had. I did have a gut feeling that the car would be better on the Sunday, as that’s what we’ve been working towards.

“Twelve months on from a bit of a shocker, to bounce back with two wins is brilliant. Race 2 was interesting with slicks in the rain – we had a chance, but we had to make a call and I realised I was in a bad place when people pitted under the Safety Car. I think I was so focused on that race win and should have switched to think about the reverse grid. 

“We had a bit of luck with the draw in the end, but we also needed the performance to win it. Really proud of all the guys at NAPA and what a day! Over the moon. First weekend as a married man and two wins – it’s been great!”

ASH SUTTON – NAPA RACING UK, NO.116:

“A what could have been weekend that is for sure. Look, to come from 15,16 – whatever it was – to third on the podium, I couldn’t have asked for much more. Obviously Dan [Cammish] had a nice sensible run. I tried to get Tom in the last chicane but we still got some good points under our belt and that’s what we needed.

“I wanted to bring a first place home to him [my newborn son], but didn’t quite do that. I hope he is not too disappointed. A third will do to start with!”

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