NAPA Racing UK, together with Technical Partner Valvoline, unveiled a truly special one-off livery on Sam Osborne’s Ford Focus for one weekend only. This exclusive design paid homage to the Ford Mondeo driven by Paul Radisich in the 1990s.

QUALIFYING

It was the return and final 2023 ‘Top Ten Showdown’ format, with Sutton heading into qualifying with only 1 second worth of hybrid around the challenging circuit and a combination of high-speed corners and straights.

It would be the Valvoline Ford of Osborne who was the fastest of the four-car fleet as he delivered the lap of his life, storming to an incredible third spot in the first round of qualifying. Championship leader Sutton was on the clasp of the cut off zone but managed to hold on while teammate Dan Cammish took sixth and Dan Rowbottom in 13^th. The top ten were separated by an incredible 0.109s.

By the end of qualifying, Sutton qualified in fifth, Cammish in seventh and Osborne completed his best qualifying result of the season in tenth. This was a first non-NAPA pole of the 2023 BTCC season after Mikey Doble became the first driver outside the NAPA Racing UK line-up to secure pole position in qualifying.

RACE 1

Drizzly conditions led to a chaotic pre-grid as teams and drivers had a critical call to make, with Sutton and Cammish choosing the slick tyres, while Osborne and Rowbottom fitted the wets. With the rain getting heavier, #116 and #27 came in to change tyres, dropping them down the order. With the correct rubber on, it was a great result for Rowbottom as he charged through the field from P13 to take second position with Osborne finishing in eighth.

RACE 2

Sutton produced one of the finest performances of his BTCC career so far, as the three-time champion fought from 23rd on the grid to secure an extraordinary first victory. The final move from the #116 machine came on the penultimate lap as he dived down the inside of leader  Árón Taylor-Smith and into the lead through Woodcote and secured what was remarkably Sutton’s first Silverstone win of his BTCC career..

RACE 3

With a complete top twelve reverse grid for Race Three, Sutton started down in 12th place, with Rowbottom taking a second row start in P3. A great getaway from Rowbottom saw him battling for the lead heading into the first corner, eventually leading the pack just before the safety car was deployed. Sutton picked his way through the pack, making his way up to third, with Rowbottom eventually finishing in fourth.

Sutton will now head to the final races of the season at Brands Hatch on the 7/8 October 45 points clear of Ingram, while NAPA Racing UK heading with a dominant 119 points lead in the Teams Championship.

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP

Silverstone marked the return of Gus Burton as he qualified in third place, in tricky damp conditions, along with the top two he started on slick tyres. With Burton losing P3 at the start, when he suffered wheelspin off the line, he slipped down the grid to P9. By lap 5, the slicks were the quicker compound, with Burton picking his way through the field. With only a handful of laps left, it turned into a three-way fight with Burton placing his car perfectly, holding off tremendous pressure from championship leader Adam Smalley to take the win.

MINI CHALLENGE JCW

The Silverstone weekend marked the penultimate round of the MINI CHALLENGE JCW for NAPA Racing UK’s two drivers, Jamie Osborne and Lewis Selby. Osborne lined-up in P12, while Selby took to the grid in P15. Both drivers got off the line, but it was Osborne that would be the quickest of the pair as he stormed up the grid, to finish in 5th place and taking the win in the Graduates Cup.

Jamie now leads the Graduates Cup with 14 points going into the final rounds at Brands Hatch on the 7/8 October.

TEAM

ASH SUTTON – NAPA RACING UK, NO.116:

“I’m speechless if I’m honest. I knew it was going to be tough and it fell in our favour with Jake [Hill] having that engine trouble by the looks of it. I’ve missed hybrid, it hurt here in qualifying but to get the full allocation – we haven’t had that since Round One so we made the most of it.

“Our plan was to utilise it for passing cars that we thought might be harder to overtake. I’m over the moon, we maximised everything, the car, the changes we made overnight were mega, so I can’t thank NAPA Racing UK enough for their effort.”

OLY COLLINS – TEAM MANAGER

“The BTCC always offers excitement, but Sunday was next level! With full concentration on the Championship for Ash, Race 1 was a bit of a dent, but what followed showed the best you can see of Ash Sutton! We approached Race 2 with an eye on the reverse grid for a potentially strong Race 3, but Ash displayed a masterclass of pace & race craft, leaving us all stunned.

This weekend showed the strength of this team throughout. To have all four drivers up there in qualifying shared moments throughout the day between all of them, and a brace of silverware to come home with. We now head to the finale in a positive mood, knowing there is a complete team here all working for the same goal”.

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The post UNSTOPPABLE SUTTON AT SILVERSTONE appeared first on Alliance Racing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 329pts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 305pts

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

Ash Sutton qualified his NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus ST seventh for race one, having only been able to deliver one flying lap in Saturday afternoon’s session due to three red flag stoppages. Launching brilliantly at the start of round 13 on Sunday, he moved into sixth but overtaking thereafter proved to be at a premium and he stayed sixth to the chequered flag.

Round 14 wasn’t dissimilar in terms of the unusually staid nature of the action at the front, Sutton started in sixth and ended the uneventful encounter sixth again. Lining-up seventh for round 15 on the partially reversed grid, he aimed to secure more vital championship points.

Launching well, he challenged for sixth at the end of lap one around the outside of the hairpin and was ahead over the start/finish line into lap two but contact to the rear of the No.1 Focus into turn one, Clervaux, led to damage and a limp back to the pits. Great work by the team got him back out, some four laps down, and he finished 26th – at least able to gather important data.

Dan Cammish, in action at Croft after two days representing NAPA Racing UK and the BTCC at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, saw no reversal in his luck on Saturday. First, an unfortunate issue with his car led to a trip into the gravel at Clervaux in second practice and his quickest lap in his immaculately repaired Ford Focus ST in qualifying was baulked – costing him half a dozen places.

Starting round 13 on Sunday from a frustrating 14th on the grid, without taking major risks any passing opportunities were nigh-on impossible. Gaining one position late on, Cammish ended the race – which featured two Safety Car periods – in 13th place. In round 14 he moved up one spot into the top 12 on a strong first lap and after losing and regaining 12th, he eventually finished 13th.

Round 15 was the weekend highlight, Cammish delivering an excellent drive from 13th on the grid to finish in eighth position. Gaining a place on lap one, by the fourth tour he was into the top 10 and took ninth on lap six. Then, with two laps to go, he grabbed eighth at Sunny In with a good pass.

There was nothing to separate Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan’s Jackson and Osborne in qualifying, just 0.058 seconds splitting them, but the miniscule gap still meant a difference of three grid slots with Jackson beginning round 13 from 19th and Osborne from 22nd – only 0.8 seconds shy of pole.

Once again misfortune befell Jackson on only the second lap of race one when, while running strongly in the pack, contact put him off the track heavily into the barriers at Sunny Out. Osborne, meanwhile, wasn’t able to make the progress he’d hoped for and finished the 18 lap contest 21st.

With a lot to do from 27th on the grid in race two in his gleaming repaired Ford Focus ST, Jackson produced a sensational start and opening lap to gain no fewer than six places. Racing hard throughout, dicing with team-mate Osborne in a tightly packed group, both took turns ahead of the other with Osborne eventually finishing in 19th spot just ahead of Jackson.

In round 15, Jackson put together another great first lap to climb into 17th spot from 20th and after Sutton’s incident he gained another place. Although edged back soon after, he regained 16th and took 15th on the last lap and the final point. Osborne slipped outside the top 20 on lap one, but hit back to move back into 19th after a few laps. In the end, he had to settle for 20th position.

Motorbase/Ford go into the five week summer break third in the Manufacturer/Constructor standings, while NAPA Racing UK remains second in the Teams Championship and Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan holds 13th place.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“All in all, a frustrating raceday at Croft. Ash was on for a solid weekend of three top six results until being hit in race three, so that didn’t help, but we were generally a little off the pace of the Hyundai cars in particular and we need to work on that. Clearly, overtaking in the BTCC has become a lot more difficult this season so we need to do some work. We now head in to the half term ‘break’ with a little bit of time, we have a two-day test coming up which we have some good things on the agenda to try and Knockhill will be back upon us in no time.”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“It’s been a similar weekend to Oulton Park where we’ve had two solid points finishes and then seen that hard work become undone in race three. We only had one lap in qualifying so I was happy to start off seventh and then in races one and two we just kept out of trouble to pick up solid points. To come away with nothing in race three is frustrating but we’ve just got to dust ourselves down and go again.”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“I’m glad we could end the weekend with a decent finish in race three, it felt good to make some solid progress and especially after how the weekend started with the issue in FP2 and then losing out in qualifying. Overtaking was almost impossible in the first two races, we just couldn’t get on terms as we needed to, but everyone at Motorbase and NAPA Racing UK kept pushing to try and improve things. There’s more work to do before Knockhill, but I know we’ll get there.”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“Race three was a good way to finish what was, again, another mixed weekend for us. It’s good to have been able to gain a few places and finish in the points, but it was tough as overtaking was pretty difficult. Our day started off badly in the barriers after contact in race one, but the guys in the team worked as hard as ever and did a great job to get the car repaired for race two. Hopefully we can make some progress during the summer break and come back stronger at Knockhill.”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“It’s been a tough weekend, we’ve been suffering with the front end so it’s been hard work just to keep up. We keep trying different things with the set-up but we’re not quite there, so the five week break before Knockhill is well needed so we can scratch our heads and see if we can come up with a solution. The races were relatively clean for us this weekend, but just not the results we wanted.”

Knockhill Circuit in Fife, Scotland, will host the resumption of the BTCC season five weeks from now, over the weekend 30th/31st July.

2022 BTCC Drivers Championship
4th Ash Sutton, 171pts; 11th Dan Cammish, 86pts; 22nd Ollie Jackson, 9pts; 25th Sam Osborne, 1pt

2022 BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship
3rd Motorbase Performance/Ford, 346pts

2022 BTCC Teams Championship
2nd NAPA Racing UK, 259pts; 13th Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, 14pts

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 164pts

The post MOTORBASE STAYS IN TITLE HUNT AT HALFWAY POINT OF BTCC SEASON DESPITE CROFT CHALLENGES appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Ahead of rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the campaign, NAPA Racing UK driver Ash Sutton – the reigning BTCC Champion – is second in the title race after a successful outing at ultra-fast Thruxton little over a week ago where he delivered three superb race drives.

Charging to a clean sweep of third place podium finishes, adding to the podium he achieved during the opening event of the season at Donington Park National Circuit, Sutton is proving the old adage consistency is key, and especially so in a category as hotly contested as the BTCC.

Team-mate Dan Cammish has endured some shocking misfortune so far this season, but his pace and winning potential is clear and Oulton Park is the kind of circuit where a driver of his quality can make all the difference.

Following a major car-fire in qualifying at Donington back in April, Cammish’s season couldn’t have started in a more vexing fashion but he hit back at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit with a brace of podiums and was extremely close to claiming NAPA Racing UK’s first win. Last time out at Thruxton, though, misfortune returned when he was the victim of unnecessary contact in two of the three races.

In the Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan camp, Ollie Jackson – much like Cammish – will be targeting a turnaround in fortunes after a troublesome Thruxton weekend. With an unusual power issue forcing race one retirement, an engine change was then required which ruled him out of most of race two as well. In the third contest, though, he gained 10 places from the back of the grid with a great drive.

Sam Osborne achieved his first outright points finish of 2022 during the last of the Thruxton races, a very pleasing drive into the top 15 from 23rd on the grid, and is aiming to add to that at Oulton Park a few days from now. Osborne is looking forward to the visit to Cheshire much more so than he did the trip to Thruxton, so that bodes well for the coming weekend’s action.

In the BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship, Motorbase Performance/Ford continue to hold second position in the standings on 222 points – just 25 points shy of the top. NAPA Racing UK is third in the BTCC Teams Championship, Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan is in 12th place.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“We’re back to it this weekend at Oulton with the same targets in place. With Ash sitting P2 in the championship fight it will be interesting to see just how much effect the Hybrid penalty will be for him and the other front runners. I think Hybrid used correctly could be strong at Oulton, so it will be about managing that early in the weekend and coming away with a strong points haul.

“Dan will be going into the weekend more aggressively as he needs to get back on the podium. He has a full complement of Hybrid in qualifying and has shown great pace everywhere so far, especially in qualifying. It’s the same for Ollie and Sam, they’ve both proved the pace is there and that it’s getting a consistent weekend strung together that rewards you. Both have run well at Oulton in the past as well, so let’s see what we can do.”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“I’m looking forward to Oulton Park, it’s a circuit you’ve got to really attack which certainly suits my style! We’re heading into the weekend with a bit of momentum after scoring a podium finish in each race at Thruxton so the aim has to be to continue that and score more big points. We’ve made a good step forward with the car, if we can get dialled-in and hit the ground running then hopefully we’re in for a good weekend.”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“Our season starts here really, we’ve got to hit the ground running at Oulton and take away three very strong and consistent results. It’s been a frustrating beginning to the championship for us, apart from the podiums at Brands of course, and I really was in disbelief after Thruxton. Through no fault of our own we got caught-up in other people’s incidents and the weekend became a write-off. I’m more determined than ever now to show what we’re made of and get back on that podium.”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“More than anything I’m aiming for consistency this weekend at Oulton, especially after the difficulties we faced at Thruxton – although the team did a fantastic job to get the engine changed between races one and two. Oulton is a fantastic track, a great challenge for any driver and a circuit where you really have to be committed. I’m looking forward to it and aiming for some good points.”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“It was obviously good to get my first overall point of the season at Thruxton, it was a tough weekend and we had to work really hard but we made some progress. I much prefer Oulton, it’s a great track and I hope we can make a strong start in practice and then build from there. Qualifying will be important, so I’m aiming for the top 15 and see what we can do from there.”

Opening free practice at Oulton Park on Saturday, 11th June, will get underway at 09.45 with the second session starting at 12.25 and qualifying – which will be streamed live online at the www.itv.com/btcc website – following at 15.30.

On Sunday, 12th June, round 10 will begin at 12.20, round 11 will follow at 14.25 and round 12 will start at 17.10. Races one and two will be screened live on the main ITV channel with race three live on ITV4. All three contests will also be streamed live online.

2022 BTCC Drivers Championship
2nd Ash Sutton, 116pts; 13th Dan Cammish, 41pts; 20th Ollie Jackson, 6pts; 23rd Sam Osborne, 1pt

2022 BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship
2nd Motorbase Performance/Ford, 222pts

2022 BTCC Teams Championship
3rd NAPA Racing UK, 158pts; 12th Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, 10pts

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 105pts

The post FULL FOCUS ON OULTON PARK PODIUM FOR MOTORBASE AS BTCC HEADS TO CHESHIRE appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Hot on the heels of his first trophy haul of the season at a wet Brands Hatch just over a week ago, where he achieved excellent third and second place finishes in rounds four and five, NAPA Racing UK’s Dan Cammish is focused on maintaining the impetus and rising further up the points table.

Last year, of course, Cammish was a podium finisher at Thruxton during a one-off BTCC outing prior to beginning his, ultimately successful, Porsche Carrera Cup GB title bid. Back in April, he ended the official pre-season ‘Media Day’ test at the ultra-fast Hampshire track inside the top six.

NAPA Racing UK team-mate Ash Sutton, who was quickest of all during the pre-season visit to Thruxton, goes into the third event of the season holding third position in the driver standings and determined to be back on the podium, as he was at Donington Park during the season curtain-raiser.

Qualifying maladies led to a very challenging raceday at Brands Hatch last time out, but the reigning champion showed his class and quality with three superb drives. Charging from 18th on the grid to a terrific ninth in race one, he climbed from ninth to fourth in race two and added sixth in race three.

Ollie Jackson and Sam Osborne go into rounds seven, eight and nine of the BTCC season aiming to put together a consistently strong weekend in their Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan hybrid powered Ford Focus ST cars.

Last season Thruxton was the venue for the championship opener and it proved a successful event for the team-mates, Jackson claiming a best of ninth position and Osborne taking his best result yet in touring cars with a strong top 12. More of the same, or indeed even better, will be the target just a few days from now.

Going into this weekend’s action in Hampshire, Motorbase/Ford holds second place in the BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship while the squad’s NAPA Racing UK entry is second in the BTCC Teams Championship.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“After a strong weekend at Brands last time out we’re confident of some more strong results at Thruxton. We had a good test there earlier in the year at the season launch, so hopefully we can build on that. There’s another interesting weekend in store as we all continue to learn how to maximise the Hybrid for this year and we’re all learning it together throughout the grid.

“Thruxton is a circuit which requires us to manage tyre wear probably more than any other circuit we visit, so it’s always a challenge for the teams as well as the drivers. The weather could also throw a spanner in the works like Brands, but we’ll have to wait and see what the wonderful British weather delivers on the day!”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“I’m looking forward to going to Thruxton this weekend, it’s always a mega track to race around. Since Brands Hatch we’ve been working hard to see if we can progress the car forward and address the balance issues we’ve had – I’m confident we’ll get on top of it. We had good pace at the season launch and the Focus seemed pretty hooked-up there, so I’d like to think we’ll be in the mix. Making in-roads on the top two and picking up some more silverware is the aim.”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“I’m really excited to get going at Britain’s fastest race track, I always love racing at Thruxton and the challenge it provides. You need to be as one with the car to find the lap time there, the balance must be right and you’ve got to have confidence to push the limits through the fast stuff like at no other track we visit with the BTCC. Brands was obviously good for us, a strong response from the first round at Donington, so I’m hoping to continue that momentum and further climb the points table.”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“Challenges on the BTCC calendar don’t come much bigger than Thruxton and I’m really looking forward to being back there. It’s a fantastic track, the racing is as exciting as it gets, and it’s the kind of circuit which really does reward bravery and commitment. Brands was a mixed weekend for us after we went the wrong way with the set-up initially, so I’m hoping we can start off on the front foot this weekend and build from there to battle for some great results.”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“Thruxton is always a big challenge and a unique one as well, you really do need a good car under you to give you the confidence to push – especially with so much of the lap flat out. It’s been a mixed start to the season for us but we’re working hard on moving forward with the set-up and I’m really hoping to push towards the top 10. Last season at Thruxton we had a good run to 12th place so I’m focused on trying to repeat that and really push on.”

Following the free practice sessions at Thruxton on Saturday, 28th May, qualifying – which will be streamed live online at the www.itv.com/btcc website – will begin at 15.20. On Sunday, 29th May, round seven will start at 11.40, round eight at 14.40 and round nine at 17.20. All three races will be screened live on ITV4.

2022 BTCC Drivers Championship
3rd Ash Sutton, 71pts; 11th Dan Cammish, 41pts; 19th Ollie Jackson, 6pts; No Score – Sam Osborne

2022 BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship
2nd Motorbase Performance/Ford, 151pts

2022 BTCC Teams Championship
2nd NAPA Racing UK, 113ts; 12th Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, 8pts

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 69pts

The post MOTORBASE AIMING TO MOUNT STRONG THRUXTON CHALLENGE appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Six months since he entered the record books with his third BTCC crown, Ash Sutton embarks on a new challenge with the Wrotham-based squad’s blue and yellow NAPA Racing UK entry as he seeks to successfully defend his title and claim his first touring car championship in a front-wheel drive car.

In the sister NAPA Racing UK backed Ford Focus ST, reigning and three-time Porsche Carrera Cup GB Champion Dan Cammish is back in the BTCC for his first full season since 2020. Switching back to front-wheel drive for his first year in a Motorbase car, he too is aiming to bid for the coveted title.

Over in the red, black and white corner, Ollie Jackson and Sam Osborne team-up as part of the Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan entry and both are targeting a respective career-best season in the BTCC in their second campaign as team-mates.

Jackson, of course, is a multiple race winner in the UK’s premier motor racing championship and a seasoned campaigner in touring cars. His best season to date was in 2020, ending the year in the top 12 of the driver standings, and he is hungry for more silverware.

Entering only his fourth season in the BTCC, Osborne – son of Motorbase owner and team principal Pete Osborne – carries great potential into the new campaign. Achieving a best race result thus far of seventh in 2020, he was a top 12 race finisher in his maiden season in a Ford Focus last year.

All four of Motorbase’s cars are powered by Mountune developed engines, this year featuring the new TOCA Hybrid system which is part of the BTCC’s adoption of green technology – the first touring car category in the world to do so. As part of this, each driver will be able to access an electric power boost in races to assist with overtaking and defending. Once again, tyres are supplied by Goodyear.

For those unable to attend Donington Park at the weekend for the BTCC curtain-raiser, qualifying on Saturday afternoon will be streamed live online at www.itv.com/btcc and all three races on Sunday will be available online and also screened live on ITV4.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“There is a lot of excitement and expectation in the team this year which is fantastic. We’ve got two new drivers, a few new big sponsors and some continuity as well – there is a good buzz around the team. We’ve had a very busy few months both on and off track with a very productive pre-season test programme, which went really well.

“Obviously with the introduction of hybrid there is an unknown throughout the paddock of just how it will affect the cars’ performance and it will be interesting to see who has got their heads round that from both a deployment side, as well as dealing with the chassis side of carrying the extra weight this year.

“We are happy with how testing has gone from our own side, this weekend we will find out if we’ve done enough. I want to say a big thank you to everyone involved with us behind the scenes for all their hard work over the winter, hopefully we can repay that with some silverware at Donington.”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“I’m really looking forward to finally kicking off the season at Donington Park. We’ve had a really productive pre-season and I’ve been impressed with the hybrid system. Although we’ve been using it during testing we don’t fully know how much of an impact it will have until we’re racing – strategy is going to be key with it. Making the switch back to front-wheel-drive has been fun too. The Motorbase Ford is already a well-sorted car but me and my engineer [Antonio Carrozza] have been trying a few things to see if we can unlock more from the package, with some bits working and a few not. I’ve got a great car and great team around me so there is no reason why we shouldn’t be in the mix from round one!”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“I am very much looking forward to the opening BTCC weekend at Donington. Testing has gone well and I feel I have fitted in nicely to the NAPA Racing UK team. The last BTCC race weekend I had at Donington turned out to be rather successful, with a win in race one. I will certainly be pushing hard for points and potential podiums on my debut for Motorbase and Napa Racing UK. It is a track I have always enjoyed and I can’t wait to get started.”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“I’m really looking forward to getting underway this weekend with the new challenges brought by the hybrid and I’m excited to see how the racing will change. The team have worked immensely hard over the winter and the development work that has gone into the car, on top of the hybrid installation, has been unprecedented in my time at Motorbase. I’m looking forward to making the most of that hard work and put in a solid opening weekend. We finished the season last year firmly inside the top 10 and I’ll do my best to make sure we can start again where we left off!”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“I’m really looking forward to this weekend, I love Donington and I can’t wait to get going so starting the season here is great. Testing has been mainly very good and it’s been a steep learning curve for me as a driver working with the new hybrid technology, but I think I’ve got my head round that and the feel of a heavier car as well. We will always want more days in the car as a driver but at some point the preparations have to stop as we get ready for the racing, which is the fun part at the end of the day! Great job by all the guys and gals at Motorbase to get us here and hopefully we can get the results we all deserve. I’ve got some great team-mates around me who I’ll be learning from and I feel sure we can all work well together to get those results.”

Opening free practice at Donington Park will get underway at 09.35 tomorrow, Saturday, 23rd April, with the second session following at 12.15. The first qualifying session of the hybrid BTCC era will commence at 15.35. On Sunday, 24th April, round one is scheduled to begin at 11.50, round two at 14.40 and round three at 17.25. Watch live on ITV4.

The post MOTORBASE QUARTET FOCUSED ON STRONG START TO BTCC’S NEW HYBRID ERA appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Piloting the No.9 NAPA Racing UK entered car, reigning Porsche Carrera Cup GB Champion Cammish ended the first BTCC ‘Hybrid Installation Test’ at the Leicestershire venue’s 1.98-mile National Circuit fourth fastest, just 0.2 seconds shy of the top of the times, with a lap of 1m09.349 seconds.

NAPA Racing UK team-mate Ash Sutton, last year’s BTCC Champion, concluded proceedings eighth on the timesheets a further 0.2 seconds away from Cammish with the pair completing 69 and 76 laps in total respectively.

Ollie Jackson just shaded fellow Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan racer Sam Osborne by a couple of tenths of a second. Evenly matched, and racking up more than 50 laps each in their freshly liveried Fords which were unveiled for the first time prior to the start of the test, Jackson’s best was a lap of 1m10.153 seconds.

Marking the first collective test for the squads ahead of the new campaign, which will be the first BTCC season utilising hybrid power, the day proved fruitful for Motorbase as the team prepares to head north to Croft Circuit, near Darlington, for next week’s second Hybrid Installation test.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“Donington went really well, we got a good number of laps under our belts in both qualifying and race trim and learned a lot about the new cars for this season. To have all four cars in full 2022 spec and successfully running hybrid this early is a great achievement for the team, and a credit to the people behind the scenes at Motorbase. Ash and Dan have settled in so well and are clearly a great asset to the team, along with the continuity of Ollie and Sam. There’s a really exciting buzz around the team this year.”

North Yorkshire’s Croft will host the second officially timed test of the BTCC pre-season next Wednesday, 6th April, with the teams then heading to Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire for the annual ‘Media Day’ on Wednesday, 13th April.

Donington Park will host the first three races of the 2022 championship on Sunday, 24th April.

The post STRONG DAY FOR MOTORBASE AT DONINGTON AS PART OF FIRST OFFICIAL BTCC TEST appeared first on Alliance Racing.