On a weekend where Motorbase and its NAPA Racing UK entry secured its first race victory of the season in the headline Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with Ash Sutton, for the young Academy drivers it was a less fruitful outing by and large with a series of luckless incidents.

For Scottish racer Clark, though, his home races went well and particularly in round nine of the MINI CHALLENGE where he stormed through the order from an uncharacteristic 20th on the grid to finish an excellent 12th overall and second in the Graduate class for JWB Motorsport.

Repeating the runner-up result in the Graduates in round 10, the Perth racer – who celebrated his 22nd birthday this week – was an improved ninth overall. Unfortunately, his run ended in round 11 with retirement on the opening lap.

Team-mates Jack Mitchell and Jamie Osborne both endured a tough weekend with the latter posting two unfortunate non-finishes, in rounds 10 and 11, and Mitchell having a mountain to climb in the second and third races after his MINI ground to a halt just off the startline in round nine.

Conversely, Osborne raced to a fifth place finish in the Rookie class and the top 15 overall in the opening contest but his visit to Knockhill then unraveled in the next two races to bring a frustrating end to the event for the JWB driver.

Mitchell, who had qualified fourth fastest for race one, had to begin round 10 from the back of the grid after the enforced retirement in the opener and he charged through the order brilliantly from 27th on the grid into 14th place at the finish. More fantastic progress was made in round 11, slicing through from 14th at the start into the top six – salvaging vital points for second in the standings.

Ginetta Junior Championship contender Harri Reynolds experienced his most vexing event of the year by far, picking up a total of just seven points at Knockhill with a 14th place finish in race two of the weekend, round 12. After qualifying eighth for round 11, a mechanical issue forced him out on only lap three and in round 13 another non-finish occurred on the fourth lap of the encounter.

Star rookie in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship, Hugo Ellis, endured a Knockhill nightmare when a start-line accident, involving five cars, ruled him out of the first race of the weekend on the spot and the damage sustained to his car also prevented him from participating in race two. On the positive side, Ellis was thankfully uninjured in the incident as were the other drivers.

Pete Osborne – Motorbase Performance Team Owner and Team Principal:
“We’ve seen, and celebrated, some fantastic success for the Motorbase Driver Academy over the first half of the season so we mustn’t be too disappointed with how the Knockhill weekend turned out for our drivers. Harri and Jamie had some terrible luck in Ginetta and MINI, and the crash in the first Porsche race was pretty worrying. We were so relieved to see Hugo walk away uninjured.

“Looking at the positives, Ru delivered two outstanding drives in the MINIs and Jack fought back very impressively after the frustration of race one when he was forced to stop as soon as he’d started. Obviously, it was great to see Ru finish second in class twice at his home track, particularly in front of such a great Knockhill crowd – oh, and happy birthday Ru from everyone at Motorbase!”

The post MIXED KNOCKHILL WEEKEND FOR MOTORBASE DRIVER ACADEMY RACERS appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Fresh from a very positive and highly competitive two-day BTCC test outing at Snetterton 300 Circuit just under a couple of weeks ago, the Wrotham team is feeling buoyed for the 450-mile plus journey north to Fife and is fully focused on achieving the best results possible across its four car squad.

Ash Sutton is presently the highest placed Motorbase driver in the championship, fourth position and just 24 points shy of the top of the standings. With six podiums thus far in his NAPA Racing UK liveried Ford Focus ST, three second places and a trio of thirds, more silverware is the aim for the reigning BTCC Champion at Knockhill.

Sutton heads north of the border to the unique 1.27-mile track, one of his favourite challenges on the calendar, feeling positive after concluding the tyre test quickest of all and working on some valuable changes to the car.

Team-mate Dan Cammish was also very impressive at the Snetterton tyre test, ending the two days second fastest to Sutton a mere 0.015 seconds shy but, importantly and notably, utilising the regular Goodyear race tyre on his NAPA Racing UK car as opposed to the soft ‘option’ compound which Sutton was running on day two. Cammish was also a terrific third overall on the opening day.

In terms of the season to-date, of course, Cammish has experienced some outrageous misfortune which has impacted his championship challenge. Currently just four points outside the top 10 in the title battle, he does have two podiums to his credit and is absolutely determined to turn the page on the largely luckless first half of the campaign.

While the timing screens at the test didn’t especially light-up for the Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan drivers, both Sam Osborne and Ollie Jackson concentrated on a wide range of set-up changes where they made great progress. Each of them carries heightened confidence to Knockhill.

Jackson has accrued four outright points finishes so far in 2022 and is 22nd in the championship standings, while Osborne is three places further back with one overall points result to his credit from Thruxton earlier in the year. In the Jack Sears Trophy, contested by drivers yet to make a podium visit, Osborne is fourth in the points table with one second in class finish and one third place.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“We had a really strong test a few weeks ago so we head into the second half of the season in a confident mood. After a really busy May and June, the break from racing has been a good opportunity for us to concentrate on the details. While the two-day Goodyear tyre test meant it hasn’t been much of a break for the crew behind the scenes, we do feel that’s been put to good use. Knockhill is such a great yet unique circuit for all the teams, it’s always a challenge the drivers love so we’re looking forward to the weekend and aiming for a return to the top step.”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“Knockhill is a fantastic track, it’s always been one of my favourites – it’s such a unique circuit and really does require an attacking style and a lot of commitment. I love the challenge it provides and it is the sort of place where a driver can make a difference. We’re heading to Scotland with some good data under our belts from the tyre test and the whole NAPA Racing UK team is feeling positive we’ve made some good steps forward. None of us know what to truly expect from Knockhill, but we’ll all be working as hard as ever to deliver the best weekend we can.”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“After all of the misfortune we had during the first half of the season, the Snetterton tyre test came at the perfect time for us and we enjoyed a couple of fantastic days. I really felt we made good progress with the car, trying a variety of set-up changes and being right on the pace on both days which was fantastic. All of the guys at the team are working so hard and I really do think we go into the second half of the season, starting at Knockhill, in good shape. It’s a one-of-a-kind track but I’m hopeful we can start as we mean to go on there.”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“It’s certainly been a challenging season for us up until now but at the tyre test it did feel as though we may have turned a corner with the car, certainly in terms of understanding it more and unlocking some things which should prove beneficial for the remainder of the season. Knockhill is a track on its own, unlike anywhere else we visit in the BTCC, but one I really enjoy driving. With a bit of luck on our side, I’m confident that we will be able to build on the work undertaken during the break to make the best start possible to the second half of the season.”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“The two-day test was good for us and it’s given me more positivity for Knockhill. It was awesome working with Nick Tandy at Snetterton, he gave me a lot to think about going forward and did a mega job helping with the feedback with the changes we made throughout the test. I feel confident we are going in the direction we need to so I am hoping we can show some progress at Knockhill, although it is a very unique track so who knows what will happen until we get there!”

Opening free practice at Knockhill will get underway at 09.50 on Saturday, 30th July, with session two following at 12.15 and qualifying at 15.30 – the latter will be streamed live online at the www.itv.com/btcc website. On Sunday, 31st July, round 16 of the season will begin at 12.08, round 17 at 14.15 and round 18 at 17.10. Races one and two will be live on ITV with race three on ITV4 – all three will also be streamed live online.

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 AIMING FOR SCOTTISH SUCCESS AS SECOND HALF OF SEASON BEGINS AT KNOCKHILL appeared first on Alliance Racing.

The Motorbase-run outfit arrives at the Fife circuit determined to get its championship campaign back on track. A taxing weekend at Thruxton last month upset the squad’s hope of closing the gap to the championship leaders, with both Tom Chilton and Ollie Jackson vowing to fight back in Scotland with a determination to a return to winning ways.

Chilton returns to Knockhill with happy memories of his maiden race win of the season here last year. A commanding win in the final race of the weekend saw the Reigate-racer claim the first-ever victory for the Focus Focus RS and the 34-year-old is eager for a repeat performance this weekend.

Jackson’s return to the Motorbase line-up has already delivered his BTCC-career-best qualifying and points-scoring result this year, and the Beavis Morgan and Alcon brakes-backed driver is eager to push on and add to his Independent race win and points tally as the championship enters its final stages.

Team Manager Oly Collins commented; “Knockhill is always full of entertainment. We’ve had a bit of a break over the last four weeks and everyone is raring to go again.

“You couldn’t get more of a contrast in characteristics with our last outing. It’s tight and twisty with undulations compared with the high-speed Thruxton. Knockhill is like a rollercoaster for the drivers.

“The tyre side of things will be interesting again. It’s the first time the grid will have been on the soft tyre for the majority of the weekend. We know that the soft tyre likes Knockhill so we’ll see how people play it. The Motorbase Focus has historically enjoyed the soft tyre, and gone well at Knockhill so we’re aiming for good results this weekend.”

#3 Tom Chilton:

“I’m praying for rain and more wins like last year. I love Knockhill race track and the support we receive from the fans there is fantastic. It’s always one of the closest races of the year as it’s such a short lap. I love the racing and can’t wait to get out in free practice and balance on two wheels again.”

#48 Ollie Jackson:

“I’m looking forward to Knockhill. I love the challenge of the undulating circuit and traditionally it’s been a track where the Focus has performed well. Combined with the fact that we have the softs as the prime tyre and we’ve been strong on them all year I’m expecting us to return to the sharp end this weekend.

“It’s a long journey to Scotland but it’s always worth it, the atmosphere is one of the best of the year and it’s always a weekend of hard-fought battles and exciting motorsport. Let’s hope we can make the long journey back with some silverware to keep us company!”

Rounds 22, 23 and 24 of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship takes place at Knockhill Race Circuit on September 14/15. Live coverage of Sunday’s (September 15) events will be shown on ITV4, ITV4HD and via the ITVhub from 11:00 – 18:00; with itv.com/btcc featuring live timing and streaming of Saturday’s (September 14) qualifying session from 15.00.

The post Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher focused on a return to form in Scotland appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Celebrating a victorious return to the top step of the podium at the eighth meeting of the season, the relentless rainfall did little to dampen Chilton’s spirits with the Gallagher-backed racer battling his way from a mid-pack start to take his first BTCC race win since 2011, and second Independent win of the season.

The weekend was a slow-burner for the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher duo. Following a super-competitive qualifying session that saw over half of the grid beat the previous lap record, Chilton was the highest-placed Motorbase driver in P15 – in spite of being less than half a second off pole – with James Cole placing 22nd for the first of Sunday’s three races.

Passing Lloyd’s Honda on the opening lap in the extreme wet conditions, Chilton held his nerve in the safety car interrupted race and continued to scythe his way through the mid-field to eventually take P12 at the flag. With a tough task ahead of him on the notoriously difficult circuit, Cole endured a tough battled from a less-than-ideal qualifying place, picking up damage to bring the #20 Focus RS home in P24.

Race two was a dramatic affair. After two safety car incidents in treacherous racing conditions, the contest was finally red-flagged after just 20 laps. Chilton made an excellent start off the line and had managed to work his way into the top ten by the first tour of the circuit, moving up to 8th by lap 12 before the race was ended. James Cole was still embroiled in the mid-pack scrap and struggled to progress but managed to make up 4 places to finally cross the line in P20.

With the leading two cars excluded from the race results due to ride-height infringements, the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher driver’s positions were promoted to P6 and P18. Chilton’s amended result proved to be the turning point of the weekend, placing the #3 Ford Focus RS onto pole position for the final race of the weekend.

Determined to capitalise on his fortuitous position, Chilton stormed off the line and had built up a decent lead to Morgan in the opening laps. A fast-charging Turkington however soon made light work of the Mercedes and had closed the gap to Chilton down to less than half a second by the mid-way point of the race. A defensive masterclass followed, with Chilton holding off the two-time BTCC champion’s BMW for the final six laps in a thrilling closing battle. The 33-year-old’s determination and race-craft delivered the perfect end to the day for the Motorbase squad – claiming the 1st outright race win for the Ford Focus RS on its debut season.

Unfortunately, Cole’s woes continued with the 30-year-old entangled in the back-marker traffic and the #20 Focus RS dropped back a couple of places to end the day in P22.

The weekend’s results have helped to reinstate Chilton’s stake in the Championship title fight – moving him back up into 6th place overall and closing the gap on the Independent Drivers lead. Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher has also consolidated its 4th place position in the overalls Teams’ Championship – as the highest-placed Independent Team – and has closed the gap to the current Indy Teams’ leaders to just 4 points with 6 rounds remaining.

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heads to Silverstone – ‘the home of British Motorsport’ – in three weeks’ time for the penultimate meeting of the year on September 15/16.

Quotes:

Team Manager Oly Collins: 
“That’s a fantastic result which pays back the whole team for all the hard work behind the scenes. Tom was mega in the wet today and that first win for our Focus RS was exactly what he and the team deserved. We’ve had a strong car all year but for whatever reason we’ve just not been able to convert it to a win until today.

“It’s a super competitive Championship and you just can’t underestimate what it takes to win races. It keeps us in the hunt for the title. Now we’re hungry for more with 6 races left!”

#3 Tom Chilton: 
“I knew I had to get the perfect start because I had Turkington behind me in the RWD drive and I did! Thankfully I didn’t make the same mistake from Rockingham and I kept the lead for the whole race. I knew that I had the car underneath me and with the experience from all of my years racing here it paid off. It was a really big fight at the end, with Turkington coming through but we had such a good car.

“All credit to the team giving me the car to do the job. Starting from 15th on the grid was tough but it just shows you that if you keep your nose clean and with a little bit of luck you can come through to take a win.”

#20 James Cole: 
“Congratulations to Tom on his win. It was a fantastic effort from the whole team and he drove really well to take that win.

“I think overall the result doesn’t show it, but we have found some improvements in the car which we can take forward to Silverstone. Some more consistent running is what we need, and to have two days of the same weather would be lovely. We’re upbeat for Silverstone, it’s a great circuit that should suit our car really well and it can’t come soon enough.”  

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The post Victory for Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher at Knockhill appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Team Shredded Wheat with Gallagher heads North of the border this coming weekend as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship arrives at Knockhill Racing Circuit in Fife for its annual Scottish appearance (August 25/26).

Just three race meetings remain in the battle for the highly-covered BTCC crown, and with over 200 points still up for grabs, this weekend will play a vital role in keeping the Motorbase-run squad’s title hopes alive as the season enters its final stages.

With 4 podiums already under his belt, Tom Chilton currently lies tied on points for sixth in the Driver Standings, and is just 7 points off 4th place heading into the weekend. The 33-year-old is also within striking distance of the Independent lead as he looks to close the gap at the top of the championship and claim Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher’s maiden win of the season.

After securing six top 10 finishes in the opening four meetings, James Cole has struggled to unlock the full potential of the RS in recent rounds. However, the 30-year-old is optimistic that the tight and twisty nature of the Scottish track will play to the strengths of the Ford’s chassis and signal a return to the strong form shown at the start of the season.

Team Manager Oly Collins commented; “Knockhill is an awesome challenge for the drivers, engineers and the whole team. We know the Focus has been quick this season and we’re looking to convert that pace into results this weekend.

“With such a short lap it will be as close as ever, and qualifying will be the key to unlocking the chances of a strong weekend. Tom is well placed in the Championship and we’re looking to build on that with only 3 meetings left. James also needs a turnaround weekend and change in fortunes to make sure that we stay in title fight.”

The unique and much-loved circuit has become a firm favourite for the Kent-based Motorbase outfit in recent years, with the previous Ford Focus ST model taking a fifth win of the season in 2016 and a commanding double podium celebration the year before. Chilton also has a winning past with the blue oval on the picturesque circuit, having taken pole position and a win here in the Ford Focus back in 2011.

Driver quotes: 

#3 Tom Chilton: 
“Last time I raced at Knockhill in a Ford Focus was back in 2011, which saw me qualify in pole position and go on to win the race. It would be great if we could repeat history again this weekend.

“I’m gutted I lost a potential win at Rockingham last time out and can’t believe how disappointed I felt with only a 3rd and a 10th. The car has a lot of potential and I need to make sure we maximise the most of what we have this weekend, as I can really feel that win is getting ever so closer. 

“I love racing at Knockhill and can’t wait to be back on two wheels having fun again.”

#20 James Cole: 
“Knockhill is unlike any other circuit that we race on in the BTCC. If you like rollercoasters, you’ll like Knockhill! I think it will suit our car. We’ve been consistent this season, apart from the last couple of rounds where we tried something different. We’ve learnt a lot from that though and can adapt that to what we already have and get back to a car that can challenge in the top 5 and push for podiums.

Live streaming of Saturday’s qualifying session is also available via: https://www.itv.com/btcc/qualifying-live with live timing from all sessions available at: https://www.tsl-timing.com/event/183703

The post Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher on the hunt for highland glory appeared first on Alliance Racing.