Alliance Racing will be a new name in British Motorsport with a strong background. Since Pete Osborne took ownership of the team there have been ambitious plans in place. The team is relocating to a new 30,000 square foot Motorsport head quarters in the Midlands in preparation for the 2024 Motorsport season. With the expansion of the team in 2023 and ambitious plans in the pipeline the move sparks the start of a new era for the team.

Pete Osborne:

‘This is a fresh and exciting new era for all of us involved. We’ve had strong plans right from the start and now we’ve done a few years learning and growing within the BTCC and TOCA package, we aim to continue in that vein. The team is made up of fantastic individuals who all echo our desires to grow and expand into other area’s of the industry while keeping the BTCC as a flagship programme.

We’re proudly representing NAPA Racing UK in BTCC, Mini & Truck racing along with other activities outside of the racing and we will continue to do so with NAPA by our side. Everyone in Motorsport has seen the impact we’ve had as NAPA Racing and the results are there because of the commitment of everyone involved.

Another project we’re extremely proud of is the Academy we’ve set up alongside Wera tools, which has already produced two young Champions in Theo Micouris & Alfie Garford and we’re delighted to help these youngsters at the start of their journey. A recent collaboration with Loughborough College has expanded the academy beyond supporting young drivers. This side of the academy is aimed at growing and nurturing young talent in all roles required in the Motorsport industry, such as mechanics, data & engineering, marketing & media and many more.

Having taken our Motorsport activity beyond the BTCC this season, we are now looking at plans to grow into other area’s. Watch this space!’

The post Launch of Alliance Racing appeared first on Alliance Racing.

A toasty few days at Donington Park! The weekend wasn’t looking good with lack of power in Friday test and a bad qualifying session, but a solid team effort in the Mason awning resulted in a P10 finish from P23 in race 2 plus fastest lap in class.

Race 1 Got a great start but contact on the first corner resulted in a bent track rod. Two nasty incidents on track resulted in two red flags and the race was abandoned. Not nice to witness these lads rolling. So thankful everyone walked away

Race 2  Mega race!  The rain came and tyre choice was tricky but I really enjoyed the mixed conditions.  The car felt awesome and I had great pace. P10 from P23 plus fastest lap in class

The post Donington Park – Rounds 11&12 – BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Following on from a sensational maiden victory in the championship last time out at Donington Park, Jenkins was straight back on the leading pace from the off at Silverstone in his Century Motorsport prepared Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.

Jenkins, who is competing this season as part of BTCC team Motorbase Performance’s Young Driver Programme with support from Wera Tools, finished as the fastest Pro driver during free practice on Friday and went on to set the fourth best time during qualifying the next morning.

Unfortunately a post-session investigation deemed him to have overtaken another car under yellow flags during the session though, resulting in the harsh penalty of being disqualified from the session and having to start the opening two races from last on the grid.

He also received the added punishment of having to start 10 seconds later than the rest of the field in race one. Facing a real uphill battle to make progress in a very competitive field, he impressively posted the fastest lap of the race as he caught the pack and climbed to 12th overall.

With no additional time penalty for the start of race two, Jenkins was able to immediately go on the offensive in tricky, wet conditions. Rising seven places on the opening lap alone, he eventually worked his way up to ninth overall and sixth of the Pro class contenders.

Jenkins, who races with the support of loyal personal partners Hopkins Motorsport, Asset Alliance Group, The Reefer Trailer Centre and Culina Group, lost ground avoiding a spinning car on the opening lap of race three. A strong run from there saw him post another fastest lap en-route to a ninth place finish.

Will Jenkins: “Unfortunately the penalty from qualifying turned the weekend on its head for us, and prevented us from really showing what we can do in the races. It’s a harsh penalty and ultimately meant race one was a right off for us, but I’m glad I was able to make some progress in the next two.

“To go fastest in class during free practice, qualifying up in the lead pack and then get a couple of fastest laps in the races shows the pace we have. We’ll take that big positive, regroup and come back stronger for the final rounds at Brands Hatch.”

The 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge season finale takes place next month on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit (07/08 October).

Images: Porsche

The post Will Jenkins Battles Back To Silverstone Top Ten Finishes appeared first on Alliance Racing.

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.

Going into Qualifying on Saturday, Theo had been fastest for the previous day’s practice sessions so it was all about going for pole position and the extra point that comes with it. He managed to set a blistering first couple of laps which put him on provisional pole at the start of the session. As gravel and dirt got dragged onto the track by other cars during the session, the track got slower and slower without many people improving. This meant that Theo claimed pole position by 3 tenths which gave him an extra point and put himself at the front for Race 1.

In Race 1 on Saturday afternoon, all Theo had to do was start the race to win the championship. However, he still went all out to try and take the race win along with it. He held the lead at the start before a safety car was brought out due to a collision. When the safety car came in, Theo went all out and created an 11 second gap to P2 before another safety car brought everyone onto the back of him again. With only a lap or so left to go, Theo made another great restart to take the win (and another fastest lap to his tally), scoring maximum points and the championship a day early!

Sunday started a very different day with heavily overcast skies, but the rain was holding off for Race 2 at lunchtime. With the championship in the bag and no pressure, Theo was in the lead at the start and started again to pull a gap to P2 before being compromised by a faster SR3 car which had rejoined the track following an incident. This allowed the rest of the pack to catch up, and P2 took advantage of the situation to get past.

This dropped Theo to P3 after going 3-wide through the Craner Curves alongside the two people fighting for second in the championship. After watching them fight for a bit, Theo made his move for P2 to promote himself back up a position and with a couple seconds gap to catch up to the leader, Theo was on a charge setting another fastest lap along the way. He caught up to the back of the leader just as the checkered flag came out to give him a 2^nd place.

Race 3 was late afternoon, by which time the weather had turned and the rain was pelting down. Not only was the track wet and visibility terrible, but this was the pit stop race, where Theo had to carry a 15 second success penalty after the previous round – meaning stopping 15 seconds longer than most of the field.

After a lengthy safety car period at the start, Theo was left with very little time to try and make up the time to overcome the success penalty. After several minutes the race finally got underway just as the mandatory pitstop window opened. With a great in and out lap, as well as a well-timed pitstop by his crew, Theo emerged in 3^rd having considerably narrowed the 10s gap to his nearest rival. With limited visibility and pouring rain Theo still had it all to do. Wanting to end the season on a win, he knew he had to pull something out of the bag. He quickly overtook the car in 2^nd and then gradually reeled in the leader to set it up for a nail-biting duel for the win in the last few laps. On the penultimate lap he made his move into the Melbourne hairpin. Side-by-side down the short straight to Goddard’s, Theo held his own and emerged in the lead to start the final lap. He stroked it home for one final lap to take another incredible win, finishing off the season just like he started the year.

Amazing to end his debut season in cars a tally of 9x Wins, 4 Pole Positions, 15 x Fastest Laps, 3 Lap Records, 17 Podiums and 2 championships! What a year!

Theo Micouris: “This was a perfect end to an unbelievable season…  It was amazing to end the season with a double win for Raw Motorsports and Hart GT with teammate Tommi Gore taking the SR3 win as well! Thanks to Ian and Luisa at Wera Tools, to Pete Osborne at Motorbase, and the Motorsport UK Academy as well as everyone else who was involved with making this such an incredible year! I couldn’t have done this without you all, so thank you all so much!”

The post Micouris crowned 2023 Hagarty Radical Cup SR1 and Overall Champion in his debut year appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Alfie had entered the final round with a 3 point deficit to the championship leader, and with points given out after qualifying heats, pre-final & Final the fight was certainly on to see who would lift the crown!

Qualy and the proceeding 2 heats could not have gone better with a 2^nd and a 1^st giving him a maximum points for the first 1/3^rd of the weekend. On top of this Alfie’s pace was impressive and claimed fastest laps in both races, stamping down a marker in the sand for his rival to try and match.

Sunday’s pre-final saw last minute changes to all karts on the grid, switching to slicks after the early morning rain had finally dried on track. Alfie settled in to a 2^nd position at the start pulling away from the field until a mid-race crash that happened further back brought out the virtual safety car for a lap, bunching the field back up. On the re-start Alfie made his move for 1^st and extended the gap with ease just needing to bring it home, but unfortunately a timely error a lap later put his kart off line and on to the wet, losing grip and falling off in to the gravel. He clambered back on but down in 6^th. A head reset from himself saw him put in fastest lap after fastest lap to regain back up to 2^nd position as he crossed the line.

So on to the main final, and with the sums done, Alfie was ahead on points with his championship rival needing to win the race and Alfie to be outside the top 3 to win it. A calm cool and collected Alfie strolled on to the grid knowing what he had to do.

BUT…. The start, P3 man mounted a big kerb and sailed into Alfie’s kart and landed sideways in front, blocking his path. Split second moves and a dart out the way, Alfie managed to get clear and without too much of a position drop.

Lap 2 and he was back into 2^nd with championship rival (King) on his back bumper. However 1^st place was up the road 2 seconds clear.

Lap 6. Alfie had dropped King who was still in a steady 3^rd, and he had caught up to the leader with some amazing pace. He remained on the leader’s bumper sitting there with ease waiting for the closing stages.

As the closing stages arrived and King still in 3^rd, Alfie decided to back off from the leader knowing that if something was to go wrong between them, he would gift King the championship and so rolled in in 2^nd place with his fist in the air and to the jubilant cheers from the crowds to become ….. 2023 British Senior Karting Champion!!!

He also becomes the youngest ever Senior British Karting champion at only 14 years old!!!

Alfie Garford: ‘Wow, what an amazing feeling! What a weekend! I’ve felt the most confident I have all year, come rain or shine I was going to get the job done. The pace has been amazing and so I was able to just sit comfortably in 2^nd staying off all the kerbs in the final laps to bring the kart home. It means a massive amount to me to be able to add the senior championship to my Junior one, and it wouldn’t be possible without all the help and work from others back at home and around the country. You know who you are but thank you Pete, Ian, Oly and Lewis. Bryn, Ethan, Elliot and Joanne. Alan, Michelle, Mark and Joe. Rob and Jody’

TKM’s Alan Turney: ‘Alfie’s been a superstar! The pressure is always on in the later stages of a championship and he looked to thrive on it, and the results showed. It’s great to see one of our Junior TKM champions step up in to the senior class and do so well especially in his first year, it’s quite impressive!’

The post Garford repeats 2021 Junior success to be crowned 2023 Wera Tools British Kart Champion appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Great practice sessions at the start of the weekend gave Alfie confidence going into Qualifying that he would be able to mount a challenge on his competitors. And a great qualy it was, netting a front row in P2.

He would start from here for heats 1 and 2. Both heats would see him struggle with pace in the latter stages of the race as the sun baked the glorious track and ultimately cooking Alfie’s tyres. He finished 2nd and 6th respectively, and although the results looked ok, the kart was not on pace to mount a challenge for the wins.

Big setup changes over night were made after debrief and data analysis to try to get the kart to work in the hot conditions. The Pre-final would see Alfie start in P4. The kart looked competitive all the way through and he crossed the line in 2nd place but unfortunately a in race 5 second penalty was given out after an aggressive overtake, which demoted Alfie to 7th where he would then start for the main final.

So… Grid 7 for the 15minute main final, and a kart that now looked good in the 2nd half of the race. Alfie quickly got up to 4th place after a great opening lap. This group of 4 would slowly pull away from the rest of the field for the duration of the race. Half race distance saw Alfie to control of the race out in front, but not for long as his main championship rival also wanted to lead. Over the next 5 to 6 laps they not only swapped positions but also paint work as well, in a hard but fair scrap for the lead. With 2 minutes to go 3rd place also wanted in on the action and made his move on Alfie’s rival. This fortunately gave Alfie just a few kart lengths breathing space, and with a kart now setup for strength at the end, there was no way he was getting caught, and he romped home to his first senior win of the year!

With similar points scored throughout the weekend for Alfie and his rival they both go into the final round in a fortnights time with it all still to play for.

The post Garford Reins supreme at British champs scorcher appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Returning to the scene of his Porsche debut back in April, Jenkins highlighted the fantastic progression he and the Century Motorsport team have made across the season so far as he topped the timesheets in qualifying for the first time before notching a pair of podium finishes across the three races.

With fond memories of winning two races on the full Donington Park Grand Prix circuit in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge last October, Jenkins was straight on the front-running pace during free practice on Thursday behind the wheel of his Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.

Jenkins, who is competing this season as part of BTCC team Motorbase Performance’s Young Driver Programme with support from Wera Tools, went on to produce a star performance in tricky changing conditions during qualifying on Saturday, setting the pace by a quarter of a second.

The 18-year-old talent crucially fended off the challenge of his rivals on the charge to the first corner at the beginning of race one, giving him the opportunity to control the race from the front. Posting the fastest lap of the race early on, he built up a lead of over 1.2 seconds within three laps.

While his closest challenger Joe Warhurst edged closer to his tail as the race developed, Jenkins put in a faultless performance to keep him at arms’ length throughout the 13-lap contest and take the chequered flag first for a richly-deserved maiden win in the championship.

Both of Sunday’s races were televised live on ITV4, with Jenkins facing a rollercoaster day. In the first of those, a smart move into the Old Hairpin for the first time moved him up to fourth overall and third of the Pro class contenders.

In tricky wet conditions, the Stone-based racer benefitted from an off-track moment from another driver to gain an extra place. From there, a defensive masterclass saw him soak up a lot of pressure and hold his position to the chequered flag for a brilliant second in the Pro ranks.

Jenkins, who races with the support of loyal personal partners Hopkins Motorsport, Asset Alliance Group, The Reefer Trailer Centre and Culina Group, made a great start to the final race as a bold move into the Melbourne Hairpin netted him second overall and the Pro class lead.

Unfortunately his hold on the position would be relatively short-lived, as after a damaged car dropped coolant around a large portion of track, he was powerless to prevent himself sliding off into the gravel. While he managed to get back onto the tarmac, the time lost resulted in a P12 finish.

Will Jenkins: “We’ve been working incredibly hard over recent months to improve our package and become a true force to be reckoned with at the front of the Sprint Challenge GB grid, and it’s great to start seeing the rewards of those efforts.

“Donington Park GP is one of my favourite circuits on the calendar and our pace was strong from the off in the Cayman. To come away with our first pole position in qualifying was amazing and a perfect way to kick off the weekend.

“The first race was an absolutely perfect way to take my maiden Porsche win. The car was perfect and I could control the race from the front. Our wet pace wasn’t our strong point earlier in the season, so to see the progress made in race two and finish second of the Pros was great.

“It’s naturally a huge shame to lose the chance of another Pro win in the final race through something outside of our control, but that’s motorsport. I’m incredibly proud of the big steps forward we’ve made this weekend and a huge thank you to the team all their work. Bring on Silverstone next!”

Two rounds remain of the 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge GB season, with the penultimate event at Silverstone on the National layout (24/25 September) before the finale on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit (07/08 October).

The post Will Jenkins Storms To Brilliant Maiden Porsche Victory At Donington Park appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Ash Sutton broke the record for most wins in a season under the current regulations to extend his lead at the top of the standings, whilst the NAPA Racing UK squad also strengthened its hold on the BTCC Teams Championship as top scorers from the weekend.

Saturday would be a day that showed the highs and lows of motorsport to full effect, with a dramatic off for Dan Cammish at McLeans – just seconds after he had set the quickest time in the opening practice session – resulting in the #27 Focus sustaining extensive damage that would rule the car out of the remainder of the weekend.

Showing the strength of the Motorbase-built car, Dan was able to escape the incident without injury.

By the end of the day however, there was plenty of reason to cheer in the garage as Sutton stormed to a fifth pole of the season in qualifying, equalling the record for most poles in a season under the current series regulations. It also maintained a 100 per cent pole record for NAPA Racing UK this season, with Dan Rowbottom posting the tenth-best time and Sam Osborne qualifying in 15th.

BTCC RACE 1

Wet weather greeted the team for Sunday’s races, with Ash losing the lead at the start when he suffered wheelspin off the line and slipped to third spot. Regaining second within a matter of corners, Ash then quickly cleared rival Tom Ingram to hit the front, and stormed clear to take his ninth win of the campaign.

Dan would spend the race battling in gaggle of cars in the midfield before emerging with a solid eighth place, with Sam scoring the final point in 15th having survived a wild trip across the grass at the start that saw him collect a trackside advertising banner.

Luckily, the debris would drop off the front of the car before it could impact on his engine temperatures, ensuring a triple score for the team.

BTCC RACE 2

Ash retained his lead at the start of the second race on a now dry circuit before title rival Ingram nipped ahead on the fourth lap. From there, Ash held station to the finish having kept the BMW of Jake Hill at bay in second place to score another podium finish, despite suffering an issue with the brakes on his car.

Dan improved on his race one result as he took seventh place – only missing out on the top six by half a second – whilst Sam replicated his earlier performance as he once again picked up the final championship point.

BTCC RACE 3

With the top twelve reversed on the grid for race three, Ash started back in eleventh place on the grid, but would emerge from a chaotic encounter in an impressive fifth place. Crucially, that was two places ahead of main rival Ingram, allowing him to extend his lead in the standings to 42 points ahead of the penultimate weekend of racing at Silverstone.

“We had a solid race one in the wet, but then in races two and three we had to manage a bit of an issue with the brakes,” Ash said. “It was nothing to do with the team and they were just getting hot, but what happened to Dan was in the back of my mind, so I was aiming to stay out of trouble and bring home the points.

“Extending the lead at the top of the standings is great, particularly as I think Silverstone will be a tough one for us with no hybrid, but there are a few things I think we can look at to make sure we go there all guns blazing.”

Race three would prove to be a difficult one for Dan, who had fought his way into the top five before he clipped a tyre stack at the chicane, resulting in a puncture that forced him to make an unscheduled pitstop that dropped him off the lead lap.

The action-packed race saw Sam secure his best result of the weekend however, as he kept his nose clean and stayed out of trouble to take the flag in ninth place and earn a share of the Jack Sears Trophy victory for the weekend.

DRIVER’S STANDING:

1^st – Ash Sutton (362 points)

5^th – Dan Cammish (220 points)

8^th – Dan Rowbottom (161 points)

18^th – Sam Osborne (57 points)

MANUFACTURER’S – 2^ND

TEAMS – 1^ST

NEXT STOP, SILVERSTONE FOR ROUNDS 25, 26 AND 27 ON THE 23 – 24 SEPTEMBER 2023.

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP GB:

With Gus Burton absent due to a clashing commitment in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, multiple race winner Will Martin was drafted in for the weekend to pilot the NAPA Racing UK entry in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB – marking his first appearance in the series since the 2022 season finale at Brands Hatch.

Will – who is racing this season in the United States – wasted little time in getting up to speed in the JTR-run car as he posted the fifth-quickest time in free practice before qualifying just outside the top ten overall as the eighth-best of the Pro Class field.

In tricky damp conditions, Will produced one of the drives of the opening 19 lap race as he charged through the field to take second place, the highlights being a fine move up the inside of Matty Graham at Redgate and a stunning side-by-side run with points leader Adam Smalley down the Craner Curves in worsening weather conditions.

Starting the reverse grid second race from third on the grid, Will capped a fine return to the series with another second-place finish, moving up a spot when Josh Malin ran off the road and retaining the place through to the finish despite the close attentions of race one winner James Kellett.

“When I got the call to join NAPA Racing UK for the weekend it was a no-brainer really, and I thought it would be nice to come back and see some old faces,” he said.

“Qualifying didn’t quite go to plan as I didn’t manage to hook up a lap, but the races couldn’t have gone much better. As a guest driver, I didn’t really have any expectations in terms of results, so to leave with two trophies is great.”

MINI CHALLENGE TROPHY:

The Donington Park weekend marked the final appearance on the BTCC-support package this season for NAPA Racing UK’s two drivers in the MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, with Callum Eason and Cameron Richardson continuing with their rookie campaigns in the two Cooper class cars.

Cameron would be the quicker of the pair in qualifying as he set the 16th quickest time with Callum three spots further back, with Cameron shuffled back down the order in the opening stages of race one before recovering to finish where he started.

Callum by contrast had charged through to the fringes of the top ten before an unfortunate issue with the driveshaft saw him forced into retirement on the penultimate lap.

The second race of the weekend would run in tricky wet conditions, but both drivers were able to successfully bring their cars to the finish, with Cameron surviving a hit at the hairpin mid-way through to work his way up to 13th, and Callum taking the flag in 20th – despite starting the race so far back that he couldn’t even see the start lights.

A strong end to the weekend for Callum in the final race saw him continue his recovery from race one with a solid drive through to 13th place, with Cameron following him home in 14th place.

THE PAIR ARE NEXT IN ACTION ON THE WEEKEND OF 16/17 SEPTEMBER AT SILVERSTONE, A WEEK BEFORE THE BTCC AND PORSCHE TEAMS RACE AT THE SAME VENUE FOR THE PENULTIMATE MEETING OF THE SEASON.

The post NAPA RACING UK STRENGTHENS BTCC ADVANTAGE ON RECORD-BREAKING WEEKEND appeared first on Alliance Racing.

The weekend marked a significant milestone for the team with Race 2 on Sunday commemorating their 50^th BTCC race. It was also one year since Ash Sutton clinched the team’s inaugural victory in 2022 at the same circuit, which now holds a special significance for the team.

In honour of this event, NAPA Racing UK had many plans up their sleeves to help raise vital funds for Race Against Dementia, founded by three-time F1 World Champion and seven-time Grand Prix winner, Sir Jackie Stewart OBE. All the NAPA cars at Knockhill underwent a charming Scottish transformation, adorned with a one-off tartan livery. The team were accompanied by a very special performance ahead of the team’s 50^th BTCC race by bagpipers and sported limited-edition Scottish NAPA Racing t-shirts and caps, which sold out within 24hours by fans at the NAPA Shop onsite.

Finally, fans were given the opportunity to be a VIP at the NAPA hospitality for the first time, as well as enter auctions and raffles to win amazing prizes from the team’s sponsors.

NAPA Racing UK would like to thank everyone for their generous donations and for taking part to help raise a total fund of £10,235.76 towards winning the Race Against Dementia.

BTCC QUALIFYING

Ash Sutton maintained the astonishing qualifying record for NAPA Racing UK as he took the team’s seventh consecutive pole and his fourth of the season.

With the return of the ‘Top Ten Showdown’ the initial 30-minute session commenced in wet conditions before the tight and twisty Scottish circuit rapidly dried throughout the session, with only Sutton making it through to the top-ten shootout after both Dan Cammish and Dan Rowbottom picked up damage, while Osborne qualified P16. As the clock counted down, it was Sutton who emerged victorious, grabbing pole position by only 0.006s.

RESULTS

Ash Sutton – 1^st

Dan Rowbottom – 13^th

Sam Osborne – 16^th

Dan Cammish – 23^rd

RACE 1

As the lights went out on Sunday’s race, Sutton made a lightning start, storming into the first corner and maintaining the lead. The excitement intensified by lap 6, as the field was faced with a sudden torrential downpour with transformed the Fife circuit into a slippery challenge. Whilst others faced challenges, Cammish climbed from 23rd to a spectacular fourth place on slick tyres.

However, despite their mesmerizing display of car control on slick tyres, both Cammish and Sutton were forced to pit for wet tyres, dropping them down the order.

RESULTS

Ash Sutton – 6^th

Dan Cammish – 14^th

Sam Osborne – 18^th

Dan Rowbottom – DNF

RACE 2

Race 2 marked a special milestone for the team as NAPA Racing UK took to the starting grid for their 50^th BTCC race and the 50^th anniversary of Sir Jackie Stewart OBE 3^rd F1 World Championship.

The phenomenal action continued as Sutton surged from sixth on the grid to third in only the first couple of corners. Despite a brief safety car period, he promptly maneuvered past Stephen Jelley, elevating himself to second place.

RESULTS

Ash Sutton: 2^nd

Sam Osborne: 17^th

Dan Rowbottom: 23^rd

Dan Cammish: DNF

RACE 3

With the top seven from race two reversed, Sutton lined up on the third row, but a sudden downpour delayed the start. After the rain eased, the race began behind the safety car, as the field was released, Sutton charged through the field in a wet weather masterclass and stormed to victory with an impressive 10 second clearance from Josh Cook.

Ash has now extended his championship lead by 37 points heading into the final three weekends of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Meanwhile, after starting down in 24th, Cammish showcased his remarkable driving skills, weaving through the field and surging into an impressive 10th position.

RESULT

Ash Sutton – 1^st

Dan Cammish – 10^th

Sam Osborne – 13^th

Dan Rowbottom – DNF

Porsche Carrera Cup

Meanwhile, the NAPA success continued. Following the summer hiatus, the Porsche Carrera Cup roared back into life for Rounds 9 & 10 of the championship. In a remarkable debut for JTR and NAPA Racing UK, Gus Burton delivered an exceptional lap in qualifying, seizing the top spot on the time sheets just before a downpour halted the session. This twist of fate solidified Burton’s pole position with the team.

Race 1 of the day witnessed Burton’s commanding performance as he seized control of the field with a stunning start, instantly creating distance from the competition. As the chequered flag waved, Burton’s lead was an impressive 6.283 seconds over Adam Smalley, marking his first triumph of the season and a debut victory with the team.

MINI CHALLENGE JCW

In the weekend’s opening race, Jamie Osborne secured an impressive third position in qualifying, while Lewis Selby commenced from 17th on the grid. Both drivers launched off the line well, executing skilful overtakes and surging past rivals. Osborne’s talent was evident as he crossed the finish line to claim the top spot in the Graduates Cup. Simultaneously, Selby showcased his by carving his way through the field, ultimately triumphing in the Director’s Cup category.

As the stage was set for the reverse grid race, Osborne maintained his strong presence, again commencing from third place. Meanwhile, Selby embarked on his journey from P8. Engaging in intense on-track battles, Osborne displayed remarkable skill, ultimately clinching an outstanding second-place finish overall. His triumph was further emphasized as he secured the Graduates Cup victory for the second time.

THE TEAM

OLY COLLINS – TEAM MANAGER

“Knockhill always offers up excitement. It’s a difficult weekend to sum up in short as there are so many takes on it. I think we all saw the brilliance of Ash on Saturday and then a conversion into a mega points haul for our championship challenge. Winning from the front is great, but winning when things could go so easily the other way is what Champions do so well. Cammish was looking mega in qualifying, but the smallest error had huge consequences on the whole weekend. Sam’s performance was looking really solid, but again circumstances just went against him, taking away some potential results. Rowbo just had the worst luck all weekend, a technical issue, completely out of his and the teams control stopped him for Race 1 and put him at the back, then again in Race Two a freak puncture just summed up his weekend. As a team, we will investigate everything in detail, learn from the negatives as much as the positives and move on in a better position for the remaining three race meetings.”

ASH SUTTON – NAPA RACING UK, NO.116:

“I’m ecstatic I won’t lie. After Race One I thought we were going to have a tough task on our hands in terms of the Championship, but with the disqualification of Tom [Ingram] and the performance in Race Two and then finish it off with a win, I couldn’t ask for much more than that. 

This is the biggest gap I have ever experienced in British Touring Cars so I’m not going to complain about it at all, but we have seen even this weekend how quick things can change. I’m not going to get too excited just yet. We are closer than we have ever been before, but we still need to be clever.”

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1^st – Ash Sutton: 310

5^th – Dan Cammish: 220

7^th – Dan Rowbottom: 144

20^th – Sam Osborne: 48

JACK SEARS TROPHY

4^th – Sam Osborne: 283

TEAM STANDINGS

1^st – NAPA Racing UK: 525

MANUFACTURERS / CONSTRUCTORS

2^nd – Motorbase Performance/Ford: 568 Next stop, Donington Park for Rounds 22, 23 and 24 of the BTCC championship on the 26/27 August.

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