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.

The post WET, DRY AND DRAMATIC AT KNOCKHILL appeared first on Alliance Racing.

BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP

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

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

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

MINI CHALLENGE JCW

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

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

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

THE TEAM

PETE OSBORNE – TEAM PRINCIPAL

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

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

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

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1^st – Ash Sutton: 218

5^th – Dan Cammish: 160

^8th – Dan Rowbottom: 103

16^th – Sam Osborne: 37

JACK SEARS TROPHY

4th – Sam Osborne: 202

TEAM STANDINGS

1^ST – NAPA Racing UK: 378

MANUFACTURERS / CONSTRUCTORS

2nd – Motorbase Performance / Ford: 408

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

QUALIFYING

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

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

RESULTS

Ash Sutton – 1^st

Dan Cammish – 9^th

Dan Rowbottom – 14^th

Sam Osborne – 20^th

RACE 1

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

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

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

RACE 2

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

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

RESULTS

Ash Sutton – 1^st

Dan Cammish – 5^th

Dan Rowbottom – 11^th

Same Osborne – P18

RACE 3

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

RESULTS

Dan Rowbottom – 1^st

Dan Cammish –   8^th

Ash Sutton – 12^th

Sam Osborne – 20^th

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP GB

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

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

MINI CHALLENGE TROPHY

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

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

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

THE TEAM

OLY COLLINS – TEAM MANAGER

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

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

ANTONIO CARROZZA – CHIEF ENGINEER

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

DAN ROWBOTTOM – NAPA RACING UK, NO.32

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

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

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1^st – Ash Sutton: 183

5^th – Dan Cammish: 128

6^th – Dan Rowbottom: 95

16^th – Sam Osborne: 35

JACK SEARS TROPHY

2^ND – Sam Osborne: 173

TEAM STANDINGS

1^ST – NAPA Racing UK: 312

MANUFACTURERS / CONSTRUCTORS

1^st – Motorbase Performance / Ford: 339

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

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

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

QUALIFYING

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

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

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

RACE 1

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

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

RACE 2

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

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

RACE 3

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

STARTING GRID

Rowbottom – 3^rd

Sutton – 6^th

Osborne – 9^th

Cammish – 11th

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

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

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

MINI CHALLENEGE JCW

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

THE TEAM

ASH SUTTON – NAPA RACING UK, NO.116

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

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

OLY COLLINS – TEAM MANAGER

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

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

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

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1^st – Ash Sutton: 135

4^th – Dan Cammish: 98

6^th – Dan Rowbottom: 69

14^th – Sam Osborne: 35

JACK SEARS TROPHY

1^st – Sam Osborne: 139

TEAM STANDINGS

1^st – NAPA Racing UK: 236

MANUFACTURERS/CONSTRUCTORS STANDINGS

1^st – Motorbase Performance/ Ford: 251

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

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

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

QUALIFYING

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

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

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

RACE 1

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

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

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

RACE 2

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

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

RACE 3

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

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

MINI CHALLENEGE JCW

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

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

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

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

THE TEAM

OLY COLLINS – TEAM MANAGER

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

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

ASH SUTTON – NAPA RACING UK, NO.116:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Race report

An impressive first outing into the senior category of British Karting saw Alfie Garford Storm through a competitive grid of current and ex British champions to a 4^th place finish.

After being sideswiped out of the lead by another competitor in the pre-final, Alfie had to start the final from 12^th on the Grid.

 A hectic first lap saw Alfie actually lose a couple of places. Calm and composed he began to pick his way through the field, knowing he had set the kart up to be kind to the tyres to allow an edge towards the end of the race.

After two thirds distance Alfie found himself in 4 place but with a fairly big gap to the leading trio who were working well together to protect the lead. So Alfie dug deep and for the next 4-5laps but in some mighty qualy laps to bring himself up to the back bumper of 3^rd. A lap later would see him take the lead.

With 2 laps to go a 4 kart battle for the win ensued, allowing another 4 contenders to catch and latch on to the party. Back and forth Alfie went, trying some high risk moves but in the end he crossed the line 4^th.

After the race Alfie commented ‘It was a great race and battle, I had to come back from a low start position, so I’m happy with my progression up to the lead. To come straight in to senior racing at my age is unheard of, and to then be at the sharp end is something I can hold my head high at.’

The post RACE REPORT: Alfie Garford, Weratools British Kart Championship 2023 Round 1 appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Qualifying

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

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

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

Race 1

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

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

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

Race 2

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

Race 3

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

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

MINI CHALLENEGE JCW AND PORSCHE CARRERA CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

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

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

THE TEAM

DAN CAMMISH – NAPA RACING UK, NO.27:

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

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

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

ASH SUTTON – NAPA RACING UK, NO.116:

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

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

The post CAMMISH SEALS THE DOUBLE AT DONINGTON PARK appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Off the back of a successful winter testing program, #116 Ash Sutton, #27 Dan Cammish, #32 Dan Rowbottom and #77 Sam Osborne will take to the track at Donington Park this weekend as they begin their title fights.

As part of the testing regime, the team headed to Brands Hatch for the official season launch on Wednesday, 12^th April, which included a three-hour session in the morning and a three-hour session in the afternoon.

The day was full of mixed conditions, but as the checkered flag fell on the first session, only three tenths separated the top five with Ash Sutton in second, Dan Rowbottom in third and Dan Cammish in fifth.

Meanwhile, the season launch provided a wonderful opportunity for the army of NAPA fans to see their favourite driver’s up close during a busy autograph session.

2023 Regulation Changes

There are a number of regulation changes for 2023, including the return of the ‘Top Ten Showdown’ qualifying format, reintroduction of the ‘Option Tyre’ and changes to the rules regarding Hybrid deployment. The main changes are outlined below:

Qualifying Format

The ‘Top Ten Showdown’ qualifying that was first introduced in 2020 and expanded in 2021, will make a return with the format being adopted at five of the ten events.

All drivers will take part in the normal 30-minute qualifying session to record their lap times. Following a short five-minute break, the fastest ten competitors will then progress to a ten-minute pole position ‘Top Ten Showdown’ session to determine the top ten places on the grid. 

The ‘Top Ten Showdown’ will take place (on the Saturday) at the following events:

Donington Park (National) – 22/23 April

Brands Hatch (Indy) – 06/07 May

Oulton Park – 17/18 June

Knockhill – 12/13 August

Silverstone – 23/24 September 

Option Tyre

This year will see the reintroduction of the Goodyear ‘Option’ tyre at all events with the exception of Thruxton, where only the hard tyre will be used due to the high speed of the track.

 The majority of these events will utilise two of the three compounds – hard, medium or soft – where the ‘Option’ tyre must be used at least once during race one, race two or race three – ensuring a variety of strategies.

At two of the events – Snetterton and Croft – all three tyre choices must be used across the three races.

Hybrid Era

After the introduction of the hybrid power in 2022, several enhancements have been made to ensure deployment carries a greater impact from 2023 onwards.

The top seven cars in the championship and/or top seven cars on the grid will have reduced Hybrid time during qualifying and the races on a sliding scale, whilst the minimum speed at which the system can be deployed for those top seven has been increased.

Cars from eighth place onwards will be able to deploy Hybrid power from a reduced minimum speed, ensuring these drivers can utilise the additional power quicker than the leading order.

These cars – from eighth place onwards – will only have Hybrid deployment available for 50% of the racing laps, ensuring a greater tactical element throughout the race with those drivers having to be more strategic in choosing which of those laps to use it.

Hybrid can now also be deployed on the first lap after the safety car, and the minimum time between deployments has been increased to five seconds, preventing drivers from staying on the power at the conclusion of one lap and into another.

THE TEAM

OLY COLLINS – TEAM MANAGER

“After a very busy winter, its finally time to find out what we’ve got! On paper its all in place, in our eyes we have the best drivers and crew in the pitlane and we’ve put an extreme amount of work in to the preparations for this years Championship. But this is the British Touring Car Championship and we all work hard so we will have to wait until Sunday before we know more!

I can’t praise the team behind the scenes enough this winter, it’s by far the most in depth preparations I’ve been involved in. Every area of the team have worked to improve every area of the cars & team both on and off track. We’ve made some valuable additions with new team members to strengthen what was already in place and the mood around the team feels right, there’s a really positive atmosphere. I just hope we’re happy on Sunday night. We want our gold number plates back from Tom this year!”

The season kicks off this weekend, 22/23rd April at Donington Park. You can watch all BTCC races live on ITV4 from 10.45am on Sunday or keep up to date on TSL timings: https://bit.ly/2MDjSpV

Follow @NAPARacingUK on social media to never miss an update!

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The post BTCC SEASON OPENER AND NEW REGULATIONS appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Having established ‘The Motorbase Academy’ in 2021 it continues to go from strength to strength helping promising young talent to reach their potential across a variety of disciplines in circuit racing.

Will Jenkins – Porsche Sprint Challenge GB

Chase Fernandez – Ginetta Juniors

Finn Harrison – Ginetta Juniors

Jenson Mason – BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship

Alfie Garford – Formula TKM

Will Jenkins (above) will join the ranks of the Motorbase with Wera Tools programme, with headline support from Wera Tools contesting the Porsche Sprint Championship with rounds supporting the BTCC weekends.

The 18-year-old talent, who last season finished as vice-champion in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge and was previously a race-winner in the Ginetta Junior Championship.

Chase Fernandez (above) was crowned the latest winner of the coveted Ginetta Junior Scholarship last October. 14 year old Fernandez impressed the judges throughout the process to become the youngest winner of this scholarship. He will now continue into his first full year of car racing in the Ginetta Junior championship for 2023.

Finn Harrison (above) will join Chase in the Ginetta series having debuted in the series last season. With a season under his belt in Juniors under the Assetto Racing team, this should be a promising year for the youngster after showing his pace recently by topping the time sheets at the official Media day.

Jenson Mason, (above) 14 is making the progression from karting to begin his car racing career in the BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship. After 5 years in the karting arena he makes the jump to the Fiesta junior series.

Alfie Garford (above) continuing into his second year in the Motorbase with Wera Tools Academy will enter the 2023 season as one of the youngest ever competitors to enter the senior division in the British Kart championships. Having won the Junior British kart championship back in 2021, he will be aiming to repeat the success in the senior TKM category at the first attempt.

Pete Osborne – Motorbase Team Owner

We’re delighted with this years line up for the academy. We have a fantastic bunch of young racing drivers with us this year. I really love being part of this, the chance to support young characters in Motorsport and hopefully help them realise their potential as they come up through the ranks is a great. Ian & I are strong believers in nurturing young talent and that’s what this Academy is all about. We’re not just limiting our efforts and support for drivers either, we’re doing the same with our staff in the garage and behind the scenes in giving youngsters that little bit of help at the start of their careers.

Ian Walford  – Managing Director Wera Tools UK

Pete Osborne and I with Motorbase and Wera Tools respectively, have a common goal to try to form a route through to top line racing for young drivers. The two organisations have enjoyed a great partnership for several years now and I’m so proud that we are able to support this great new line-up of racers for 2023. These drivers have shown great potential so far and with our support and their determination they should have every chance to gain the success necessary to carry them forward in their journeys. They will all be very prominent at the circuits racing the distinctive black with green that is synonymous with the tools brand. In another step to assist a wider motorsport community, Wera and Motorbase will announce soon another dimension to the Academy following a further tie-up that will help young mechanics and technicians to also gain support in their aims to work in top flight teams.

The post The Wera tools with Motorbase Academy 2023 appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Over the course of a fabulous couple of days in Hampshire for the Motorbase Performance-run team, Cammish finally achieved his long-awaited first win of the season, and in some style too, with a faultless lights-to-flag drive in round 22 at the wheel of the No.9 Ford Focus ST.

Converting his superb race one pole position, NAPA Racing UK’s first in the BTCC, into a textbook win, Cammish was on course to do the double in round 23 but played the perfect team game in allowing title contender Sutton – who also had fastest lap – to go through on the penultimate tour.

Sutton, who ensured a NAPA Racing UK podium double in race one with third place after an action packed first few corners where he was momentarily second having started fourth, duly took his third victory of the campaign in his landmark 200th BTCC race in the second contest. With team player Cammish following home in second, it marked the first one-two for NAPA Racing UK in the BTCC.

In round 24, Sutton charged through expertly from 11th on the grid to finish in fifth position and wasn’t all that far away from another podium. Cammish started in 10th place and did rise into ninth, but was edged back to 10th late on.

With just two race meetings remaining this season, at Silverstone National Circuit and Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, reigning champion Sutton is second in the championship and just six points shy of leader Colin Turkington. Cammish’s best weekend of the season has elevated him into the top eight.

In the BTCC Teams Championship, NAPA Racing UK is back into second place after Thruxton and only four points shy of the top of the table. Motorbase Performance/Ford is also second in the BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship.

It was a mixed weekend for the Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan drivers, although Ollie Jackson did chalk-up more points with a competitive drive to 14th place in an action-packed round 24. Raceday began with Jackson 24th on the grid for round 22, after his best lap time in qualifying was debatably disallowed, and he made good early progress before finishing in a strong 18th position.

In race two, Jackson was in the thick of the action again and especially during the latter stages where he was embroiled in a very close battle with Jason Plato. He looked on course for potential points but had to settle for 17th after some contact. Aiming for more in round 24, he delivered with a great drive to 14th position – including a quality move on Aiden Moffat into the fearsome Church corner.

Team-mate Sam Osborne started off with 23rd place in round 22, an improvement of two positions on his starting slot. Moving up the order early on and progressing towards the top 20, Osborne lost out in a multi-car melee on lap 10 and ultimately ended the race in 23rd position.

In round 23 the Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan racer chalked-up a top 20 finish after steadily working his way up the order but round 24 came to an early conclusion on only the second tour, after he was the helpless victim of contact into the complex which ruled him out on the spot.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“What a weekend! It’s been coming and this weekend it all came together. Highest scoring two drivers, team and manufacturer of the weekend, it doesn’t get much better than that! Dan has been exceptional all weekend and was rewarded with pole and his first win, he was unbeatable. It was also a fantastic weekend for Ash, a win, podium and top five in the reverse grid race has him right up there in the championship as we get closer to the decider. For my role in the team it’s essential to have a team and, in particular, drivers who are the whole package – they’re rarer than you might think. This weekend proved to me more than ever, I have the best in the pitlane!”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“If you need a teammate Dan [Cammish] is the man for that. He’s shown that he’s supporting the campaign and what we’re trying to do as an outfit and hopefully soon I can repay the favour. We got the fastest lap in at the start, I let Dan get some air, and then I tried to focus on getting a mix going on behind me. When [Gordon] Shedden and [Jake] Hill started battling I thought ‘right, let’s crack on’ and then the call came to switch positions.”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“To finally take our first win of the season, and to do it in the manner we did from pole, is fantastic and especially after such a long time coming – it’s a great reward for everyone who has kept the faith. We took an amazing pole in qualifying, the first for NAPA Racing UK, and it was a great start to race one which I was really happy about. In race two, it was all about what was best for the team and for the championship. I did everything right, it would’ve been two wins from two, but at the end of the day it’s a team game and it was the right choice to make.”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“We had a bit of a nightmare with qualifying, our best lap was disallowed – which really shouldn’t have been – and that altered the course of the weekend as we started further back than we should have. We struggled to find a balance, we only really got there for race three, but we still made some progress and then came away with a couple of points from a good final race. Thruxton isn’t my best track, so to still come away with some decent finishes is pretty pleasing.”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“I didn’t qualify very well, unfortunately, and that set the tone for the weekend really. We didn’t race too badly in the first two, then in race three I got tangled up in someone else’s mess. Two cars a fair way behind me going into the complex tangled, there was nowhere I could go because of cars in front of me, and my right-rear got hit which caused a lot of damage and that was game over. It’s a shame it ended that way, onwards and upwards now for Silverstone.”

Rounds 25, 26 and 27 of the BTCC season, the penultimate race meeting of the campaign, will take place at Silverstone National Circuit in Northamptonshire over the weekend 24th/25th September.

2022 BTCC Drivers Championship
2nd Ash Sutton, 305pts; 8th Dan Cammish, 155pts; 22nd Ollie Jackson, 21pts; 25 Sam Osborne, 1pt

2022 BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship
2nd Motorbase Performance/Ford, 576pts

2022 BTCC Teams Championship
2nd NAPA Racing UK, 453pts; 13th Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, 27pts

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 268pts

The post REMARKABLE WEEKEND AT THRUXTON FOR NAPA RACING UK WITH VICTORIES FOR CAMMISH AND SUTTON appeared first on Alliance Racing.