The BTCC saved the best until last with an exciting reverse grid race at Thruxton, as Ash Sutton returned to the top of the standings with his first win of the season and the 40th of his impressive career so far.
Starting from fourth on the grid Sutton initially dropped back and was embroiled in a scrap with some of his rivals, but he soon set about rising back through the order.
He saw off NAPA Racing UK team-mate Dan Cammish and he eventually got the better of long-time leader Adam Morgan.
Morgan was then embroiled in another incident, as on-the-track race two winner Tom Ingram must have had a case of Déjà vu as he approached the final chicane late on in a fight for fourth.
Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Ingram looked to have got past Morgan before being hit in the side, forcing him to straight-line the chicane for the second successive race.
Ingram rejoined in third to complete the podium behind race-winner Sutton and Cammish – the latter having taken a podium hat-trick during the day.
Morgan held onto fourth ahead of double race winner Hill in the sister Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW, whilst LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ's Josh Cook and Team BMW's Colin Turkington were next in the order.
Árón Taylor-Smith (Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing), Rob Huff (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK) and Ronan Pearson (Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS) completed the top ten order.
Thruxton - Race 3 - Classification
P/ | No/ | Name/ | Entry/ | Laps/ | Time/ | Gap/ | Best/ | On/ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Ashley SUTTON | NAPA Racing UK | 19 | 27:20.097 | 1:15.753 | 2 | |
2 | 27 | Dan CAMMISH | NAPA Racing UK | 19 | 27:24.546 | 4.449 | 1:16.548 | 3 |
3 | 100 | Tom INGRAM | Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS | 19 | 27:28.059 | 7.962 | 1:16.622 | 5 |
4 | 33 | Adam MORGAN | Team BMW | 19 | 27:28.136 | 8.039 | 1:16.429 | 3 |
5 | 24 | Jake HILL | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | 19 | 27:28.295 | 8.198 | 1:16.528 | 7 |
6 | 66 | Josh COOK | LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ | 19 | 27:28.473 | 8.376 | 1:16.457 | 2 |
7 | 20 | Colin TURKINGTON | Team BMW | 19 | 27:29.743 | 9.646 | 1:16.577 | 3 |
8 | 40 | Árón TAYLOR-SMITH | Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing | 19 | 27:30.099 | 10.002 | 1:16.979 | 3 |
9 | 12 | Rob HUFF | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | 19 | 27:30.372 | 10.275 | 1:17.292 | 6 |
10 | 14 | Ronan PEARSON | Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS | 19 | 27:31.087 | 10.99 | 1:17.398 | 9 |
11 | 88 | Mikey DOBLE | Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing | 19 | 27:31.412 | 11.315 | 1:17.215 | 4 |
12 | 11 | Andrew WATSON | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | 19 | 27:32.959 | 12.862 | 1:16.905 | 5 |
13 | 77 | Sam OSBORNE | NAPA Racing UK | 19 | 27:33.940 | 13.843 | 1:16.908 | 5 |
14 | 222 | Chris SMILEY | Restart Racing | 19 | 27:34.824 | 14.727 | 1:17.428 | 15 |
15 | 16 | Aiden MOFFAT | LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ | 19 | 27:35.283 | 15.186 | 1:17.076 | 4 |
16 | 29 | Scott SUMPTON | Restart Racing | 19 | 27:53.253 | 33.156 | 1:17.729 | 3 |
17 | 32 | Daniel ROWBOTTOM | NAPA Racing UK | 18 | 27:31.736 | 1 Lap | 1:16.570 | 5 |
DNF | 22 | Nick HALSTEAD | Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS | 18 | 26:32.544 | 1 Lap | 1:19.887 | 3 |
NC | 18 | Daryl DELEON | Duckhams Racing With Bartercard | 12 | 28:40.583 | 7 Laps | 1:18.060 | 10 |
DNF | 3 | Tom CHILTON | Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS | 7 | 9:17.982 | 12 Laps | 1:17.351 | 4 |