Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS returned to the top step of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship podium for the fourth time this season on a sweltering day of action at Oulton Park.

The EXCELR8 Motorsport-run team headed into the fifth meeting of the campaign seeking to challenge for top honours at a circuit where it had been successful in the past, with drivers Tom Ingram, Tom Chilton, Ronan Pearson and Nick Halstead all in confident mood.

Things started well on Saturday with the quartet all showing strong form in the two free practice sessions at the wheel of their Hyundai i30 Fastback N machines.

Ingram would end the two sessions with the second fastest time, with both Chilton and Pearson also lapping inside the top ten and Halstead improving by just under half a second from FP1 to FP2.

Come qualifying, Ingram was on fine form as he topped all three of his qualifying groups to snare a third pole position of the season, with Chilton also making it through to the Quick Six element of the session as he matched his best of the year with fourth place.

Pearson and Halstead would both fail to make it past Q1, with Pearson just a tenth of a second away from progressing as he ended up in P15 for race one, with Halstead qualifying in 20th spot for the weekend opener as he was forced to contend with back pain following his accident at Thruxton in the previous meeting.

In sweltering track conditions, the four drivers took their places on the grid for the opening race of the weekend, with Ingram able to retain the lead when the lights went out and the field headed down to turn one for the first time.

Title rival Ash Sutton tried to force his way through at both the hairpin and the chicane on the second lap - forcing Ingram to run off across the grass - but as the race settled down, he was able to edge away at the front to grab a third victory of the campaign.

Chilton held fourth through the opening laps but lost places when the car briefly shut down mid-race, although he was still able to secure a solid top ten finish by taking the flag in seventh.

Pearson - the only one of the four to elect to run the hard tyre - picked up points in 13th, which marked a fine recovery drive for the Scot after he failed to get away from the line due to an electrical issue and dropped to the back of the field before battling his way back up the order, with Halstead just outside the points having kept out of trouble to take the flag in P17.

Post race however, Chilton and Pearson gained an additional place due to a penalty handed out to one of the cars ahead.

The second race of the weekend saw Ingram and Chilton both forced to run the hard tyre due to their previous result, with Pearson and Halstead eager to make forward progress on the quicker soft rubber.

Ingram held his position at the start but would be overhauled mid-way through the opening lap by the soft-shod Toyota of Josh Cook. From there, he would engage in battle with Sutton for position, with the pair running side-by-side through Cascade at one stage, before Ingram ultimately came out on top to secure second spot.

It would be a more challenging race for the remaining trio, with Chilton losing ten spots on lap one when caught up in contact at turn one that damaged his steering rack and ultimately forced him to retire later on when the power steering failed.

Pearson also suffered off the line with a repeat of the electrical gremlin from race one being followed by a trip wide taking avoiding action after the same clash that had impacted Chilton. Once again however, the Scot was able to fight back through the pack to take the flag in 13th and secure another points finish.

Halstead had benefitted from the clash to rocket up the order into 13th spot, but a spin at Cascades saw him drop back down the field to cross the line in 18th.

The grid for race three saw the top six from the second race reserved, meaning Ingram lined up in fifth and although he lost a place at the start, he quickly overhauled Josh Cook’s Toyota and the Ford of Dan Cammish to move into fourth spot. Another solid haul of points leaves him second in the standings going into the summer break.

From 13th on the grid, Pearson showed strong pace as he recovered from a brief moment that saw him put a wheel off track to go close to a top ten finish, with the young Scot lapping quicker than a number of the front-runners to leave him wondering what might have been as he crossed the line in eleventh.

Halstead battled hard as one of only two drivers on the slower hard tyre as he ended the weekend with a 17th place finish, although there was disappointment for Chilton when he was unable to take the start of the race after an issue with the onboard fire extinguisher on his car.

Tom Chilton, #3 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “Saturday was fantastic and we were so quick. I made an error that stopped us being on the front row so it could have been even better, but P4 wasn’t the end of the world and race one was good on the whole. We took P6 but could have been up towards the podium without something electrical that caused the car to briefly shut down, which is how Jake Hill and Rowbottom got ahead - and then I had no hybrid.

“Race two there was nowhere to go at turn one when it was four abreast, and then the power steering failed and spayed fluid everywhere and there was a lot of stream and smoke coming out of the car. The marshals did well to spray their extinguishers on the car quickly but somewhere in the melee, the button got pressed on the extinguisher on the car and released some of the liquid from it.

“The team did a great job to clean up the car and repair the damage for the final race, but we didn’t realise that some of the extinguisher had been discharged. Because of that, we weren’t able to do race three on safety grounds which was frustrating when there was nothing wrong with the car, particularly considering the efforts of the team to get it back out.”

Ronan Pearson, #14 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “Saturday was a challenge as we knew the pace was in the car but I just didn’t get the best from it in qualifying, which meant we had work to do in the races. It’s been hard trying to recover from that and whereas I would have been pleased with these results last year, I wasn’t where I now want to be.

“Even after we had a problem at the start of the first race, we were the fastest car on track on the hard tyre which was a huge plus and it allowed us to come through to back some decent points, but race two was a challenge as the car was hampered by having to run off track on the first lap avoiding those ahead who had had a moment.

“In the final race, we were only a few tenths off the fastest lap so we had the pace, but I made a small error and dropped a wheel on the grass which cost me three spots - otherwise we’d have been up there in the top ten. I made some good moves today that I’m proud of and I know there are circuits to come where I’m going to be strong in the second half of the season, which now becomes my focus.”

Nick Halstead, #22 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “Oulton Park as a circuit is one I really enjoy but as soon as I hit the circuit for first practice, I could still feel some pain in my back as a result of the incident at Thruxton and it really hampered me across the weekend.

"Qualifying was particularly difficult on Saturday and I did what I could overnight to help, but Sunday was tough and it was all about just staying out of trouble and seeing what I could achieve without getting caught up in anything silly.

"There were still highlights and in the second race I got a mega start and was able to avoid the incident at turn one to climb up the order, but then I got forced onto the dirty part of the circuit and had a spin which was a real shame as there was the potential to score a strong result.

"I think we made the right call with the tyres, although it meant in race three that I had no real chance to do anything when there were only two of us on the hard tyre. The summer break comes at the right time for me to now rest and have plenty of physio on my back to make sure I can come out fighting at Croft."

Tom Ingram, #80 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “It’s been a really good weekend with pole, first, second and fourth. I can’t be disappointed with that as we’ve been strong every time we’ve been out on the track, and the car has felt fantastic. This place is hard to overtake and if you can get Saturday done then half of the job is done for race one, where you just need to make sure you get it off the line.

“Trying to win again on the hard tyre would always have been difficult but the car still felt great - it’s been alive no matter what we’ve had fitted. That certainly wasn’t a disappointing race and I was happy to let Josh get through on the soft tyre and just focus on banking the points and then in race three, it was a case of doing the same.

“I saw Ash had a problem which changed my approach and I was happy to sit behind Árón [Taylor-Smith] and bag the points. I was fine with Jake Hill winning the race as it means we have more hybrid to take into the next event sitting second in the standings, but we come out of this one in good shape - I couldn’t ask for more.”

Justina Williams, Team Owner, said: “Getting back onto the top step of the podium is a great way to end the first half of the season and it leaves us in a strong position in the championship. As ever, the drivers have done a great job on track for us across the weekend and the whole team deserves credit this weekend for working hard in difficult conditions with the heat to ensure that we performed at our very best both on and off the track.”

Josh Cook became the third Toyota driver to win a race in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship in 2024 last weekend (22-23 June), as the LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ star expertly exploited an alternative tyre strategy at Oulton Park in Cheshire to tally the 19^th victory of his career in the country’s premier motor racing series.
 
Ahead of the event, Cook took a trip to Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK’s nearby Deeside engine plant, and after completing 62 laps of Oulton’s undulating 2.23-mile layout between them during free practice, he and team-mate Aiden Moffat progressed safely through the first part of qualifying – the Scot setting a ‘purple’ middle sector time along the way.
 
They remained evenly-matched in Q2 to secure tenth (Cook) and 12^th (Moffat) spots on the grid amongst the 20 high-calibre contenders, separated by a scant 0.126 seconds. Rolling the dice by electing to bolt on the slower hard-compound tyres in order to get them out of the way early on, they moved forward to finish respectively eighth and ninth in the curtain-raising contest, with Cook barely half-a-second shy of winning the ‘hard tyre race’.
 
If that represented a solid start, then what followed was inspired. Having ditched his hard rubber for the faster soft variety, the 33-year-old Bath-born ace gained three places to fifth by threading his way carefully through a first corner fracas in race two that left one car stranded broadside across the track and sent others scattering this way and that in avoidance.
 
In front of the live ITV4 television cameras and a capacity trackside crowd, he subsequently jumped Jake Hill, Dan Cammish and defending champion Ash Sutton in one fell swoop on the run down to the chicane, prior to snatching the lead from race one winner Tom Ingram at Lodge – all before the opening lap was out! From thereon in, Cook disappeared into the distance, going on to take the chequered flag more than eight seconds clear of anybody else as fastest lap completed a perfect score.
 
The two-time BTCC Independent title-holder’s maiden triumph behind the wheel of the British-built Toyota Corolla GR Sport delivered Speedworks Motorsport a second home soil success from its most recent four outings at Oulton, with the track located just down the road from the team’s Northwich workshop. Moffat similarly looked poised to challenge for some silverware as he rose to sixth early on, only for a turbo boost pipe issue to cruelly force him out.
 
The 27-year-old Dalkeith native bounced back with a storming drive from the rear of the grid up to tenth in the day’s finale, winding up just two spots behind Cook in the sister car, with the latter the weekend’s fourth-highest scorer overall to leapfrog multiple champion Colin Turkington for fifth in the title table entering the BTCC’s five-week summer break. Moffat remains ninth, as LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ regained third position in the Teams’ classification.
 
Christian Dick, Team Principal, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ, said: “First and foremost, I want to congratulate Josh on achieving his first win for LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ and Speedworks. He has been on the pace and in the mix all season, and everybody in the team was absolutely delighted to see him up where he belongs – on the top step of the podium.
 
“That kind of result didn’t necessarily look to be on the cards after qualifying, and there was a fair bit of midnight oil burned before race day to try to give ourselves a chance of moving forward and taking something solid away from the weekend – but like at Snetterton, we took a punt on tyre strategy in race one and like at Snetterton, that paid off richly later on.
 
“Josh’s victory was obviously the standout moment at Oulton and a massive fillip for everybody in this immensely hard-working team, but it’s important not to overlook that Aiden was also right up there in race two and potentially on-course to make it a double podium until he unfortunately had to retire. To then battle back the way he did in race three was testament to his tremendous strength of character, and his day will come again this season, of that I have no doubt.”
 
Josh Cook, Driver, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ, said: “We had a tough start to the weekend and spent FP1 and FP2 chasing something rather than finding a balance in the car, which left us on the back foot going into qualifying, but the nature of the BTCC is that things can turn around very quickly. We deliberately threw away race one to get rid of the hard tyre, focussing instead on races two and three, and that strategy clearly reaped rewards.
 
“It’s obviously nice to be winning again. It unquestionably makes it a lot easier when you’re on the soft tyre and the guys around you are on hards, but I got off to a really good start in race two and then everything just seemed to open up for me – I was in the right place at the right time. 
 
“After that, I concentrated on getting my head down, settling into a rhythm and punching in some consistent laps, while remaining mindful of not pushing the tyres too hard and keeping something back in reserve in case there was a safety car at any stage. 
 
“I’m really pleased for the whole team. We’re under no illusions that we’ve still got some work to do to be able to compete consistently with the guys at the front, but you have to take the opportunities when they arise and we all really needed a result like that.”
 
Aiden Moffat, Driver, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ, said: “First of all, huge congratulations to Josh on such a brilliant first win of the season – it feels like it’s been a long time coming for him. On my side of the garage, I was happy with the base of the car in practice and felt we were in a decent position, and qualifying was obviously a step forward compared to previous events this year.
 
“Given there was such a big delta between the two tyre compounds, we had to gamble in terms of choosing which race to sacrifice on the slower tyre, and we decided to take the pain early on. That looked like it was going to pay off and I felt we had a great shot at a podium in race two with everybody ahead of me except Josh on the hards, so to have to retire due to a mechanical problem was massively disappointing and cost us a lot of points.
 
“That had the knock-on effect of significantly compromising our chances in race three as well, since we had to start right at the rear of the grid, but it was good to at least fight through to a top ten finish to end the day.
 
“Now, we’re looking forward to the summer break, because there are some areas where we think we can tweak the car that we simply haven’t had time to do with the frenetic nature of the first half of the season. It will be nice to have that breathing space and then see what we can come back with at Croft next month.”

WINS FOR INGRAM, COOK AND HILL ON SENSATIONAL DAY AT OULTON PARK

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Jake Hill ended a sensational day of Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship racing by making a last lap move for victory at Oulton Park, as the BMW star moved to the summit of the standings.

Basked in glorious sunshine throughout the weekend (22/23 June), the relentless pace kicked off on Saturday as Tom Ingram obliterated the existing qualifying lap record to take pole position.

The Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS’ racer duly backed that up with victory in the opener, before Josh Cook supremely surged through the order to win the second contest – his first triumph since the 2022 campaign.

Ash Sutton initially relinquished the standings advantage to Ingram after race two, as the reigning champion endured a disastrous day in Cheshire, before Hill became the third championship leader on the same day with his heroics in the reverse grid race.

Hill tops the order by four points from Ingram, with Sutton dropping a further 20 points back. Dan Cammish, Josh Cook and Colin Turkington are next in the order with the latter also enduring a challenging outing at a circuit that has often been so kind to him.

Alliance Racing/Ford and its NAPA Racing UK outfit hold sway in both the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ and Teams’ championships.

Mikey Doble and Árón Taylor-Smith scored the first ever overall double podium for Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing with its drivers and team also dominating the Independents’ and Jack Sears Trophy honours.  

The BTCC now enters its traditional mid-season summer break, with the action resuming at Croft in North Yorkshire on 27/28 July.

Ingram holds off Sutton to secure 30th BTCC win

Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Ingram held off title rival Sutton in the Oulton Park opener to secure a fantastic 30th career victory in the BTCC.

The fans had been waiting for an on-track battle between Ingram and Sutton during the 2024 season and the packed banks of spectators got their wish around the picturesque 2.23-mile circuit.

The pair touched slightly on a couple of occasions with the pivotal moment coming when Ingram's #80 straight-lined a chicane after receiving a nudge from the #1 NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus of Sutton.

They resumed battle but in truth Sutton's chance was over as the Hyundai i30N pulled away for the remainder of the contest.

NAPA Racing UK's Cammish claimed a hard-earned fourth successive podium as he came under attack from the BMW duo of Adam Morgan and Hill.

Cook storms from eighth to first in the blink of an eye

LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ’s Cook produced one of the finest laps in recent memory as he blitzed from eighth on the grid to the front on the opening tour of race two.

Running the Goodyear soft tyre, Cook avoided a melee at turn one that left Morgan’s Team BMW machine stranded in the middle of the track, and he was soon running around the outside of the leading quartet at the hairpin.

Now up to second, race one winner Ingram simply had no answer as Cook's #66 Toyota sliced down the inside on the Hyundai before the gaggle of cars had even reached the start/finish line for the first time.

Cook gradually edged clear of the pack to take his first win in Toyota machinery, ahead of Ingram, whilst the scrap for the final place on the podium turned one way and then the other.

NAPA Racing UK's problems with flailing bodywork reared its head again, this time hitting Sutton's #1 machine, forcing the reigning champ to pit and drop from third to the rear of the order.

The issue looked to have handed team-mate Cammish a fifth successive podium, but Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Hill had other ideas as he fired his BMW around the outside of the #27 car on the final lap of the race.

The headlines belonged to Cook, however, with his first win since Thruxton in 2022 and the 19th victory of his BTCC career so far.

Last lap heroics from Hill to claim Oulton Park triumph

Kent driver Hill is in the form of his life, having taken a double-double at Snetterton and Thruxton respectively during the previous two race weekends, but he had to remain patient at Oulton Park this weekend.

He narrowly missed out on the 'Quick Six' qualifying yesterday and had to settle for seventh on the grid, but Hill worked his way forward during race day to take fifth, third and a victory from the three races.

You had to feel for pole-sitter Doble, who led the finale almost from start to finish, but the pressure eventually told as Hill went side-by-side with the Vauxhall on the final tour. The pair ran through the chicane together, touched slightly, but it was the #24 BMW that emerged ahead with a brilliant move.

Taylor-Smith made it a double celebration for Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing by completing the podium, ahead of Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Ingram.

Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS, said: “We would have loved some air conditioning in the car, it gets very spicy in there. We are about 25 degrees above ambient temperature so it’s pretty warm to say the least. Ash (Sutton) is obviously quick, so is Dan (Cammish), plus I could see Jake (Hill) coming too. There was a lot to try and manage but it’s good to get the win and the first one of the day under our belts.”

Josh Cook, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ, said: “It’s nice to be back winning races. It makes it a lot easier when you’re on the soft tyres and those around you are on the hards. I got off to a really good start on lap one and the doors just opened up around me, and I ended up in a good position. I got my head down and just focused on banging in some quick laps. It probably wasn’t overly interesting to watch, but I’ll take that any day and congratulations to everyone in the team.”

Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said: “That was tough. A fantastic race with Árón (Taylor-Smith) and Mikey (Doble) at the end there. Credit to them because they did a great job, and it was just a really enjoyable touring car race from my point of view – just hard-fought battling and it was absolutely awesome. As much as I feel sorry Mikey, I’ve got a championship to try and win and I had to get the move done. Credit to him for leaving me a bit of space, but, what a move!”

2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 1 – Oulton Park

1. Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS 15 Laps

2. Ash Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +1.913s

3. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +4.557s

4. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +10.230s

5. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +14.700s

6. Tom Chilton, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +16.238s

7. Árón Taylor-Smith, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing +26.078s

8. Josh Cook, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ +26.646s

9. Aiden Moffat, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ +30.817s

10. Rob Huff, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +31.366s

2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Oulton Park

1. Josh Cook, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ 15 Laps

2. Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +8.016s

3. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +9.879s

4. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +10.430s

5. Árón Taylor-Smith, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing +10.856s

6. Mikey Doble, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing +11.452s

7. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +12.197s 

8. Chris Smiley, Restart Racing +13.420s

9. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +14.705s

10. Andrew Watson, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +18.972s

2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Oulton Park

1. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport 15 Laps

2. Mikey Doble, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing +0.749s

3. Árón Taylor-Smith, Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing +2.410s 

4. Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS +2.856s

5. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +3.714s

6. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +4.150s

7. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +6.758s 

8. Josh Cook, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ +7.474s

9. Chris Smiley, Restart Racing +9.744s

10. Aiden Moffat, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ +12.474s

Penalties:

Race One

Dan Rowbottom received a 30-second time penalty during Round 13 of the championship and three penalty points, for failing to observe the black/orange signal

Race Two

Daryl DeLeon received a two-second time penalty during Round 14 of the championship, for gaining an unfair advantage in an incident involving Rob Huff

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Jake Hill ended a quite sensational day of Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship racing at Oulton Park by making a last lap move for victory in the reverse grid race.

Long-time leader Mikey Doble and team-mate Árón Taylor-Smith had to settle for a still impressive two-three for Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing.

Kent driver Hill is in the form of his life, having taken a double-double at Snetterton and Thruxton respectively during the previous two race weekends, but he has had to remain patient at Oulton Park this weekend.

He narrowly missed out on the 'Quick Six' qualifying yesterday and had to settle for seventh on the grid, but he worked his way forward during race day to take fifth, third and a victory from the three races.

You had to feel for pole-sitter Doble, who led the finale almost from start to finish, but the pressure eventually told as Hill went side-by-side with the Vauxhall on the final tour. The pair ran through the chicane together, touched slightly, but it was the #24 that emerged ahead with a brilliant move.

Taylor-Smith made it a double celebration for PMR by completing the podium, ahead of Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Tom Ingram.

The NAPA Racing UK duo of Dan Cammish and Dan Rowbottom were next in the order but team-mate Ash Sutton faced heartbreak for the second successive race - this time wheel arch damage forcing him out of contention. This is the sort of bad luck we haven't seen for Sutton in a long time, and the reigning championship has unfortunately haemorrhaged points here in Cheshire.

Team BMW's Adam Morgan was seventh, ahead of race two winner Josh Cook in his LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ Toyota.

Restart Racing's Chris Smiley rounded off a brilliant day with ninth, whilst Aiden Moffat surged through the pack to take tenth in the #16 Toyota Corolla.

Jake Hill said: "That was tough. A fantastic race with Árón (Taylor-Smith) and Mikey (Doble) at the end there. Credit to them because they did a great job and it was just a really enjoyable touring car race from my point of view – just hard fought battling and it was absolutely awesome. As much as I feel sorry Mikey, I’ve got a championship to try and win and I had to get the move done. Credit to him for leaving me a bit of space, but, what a move!"

Oulton Park - Race 3 - Final Classification

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	Best/	On/
1	24	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	15	21:42.189		1:25.484	10
2	88	Mikey DOBLE	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	15	21:42.938	0.749	1:25.893	7
3	40	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	15	21:44.599	2.41	1:25.729	6
4	80	Tom INGRAM	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	15	21:45.045	2.856	1:25.904	2
5	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	15	21:45.903	3.714	1:25.975	4
6	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing UK	15	21:46.339	4.15	1:25.785	5
7	33	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	15	21:48.947	6.758	1:25.545	11
8	66	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	15	21:49.663	7.474	1:26.110	3
9	222	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	15	21:51.933	9.744	1:26.206	2
10	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	15	21:54.663	12.474	1:26.060	3
11	14	Ronan PEARSON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	15	21:57.180	14.991	1:25.788	6
12	12	Rob HUFF	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	15	21:57.254	15.065	1:25.936	3
13	18	Daryl DELEON	Duckhams Racing With Bartercard	15	22:02.906	20.717	1:26.298	3
14	11	Andrew WATSON	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	15	22:03.091	20.902	1:26.181	6
15	20	Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	15	22:12.927	30.738	1:26.131	8
16	29	Scott SUMPTON	Restart Racing	15	22:22.097	39.908	1:26.729	4
17	22	Nick HALSTEAD	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	15	22:46.107	1:03.918	1:29.492	4
18	1	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	15	22:59.406	1:17.217	1:25.406	5
DNF	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	10	14:50.123	5 Laps	1:26.346	4
DNS	3	Tom CHILTON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	0	0			0

Josh Cook produced one of the finest opening laps in recent memory as the LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ driver blitzed from eighth on the grid to lead Round 14 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park.

Running the Goodyear soft tyre, Cook avoided a melee at turn one that left Team BMW's Adam Morgan stranded in the middle of the circuit, and he was soon running around the outside of the leading quartet at the hairpin.

Now up to second, race one winner Tom Ingram simply had no answer as Cook's #66 Toyota sliced down the inside on the Hyundai before the gaggle of cars had even reached the start/finish line for the first time.

Cook gradually edged clear of the pack to take his first win in Toyota machinery, ahead of Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Ingram, whilst the scrap for the final place on the podium turned one way and then the other.

The triumph for Cook also represented his first win since Thruxton in 2022 and the 19th victory of his BTCC career so far.

NAPA Racing UK's problems with flailing bodywork reared its head again, this time hitting Ash Sutton's #1 machine, forcing the reigning champ to pit and drop from third to the rear of the order.

The issue looked to have handed team-mate Dan Cammish a fifth successive podium, but Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Jake Hill had other ideas as he fired his BMW around the outside of the #27 car on the final lap of the race.

The Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing duo of Árón Taylor-Smith and Mikey Doble were fifth and sixth respectively, as the Vauxhall Astra team continue to dominate the Independents honours. There was a further boost post-race when the reverse grid draw confirmed an all-Vauxhall front row for the finale later this afternoon.

Team BMW's Colin Turkington began his fightback in fine style - having faced clutch issues in race one – as the four-time champion surged from the back to take seventh, ahead of hugely impressive runs from Chris Smiley, Dan Rowbottom and Daryl DeLeon

The results were a huge boost for the rookie Restart Racing outfit, with Smiley scoring the team's best result of the season so far.

Josh Cook said: “It’s nice to be back winning races. It makes it a lot easier when you’re on the soft tyres and those around you are on the hards. I got off to a really good start on lap one and the doors just opened up around me, and I ended up in a good position. I got my head down and just focussed on banging in some quick laps. It probably wasn’t overly interesting to watch, but I’ll take that any time and congratulations to everyone in the team.”

Oulton Park – Race 2 – Final Classification

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	Best/	On/
1	66	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	15	21:52.594		1:26.058	7
2	80	Tom INGRAM	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	15	22:00.610	8.016	1:26.729	3
3	24	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	15	22:02.473	9.879	1:26.877	2
4	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	15	22:03.024	10.43	1:26.488	4
5	40	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	15	22:03.450	10.856	1:26.530	2
6	88	Mikey DOBLE	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	15	22:04.046	11.452	1:26.333	2
7	20	Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	15	22:04.791	12.197	1:26.547	3
8	222	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	15	22:06.014	13.42	1:26.200	2
9	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing UK	15	22:07.299	14.705	1:27.047	2
10	11	Andrew WATSON	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	15	22:11.566	18.972	1:26.623	3
11	12	Rob HUFF	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	15	22:12.490	19.896	1:26.440	2
12	18	Daryl DELEON	Duckhams Racing With Bartercard	15	22:12.678	20.084	1:26.493	2
13	14	Ronan PEARSON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	15	22:19.705	27.111	1:26.891	6
14	29	Scott SUMPTON	Restart Racing	15	22:22.161	29.567	1:27.107	6
15	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	15	22:25.605	33.011	1:26.352	3
16	1	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	15	22:39.142	46.548	1:26.932	4
17	33	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	15	22:51.158	58.564	1:26.784	4
18	22	Nick HALSTEAD	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	15	23:00.007	1:07.413	1:28.919	5
DNF	3	Tom CHILTON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	7	10:30.758	8 Laps	1:26.754	3
DNF	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	3	8:10.076	12 Laps	1:37.051	1

Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Tom Ingram held off title rival Ash Sutton in the Oulton Park opener to secure a fantastic 30th career victory in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

BTCC fans have been waiting for an on-track battle between Ingram and Sutton during the 2024 campaign and the packed banks of spectators got their wish around the picturesque Cheshire circuit.

The pair touched slightly on a couple of ocassions with the pivotal moment coming when Ingram's #80 straight-lined a chicane after receiving a nudge from the #1 NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus of Sutton.

They resumed battle but in truth Sutton's chance was over as the Hyundai i30N pulled away for the remainder of the contest.

NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish claimed a hard-earned fourth successive podium as he came under attack from Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Jake Hill and team-mate Dan Rowbottom.

Hill's podium challenge was scuppered after a huge lock-up going into the hairpin late on, although he did recover to finish sixth, whilst Rowbottom's car received a black and orange for flailing bodywork.

Rowbottom failed to pit before the chequered flag and received a post-race 30 second penalty, dropping him to 15th overall.

Tom Ingram said: “We would have loved some air conditioning in the car, it gets very spicy in there. We are about 25 degrees above ambient temperature so it’s pretty warm to say the least. Ash (Sutton) is obviously quick, so is Dan (Cammish), plus I could see Jake (Hill) coming too. There was a lot to try and manage but it’s good to get the win and the first one of the day under our belts.”

Ash Sutton said: “I tried to make the most of it at the start, but we were up against it with the lack of hybrid compared to those around us. Eventually we settled for the points and focus on the next one. We’re on the dreaded hard tyre now, which is going to be tough, but we’re really happy with the performance and result.”

Dan Cammish said: "I did a good job of getting in the right gap for the fastest lap. I knew if I could give them enough of a gap a lap later I could fill that gap and try and go for fastest lap which we did and that is an extra point. Good race from my side, realised quite early on we didn’t have the ultimate pace. I think we are going to see fireworks today. I want to survive, I want a lot of points and I want to get away from here with a chance of losing the gap after the summer break. I have got a plan."

Oulton Park - Race 1 - Classification

Pos	No.	Class	PIC	Name	Nationality	Entry	Vehicle	Laps	Time	Gap	Diff	Mph	Best
1	80	BTCC - M	1	Tom INGRAM	GBR	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	Hyundai i30N	15	21:39.143			93.4	1:25.742
2	1	BTCC - M	2	Ashley SUTTON	GBR	NAPA Racing UK	Ford Focus ST	15	21:41.056	1.913	1.913	93.3	1:25.885
3	27	BTCC - M	3	Dan CAMMISH	GBR	NAPA Racing UK	Ford Focus ST	15	21:43.700	4.557	2.644	93.8	1:25.358
4	33	BTCC - M	5	Adam MORGAN	GBR	Team BMW	BMW 330e M Sport	15	21:49.373	10.23	0.372	93.2	1:25.973
5	24	BTCC - M	6	Jake HILL	GBR	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	BMW 330e M Sport	15	21:53.843	14.7	4.47	93.2	1:25.901
6	3	BTCC - M	7	Tom CHILTON	GBR	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	Hyundai i30N	15	21:55.381	16.238	1.538	92.7	1:26.405
7	40	BTCC - IND	1	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	IRL	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra	15	22:05.221	26.078	9.84	92	1:27.058
8	66	BTCC - M	8	Josh COOK	GBR	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	Toyota Corolla GR Sport	15	22:05.789	26.646	0.568	91.7	1:27.344
9	16	BTCC - M	9	Aiden MOFFAT	GBR	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	Toyota Corolla GR Sport	15	22:09.960	30.817	4.171	91.5	1:27.538
10	12	BTCC - M	10	Rob HUFF	GBR	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	Toyota Corolla GR Sport	15	22:10.509	31.366	0.549	91.5	1:27.519
11	88	BTCC - IND	2	Mikey DOBLE	GBR	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra	15	22:14.807	35.664	4.298	91.5	1:27.561
12	14	BTCC - M	11	Ronan PEARSON	GBR	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	Hyundai i30N	15	22:16.308	37.165	1.501	91.9	1:27.175
13	222	BTCC - IND	3	Chris SMILEY	GBR	Restart Racing	Cupra Leon	15	22:17.087	37.944	0.779	91.3	1:27.760
14	11	BTCC - M	12	Andrew WATSON	GBR	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	Toyota Corolla GR Sport	15	22:18.361	39.218	1.274	91.4	1:27.623
15	32	BTCC - M	4	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	GBR	NAPA Racing UK	Ford Focus ST	15	21:49.001			93.5	1:25.626
16	77	BTCC - M	13	Sam OSBORNE	GBR	NAPA Racing UK	Ford Focus ST	15	22:20.139	40.996	1.778	91	1:28.026
17	22	BTCC - M	14	Nick HALSTEAD	GBR	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	Hyundai i30N	15	22:29.225	50.082	9.086	91	1:27.998
18	18	BTCC - IND	4	Daryl DELEON	PHL	Duckhams Racing With Bartercard	Cupra Leon	15	22:30.985	51.842	1.76	91.1	1:27.948
19	29	BTCC - IND	5	Scott SUMPTON	GBR	Restart Racing	Cupra Leon	15	23:13.916	1:34.773	42.931	90.8	1:28.236
20	20	BTCC - M	15	Colin TURKINGTON	GBR	Team BMW	BMW 330e M Sport	14	22:50.871	1 Lap	1 Lap	93.5	1:25.627

Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS star tops a super Saturday in Cheshire

Tom Ingram completely smashed the existing BTCC qualifying lap record at Oulton Park earlier today (22 June), as the country's best tin-top stars arguably produced the most exciting qualifying session of the season so far.

The pace was relentless from the outset with title contender Jake Hill squeezing through the opening segment of qualifying, as the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport man progressed with just 0.002s to spare.

The next segment proved a step too far for Hill, however, as both he and Team BMW stablemate Colin Turkington were among those to fall at the second hurdle.

The lap times were already well under the existing 2023 qualifying lap record – set by reigning champion Ash Sutton – but the best was yet to come during the 'Quick Six' finale around the beautiful 2.23-mile circuit.

Three Ford Focuses, two Hyundai i30Ns and a sole BMW 330e M Sport progressed to the showdown, but it was anyone's guess as to who would snatch pole position.

It was Ingram that surged forward to record one of the best laps of his illustrious career. The Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' racer's 1:24.194s lap time took well over half a second off the previous 2023 benchmark and was more than enough to secure his third pole position of the season.

If Ingram's lap was impressive then the same has to be said for championship leader Sutton, with the #1 NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus lining up on the outside of the front row despite minimal hybrid deployment available during qualifying due to his stellar position in the standings.

Sutton's team-mate Dan Cammish continued his good run of form – following a trio of second places at Thruxton last time out – with a third place here during qualifying.

Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Tom Chilton was an impressive fourth ahead of the third NAPA Racing UK machine of Dan Rowbottom, whilst Team BMW's Adam Morgan completed the top six.

Hill drove well to take seventh – minimising the deficit to some of his title rivals ahead – with the top ten being rounded out by Árón Taylor-Smith (Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing), Turkington (Team BMW) and Josh Cook (LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ).

Rounds 13, 14 and 15 of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Oulton Park tomorrow. Trackside fans can enjoy the BTCC races at 1225, 1440 and 1725 respectively, whilst those unable to make it can watch full race day live and exclusive coverage on ITV4 from 1145. Fans throughout the world can also watch every BTCC race live via the ITV Sport TikTok channel.

Tom Ingram said: “It felt pretty special if I’m honest, absolutely amazing. The car has just felt so alive this weekend, it has felt superb. Everyone at Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS has done something remarkable with this car, it feels so special to drive, it’s just an absolute pleasure. This circuit is about hooking everything up so it’s really confidence inspiring. So much about this game is about staying headstrong, so if the car is feeling good and we’re not having to chase things, we’re in a really good place.”

Ash Sutton said: “If someone had offered me the front row at the start of the weekend, I’d have been delighted. It’s a mega result for me and everyone at NAPA Racing UK. We’re just over a tenth behind Tom, so if you consider the hybrid deficit then it’s clear we have a very fast race car. We’ve been particularly strong at the start so if we can get a battle on with Tom that will be ideal, but I’ve also got two team-mates directly behind me. We’ve continued our record of making it through to Q3.”

Dan Cammish said: “I think we’re looking considerably better here than we have over the last two years. This is definitely the best NAPA Racing UK car I’ve ever driven. For me, the changes we’ve made over the winter... it feels transformed and I feel a million miles ahead of where I was in year one and two. I want to make sure I’m in that battle at the end of the season when things get heated, maybe I can just get that bit closer. I am in this battle, write me off at your peril. I am full of confidence going forward.”

Oulton Park - Qualifying - Final Classification

P/	No/	CL	Name/	Entry/	Q1	Q2	Q3
1	80	M	Tom INGRAM	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	1:24.628	1:24.354	1:24.194
2	1	M	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	1:24.486	1:24.582	1:24.318
3	27	M	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	1:24.944	1:24.469	1:24.391
4	3	M	Tom CHILTON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	1:24.866	1:24.599	1:24.497
5	32	M	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing UK	1:24.498	1:24.661	1:24.502
6	33	M	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	1:24.578	1:24.583	1:24.782
7	24	M	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	1:25.101	1:24.710
8	40	IND	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	1:25.104	1:24.805
9	20	M	Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	1:25.068	1:24.873
10	66	M	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	1:25.102	1:24.894
11	12	M	Rob HUFF	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	1:24.930	1:24.992
12	16	M	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	1:25.056	1:25.020
13	88	IND	Mikey DOBLE	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	1:25.103
14	11	M	Andrew WATSON	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	1:25.250
15	14	M	Ronan PEARSON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	1:25.285
16	222	IND	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	1:25.368
17	77	M	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	1:25.764
18	18	IND	Daryl DELEON	Duckhams Racing with Bartercard	1:25.814
19	29	IND	Scott SUMPTON	Restart Racing	1:25.901
20	22	M	Nick HALSTEAD	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	1:27.524

NAPA Racing UK's Dan Rowbottom reached the top of the timesheets during FP2 as the BTCC action continues to heat up at Oulton Park.

Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Tom Ingram set an early benchmark that was soon eclipsed by the NAPA Racing UK duo of Dan Cammish and Rowbottom, but the best was yet to come for the 2022 BTCC Champion.

The #80 Hyundai clocked a 1:24.719s with 15 minutes remaining – a time already faster than last year’s pole position – but Ingram then went even quicker on his next tour.

Ingram’s 1:24.646s looked to be good enough but team-mate Tom Chilton hauled his Hyundai to within 0.064s of P1, before Rowbottom produced his sensational flier to eclipse Ingram by 0.110s.

Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing’s Aron Taylor-Smith slipped into third, ahead of Chilton and reigning champion Ash Sutton in his #1 Ford Focus.

Cammish was relegated down to sixth by the finish with Adam Morgan's lead BMW only being seventh, ahead of Mikey Doble's Vauxhall Astra.

The Toyota duo of Rob Huff (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK) and Aiden Moffat (LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ) completed the top ten although the Japanese marque will be hoping for more during qualifying later this afternoon.

Qualifying for Round 13 of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship takes place at 1535 and will be streamed live via the ITV Sport YouTube channel.

Oulton Park – Free Practice 2 – Final Classification

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	On/
1	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing UK	17	1:24.536		14
2	80	Tom INGRAM	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	20	1:24.646	0.11	12
3	40	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	17	1:24.661	0.125	17
4	3	Tom CHILTON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	16	1:24.710	0.174	14
5	1	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	17	1:24.768	0.232	14
6	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	17	1:24.995	0.459	13
7	33	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	20	1:25.025	0.489	20
8	88	Mikey DOBLE	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	17	1:25.117	0.581	11
9	12	Rob HUFF	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	18	1:25.157	0.621	15
10	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	18	1:25.164	0.628	16
11	11	Andrew WATSON	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	18	1:25.301	0.765	15
12	24	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	17	1:25.594	1.058	9
13	14	Ronan PEARSON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	14	1:25.624	1.088	7
14	18	Daryl DELEON	Duckhams Racing With Bartercard	18	1:25.714	1.178	15
15	20	Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	20	1:25.734	1.198	7
16	222	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	17	1:25.795	1.259	12
17	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	18	1:26.050	1.514	12
18	66	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	13	1:26.084	1.548	3
19	29	Scott SUMPTON	Restart Racing	19	1:26.751	2.215	9
20	22	Nick HALSTEAD	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	19	1:26.805	2.269	17

Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing's Aron Taylor-Smith topped the opening Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Free Practice session at Oulton Park, continuing his recent run of fantastic form.

Taylor-Smith has been in dominant form in the Independents' Trophy, often vying for top spot with team-mate Mikey Doble, but the Vauxhall Astra squad has been edging closer towards overall honours.

Part of the track has been resurfaced during the off-season with Taylor-Smith's benchmark lap already matching last year's pole time. With many of the cars also running used Goodyear tyres, we can arguably expect to see some extremely quick times later this afternoon.

NAPA Racing UK's Dan Rowbottom was second, ahead of the Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Ronan Pearson.

Tom Ingram and Dan Cammish also backed up the prowess of both the Hyundais and Fords by being next in the order, closely followed by a trio of BMWs.

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s Jake Hill was sixth, ahead of the sister Team BMW cars of Adam Morgan and Colin Turkington.

NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton and Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS’ Tom Chilton completed the top ten in what was a relatively trouble free practice session.

After a particularly mixed start to the campaign when it comes to the weather, the cars and stars of the BTCC have been treated to some glorious sunshine so far in the North West of England at the beautiful Oulton Park.

The cars are back on track for FP2 at 1230, before qualifying takes place at 1535. You can keep up to date with all the action via the LIVE section on the BTCC website, whilst qualifying will also be streamed LIVE vis the ITV Sport YouTube channel.

Oulton Park – Free Practice 1 – Final Classification

P/	No/	Name/	Entry/	Laps/	Time/	Gap/	On/
1	40	Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	15	1:24.922		15
2	32	Daniel ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing UK	16	1:24.958	0.036	13
3	14	Ronan PEARSON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	17	1:25.126	0.204	16
4	80	Tom INGRAM	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	18	1:25.150	0.228	6
5	27	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	16	1:25.204	0.282	8
6	24	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	16	1:25.233	0.311	15
7	33	Adam MORGAN	Team BMW	18	1:25.528	0.606	8
8	20	Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	19	1:25.531	0.609	15
9	1	Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	16	1:25.575	0.653	8
10	3	Tom CHILTON	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	17	1:25.681	0.759	9
11	16	Aiden MOFFAT	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	13	1:25.710	0.788	10
12	77	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing UK	17	1:25.918	0.996	9
13	88	Mikey DOBLE	Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing	15	1:25.985	1.063	8
14	12	Rob HUFF	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	18	1:26.215	1.293	14
15	11	Andrew WATSON	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK	16	1:26.256	1.334	15
16	66	Josh COOK	LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ	13	1:26.326	1.404	13
17	18	Daryl DELEON	Duckhams Racing With Bartercard	17	1:26.523	1.601	10
18	222	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	9	1:27.366	2.444	9
19	29	Scott SUMPTON	Restart Racing	10	1:28.307	3.385	9
20	22	Nick HALSTEAD	Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS	15	1:29.037	4.115	12

Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS will hope to return to the top step of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship podium this weekend when the series heads for Oulton Park for the fifth meeting of the season.

The EXCELR8 Motorsport-run team makes the trip to Cheshire for the final event before a month-long break sitting well placed in the championship standings, with Tom Ingram and Tom Chilton inside the top eight in the overall title race, and Ronan Pearson currently second in the Jack Sears Trophy.

Ingram lies third in the title race having picked up a brace of podium finishes last time out at Thruxton, where he celebrated his 100th start for the Hyundai team.

The 30-year-old is one of the form drivers at Oulton Park, having scored a double podium last season to go with two wins twelve months earlier.

With his focus firmly on trying to reclaim the title he won in 2022, Ingram will be chasing  a third win of the season this weekend to strengthen his championship challenge and close is on the two drivers currently ahead in the points.

Chilton holds eighth despite a tough end to the weekend at Thruxton, where he failed to score in race three after suffering a second retirement of the season.

Those two results aside however, Chilton had been a regular fixture inside the top ten and picked up a 61st BTCC podium at Brands Hatch during the second meeting of the season - results that mean he is only 13 points shy of beating his total from the entire 2023 campaign.

Like Ingram, Chilton has won at Oulton Park in the past and will hope for three strong results to cement his position in the standings.

Youngster Pearson is also close to beating his points tally from last season having picked up his third top ten finish of the campaign at Thruxton, where he also secured weekend honours in the Jack Sears Trophy for the first time this year.

The Scottish racer has taken huge strides forwards in his second season and picked up a maiden victory at Brands Hatch during round two, whilst this year has also seen him score his best qualifying result to date.

Heading into Oulton Park, Pearson will hope to make the most of his undoubted pace to fight for three strong results, with his primary focus being to close in on the Jack Sears Trophy lead.

Nick Halstead meanwhile returns to action looking to rebound from a tough end to the weekend at Thruxton, where he was involved in a heavy accident in the closing stages of the final race.

The team has worked hard to repair his damaged car ahead of the weekend whilst Halstead himself is fighting fit and ready to try and add to the points finish he scored at Brands Hatch.

Halstead has plenty of previous experience at Oulton Park, including a maiden podium finish in the British GT Championship back in 2022, and like his three team-mates, will be bidding for a solid weekend ahead of the summer break.

Tom Chilton, #3 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “Like most of the drivers on the grid, I’m a huge fan of Oulton Park because it’s a proper ‘old school’ circuit where you have to be totally focused and can’t afford to make a mistake. If you do, there is a good chance you’ll be ending up in the barriers and out of the race!

“I’ve had some good results at Oulton Park in the past and I’m returning in confident mood given the performance we have shown across the opening four rounds. I’ve already scored more top ten finishes this season than we did across the whole of 2023 and I want to keep that run going to retain our position in the standings.

“We’ve got the car in a good place at the moment in both qualifying and race trim, and I see no reason why we can’t have a strong Saturday and then push for a good haul of points on Sunday to go into the summer break on a high.”

Ronan Pearson, #14 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “This season, I’ve shown that I’ve taken a step forwards in terms of my pace, and the win at Brands Hatch was a massive boost to my confidence. However, at each of the four meetings so far, there has been something outside our control that has stopped us from getting three strong results across a weekend.

“Thruxton last time out was a prime example with the issue in qualifying, but it was really pleasing to recover from the back of the grid to end the weekend in the top ten – and to win the Jack Sears Trophy for the first time this season.

“Heading to Oulton Park, I’m now looking to try and enjoy a trouble-free weekend so that we can challenge for strong points across all three races. It’s a circuit where the Hyundai has won in the past and with the various improvements that we made over the winter, I’m confident we can put on a good performance.

“Qualifying is going to be particularly important because even with the extra hybrid available, overtaking won’t be easy. I want to try and get into the Quick Six again if we can so we are near the front of the grid, and then on Sunday, the focus turns to making sure are towards the sharp end and in the fight for plenty of points.”

Nick Halstead, #22 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “After a tough end to the weekend at Thruxton last time out, I’m looking forward to getting back on track at Oulton Park - a circuit where I feel a lot more comfortable having raced there a lot more in the past.

“I have to say a huge thank you for the team for getting my car repaired, and I’d love to be able to go out there and reward them with some strong results this weekend. As ever, the ultimate goal would be to break into the points in at least one of the three races, but I know it won’t be an easy task given the strength of the grid and the fact that Oulton Park is a tricky circuit on which to overtake.

“Above all, a trouble free weekend is what I really need going into the summer break and if I can come away with three solid finishes under my belt, then I’ll be happy.”

Tom Ingram, #80 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “Despite the frustration of losing a win at Thruxton, we showed really good pace once again with the Hyundai, which is a reflection of the ongoing effort everyone is putting into the car. Heading to Oulton Park, we are right in the mix in terms of the championship standings, and the goal this weekend is to be as ‘pointsy’ as we can be to strengthen our position going into the summer break.

“Oulton Park is a circuit that has been particularly kind to us in recent seasons, with four podiums in the last six starts, so I think we can be confident about another strong performance in the three races.

“Getting into the Quick Six and battling for pole could make all the difference on how race day pans out, because it’s a lot easier to start from the front at a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult. The additional hybrid will have an impact, but I’d much rather be in a position where I’m using it to defend instead of trying to attack!”

Justina Williams, Team Owner, said: “We’ve had a really strong season so far, and are confident that we can maintain our solid run of form this weekend at Oulton Park. It’s been a circuit where we have had good results in the past and with the improvements made to the Hyundai since then, I believe we can right in contention for further wins before we head into the summer break.”