Ashley Sutton maintained his perfect podium record in the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this past weekend (May 11/12) as he tallied a hat-trick of third place finishes to move to the top of the standings.
The NAPA Racing UK driver underlined his status as the reigning champion around the Indy circuit by producing three battling performances in searing temperatures which not only allowed him to extend his podium streak to six races, but also claim a slender two-point championship lead.
Qualifying on Saturday afternoon saw Sutton emerge as one of the standout performers as he hustled his front-wheel-drive machine all the way into the Quick Six shootout, despite only having a limited amount of hybrid deployment at his disposal.
In what was a frenetic battle for pole position, the four-time title winner set a best time of 48.091s around the short 1.207-mile track to clinch an impressive fourth on the grid for the first of Sunday’s three races.
Race one provided captivating viewing for those in attendance as Sutton went wheel-to-wheel with his former team-mate and old friend Josh Cook in what was an almighty scrap for second place.
Sutton originally duelled with stablemate Cammish for the position but when he was forced to pit following a puncture, attention soon turned to the Toyota of Cook who – on the superior tyre compound – soon began to fill Sutton’s mirrors.
Swapping paint for a number of laps, Sutton would ultimately concede the position to Cook but would keep him honest for the remainder of the bout on his way to clinching a well-earned third place.
The weekend’s second race would see a familiar battle play out for runners-up laurels however this time it was the Hyundai of Tom Ingram that Sutton would go wheel-to-wheel with.
In a similar manner to race one, Sutton’s resolute defence with limited hybrid deployment culminated in him relinquishing second place to his rival in the closing stages, however he had enough in-hand to hold on to third.
Starting in ninth and on the soft tyre for race three, the BRDC Member arguably saved his best till last in the spring sunshine as he served up a charging drive to make it six podiums from six races.
Making a number of moves early in the contest, Sutton soon found himself on the heels of Aron Taylor-Smith and Tom Chilton and as the race entered its final few laps, Chilton’s late lunge on Taylor-Smith at Paddock Hill Bend opened the door for Sutton to power through into third place.
Ashley Sutton: “It’s been another really good weekend all things considered! To come away with three more podiums – which extends the streak to six – is pretty mega and we’ve now got the championship lead too; which isn’t to be sniffed at.
“Going into the weekend I didn’t really have any expectations because of the differences in hybrid deployment and varying tyre compounds but the guys and girls at NAPA Racing UK gave me a great car that was able to fight at the front all weekend long.
“I really enjoyed the fights with Josh and Tom in races one and two and then when we bolted the softs on for race three it was game on. I was a little conscious about the punctures others had had but we managed the tyres well and took our opportunity when it was presented.
“As great as this weekend has been we’re already starting to think about Snetterton and the impact that having relatively little to no hybrid is going to have. We’ll need to roll out a good race car and box clever!
The 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign continues in less than a fortnights’ time at Snetterton on May 25/26.
