BTCC: Sutton Secures Championship Lead as Ingram Shines

The British Touring Car Championship travelled to Hampshire’s Thruxton Circuit for Round 5 of 2020’s season.

Having spent three weeks away from racing, Team BMW’s Colin Turkington entered the event top of the pile, 10 points ahead of Ash Sutton.

Multiple race-winners Rob Austin and Tom Onslow-Cole also made their much anticipated returns to the category, as the truncated season reached its halfway point.

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Race 13

Having topped every Saturday session, including a lap record during qualifying, Dan Cammish lined his FK8 Honda Civic on pole position, with Tom Ingram P2. The latter launched better, with Cammish slotting in behind.

Jake Hill, who qualified strongly once again, spun at the Club chicane with an issue, which foreshadowed Turkington’s demise. Having been overtaken by a fast-charging Sutton on lap 6, the BMW 3 Series quickly dropped down the order and outside of the points, eventually pitting with a misfire.

Towards the tail-end of the race, Cammish slowly started to gain on Ingram’s Toyota, with the duo constantly within one second of each other. Despite Ingram’s squirmy approach to the faster corners slowing him down, he completed a successful race-long defence, and claimed a first win of the season.

Cammish was left to settle for second place, with teammate Matt Neal securing a quiet P3 on Yuasa Battery’s 10th anniversary BTCC weekend. Sutton made six spots for fifth, and ended the first race as championship leader by a single point.

After the race, Ingram said:

“Dan had me on the edge of my seat as much as the car did to be perfectly honest, she was a bit lively in the lap few laps. I could see Dan was strong. Of course he was, he’s top drawer and he’s in a top car around here.”

Race 13’s Top 10:

1. Tom Ingram
2. Dan Cammish
3. Matt Neal
4. Adam Morgan
5. Ash Sutton
6. Rory Butcher
7. Tom Chilton
8. Tom Oliphant
9. Josh Cook
10. Michael Crees

Race 14

From pole, Ingram led the field into Allard, with Neal and Cammish following suite. Come the second lap, Ingram extended a comfortable lead as Cammish slid past his teammate, with Turkington climbing through the lower order after his DNF in Race 13.

Ingram’s lead was quickly eradicated, as Cammish posted two consecutive fastest laps, but, once again, was unable to force a true overtaking manoeuvre. The steady racing continued behind, as Sutton closed in on Neal, but a hairy moment at Church for the former widened the gap.

On lap 12, fifth-placed Adam Morgan was forced to pit with engine failure, promoting those behind by one spot. Consequently, Turkington found himself in 13th position, one place off the reverse-grid spots.

Cammish had closed in on Ingram again by the final lap, and seemed to have found a way past around the outside at Club, but the Toyota Corolla held on for a second win of the day. Cammish and Neal secured the other podium places, repeating the first race’s order, with Sutton fourth, and Turkington stuck in 13th behind a defiant Jake Hill.

Race-winner Ingram said:

“If I’m being honest, I didn’t expect to be coming into this weekend getting two wins. I wanted a podium and I wanted to be up there, but I didn’t think I’d get two wins. So full credit to the guys and girls at Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters. We’ve put a hell of a package together this weekend and it feels very exciting.”

Race 14’s Top 10:

1. Tom Ingram
2. Dan Cammish
3. Matt Neal
4. Ash Sutton
5. Rory Butcher
6. Tom Oliphant
7. Tom Chilton
8. Josh Cook
9. Michael Crees
10. Senna Proctor

Race 15

For the final race of the weekend, Josh Cook’s number was pulled in the reverse-grid draw. He maintained position from launch, with BTC Racing teammate Tom Chilton behind. Ingram was the largest beneficiary when the lights went out, securing three spots quickly before Sutton regained P5.

Cammish and Turkington entertained with a plethora of battles in the mid-pack, with the Team Dynamics man coming off worst. On lap 5, further ahead, Rory Butcher’s slower Ford Focus ST started to compact Sutton and Ingram, both of which made quick work of Tom Oliphant just prior.

Tensions reached boiling point on lap 12, when Sutton attempted to capitalise on Butcher’s mistake at Goodwood. The Infiniti Q50 then came under attack from Ingram’s Toyota at Church, somehow staving off the factory-backed Corolla.

Much further ahead, the BTC duo of Cook and Chilton eased to a 1-2 finish, with Butcher completing an astonishing defensive drive for third. Sutton topped off a great weekend in P4, with Ingram just behind. Turkington managed to place eighth when the flag dropped.

Race 15’s Top 10:

1. Josh Cook
2. Tom Chilton
3. Rory Butcher
4. Ash Sutton
5. Tom Ingram
6. Tom Oliphant
7. Matt Neal
8. Colin Turkington
9. Jake Hill
10. Dan Cammish

Championship Standings:

1. Ash Sutton – 209pts
2. Colin Turkington – 193pts
3. Tom Ingram – 177pts
4. Rory Butcher – 175pts
5. Dan Cammish – 167pts

Standout Performers:

1. Tom Ingram
2. Dan Cammish
3. Ash Sutton

The next round of the BTCC is at Silverstone on 26-27 September.