Adam Morgan claims another Race 1 victory at BTCC Donington Park GP

Adam Morgan scored his second British Touring Car Championship victory in as many meetings at Donington Park, converting pole position yet again.

Race 1 would end before it began for one member of the field, Sam Osborne, whose NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus broke down on the parade lap.

However, there was no issues with the start of Morgan. His Mercedes A35 Saloon sprinted away from the off, though Dan Rowbottom would get passed by Josh Cook and Ash Sutton in falling to P4.

‘Rowbo’ took a position back from Sutton with a huge lunge down the inside at Melbourne, locking his tyres in the process. But, the stewards would call for the Safety Car after a monumental crash for Lewis Gilbert.

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The WSR man was clipped by the Team VERTU Hyundai of Tom Chilton, sent into the inside barriers before the Melbourne Hairpin, before rolling and resting on the apex.

Fortunately, the Scottish rookie got out of his BMW quickly and appeared unharmed.

After a lengthy repair, running resumed on the sixth lap with an extra three added – bringing the total to 17.

Morgan led the field away, followed by Cook and Sutton after Rowbottom gave back Sutton’s P3.

Just like yesterday’s Race to Pole, Chilton’s car stopped running on the way to McLeans but he could keep it going – though the stewards brought out the Safety Car for one lap.

Morgan, becoming well-acquainted with leading the field away after the last two meetings, once again held his lead as lap eight started.

Ricky Collard engaged in a intra-Hyundai war with Tom Ingram, throwing himself around the outside of the reigning Drivers’ Champion at The Esses and taking plenty of gravel in the process.

The high-flying Morgan broke the race lap record on the tenth tour, posting a 1:33.381 as he extended his lead over Cook and Sutton.

However, Cook would fall through the order on lap 11, his Corolla suffering a gear lever issue and allowing Sutton into P2 and Rowbottom back into the podium places.

The best battling was seen in the midfield places through the next few laps, with Charles Rainford, Chris Smiley, Lewis Selby, Dan Lloyd, and Daryl De Leon all trading for the remaining point-scoring places.

Árón Taylor-Smith was also enjoying a notable outing, and a needed one, working hard to fend off Dexter Patterson for P6 while being the highest-running hard tyre. Meanwhile, Gordon Shedden pressured Rowbottom and eventually bested Rowbottom at the Old Hairpin for P3 with two laps to go.

At the front, it was all seeming a little academic for Morgan, who had over three seconds to Sutton and would indeed bring it home on the final lap.

Claiming his second victory in as many meetings, Morgan took P1, with Sutton and Shedden joining him on the podium.

Not settling for P5, Dan Cammish made a firm move on Rowbottom at the Melbourne Hairpin as the Mercedes man battled tyre degradation. Taylor-Smith followed them, with Patterson, Collard, Ingram, and Mikey Doble completing the top 10.

Aiden Moffat finished P11, with Rainford, Smiley, Selby, and Lloyd rounding out the points on his BTCC return. However, Smiley would be awarded a five-second penalty for overboost post-race, promoting De Leon to the points.

View the full BTCC Donington Park GP Race 1 results below!

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