A scorching Sunday at Snetterton saw storming drives, plenty of action, and a surprise winner in the British Touring Car Championship – but who took the spoils?
If the sun didn’t, the action at Snetterton threatened to lull us into sleep with a relatively routine Race to Pole on Saturday and slow start to proceedings in Sunday’s Race 1.
But, an electric effort from Ash Sutton revitalised the running in Race 2, before a veteran’s drive from Gordon Shedden gave Laser Tools with MB Motorsport another victory in 2026.
The weekend also saw Sutton propel himself further towards a record-breaking Drivers’ Championship victory. Although the season is still young, few will bet against the NAPA Racing UK driver in his quest.
The ideal Race 1 for Charles Rainford saw WSR on the top step
Charles Rainford ran clear in the Race to Pole on Saturday, owing to Tom Chilton’s falterings in his Team VERTU Hyundai, and enjoyed the same story in Race 1 to sprint away unopposed.
P2-starter Josh Cook found himself under pressure from the off, with Tom Ingram’s VERTU Hyundai getting by at Snetterton’s tricky infield section.
In typical Ash Sutton fashion, he had already climbed from last to P13 before the end of the first lap, with his NAPA Racing Ford Focus proving some foe for the rest of the field in 2026.
Much like the Race to Pole, the running had calmed by the end of the second tour, as Rainford established a strong gap at the front in his BMW. Cook plugged away well in P3, despite pre-weekend expectations of the Corolla being low.
Adam Morgan had a difficult start to his Sunday in the Plato Racing Mercedes, falling to P12 as Sutton got past on the back straight.
Lewis Selby and Dexter Patterson were also battling hard, with the Steel Seal Audi having fallen down the order from lights out.
In the other purple Plato car, Dan Rowbottom ran steady in sixth, tight to a pack that involved Daryl De Leon’s pacy BMW, Dan Cammish’s NAPA Ford, and the Speedworks Corolla of Cook.
Ingram piloted his Hyundai to fastest lap efforts while trying to chase down Rainford, but the BMW man had the most consistent form of all in lapping in the low 1:56s routinely.
Ricky Collard was a standout in his VERTU Hyundai, having climbed from P12 to P8 by the end of lap five.
A couple of laps later, De Leon finally got past Cammish. At this stage of proceedings, WSR looked like the team to beat in the scorching Norfolk sun.
Patterson continued to fall down the order as Nic Hamilton’s VERTU Hyundai bested him. While, at the back, little separated a pack that included the heat-struggling Audi of Mikey Doble and NAPA’s Lewis Selby. Even further back was Brands Hatch hero Árón Taylor-Smith and Doble’s teammate Aiden Moffat.
Rainford’s lead was insurmountable, and his BMW took the chequered flag first. Ingram followed in second, looking to close the gap to Sutton in the standings, with De Leon rounding out the podium.
Elsewhere, Tom Chilton scored well after a disappointing Race to Pole, and Sutton recovered himself to P11.
Ahead of Race 2, the stewards disqualified Sam Osborne for a significant overboost.
| Position | Driver | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Charles Rainford | WSR | |
| 2. | Tom Ingram | Team Vertu | +3.917 |
| 3. | Daryl De Leon | WSR | +8.379 |
| 4. | Josh Cook | Speedworks Corolla Racing | +9.872 |
| 5. | Dan Cammish | NAPA Racing UK | +10.226 |
| 6. | Daniel Rowbottom | Cataclean Plato Racing | +11.593 |
| 7. | Tom Chilton | Team Vertu | +12.681 |
| 8. | Ricky Collard | Team Vertu | +14.839 |
| 9. | James Dorlin | Restart Racing | +16.274 |
| 10. | Ashley Sutton | NAPA Racing UK | +20.794 |
| 11. | Adam Morgan | Cataclean Plato Racing | +27.531 |
| 12. | Lewis Selby | NAPA Racing UK | +28.756 |
| 13. | Gordon Shedden | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | +36.250 |
| 14. | Mikey Doble | LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | +36.764 |
| 15. | Chris Smiley | Restart Racing | +36.963 |
| 16. | Dexter Patterson | Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing | +37.772 |
| 17. | Nicolas Hamilton | Team Vertu | +37.805 |
| 18. | Aiden Moffat | LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | +42.124 |
| 19. | Árón Taylor-Smith | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | +42.341 |
| 20. | Max Buxton | Speedworks Corolla Racing | +43.640 |
| DQ | Sam Osborne | NAPA Racing UK | DQ |
A sensational drive from Ash Sutton claims victory in Race 2
Ash Sutton stormed from P10 to a dominant victory in Race 2, increasing his gap in the Drivers’ Championship to a hefty 48 points.
De Leon got away exceptionally and blew past Ingram at the first turn for P2, though the Hyundai man got his position back a few corners later. Much like Race 1, Rainford got away perfectly and led into the first few corners.
Cammish started well to climb to fourth, as Rowbottom and Collard joined him in improving on their starting positions.
Of course, Sutton also had a fantastic start. He had navigated into P7 by the end of the second lap, while Collard pulled himself up one further by pipping Rowbottom.
A difficult Race 1 for Dexter Patterson was compounded by a ten-second penalty for a false start, as he would fade to a P19 finish.
Cammish continued to charge and set the fastest lap, using a tyre advantage to close the gap on De Leon. At the other end of positivity, James Dorlin peeled into the pits, with his Restart Racing Hyundai needing attention.
Sutton continued his excellent start by bettering Rowbottom and setting the fastest lap on his fourth tour, defying his lack of TOCA Turbo Boost.
The hard-charging Ford then added Collard, De Leon, and Cammish by the end of the sixth lap.
At the same time, Ingram eclipsed Rainford for the race lead, before Sutton got by not long after. With five to go, the fight was set between Ingram and Sutton for the victory.
However, it would not last long. An uncharacteristic error from Ingram saw him lock-up at Montreal as Sutton sailed by. Ingram would fall to P5, and later retire from the race with a technical issue.
One VERTU car’s struggle was the gain of two teammates, with Chilton and Collard jumping up to the remaining podium places after bettering Cammish on lap 10.
With two to go, the promising weekend for WSR faded further as both drivers found themselves scrapping in the lower reaches of the fastest ten. Chris Smiley capitalised, easily guiding his Restart Racing Hyundai past De Leon.
An incredible drive from Sutton was met with the flag, followed at some distance by the Hyundai pair of Collard and Chilton.
At the other end, Cook had a disappointing outing in his Corolla, while Race 1 struggles were replicated for the likes of the Audi pair and Taylor-Smith.
| Position | Driver | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ashley Sutton | NAPA Racing UK | |
| 2. | Ricky Collard | Team Vertu | +1.009 |
| 3. | Tom Chilton | Team Vertu | +2.295 |
| 4. | Dan Cammish | NAPA Racing UK | +6.954 |
| 5. | Adam Morgan | Cataclean Plato Racing | +9.906 |
| 6. | Daniel Rowbottom | Cataclean Plato Racing | +10.942 |
| 7. | Gordon Shedden | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | +11.129 |
| 8. | Charles Rainford | WSR | +12.496 |
| 9. | Chris Smiley | Restart Racing | +12.613 |
| 10. | Daryl De Leon | WSR | +14.047 |
| 11. | Lewis Selby | NAPA Racing UK | +16.129 |
| 12. | Josh Cook | Speedworks Corolla Racing | +16.996 |
| 13. | Mikey Doble | LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | +17.785 |
| 14. | Árón Taylor-Smith | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | +19.832 |
| 15. | Aiden Moffat | LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | +20.702 |
| 16. | Nicolas Hamilton | Team Vertu | +21.755 |
| 17. | Sam Osborne | NAPA Racing UK | +22.305 |
| 18. | Max Buxton | Speedworks Corolla Racing | +25.990 |
| 19. | Dexter Patterson | Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing | +29.503 |
| 20. | James Dorlin | Restart Racing | +1:47.198 |
| DNF | Tom Ingram | Team Vertu | 3 Laps |
Laser Tools with MB Motorsport joy continues with victory for Gordon Shedden
Gordon Shedden boosted Laser Tools with MB Motorsport joy with another race victory in Round 9 of the BTCC.
The reverse-grid procedure saw Shedden boosted to pole, with the Plato pair of Rowbottom and Morgan following him off the line. Race 2 winner Sutton was P7, while Race 1 star Rainford started P8.
Order amongst the top three was maintained through the first corners, while dust clouded the track as a few cars were hustled wide at the first turn.
Unfortunately for Collard, the stewards issued a 10-second time penalty for a false start, which would not be the last Team VERTU penalty of the session.
Lewis Selby lost out most from the opening tour, dropping all the way to last. At the other end, Morgan got by his teammate to promote himself to P2, as Shedden remained calm out front.
Sutton started well, but not quite with rockets as in Race 2. His Ford sat in P5, setting a fastest lap in the process, by the end of the second lap.
Ingram had climbed his way to P9 after three, speeding through from the back of the grid. Championship rival Sutton had also ascended one into P4.
A battle between Rowbottom and Sutton ensued for the final podium position, with the medium tyres of the Mercedes being no match for soft-strapped Sutton.
With four laps gone, Shedden and Morgan held a gap of two seconds to the chasers, with the Corolla coming under little pressure from the Mercedes.
Rowbottom fell further as Cammish guided his Ford Focus past at the start of the sixth lap, before Chilton and Rainford got by a few corners later.
Ingram would then eclipse Rainford with a bold move into Nelson, promoting himself to P6.
Sutton’s rise continued as he got by Morgan for P2 on lap seven, while Ingram also got past Cammish at the end of the back straight.
Plenty begun to predict another drive through the field for Sutton, now within a second of Shedden’s lead.
However, the veteran Corolla driver managed to deny his foe through a multi-lap battle which saw the lead change hands momentarily.
Just behind, Ingram and Morgan were in an identically tight fight, with Ingram getting by and closing to Sutton as Shedden sprinted away.
Despite some fight between the title battlers, Sutton held his P2 despite a dip into the dirt. Such a scrap would’ve been a joy in Shedden’s mirrors, as he got to the line for an emotional victory at his happiest of hunting grounds.
However, Ingram would not keep his P3 after the race. The stewards awarded him a 10-second penalty for repeated track limits violations, promoting De Leon to a second podium of the weekend.
| Position | Driver | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Gordon Shedden | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | |
| 2. | Ashley Sutton | NAPA Racing UK | +0.728 |
| 3. | Daryl De Leon | WSR | +3.226 |
| 4. | Chris Smiley | Restart Racing | +4.975 |
| 5. | Charles Rainford | WSR | +5.698 |
| 6. | Adam Morgan | Cataclean Plato Racing | +6.945 |
| 7. | Tom Chilton | Team Vertu | +7.093 |
| 8. | Tom Ingram | Team Vertu | +10.923 |
| 9. | Dan Cammish | NAPA Racing UK | +11.756 |
| 10. | Daniel Rowbottom | Cataclean Plato Racing | +12.494 |
| 11. | Mikey Doble | LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | +14.381 |
| 12. | Árón Taylor-Smith | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | +14.910 |
| 13. | Sam Osborne | NAPA Racing UK | +17.625 |
| 14. | Aiden Moffat | LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | +17.660 |
| 15. | Josh Cook | Speedworks Corolla Racing | +18.896 |
| 16. | Nicolas Hamilton | Team Vertu | +19.837 |
| 17. | Dexter Patterson | Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing | +22.897 |
| 18. | James Dorlin | Restart Racing | +24.128 |
| 19. | Max Buxton | Speedworks Corolla Racing | +24.727 |
| 20. | Lewis Selby | NAPA Racing UK | +26.704 |
| 21. | Ricky Collard | Team Vertu | +28.708 |
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