Adam Morgan took his first British Touring Car Championship victory in four years at Knockhill, with Cataclean Plato Racing scoring their maiden victory in stunning fashion.
Adam Morgan started on pole for the first time in eight years after Saturday success in Scotland, and the Plato Racing Mercedes held its lead through the first sector. Gordon Shedden followed him, as Dan Rowbottom retained P3 on the wet surface.
Much like the Race to Pole, Morgan sprinted away and built a lead of nearly two seconds by the third lap as Shedden and ‘Rowbo’ fought.
Ricky Collard and Ash Sutton launched sensational starts to climb to P5 and P7, while Dexter Patterson sent Tom Chilton spinning down the order.
On the fourth entry to Duffus Dip, Rowbottom finally managed to get by Shedden after firm defence from the Scot.
The pair of Collard and Sutton continued climbing on the fifth tour – up to P4 and P6. Officials handed Dan Cammish a 10-second penalty for a false start, while Tom Ingram executed a stunning switchback past both the #27 car and Daryl De Leon’s WSR BMW.
Just a few laps later, Sutton went one better again by getting past Charles Rainford, and begun an onslaught on a Collard too occupied to even flash his lights – before dispatching him on lap 10.
Ingram would also get by Rainford, before the BMW peeled into the pits with the meatball flag for a dangling rear bumper. Sensing the danger for his title hopes, Ingram also got by Collard quickly with Sutton flying in P4.
With things going swimmingly for Plato out front, a stricken Lewis Gilbert saw the safety car called – with the BMW sent into the gravel by Josh Cook.
Racing resumed on lap 23, with the stewards extending the running to a total of 27. Morgan got away well, while Rowbottom defended his teammate superbly by creating a gap for him.
As the flag flew, it was Morgan who grabbed Plato’s first British Touring Car Championship victory as a team boss, with Rowbottom giving the squad an incredible 1-2. In further celebrations, Shedden took home P3 on Scottish soil.
View the full BTCC Knockhill Race 1 results below!
| Position | Driver | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Adam Morgan | Cataclean Plato Racing | |
| 2. | Daniel Rowbottom | Cataclean Plato Racing | +0.923 |
| 3. | Gordon Shedden | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | +1.825 |
| 4. | Ashley Sutton | NAPA Racing UK | +2.471 |
| 5. | Tom Ingram | Team Vertu | +2.616 |
| 6. | Ricky Collard | Team Vertu | +4.093 |
| 7. | Dexter Patterson | Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing | +4.740 |
| 8. | Mikey Doble | LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | +5.420 |
| 9. | Aiden Moffat | LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | +6.632 |
| 10. | Sam Osborne | NAPA Racing UK | +7.481 |
| 11. | Daryl De Leon | WSR | +7.587 |
| 12. | Árón Taylor-Smith | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | +8.691 |
| 13. | Josh Cook | Speedworks Corolla Racing | +9.156 |
| 14. | Lewis Selby | NAPA Racing UK | +9.701 |
| 15. | James Dorlin | Restart Racing | +10.008 |
| 16. | Chris Smiley | Restart Racing | +10.200 |
| 17. | Tom Chilton | Team Vertu | +11.942 |
| 18. | Dan Cammish | NAPA Racing UK | +14.804 |
| 19. | Ryan Bensley | Speedworks Corolla Racing | +15.393 |
| 20. | Nick Halstead | Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing | +21.322 |
| 21. | Charles Rainford | WSR | +25.514 |
| 22. | Nicolas Hamilton | Team Vertu | 1 Lap |
| DNF | Lewis Gilbert | WSR |
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