Hill ends Donington Park opener with dominant lights-to-flag win

Jake Hill ended an up and down weekend with a lights-to-flag victory to conclude the opener for the 2022 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season at Donington Park.

Having taken pole position to begin the weekend, Hill finished on the podium in the opening race only to be excluded due to failing a post-race ride height check. But a battle back to ninth in the second race from the back of the grid saw the ROKiT MB Motorsport driver on pole position.

He surged home from pole with Ash Sutton managing to gain some solace from a poor opening weekend for NAPA Racing UK with a maiden podium as part of the outfit albeit not the weekend the defending champion will be happy with.

While Dan Lloyd held the final spot on the podium for most of the race but buckled under the pressure as a big group hunted him down allowing Hill and Sutton to get up the road and away. It was Rich Energy BTC Racing‘s Josh Cook who managed to capitalise making his move on the penultimate lap to seal third running side by side all the way down the Craner Curves before sealing it through the old hairpin.

Lloyd’s teammate, Tom Ingram continued his strong start to the season by hunting down Adam Morgan and Rory Butcher to finish fifth, with Colin Turkington, Gordon Shedden and Bobby Thompson rounding out the top ten.

2022 British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Donington Park

1.       Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport 16 laps
2.       Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +2.148s
3.       Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +59.261s
4.       Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +9.878s
5.       Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +10.104s
6.       Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +10.466s
7.       Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +11.045s
8.       Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +11.247s
9.       Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +12.314s
10.     Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +14.651s
11.     Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +20.502s
12.     Jason PLATO (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +20.988s
13.     Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +21.233s
14.     Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +22.330s
15.     Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +23.525s
16.     Michael CREES (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +26.255s
17.     Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +26.431s
18.     Dexter PATTERSON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +27.474s
19.     Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +33.598s
20.     George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +34.042s
21.     Jack BUTEL (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +34.372s
22.     Jade EDWARDS (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +35.111s
23.     Ash HAND (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +35.119s
24.     Nic HAMILTON (GBR) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +44.729s
25.     Rick PARFITT (GBR) Uptonsteel with Euro Car Parts Racing +1 lap
26.     Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1 lap
27.     Tom CHILTON (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +13 laps
28.     Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +16 laps