Super Sutton surges to Snetterton opener after exciting battle with Hill

After a poor start to the season at Donington Park, Ash Sutton is firmly back in business and now leads the Drivers Championship after his third win of the 2023 BTCC season and his 30th overall at Snetterton on Sunday afternoon.

Sutton started on pole and despite being on a perceived lesser tyre compared to the quick softs as well as a finite hybrid allocation, he surged into a three second gap to Colin Turkington who was the best of the rest for most of the race ahead of fellow contenders in Jake Hill and Tom Ingram.

The latter fell away to start the race but managed to tag back onto the leading quartet with an entertaining battle pursuing in particular with Hill.

On Lap 9, Hill made the move on Turkington using the grass and the hybrid to find his way through and continued to carve the gap to Sutton ending only +0.270secs in the end in favour of the NAPA Racing UK driver.

It was very much what could’ve been with Hill passing Turkington a lap or two earlier likely providing an opportunity to attack Sutton. But it is the three-time champion that proves his brilliance again.

Turkington being passed by Hill saw his pace decrease but Ingram couldn’t take advantage. It was a BMW feel following that with Adam Morgan and Stephen Jelley finalising the top six.

Dan Rowbottom was the best on the hard tyre, with Dan Cammish also having a superb drive coming from 25th to 11th and sees him still very much in touch in terms of the championship.