By RaceScene Publisher on Sunday, 31 July 2022
Category: The Checkered Flag

Superb Sutton seals his first win of BTCC Hybrid Era, Gamble on reverse grid pole at Knockhill

Ash Sutton has sealed his first win of the season and also under the NAPA Racing UK banner in the BTCC in another superb tussle between the reigning champion and Jake Hill in Race Two at Knockhill.

Sutton has continued to get better and better after switching back to front-wheel drive at the turn of the year and has plugged away despite at times not getting the results out of the Ford Focus ST. But this has now paid dividends.

Hill held on in the early running before a mistake handed Sutton the advantage and a route through and it was another error which allowed Sutton to get further up the road as he battled with Colin Turkington who himself ran wide into turn one to allow his teammate back through.

But after the errors, Hill fought hard making his last move on the final chicane as he aimed to go side by side with Sutton but the latter just pinched the win by just 0.141s.

Turkington in a usual display battled hard to seal vital points claiming a podium back-to-back ahead of Tom Ingram, the current championship leader who picked off places of George Gamble and Stephen Jelley among others.

Gordon Shedden and Rory Butcher, brothers in law and both working at Knockhill off the track but battling together on it as they finished ahead of Gamble and Jelley, while Dan Cammish and Tom Chilton rounded out the top 10.

It will be Gamble who heads onto reverse grid pole as the impressive rookie continues to make strides and in a strong BMW could seal a maiden race win later on Sunday afternoon. But he will have Butcher on the front row with him who will look for some heroics on home soil in an intriguing battle picked out by multiple champion, John Cleland who conducted the draw.

🎥 BTCC on ITV1| Race 1 LIVE: Ash Sutton wins race two of the day at Knockhill! #BTCC pic.twitter.com/Yn4MWFIg35

— BTCC (@BTCC) July 31, 2022
Original link