BTCC – Sutton wins chaotic Race To Pole

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Ash Sutton will start a surprise pole position for NAPA Alliance Racing Ford at the second weekend of the 2026 British Touring Car Championship.

Sutton, who had admitted he’d have been happy to stay in the top ten prior to qualifying as a result of having his TOCA Boost limited to 1s per lap, ended the qualifying session in fifth but a jet-propelled start in the Race To Pole saw him get into third position on the first lap, before WSR’s Daryl De Leon launched an ambitious move on race leader Tom Ingram’s Vertu Motors Hyundai at Graham Hill Bend that saw both men drop backwards.

De Leon kept second place and Ingram, who sustained damage, was shuffled back to fifth place behind third placed Dan Cammish in the second of the NAPA Fords, with Ricky Collard in fourth in his Hyundai.

Adam Morgan completed the top six in his Plato Racing with Cataclean Mercedes ahead of the Power Maxed Racing Duo of Mikey Doble and Dexter Patterson.

The result sees Sutton, who scored 10 points for winning the Race to Pole, extend his championship lead to 28 points ahead of teammate Cammish, who moved up to second with 43 points.

Charles Rainford drops to third following a disappointing Race To Pole ahead of Aiden Moffat’s Power Maxed Racing Audi and Gordon Shedden’s Laser Tools MB Motorsport Toyota, while last season’s champion Ingram is down in eighth.

IMAGE: BTCC

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