BTCC: Rainford takes victory in opening race at Snetterton

Charles Rainford would take a lights to flag victory in an excellent drive from the WSR driver.

Charles Rainford would start from pole ahead of Josh Cook and Tom Ingram while Dan Cammish would start from fourth. Sutton would start right at the back of the grid after a tyre failure caused him to have to pit in the Qualifying Race yesterday.

Rainford would get a better start leading clearly into the first corner while Cook would maintain second before pressure from Ingram into Montreal. The Toyota would manage to defend that attack before a switchback at Agostini would allow the Hyundai through and up into second place. However, the gap to Rainford had already opened up.

Further back, Sutton would make up eight places on the opening lap moving and was already into the points. He would claim another place on Mikey Doble on the second lap of the race as he continued his quick ascent up the order. Cook would have to continue his defence as Cammish and Daryl De Leon would begin to add pressure to the Toyota.

Sutton would have to watch his teammate Sam Osborne make a move passed the Plato Racing Mercedes of Adam Morgan before making his way passed a couple corners later into eleventh place. Morgan would challenge Sutton down the Bentley straight as the NAPA Racing Ford only had a single lap of boost as opposed to Morgan’s eight laps.

Lewis Selby would make a move passed Dexter Patterson into the first turn on lap four before losing out after the Audi managed to find a way back by only moments later at the next corner. The pair would go at it again at the same set off corners on the following lap, but Patterson would place his car in all the right places to halt the attack of the NAPA in the battle for third place in the Jack Sears Trophy and the last points place overall.

Lap seven would see Cammish come under pressure from De Leon as the NAPA had one lap less of boost than the WSR car behind. De Leon would manage to get passed on the run down the Bentley straight as the BMW tyre wear in these conditions at this circuit is much better than the front wheel drive cars. The pair would continue to close in on Cook in the Toyota after he had initially pulled away.

Lap nine would see De Leon make his way passed Cook down towards Agostini allowing the BMW to move up into the podium places joining teammate Rainford who was leading the race.

Further back, Ricky Collard and James Dorlin would have a very aggressive battle on lap ten with a harsh defence from Collard forcing Dorlin to have to change lines as he tries desperately to get by the Team Vertu driver. This battle would allow Osborne to make his way up towards both the Manufacturer and Independent Hyundai’s before making a move very quickly into the first turn using some boost. Dorlin and Osborne would continue to fight through Montreal and Palmer before Osborne had to give way on the exit of the third turn.

Out front, it would be Rainford who would come across the line to take his first victory of the season in a very controlled race from the BMW. Ingram would settle for second place ahead of De Leon and Cook while Cammish completed the top five. Daniel Rowbottom would finish sixth ahead of Tom Chilton while Collard, Dorlin and Osborne would complete the top ten.