BTCC: Sutton takes pole in qualifying race at Brands Hatch Indy

Championship leader Ash Sutton takes pole position in Saturday’s Qualifying race in another intense early scrap.

Group 1 saw Tom Ingram top his group in the first part of qualifying by a tenth of a second to the BMW of Daryl De Leon while Sutton managed to secure third place in the group. The session was very close with the whole group separated by just over six tenths of a second.

Group 2 saw Dan Cammish go fastest in his group from Hyundai’s Ricky Collard and Plato Racing’s Adam Morgan while Dexter Patterson would make it so the top four in the group would set a time within a single tenth of one another in a thrilling battle for the group pole. However, the group would not set a time faster than Ingram in group one meaning that they would start on the even numbered side of the grid while the first group would take the odd numbered positions for the qualifying race.

The race would start with an early squabble for the lead with the BMW of De Leon getting an excellent start jumping Cammish and pulling alongside Ingram into Paddock Hill bend. This allowed Sutton, who also had a good getaway jumping Collard to use a better line to pull passed Cammish and up to third. Ingram would be put into a defensive line into Druids stopping Sutton and De Leon from passing before De Leon made an almighty dive down into Graham Hill bend making contact with the Hyundai forcing him wide. Sutton would take advantage to pull into the lead ahead of De Leon while Ingram would drop down to fifth.

Further back, contact between the battling back caused contact between Charles Rainford and Tom Chilton, both would continue on their way but well down the order. Collard would put Cammish under pressure as Ingram recovers from the incident the lap prior but unable to get close enough to attempt any sort of move. The top five would continue to pull away from the rest of the field who were still sorting themselves out including battles between Josh Cook, James Dorlin and the Ford’s of Sam Osborne and Lewis Selby in the battle for eleventh.

The race up front would remain stagnant with gaps moving very little as they all settle into pace but the Toyota Corolla’s of Árón Taylor-Smith and Gordon Shedden would begin to fight with Cook who continue to come back through the field, moving into the top ten on lap thirteen after contact between the Laser Tools cars the lap prior. A few laps later would see Cook move up to ninth place at Druids making him the lead Toyota on lap 15. However, it would not last as his luck would run out with a puncture in the final two laps dropping him to the back of the field.

Up front, Sutton would take victory in the Qualifying Race giving him pole position for race 1 in a very calculated drive ahead of De Leon in second. Cammish would finish third ahead of Collard and Ingram who complete the top five. Morgan would finish sixth ahead of Doble and Patterson while Laser Tools Racing’s Taylor-Smith and Shedden would complete the top ten.