Motorbase Performance’s Rory Butcher believes second position in race two of the British Touring Car Championship was the best result he could have achieved given race winner Ash Sutton’s “ballistic” pace.
Butcher, who secured the second consecutive pole position for the new-for-2020 Ford Focus ST yesterday, would lose out to Josh Cook on the road in race one before inheriting a maiden victory for the car post-race following Cook’s exclusion.
He made another strong start in wet conditions to lead the early running, but admitted he didn’t quite have the pace to live with Sutton who had scythed through the field from eighth on the grid.
Sutton would set the fastest lap of the race while chasing down Butcher on lap sixth – incidentally when the Scot set a personal best time – but would tell ITV that his time was as good as he had in terms of pace.
Despite being disappointed not to secure his second victory of the day, Butcher took consolation in being the fastest front-wheel drive runner as Dan Cammish fell back in the latter stages.
“When you see Ash come through into P2, and then the rate that he caught me – I actually set my fastest lap of the race when he was just behind me – but he reeled me in,” said Butcher.
“And I was like ‘Well, that’s as good as I’ve got!’ He came and it was just a case of when and how you know.
“He was just ballistic and I think the good thing is that our car was potentially the strongest front-wheel drive out there, we saw Cammish drop back so the Ford is fantastic out there it’s just conditions I think favoured rear-wheel drive more than front-wheel drive.”
With the final race of the day still to come, Butcher will start from ninth position with the top ten positions being reversed, and believes dry weather will favour his Motorbase Ford as opposed to more wet conditions.
“I think racing in the wet, wherever the reverse grid is going to be, is going to be hard work. So let’s get some dry weather!”