Ash Sutton ends final official pre-season test on top

Ash Sutton ended the final pre-season British Touring Car Championship test session with the fastest lap, after the NAPA Racing UK driver hit the top of the times with just ten minutes left in the afternoon.

Reigning champion Sutton proved that he had lost none of his front-wheel drive talent as he lapped the Hampshire circuit with a time of 1 minute 15.607 seconds to edge out long-time afternoon pace-setter Daniel Rowbottom.

In the morning session, ROKiT MB Motorsport’s Jake Hill posted the fastest lap with a time of 1 minute 15.744 seconds in his BMW 330e M Sport, around two tenths of a second slower than last year’s pole time.

Excelr8 Motorsport’s Tom Ingram was second, 0.215 seconds adrift, with the leading NAPA Racing UK Ford of Dan Cammish in third, a further two tenths of a second back.

The session was topped early on by Toyota Gazoo Racing UK’s Ricky Collard, followed by BMW’s Colin Turkington and NAPA’s Cammish trading the top times.

Turkington then held the top spot for almost an hour, before Hill went fastest, initially with a lap of 1:15.956 before he improved by two tenths two laps later to seal the top spot.

A red flag period around an hour and a half into the session was required when a weaving Gordon Shedden and the BMW of Stephen Jelley exiting the pits made heavy contact.

The damage to both the Honda and BMW was extensive, ruling both out for the remainder of the morning’s session and for Shedden, much of the afternoon session.

Towards the final minutes of the session a light rain shower brought proceedings to an early close.

The afternoon session began with Cammish and team-mate Sutton topping the times on their first laps, before Team Dynamics’ Rowbottom moved to the top of the timesheets after 47 miuntes with a lap of 1:15.839 – a position he held for the next hour and a half.

Sutton then pipped the Honda driver towards the end of the session to end the day with the best overall lap time, over a tenth of a second faster than Hill’s morning time.

Rowbottom was third in the overall ranking with his afternoon effort, ahead of the Hyundai of Tom Ingram in fourth, who had put in his best lap in the morning.

After extensive repairs, Shedden was able to get out later in the afternoon and ended the day with the fifth fastest time.

Four drivers failed to post a time all day, three of whom are Team HARD drivers – Jack Goff, who was absent, Nicolas Hamilton, Rick Parfitt Jr and Aiden Moffat, after an engine failure on his Infiniti.

Morning session results

POS	NO	NAT	DRIVER	ENTRANT	CAR	LAPS	TIME	GAP
1	24		Jake HILL	ROKiT MB Motorsport	BMW 330e M Sport	31	1:15.744	–
2	80		Tom INGRAM	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N	25	1:15.959	0.225
3	9		Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	Ford Focus ST	25	1:16.150	0.406
4	50		Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	BMW 330e M Sport	30	1:16.443	0.699
5	66		Josh COOK	Rich Energy BTC Racing	Honda Civic Type R	23	1:16.517	0.773
6	1		Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	Ford Focus ST	26	1:16.551	0.807
7	12		Stephen JELLEY	Team BMW	BMW 330e M Sport	22	1:16.581	0.837
8	6		Rory BUTCHER	Toyota GAZOO Racing UK	Toyota Corolla GR Sport	41	1:16.613	0.869
9	33		Adam MORGAN	Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport	BMW 330e M Sport	32	1:16.676	0.932
10	11		Jason PLATO	Rich Energy BTC Racing	Honda Civic Type R	19	1:16.699	0.955
11	123		Daniel LLOYD	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N	29	1:16.707	0.963
12	42		George GAMBLE	Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport	BMW 330e M Sport	30	1:16.753	1.009
13	21		Ricky COLLARD	Toyota GAZOO Racing UK	Toyota Corolla GR Sport	24	1:16.813	1.069
14	32		Daniel ROWBOTTOM	Halfords Racing with Cataclean	Honda Civic Type R	25	1:16.936	1.192
15	48		Ollie JACKSON	Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan	Ford Focus ST	41	1:16.986	1.242
16	52		Gordon SHEDDEN	Halfords Racing with Cataclean	Honda Civic Type R	4	1:17.226	1.482
17	3		Tom CHILTON	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N	16	1:17.298	1.554
18	99		Jade EDWARDS	Rich Energy BTC Racing	Honda Civic Type R	35	1:17.515	1.771
19	19		Bobby THOMPSON	Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero	CUPRA Leon	9	1:17.989	2.245
20	77		Sam OSBORNE	Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan	Ford Focus ST	31	1:18.221	2.477
21	40		Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing	CUPRA Leon	17	1:18.366	2.622
22	97		Ash HAND	CarStore Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra	12	1:19.021	3.277
23	17		Dexter PATTERSON	Laser Tools Racing	Infiniti Q50	8	1:19.452	3.708
24	96		Jack BUTEL	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N	10	1:20.254	4.51

Afternoon session results

POS	NO	NAT	DRIVER	ENTRANT	CAR	LAPS	TIME	GAP
1	1		Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	Ford Focus ST	29	1:15.607	–
2	32		Daniel ROWBOTTOM	Halfords Racing with Cataclean	Honda Civic Type R	31	1:15.839	0.232
3	52		Gordon SHEDDEN	Halfords Racing with Cataclean	Honda Civic Type R	17	1:16.074	0.467
4	9		Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	Ford Focus ST	32	1:16.128	0.521
5	80		Tom INGRAM	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N	31	1:16.188	0.581
6	33		Adam MORGAN	Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport	BMW 330e M Sport	47	1:16.192	0.585
7	50		Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	BMW 330e M Sport	49	1:16.201	0.594
8	123		Daniel LLOYD	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N	35	1:16.228	0.621
9	24		Jake HILL	ROKiT MB Motorsport	BMW 330e M Sport	46	1:16.283	0.676
10	11		Jason PLATO	Rich Energy BTC Racing	Honda Civic Type R	24	1:16.336	0.729
11	48		Ollie JACKSON	Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan	Ford Focus ST	55	1:16.436	0.829
12	42		George GAMBLE	Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport	BMW 330e M Sport	38	1:16.602	0.995
13	66		Josh COOK	Rich Energy BTC Racing	Honda Civic Type R	20	1:16.694	1.087
14	12		Stephen JELLEY	Team BMW	BMW 330e M Sport	22	1:16.747	1.140
15	77		Sam OSBORNE	Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan	Ford Focus ST	48	1:16.815	1.208
16	3		Tom CHILTON	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N	25	1:16.816	1.209
17	6		Rory BUTCHER	Toyota GAZOO Racing UK	Toyota Corolla GR Sport	40	1:16.830	1.223
18	99		Jade EDWARDS	Rich Energy BTC Racing	Honda Civic Type R	29	1:17.010	1.403
19	97		Ash HAND	CarStore Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra	42	1:17.054	1.447
20	21		Ricky COLLARD	Toyota GAZOO Racing UK	Toyota Corolla GR Sport	25	1:17.358	1.751
21	777		Michael CREES	CarStore Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra	36	1:17.772	2.165
22	40		Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing	CUPRA Leon	16	1:17.833	2.226
23	17		Dexter PATTERSON	Laser Tools Racing	Infiniti Q50	31	1:19.234	3.627
24	96		Jack BUTEL	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N	11	1:21.458	5.851
25	16		Aiden MOFFAT	Laser Tools Racing	Infiniti Q50	2	No time	N/A

Combined session results

POS	NO	NAT	DRIVER	ENTRANT	CAR	LAPS	TIME	GAP
1	1		Ashley SUTTON	NAPA Racing UK	Ford Focus ST	55	1:15.607	–
2	24		Jake HILL	ROKiT MB Motorsport	BMW 330e M Sport	77	1:15.744	0.137
3	32		Daniel ROWBOTTOM	Halfords Racing with Cataclean	Honda Civic Type R	56	1:15.839	0.232
4	80		Tom INGRAM	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N	56	1:15.959	0.352
5	52		Gordon SHEDDEN	Halfords Racing with Cataclean	Honda Civic Type R	21	1:16.074	0.467
6	9		Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing UK	Ford Focus ST	57	1:16.128	0.521
7	33		Adam MORGAN	Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport	BMW 330e M Sport	79	1:16.192	0.585
8	50		Colin TURKINGTON	Team BMW	BMW 330e M Sport	79	1:16.201	0.594
9	123		Daniel LLOYD	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N	64	1:16.228	0.621
10	11		Jason PLATO	Rich Energy BTC Racing	Honda Civic Type R	43	1:16.336	0.729
11	48		Ollie JACKSON	Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan	Ford Focus ST	96	1:16.436	0.829
12	66		Josh COOK	Rich Energy BTC Racing	Honda Civic Type R	43	1:16.517	0.910
13	12		Stephen JELLEY	Team BMW	BMW 330e M Sport	44	1:16.581	0.974
14	42		George GAMBLE	Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport	BMW 330e M Sport	68	1:16.602	0.995
15	6		Rory BUTCHER	Toyota GAZOO Racing UK	Toyota Corolla GR Sport	81	1:16.613	1.006
16	21		Ricky COLLARD	Toyota GAZOO Racing UK	Toyota Corolla GR Sport	49	1:16.813	1.206
17	77		Sam OSBORNE	Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan	Ford Focus ST	79	1:16.815	1.208
18	3		Tom CHILTON	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N	41	1:16.816	1.209
19	99		Jade EDWARDS	Rich Energy BTC Racing	Honda Civic Type R	64	1:17.010	1.403
20	97		Ash HAND	CarStore Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra	54	1:17.054	1.447
21	777		Michael CREES	CarStore Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra	36	1:17.772	2.165
22	40		Árón TAYLOR-SMITH	Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing	CUPRA Leon	33	1:17.833	2.226
23	19		Bobby THOMPSON	Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero	CUPRA Leon	9	1:17.989	2.382
24	17		Dexter PATTERSON	Laser Tools Racing	Infiniti Q50	39	1:19.234	3.627
25	96		Jack BUTEL	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N	21	1:20.254	4.647
26	16		Aiden MOFFAT	Laser Tools Racing	Infiniti Q50	2	No time	N/A