Ash Sutton and the NAPA Racing UK team continue their dominant 2023 form with a win to close out the Knockhill weekend.
After torrential rain delayed the start and five laps behind the safety car, racing got underway at Knockhill for the final time this weekend. It did not for Árón Taylor-Smith though who had to pit at the end of lap four with an engine issue to then rejoin at the back of the field.
Sutton put together a great drive with a bit if luck with others fighting and outright pace the championship leader took another step forward in the championship. After starting from sixth the #116 car was clinical in his march forward.
In second was Josh Cook who had put together a great drive in race two and three after coming from 24th to take a podium. Starting from eighth in race three the only man that was quicker was the race winner Sutton.
Completing the podium was Tom Ingram who like Cook came back from an exclusion from victory in race one to take a podium in race three. It came down to the final lap to pass teammate Ronan Pearson on the run to Taylor’s to place his EXCELR8 Hyundai on the podium.
Pearson held together a great race after starting on pole. In the end the pace was just not there to the three drivers in front. Pearson only finished 1.131 seconds behind Ingram after their last lap battle.
In fifth was Ricky Collard who had an eventful race to say the least. From rubbing doors to bouncing off kerbs Collard was in the thick of the action throughout. Eventually taking fifth as Dan Lloyd got out of shape as Dan Rowbottom rejoined from the pits.
As that incident continued Dexter Patterson also made the step forward to take home sixth. Not quite having the pace to get in front of Collard finishing 0.616 seconds behind. After starting 13th it was an impressive drive to move forward through the field.
Aiden Moffat was seventh after starting 19th with a superb drive through the field. Emulating the pace of teammate Cook the One Motorsport outfit showed their pace in the rain.
Lloyd came home in eighth after a battering and a bruising race. Having collisions with Moffat and Ingram and being shuffled wide in other incidents it was a troubled race for the #123 car.
George Gamble was the next driver to cross the line with an upturn in form to boost his 2023 season. Finishing 0.937 seconds behind Lloyd the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK car was looking forward rather than backwards attacking hard at the end of the race.
Sutton’s teammate Dan Cammish rounded out the top 10 again highlighting the speed of the NAPA Racing UK Fords. Starting 24th Cammish sliced through the field to keep moving forward to salvage some points from the weekend.
Race results
| POS | NO | CL | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP | GD |
| 1 | 116 | M |  |
Ashley SUTTON | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 27 | 28:46.947 | 55.892 | 6 |
| 2 | 66 | I | |
Josh COOK | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 27 | 9.636 | 56.149 | 8 |
| 3 | 1 | M | |
Tom INGRAM | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 27 | 16.568 | 56.258 | 10 |
| 4 | 14 | M | |
Ronan PEARSON | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 27 | 17.699 | 56.671 | 1 |
| 5 | 37 | M | |
Ricky COLLARD | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 27 | 19.841 | 56.662 | 2 |
| 6 | 17 | I | |
Dexter PATTERSON | Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD. | CUPRA Leon | 27 | 20.457 | 56.656 | 13 |
| 7 | 16 | I | |
Aiden MOFFAT | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 27 | 21.178 | 56.524 | 19 |
| 8 | 123 | I | |
Daniel LLOYD | Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils | CUPRA Leon | 27 | 21.969 | 56.955 | 3 |
| 9 | 42 | M | |
George GAMBLE | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 27 | 22.906 | 56.924 | 11 |
| 10 | 27 | M | |
Dan CAMMISH | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 27 | 23.055 | 56.383 | 24 |
| 11 | 88 | I | |
Mikey DOBLE | CarStore Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 27 | 24.155 | 57.069 | 12 |
| 12 | 6 | M | |
Rory BUTCHER | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 27 | 26.157 | 56.932 | 15 |
| 13 | 77 | M | |
Sam OSBORNE | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 27 | 28.318 | 56.543 | 17 |
| 14 | 24 | M | |
Jake HILL | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | BMW 330e M Sport | 27 | 29.783 | 56.356 | 7 |
| 15 | 40 | I |  |
Árón TAYLOR-SMITH | CarStore Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 27 | 33.652 | 57.243 | 4 |
| 16 | 11 | I | |
Andrew WATSON | CarStore Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 27 | 34.011 | 57.006 | 9 |
| 17 | 4 | M | |
Colin TURKINGTON | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 27 | 35.589 | 57.135 | 25 |
| 18 | 33 | M | |
Adam MORGAN | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 27 | 35.677 | 56.922 | 27 |
| 19 | 12 | M | |
Stephen JELLEY | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 27 | 35.955 | 56.803 | 5 |
| 20 | 3 | M | |
Tom CHILTON | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 27 | 38.492 | 57.492 | 16 |
| 21 | 99 | I | |
Jade EDWARDS | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 27 | 42.305 | 57.466 | 26 |
| 22 | 96 | I | |
Jack BUTEL | Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown | CUPRA Leon | 27 | 45.590 | 57.723 | 20 |
| R | 32 | M | |
Daniel ROWBOTTOM | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 24 | DNF | 56.289 | 23 |
| R | 777 | I | |
Michael CREES | Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils | CUPRA Leon | 22 | DNF | 57.530 | 18 |
| R | 79 | I | |
Rob HUFF | Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown | CUPRA Leon | 12 | DNF | 58.434 | 14 |
| R | 18 | I | |
Daryl DELEON | Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD. | CUPRA Leon | 9 | DNF | 1:00.598 | 22 |
| R | 22 | M | |
Nick HALSTEAD | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 7 | DNF | 1:01.376 | 21 |