Ash Sutton takes yet another pole position for the NAPA Racing UK team as they have taken the top spot at every round in 2023.
Sutton set a 51.267 to stun everyone’s original beliefs from the start of the weekend. Dubbed a ‘rear-wheel’ track, the championship leader changed that thought taking another pole position.
It was not as easy as it has been at previous rounds having taken pole by 0.006 seconds to Josh Cook. The One Motorsport driver traded times with everyone throughout the final shootout session narrowly missing out on the top spot.
In third was the driver everyone thought might take pole before arriving at the circuit, Jake Hill. The MB Motorsport driver was on the edge constantly flirting with track limits narrowly missing out on the front row by 0.023 seconds.
Behind was local man Rory Butcher who took the last spot on the second row closer to the cars in front than the car behind. Setting a 51.375, Butcher was 0.108 seconds off of the top spot.
In Fifth is Sutton’s main title rival, Tom Ingram. The EXCELR8 driver never quite had the pace as the track became the driest it had been. Setting a 51.497 the gap to the front was eventually 0.230 seconds. All to do on Sunday to stop Sutton escaping out front.
Next was the first repeat manufacturer in the form of Adam Morgan. The Team BMW driver took advantage of the cars qualities to find himself only 0.035 seconds behind Ingram.
Aiden Moffat made it two One Motorsport Honda’s inside the top 10 completing an impressive performance for the team. Only 0.067 seconds away from the third row Moffat will be keen to push himself forward on race day.
Colin Turkington made it three BMW’s inside the top 10 making the manufacturer perform better than any other. In the end the pace was not there to challenge up at the sharp end finishing 0.405 seconds behind Sutton.
Tom Chilton placed his Hyundai EXCELR8 car in ninth. Despite Ingram not hitting the highs he would have liked the team as a whole certainly performed. Rounding out the top 10 was Dan Lloyd as the sole Cupra keeping the field compact as the the top 10 only had a 0.630 second spread.
Q2 results
| POS | NO | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 116 |  |
Ashley SUTTON | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 11 | 0:51.267 | – |
| 2 | 66 | |
Josh COOK | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 11 | 0:51.273 | 0.006 |
| 3 | 24 | |
Jake HILL | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | BMW 330e M Sport | 11 | 0:51.296 | 0.029 |
| 4 | 6 | |
Rory BUTCHER | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 8 | 0:51.375 | 0.108 |
| 5 | 1 | |
Tom INGRAM | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 6 | 0:51.497 | 0.230 |
| 6 | 33 | |
Adam MORGAN | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 10 | 0:51.532 | 0.265 |
| 7 | 16 | |
Aiden MOFFAT | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 10 | 0:51.599 | 0.332 |
| 8 | 4 | |
Colin TURKINGTON | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 11 | 0:51.672 | 0.405 |
| 9 | 3 | |
Tom CHILTON | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 7 | 0:51.786 | 0.519 |
| 10 | 123 | |
Daniel LLOYD | Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils | CUPRA Leon | 8 | 0:51.897 | 0.630 |
Q1 results
| POS | NO | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 24 | |
Jake HILL | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | BMW 330e M Sport | 16 | 0:51.535 | – |
| 2 | 66 | |
Josh COOK | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 30 | 0:51.625 | 0.090 |
| 3 | 116 | |
Ashley SUTTON | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 28 | 0:51.717 | 0.182 |
| 4 | 1 | |
Tom INGRAM | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 23 | 0:51.718 | 0.183 |
| 5 | 16 | |
Aiden MOFFAT | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 27 | 0:51.770 | 0.235 |
| 6 | 6 | |
Rory BUTCHER | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 27 | 0:51.790 | 0.255 |
| 7 | 123 | |
Daniel LLOYD | Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils | CUPRA Leon | 25 | 0:51.827 | 0.292 |
| 8 | 3 | |
Tom CHILTON | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 22 | 0:51.897 | 0.362 |
| 9 | 4 | |
Colin TURKINGTON | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 29 | 0:51.900 | 0.365 |
| 10 | 33 | |
Adam MORGAN | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 30 | 0:51.904 | 0.369 |
| 11 | 37 | |
Ricky COLLARD | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 28 | 0:51.939 | 0.404 |
| 12 | 40 |  |
Árón TAYLOR-SMITH | CarStore Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 28 | 0:52.022 | 0.487 |
| 13 | 32 | |
Daniel ROWBOTTOM | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 27 | 0:52.049 | 0.514 |
| 14 | 14 | |
Ronan PEARSON | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 27 | 0:52.071 | 0.536 |
| 15 | 11 | |
Andrew WATSON | CarStore Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 27 | 0:52.074 | 0.539 |
| 16 | 77 | |
Sam OSBORNE | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 27 | 0:52.155 | 0.620 |
| 17 | 42 | |
George GAMBLE | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 22 | 0:52.403 | 0.868 |
| 18 | 12 | |
Stephen JELLEY | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 24 | 0:52.462 | 0.927 |
| 19 | 99 | |
Jade EDWARDS | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 30 | 0:52.495 | 0.960 |
| 20 | 79 | |
Rob HUFF | Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils | CUPRA Leon | 26 | 0:52.550 | 1.015 |
| 21 | 17 | |
Dexter PATTERSON | Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD. | CUPRA Leon | 29 | 0:52.592 | 1.057 |
| 22 | 88 | |
Mikey DOBLE | CarStore Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 24 | 0:52.685 | 1.150 |
| 23 | 27 | |
Dan CAMMISH | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 17 | 0:52.758 | 1.223 |
| 24 | 96 | |
Jack BUTEL | Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown | CUPRA Leon | 30 | 0:52.797 | 1.262 |
| 25 | 777 | |
Michael CREES | Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils | CUPRA Leon | 25 | 0:52.818 | 1.283 |
| 26 | 22 | |
Nick HALSTEAD | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 27 | 0:53.540 | 2.005 |
| 27 | 18 |  |
Daryl DELEON | Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD. | CUPRA Leon | 17 | 0:56.734 | 5.199 |