BTCC regular Ash Sutton will make his TCR UK series début at Oulton Park this weekend, standing in for Finlay Crocker in a 2018-spec Honda Civic at Pyro Motorsport.
Crocker has opted to sit out this weekend’s one day event due to increased business commitments, and as a result he has asked Sutton to step into his Verizon Connect Racing Honda Civic Type R.
Crocker has had a difficult run of form in recent events, retiring from race two at Brands Hatch and being involved in a race one accident at Castle Combe which prevented him from taking the start in race two.
Sutton, who is part of the Team BMR academy since 2014, has already tested a TCR car, having got behind the wheel of the previous-specification Honda Civic with Pyro.
“This weekend will be my first real experience of a TCR car, but I may not be able to attend the test on Friday and so I’ll only have a single half-hour session in the car before qualifying,” said Sutton. “As a result, I have no expectations or targets and so I can just enjoy the experience.
“From my point of view, both myself and BMR are looking at TCR as something we’d very much like to do in the future and so when Finlay contacted me to offer me the chance to drive his car, I saw it as a prime opportunity to find out what it’s all about.”
Crocker was disappointed to miss out on the Cheshire event, but said that putting Sutton in the car would allow the 24-year-old to show the potential in the JAS Motorsport-built car.
“I’m sorry that I won’t be competing at Oulton Park this weekend, but there’s a lot going on in my business just now and that simply has to come first,” explained the Scot. “I know that Ash will do a good job for the team and for my sponsors Verizon Connect.
“I firmly believe that he can show what the car is capable of despite it being his first taste of TCR UK. I wouldn’t have asked him to step into the seat if I’d had any doubts.”