Early move earns Ash Sutton first win of 2023

Ash Sutton grabbed his first win of the BTCC season with a straightforward win in the second race of the weekend at Brands Hatch.

Sutton had started the race from second on the grid after chasing Colin Turkington home in race one, but a fine start saw him on the tail of the BMW going into Paddock Hill Bend before he dived down the inside for the run up to Druids.

The Motorbase man slipped through to secure the race lead and that was that at the front of the field as he controlled things from the front to open his 2023 account.

Second spot would ultimately be decided on the opening lap in favour of Tom Ingram after an astonishing start from the defending champion saw him make up three spots – clearing Dan Cammish and Jake Hill by Druids and then nipping ahead of Turkington going into Surtees.

From there, the defending champion kept Sutton honest but admitted that he was never close enough to make a bid for the lead, instead settling for the points with the podium rounded out by a lonely Turkington – who didn’t have the pace to match the leading pair.

Hill would take fourth thanks to a fine cutback move on Cammish on the exit of Paddock Hill Bend late on that allowed him to get ahead of the Focus, whilst the top six was completed by Rory Butcher’s Toyota.

Ricky Collard looked set to follow him home in seventh but on the final lap, he was clattered into by Sam Osborne going into the final corner – knocking his Corolla wide.

It allowed Josh Cook to sneak through to take the place ahead of Osborne, with George Gamble also able to overhaul a recovering Collard on the run to the flag.

Bobby Thompson took eleventh spot for Team HARD and will start the reverse grid final race from pole, with Tom Chilton continuing his recovery from his pitlane start in race one with twelfth.

Ronan Pearson, Dan Lloyd and Dan Rowbottom rounded out the scorers.