BTCC News Lately

This article covers NAPA Racing UK talking about the 100-year anniversary, Ryan Bensley taking Michael Crees’ spot and Tom Ingram's weekend in Brands Hatch. Charles and Daryl winning there first ever BTCC race, nick joining back into the BTCC

(Image credit to: BTCC website)

Tom Ingram

Tom Ingram set a new lap record and a double podium which makes him closer to the championship lead. He is five points adrift of the top of the table. Tom’s weekend nearly went all wrong in part 1 of qualifying. Then, he went immediately back up to first place on his first “flying lap” in part 2 of qualifying. 

Quoted from the BTCC website, Tom Ingram #80 Team VERTU said “That was another very strong weekend, all-in-all. The car felt phenomenal throughout, doing everything asked of it and an absolute pleasure to drive”

NAPA Racing UK

With NAPA celebrating its 100th year anniversary, Ash Sutton was rocking a black and yellow car with a matching race suit too. He unfortunately failed to make it past group 1 of qualifying part 1 for the opening race but he held onto his spot at the top of the championship. Ash finished 10th in race one and 3rd in race two, which gave him and his team valuable information to finish the event with a 4th place finish in race three. 

Daniel Rowbottom also did not have a shining race weekend at Brands Hatch. In race one, he finished 18th. In race two, he came back from 28th to 9th for a better result than the previous. In race three he finished 9th once again. So overall, Daniel improved from race one coming in 9th to get some points. 

After this weekend, NAPA is second in the Teams’ Championship and will be rolling into Snetterton on the 24th/25th of May for the third action-packed event of the 2025 season. 

Ryan Bensley

Ryan Bensley will be drafted in for his dream BTCC debut at Snetterton with team Vertu this weekend where he will join the grid at his home circuit. In order to receive this opportunity, Bensley will be substituting in for Michael Crees and be racing alongside Tom Ingram, Tom Chilton and Adam Morgan. 

Michael Crees, #777 Team VERTU: “This season for me is all about building for the future, and over the first two weekends of the year I feel I’ve been able to show what I can do despite the fact that I went into the opening round with no testing.” (Quote from BTCC official website)

“Ryan is someone who has been a long-term commercial partner of mine through his mortgage business, and it's always been his dream to be able to compete in the BTCC at Snetterton given it's his home circuit”

Quick recap of the rest of brands

Last weekend at Brands Hatch, Charles Rainford and Daryl DeLeon won their first-ever BTCC race! In the first race, Jake Hill took pole position. In race two Daryl Deleon was first then in race three was Charles Rainford. In the current championship, Ash Sutton is on the top of the table with Tom Ingram following behind and then Jake Hill in third. 

We had Nick Halstead join back into the BTCC race in Brands Hatch, with him finishing 24th in races one and three and in race two he finished 20th. 

NAPA Racing UK unveiled a special centenary livery to celebrate their 100 years. Ash Sutton was rocking in the black and yellow with the number #100 and had commissioned Rennat Design to complete the look with his suit and his car. Ash Sutton took his 100 career BTCC podium. 

Article written by Poppie Kimberley