TOP OF THE CLASS
Motorbase Focus STs dominate the pack at Thruxton
ROUND 22
Building on the success at previous rounds at Knockhill and Snetterton – where Ash Sutton claimed the team’s first victories of the season – the Motorbase crew were quietly confident as the BTCC headed back to Thruxton for the second time this year. Having gone well here earlier in the season and having made significant improvements to the Focus ST’s race pace since then, there were reasons to be optimistic on this second visit.
It wasn’t long before that optimism was realised and started the ball rolling on what would become the team’s best weekend of the season so far. When Dan Cammish put his NAPA Racing UK Focus ST on pole position for the weekend opener, the whole paddock knew the Ford boys meant business – a point reinforced only too well when Dan followed up with a commanding lights-to-flag victory in the first race of the day.
Dan said: “To finally take our first win of the season, and to do it in the manner we did from pole, is fantastic and especially after such a long time coming.”
NAPA Racing UK teammate Ash Sutton wasn’t far behind, finishing third and meaning two Focus ST drivers finished on the podium. Meanwhile, Ollie Jackson and Sam Osborne started in P24 and P25 respectively after Ollie had his best qualifying time disallowed. Both Apec Racing With Beavis Morgan drivers made progress: Ollie made good early progress and eventually finished P18, while Sam made up two places.
ROUND 23
After such a strong performance in race one, Dan was on course to do the double and convert another pole position start into race victory in Round 23. But, with the championship battle being so closely fought and only a handful of races left this year, Dan played the perfect team game and allowed Ash to pass on the penultimate lap to take the victory – his third win of the season in his landmark 200th BTCC race.
It was the team’s first 1-2 finish in the Mk4 ST, but there was no illusion that Dan gifted Ash the win to keep him in the title hunt.
Ash said: “If you need a teammate, Dan is the man for that. He’s shown that he’s supporting the campaign and what we’re trying to do as an outfit, and hopefully soon I
can repay the favour.”
Dan added, “I did everything right, it would’ve been two wins from two, but at the end of the day it’s a team game and it was the right choice to make.”
In the red and black cars, Ollie was in the thick of it for round 23, including a very close battle with BTCC veteran Jason Plato. He looked on course for a points-finish but had to settle for 17th after contact. Teammate Sam in the sister Apec Racing With Beavis Morgan Focus ST chalked-up a top 20 finish after steadily working his way up the order.
ROUND 24
In round 24, Sutton charged through expertly from 11th on the grid to finish in fifth and wasn’t far from another podium. Cammish in the sister NAPA Racing UK Ford started in 10th place and did rise into ninth but was edged back to 10th late on.
The final race of the day saw mixed emotions for the Apec Racing With Beavis Morgan side of the garage: on one hand, Ollie drove a fantastic race – including a quality move on Aiden Moffat into the fearsome Church corner – to bring the ST home in P14 and earn more points for the team, but on the other hand, Sam’s race came to an early conclusion on only the second lap, after he was the helpless victim of contact into the complex, which ruled him out on the spot.
Team manager Oly Collins reflected: “What a weekend! This weekend it all came together: highest scoring two drivers, team and manufacturer of the weekend. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
With just two race meetings remaining this season, and thanks to the unselfishness of the NAPA Racing UK team at Thruxton, reigning champion Ash is second in the championship and is just six points shy of leader Colin Turkington. On top of that, despite some rotten luck in the early part of the season, Dan’s excellent weekend has elevated him into the top eight too.
Next is Silverstone National Circuit on 24/25 September, followed by the season finale at Brands Hatch GP Circuit on 8/9 October; we’ll have full coverage in the next issue. Will we be crowing a Blue Oval BTCC champion? We hope so!