Sutton stars as Donington drama launches 2026 BTCC season

The 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship roared into life at Donington Park under bright yet changeable skies, as thousands of fans packed the circuit to witness the start of a new campaign filled with fresh storylines and familiar rivalries.

Among the biggest talking points ahead of the opening race was the return of series legend Jason Plato, whose presence in the paddock added further intrigue to an already competitive grid. His squad, Cataclean Plato Racing, fielded Dan Rowbottom and Adam Morgan, both targeting a strong start to the season in newly developed machinery.

With several new cars debuting across the grid and drivers setting their sights firmly on the 2026 title, anticipation was high heading into the first race of the day, and it delivered immediate drama.

Dan Rowbottom - Team Cataclean Plato Racing | *Kai Harris*

Round 1

Mikey Doble was handed a dramatic maiden overall victory in the opening round of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park, after on-the-road winner Tom Ingram was disqualified for a significant overboost infringement.

Mikey Doble – LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | *Dan Knight Automotive Media*

The LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver therefore inherited the win having originally fought his way into contention during the race itself, with his charge also securing the Independents’ category victory in a landmark result for both driver and team.

At the start, polesitter Daniel Rowbottom made a sluggish getaway and immediately came under pressure, slipping from the front row to fourth by the end of the opening lap. While he initially remained in the fight for the podium places, his race became compromised by repeated track limits infringements. Stewards subsequently issued a ten-second time penalty, which dropped the #32 down the final classification.

Dan Rowbottom - Cataclean Plato Racing | *Phil Baines*

Out front, Ingram had looked in complete control. The Hyundai driver built a comfortable advantage and appeared to be cruising to a relatively straightforward victory, managing the pace while chaos unfolded behind him. However, post-race scrutineering revealed a significant overboost breach, resulting in his disqualification and a major reshuffle of the results.

The battle for second place proved to be one of the defining contests of the race. Josh Cook, driving for Speedworks Corolla Racing, was firmly in contention and applying sustained pressure before his race came to an abrupt end on lap six. A sudden puncture heading into the final chicane pitched his Toyota into the barriers, eliminating him on the spot and scattering debris across the circuit.

Josh Cook - Speedworks Corolla Racing | *Elliot Roberts*

Cook’s retirement elevated Rowbottom back into second place briefly, but he was soon overtaken by the fast-charging Doble. Demonstrating strong race pace and decisive overtaking, Doble moved into position in his Audi S3 Saloon and continued to apply pressure at the front end of the field, placing himself in the ideal position to capitalise on any post-race developments.

One of the standout drives of the race came from reigning four-time champion Ash Sutton. Starting from the back of the grid following contact with Ingram in Saturday’s Qualifying Race which had sent his Ford Focus Titanium into the gravel—Sutton produced a measured yet aggressive recovery through the field. Lap after lap, he executed clean, committed overtakes, working his way into the top ten before breaking into the leading group.

Ash Sutton - NAPA Racing UK | *Elliot Roberts*

A particularly eye-catching phase of Sutton’s race came during a mid-race battle with WSR’s Charles Rainford. The pair ran in close quarters over several corners, with Sutton eventually making the move stick as he continued his relentless progress. By the closing stages, Sutton had climbed all the way into second place on the road, a position he retained following the post-race penalties.

Adam Morgan crossed the line in third for Cataclean Plato Racing after a consistent and controlled drive. However, like Ingram, Morgan was found to have exceeded boost limits albeit to a lesser degree, and was issued a five second time penalty. That sanction proved enough to drop him off the podium, promoting Rainford to third and capping an impressive performance for the WSR driver.

Dan Cammish also delivered a strong recovery drive, climbing from 13th on the grid to finish fourth. The NAPA Racing UK driver showed good pace throughout, picking off cars in the midfield before engaging in a series of battles with Gordon Shedden, Aiden Moffat and Dexter Patterson. Cammish successfully worked his way past all three Scotsmen to secure a solid points finish.

Dan Cammish - NAPA Racing UK (Left) | *Dan Knight Automotive Media* Old Hairpin (Right) | *Elliot Roberts*

Behind them, the midfield order was tightly contested throughout, with multiple position changes as drivers balanced tyre management with aggressive racing in the early stages of the season. Incidents, penalties and mechanical issues combined to create an evolving race picture from start to finish.

Ultimately, the final classification bore little resemblance to the order at the chequered flag. Ingram’s exclusion, combined with time penalties for Rowbottom and Morgan, reshaped the podium and handed Doble a breakthrough victory. The opening race of the 2026 season therefore delivered immediate drama and unpredictability, underlining the competitive nature of this year’s grid and setting the tone for the races to come.

Mikey Doble - LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | *Phil Baines*

Round 1 Top Ten

Mikey Doble – LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing
Ashley Sutton – NAPA Racing UK
Charles Rainford – WSR
Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK
Gordon Shedden – Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport
Aiden Moffat – LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing
Dexter Patterson – Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing
Árón Taylor-Smith – Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport
Tom Chilton – Team VERTU
Adam Morgan – Cataclean Plato Racing

Round 1 Podium | *Dan Knight Automotive Media*

Round 2

NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton delivered a commanding performance to claim victory in Round 2 of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park, completing a remarkable turnaround from the opening race of the weekend.

Ash Sutton - NAPA Racing UK | *Kian Baines*

Having charged from the back of the grid to second in Race 1, Sutton lined up on the front row for the second contest and wasted no time asserting control. The four-time champion launched his Ford Focus Titanium superbly and seized the lead by the exit of Redgate on the opening lap. From there, he dictated the pace and steadily edged clear of the chasing pack to secure his 48th career BTCC victory.

The result marked a stark contrast to Saturday’s Qualifying Race, where contact with Tom Ingram had sent Sutton into the gravel and left him starting the opening race from the rear of the field. His response across Sunday’s two races underlined both his pace and racecraft.

Sutton’s triumph also continued a notable trend from the opening weekend, with all three races contested so far being won by brand new machinery the Mercedes A35 Saloon, Audi A3 Saloon and now the Ford Focus Titanium, highlighting the competitiveness of the latest generation of BTCC cars.

Dan Cammish - NAPA Racing UK | *Phil Baines*

Behind Sutton, NAPA Racing UK teammate Dan Cammish secured second place after a measured drive. Like Sutton, Cammish had worked his way forward through the field across the day’s action and was rewarded with a strong podium finish.

Gordon Shedden completed the top three for Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, the experienced Scot continuing his consistent start to the season. Having battled his way through the order, Shedden held firm to claim his first podium of the 2026 campaign.

Aiden Moffat maintained his impressive form to take fourth place for LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing. The Scotsman once again demonstrated strong pace and race management to finish just shy of the podium positions.

Gordon Shedden - Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport (Left) | *Kai Harris* (Right) *Dan Knight Automotive Media*

WSR’s Daryl DeLeon and Charles Rainford followed in fifth and sixth respectively, adding further solid points to their early season tallies in a closely contested midfield battle.

Dexter Patterson and Ricky Collard crossed the line in seventh and eighth, their finishing positions proving significant as both drivers were rewarded with a front row start for the reverse-grid finale later in the day.

Adam Morgan brought his Cataclean Plato Racing entry home in ninth, while Josh Cook rounded out the top ten for Speedworks Corolla Racing after a more measured race following his earlier misfortune.

Adam Morgan - Cataclean Plato Racing | *Kai Harris*

With Sutton returning to winning form in emphatic fashion and the field continuing to show strong depth, Race 2 added further momentum to an already dramatic opening weekend of the 2026 BTCC season.

Round 2 Top Ten

Ashley Sutton – NAPA Racing UK
Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK
Gordon Shedden – Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport
Aiden Moffat – LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing
Daryl De Leon – WSR
Charles Rainford – WSR
Dexter Patterson – Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing
Ricky Collard – Team VERTU
Adam Morgan – Cataclean Plato Racing
Josh Cook – Speedworks Corolla Racing

Round 2 Podium | *Dan Knight Automotive Media*

Round 3

Ash Sutton completed a flawless Sunday at Donington Park by claiming victory in Round 3 of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, marking his 300th BTCC start with a second win of the day.

Ash Sutton - NAPA Racing UK | *Dan Knight Automotive Media*

The NAPA Racing UK driver lined up eighth on the grid for the reverse-grid finale after drawing the #8 ball himself, leaving him with work to do from the fourth row. However, aided by the Goodyear soft tyre and his trademark racecraft, Sutton surged through the order with a series of decisive moves.

At the front, Team VERTU’s Ricky Collard made a strong start from pole position and initially controlled the race, with the WSR pairing of Charles Rainford and Daryl De Leon running closely behind in the early stages. Dexter Patterson, who had started on the front row, dropped back in the opening exchanges before settling into the midfield battle.

Ricky Collard leading the pack into Redgate | *Dan Knight Automotive Media*

Sutton’s progress was relentless, and by mid-distance he was already applying pressure to Collard for the lead. The decisive move came on the run through Redgate, where Sutton completed the pass to take control of the race before managing the gap to the chequered flag.

Behind him, reigning champion Tom Ingram delivered one of the standout drives of the race. After a difficult start to the day, the Hyundai driver charged from the back of the grid to finish second in his i30 N Fastback, carving his way through the field in an aggressive recovery drive.

Tom Ingram - Team VERTU | *Dan Knight Automotive Media*

Collard held on to complete the podium, capping a strong performance for Team VERTU, while Dan Cammish crossed the line in close contention before being handed a time penalty for repeated track limits infringements, dropping him down the order.

Aiden Moffat continued his impressive weekend with a fourth-place finish for LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing, while Charles Rainford added another solid result in fifth for WSR.

Dexter Patterson recovered from his early drop back to take sixth, marking the best result of his BTCC career to date and completing a strong showing for the Power Maxed Racing-run entries. Restart Racing’s Chris Smiley recorded his best result of the day in seventh.

Dexter Patterson - Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing | *Elliot Roberts*

Adam Morgan secured eighth for Cataclean Plato Racing, followed by Sam Osborne in ninth for NAPA Racing UK, while Cammish ultimately rounded out the top ten following his post-race penalty.

Sutton’s victory capped an extraordinary opening weekend for both driver and machinery. Notably, the championship’s new for 2026 cars the Mercedes A35 Saloon, Audi S3 Saloon and Ford Focus Titanium claimed victory in all four competitive sessions across the event at the 1.98-mile Donington Park circuit.

With two wins from three races and momentum firmly on his side, Sutton leaves the opening round as the early benchmark in the 2026 title fight.

Round 3 Top Ten