DeLeon Tops Croft BTCC Pre-Season Test

Official pre-season testing for the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship got underway at Croft Circuit on 24–25 March, as a strong trackside crowd turned out to witness the first on-track action of the year for the UK’s premier tin-top series.

Across two productive days of running at the North Yorkshire venue, it was Daryl DeLeon who ultimately set the pace. The West Surrey Racing driver produced a best lap of 1:20.417s in his BMW 330i M Sport, a time that not only secured top spot in the combined classification but also dipped beneath the pole position benchmark from the 2025 season. It marked an impressive start to the campaign for both DeLeon and the multiple championship-winning WSR outfit.

As ever with pre-season testing, lap times were to be taken in context, with teams and drivers working through differing programmes that included varying fuel loads, tyre compounds and race simulation runs. Even so, the headline times suggested an extremely competitive field, with just over a tenth of a second covering the top four drivers across the two days.

James Dorlin emerged as DeLeon’s closest challenger, the Restart Racing driver enjoying a particularly strong showing on the second afternoon. Dorlin briefly moved to the top of the timesheets with a late improvement, only to fall agonisingly short by 0.027 seconds when the final standings were confirmed. His performance nonetheless underlined both his own potential and the progress being made by the Restart squad heading into the new season.

Reigning champion Tom Ingram, who had set the pace during the cool and dry opening morning for Team VERTU, ended the test third overall, just 0.038 seconds shy of DeLeon’s benchmark. Ingram’s early-session lap remained one of the standout efforts of the test and reinforced the pace of the Hyundai package, particularly in qualifying-style conditions.

Team-mate Tom Chilton also enjoyed a consistent and competitive two days, eventually finishing fifth overall. Splitting the VERTU duo was the second WSR BMW of Charles Rainford, who secured fourth position to ensure both of the team’s entries featured prominently near the top of the order.

NAPA Racing UK placed two cars inside the top seven, with Dan Cammish and Ash Sutton finishing sixth and seventh respectively. The team focused heavily on long-run performance and data gathering throughout the test, completing an eye-catching 652 laps across its four-car line-up — comfortably the highest tally of any squad. That level of mileage not only demonstrated strong reliability but also highlighted the depth of preparation underway within the reigning teams’ champions.

Chris Smiley continued Restart Racing’s encouraging form by claiming eighth overall, while Plato Racing made a solid impression on its first official outing. Dan Rowbottom led the team’s charge in ninth, with both he and Adam Morgan working through an extensive programme in the Mercedes-AMG A35 Saloons as the new operation builds towards its competitive debut.

Rounding out the top ten was Josh Cook for Speedworks Corolla Racing, with the Toyota squad quietly completing a structured test programme focused on consistency and setup development. Close behind, Árón Taylor-Smith, Lewis Selby and three-time champion Gordon Shedden formed part of a tightly packed midfield, underlining the depth of competition across the grid.

Weather conditions played a significant role in shaping the two-day test. While the opening morning offered cool but dry conditions that produced the fastest laps, heavy rain arrived on Tuesday afternoon and transformed the circuit. Shedden topped the wet session with a 1:28.453s lap, more than four seconds slower than the outright pace, as teams took the opportunity to gather valuable data in less favourable conditions.

There was also plenty of attention on Power Maxed Racing, which ran its trio of Audi A3 Saloons throughout the test. Aiden Moffat, Mikey Doble and Dexter Patterson carried out an extended shakedown programme, gradually building mileage and refining their cars as the team continues its preparations for the season ahead.

In total, the 20 drivers completed 2,268 laps of the 2.13-mile Croft Circuit, equating to more than 4,800 miles of running across the two days. The high lap count, combined with a lack of major technical issues, pointed to a strong level of reliability across the field at this early stage of the year.

With the Croft test complete, attention now turns to the official Season Launch at Brands Hatch on 8 April. The event will provide teams and drivers with one final opportunity to fine-tune their packages before the 2026 British Touring Car Championship season gets underway in earnest.