British Touring Car
Croft – Report by DEEGEE: Motorsport Photography
25th – 26th June 2022
A long weekend in a secluded cottage in the Yorkshire Dales, including two days taking in the KWIK FIT British Touring Cars Championship meeting at Croft, were just too much to resist this weekend. And that seemed to be the case for the many thousands of spectators who turned up on both days of the meeting at the North Yorkshire former airbase circuit, which marked the halfway point in the 2022 BTCC campaign.
Croft is one of my favourite spectating circuits, with plenty of embankments in place giving views over large stretches of the fast, flat but highly technical 2.21 mile circuit.
However, with the section of the circuit from the Chicane to Sunny Out, which makes up almost half the track, “out of bounds” to spectators, the remaining parts of the circuit available for trackside viewing became very crowded, and photography on race day (Sunday), very difficult, if not impossible. As a consequence, I only took my camera gear and 150-600 telephoto lens on Saturday, for a lengthy practice session, the exciting qualification session for the Touring Cars, and a number of races for the support classes.
The tin-top action served up in the BTCC championship is always competitive thanks to the handicapping methods used. This year, taking in hybrid technology, avoiding the need for “success ballast”, and with virtually anyone in the field genuinely capable of a podium spot, all the cars are incredibly closely matched, guaranteeing the action is always fast and highly entertaining.
After twelve races, Championship leader Josh Cook (#66) was looking to stretch his lead again after seeing it severely dented following the previous round when Hyundai driver Tom Ingram (#80) recorded two wins at Oulton Park.
“Tingram’s” success at the Cheshire circuit had resulted in him leapfrogging championship rivals Ash Sutton (2021 champion) and highly experienced Colin Turkington, who had been involved in a nasty accident with Dan Lloyd in the final race of the day.
Saturday’s afternoon qualifying session, completed in dry, sunny but very windy conditions, came to a thrilling finale after two early red flag incidents, with Team BMW driver Colin Turkington taking pole by just 0.027 seconds from Daniel Rowbottom in his Halfords Honda Civic, who pipped EXCELR8 Hyundai driver Dan Lloyd to the second front row spot. The top ten drivers were separated by less than 0.4 seconds when a red flag incident just before the session ended proceedings prematurely.
An early start on Sunday morning was rewarded with a lovely drive on a good stretch of a deserted A66 across a wild moorland vista in bright sunshine. Following motorsport takes one to many different places, and this was one to savour.
Despite the early start, some clever traffic management and some well-organised Croft car parking staff, there was a steady queue of traffic entering the circuit several hours before racing was due to start, and a full-house looked assured.
The first race of the day, just after noon, was the first Touring Car clash, and it didn’t disappoint. An early brave overtaking manoeuvre by Dan Lloyd (#123) saw him take the lead from pole sitter Turkington (#50), who despite applying non-stop pressure throughout the race, and a last gasp, last lap overtaking attempt at the right hander in the Complex, was unable to force his way past.
The final podium spot was taken by Rowbottom just 0.4 seconds adrift, with Tom Ingram, Jake Hill (BMW) and 2021 champion Ash Sutton (Ford Focus), completing the top six.
Aiden Moffat in his Infiniti Q50, in finishing 8th overall, won the Independent Drivers honours.
Drivers reported a number of problems associated with the strong winds on the lightning fast part of the circuit from Tower Bend to Sunny In following the race, but it didn’t seem to slow them down or reduce their commitment much!!
The second mid-afternoon BTCC race was another thrilling encounter, with Race 1 winner and pole sitter, Dan Lloyd, who until this weekend had never won a BTCC race, hounded throughout the 15-lapper by his team-mate, and Oulton Park double winner, Tom Ingram, with Turkington again pushing hard for the honours.
The three were separated by just over a second at the finish.
Jake Hill (#24), Dan Rowbottom (#32) and Ash Sutton (#1) again completed the top six, and once again Aiden Moffat (#16) led home the Independent Drivers in 8th place overall.
The final BTCC race, in which drivers draw lots for pole position and the Race 2 6th to 12th finishers are reversed on the grid, proved to be the easiest, in terms of the race winner.
Gordon Shedden (#52), who drew pole position, driving his Halfords Honda Civic, who had crashed out early in Race 1 after a very promising qualifying performance on the previous day, enjoying, what in terms of Touring Car racing, a healthy winning margin of more than 2 seconds
Second was the leading Independent driver Josh Cook, driving a similar Honda Civic Type R.
He was followed home by Rory Butcher (Toyota Corolla)(#6) and Stephen Jelley (BMW)(#12), after the three had featured in a race long battle.
Completing the top six were the consistent Jake Hill and Colin Turkington.
Race 1 and Race 2 winner Dan Lloyd finished just outside the top ten in 11th spot.
As a result of the weekend’s three races, Hyundai driver Tom Ingram takes over at the top of the championship standings with 195 points, just clear of Josh Cook (192), who in turn is just nine points clear of BMW driver Colin Turkington (183). 2021 champion Ash Sutton (171), Jake Hill (154) and Rory Butcher (137) complete the top six.
The next round of this exciting championship will take place north of the border in Scotland, where Knockhill will host rounds 16, 17 and 18 on the weekend July 30th / 31st.
Backing up the BTCC races were a number of Support classes, including the ROKIT British Formula 4 Championship, the hyper-competitive Quaife MINI Challenge, two Ginetta classes and the Porsche Sprint Challenge.
The three Formula 4 races were won by Aiden Neate (#57), championship leader Alex Dunne (#22) who recorded his seventh win of the season, and Oliver Gray (#63), whose victory came about as the result of an outrageously brave overtaking manoeuvre all around the outside of Tower Bend.
Nelson King made it seven wins out of eight starts this season, winning both races held over the weekend in the Quaife MINI Challenge, but the action behind him was hectic to say the least, with plenty for the pit crews to deal with bodywork wise at the end of each race.
With two Ginetta classes on show, there was competition from front to back, with places swapping almost every corner in the tightly bunched fields.
Harley Houghton (#20) led home the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 field in both races, taking over the lead position in the championship.
A depleted field of just 10 cars competed in two Porsche Challenge races held over the weekend, and in both Matthew Armstrong (#9) ran out victorious.
An entertaining weekend was had by all I’m sure, and the vast majority of what had been some very large crowds went home happy, including my wife, my youngest daughter and I.
:DEEGEE: Motorsport Photography will be at Cadwell Park this weekend covering the Classic Racing Motor Cycle Championship meeting and the return to his home track of Pistonclick’s adopted “grass roots” rider Mick Pennell, who will be returning to solo action after last seasons’ “brief encounter” with the sidecar world.
You can see more of David’s Gowshalls work here.
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