Wrotham’s Motorbase Performance NAPA Racing set pace in British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton after win double for Ash Sutton from Platt’s Heath’s Jake Hill

Motorbase Performance NAPA Racing’s Ash Sutton described his 2023 ride as the best touring car he has ever driven after a win double at Snetterton.

Sutton, winner of the last two races in the previous round at Brands Hatch, continued from where he left off for the Wrotham-based squad, setting the pace in races one and two in Norfolk before last year’s champion, Tom Ingram, scored his first victory of 2023 in race three.

Platt’s Heath’s Jake Hill ran Sutton close in race one, where he was less than three tenths of a second behind, before finishing second to the three-time champion again in race two.

Sutton, who now leads the standings by seven points, said: “The car was on absolute rails. I said to the boys and girls at NAPA Racing that this is the best touring car I’ve ever driven.

“We had to pounce at the starts, as we know how long it can take for the rear-wheel drive cars to get the tyres up to temperature.

“We haven’t changed the car since Brands Hatch and it’s just working so well. There might be days where it doesn’t quite feel like this, but for now it’s just mega.”

Sutton’s win in the opening race was the 30th of his BTCC career, but Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW’s Hill made it an exciting finish.

Starting from pole position, Sutton had already pulled out a three-second gap in as many laps, but a fight for the lead materialised when Hill made an opportunistic move past Colin Turkington for second in the closing stages.

Hill’s pace was blistering as he hauled in Sutton’s Ford Focus. Unfortunately for the Kent driver he ran out of time with the pair separated by just 0.270sec at the chequered flag with Turkington third.

Race two was a lights-to-flag win for Sutton without pressure as both he and his car