BTCC Snetterton: Sutton dominates to notch up four wins in a row

The three-time champion had the soft Goodyear tyres fitted to his Motorbase Performance Ford Focus ST, and absolutely rocketed away from the field for an unchallenged victory.

It’s the first time anyone has won four consecutive BTCC races since Alain Menu when the Swiss romped to the 1997 title.

New championship leader Sutton was 2.276 seconds ahead of the West Surrey Racing-run BMW 330e M Sport of fellow front-row starter Jake Hill by the end of the first lap, and had extended that to 4.239s next time around.

By lap four the gap was over 5s, before it settled – Sutton then backed off as he took the chequered flag to cross the finish line 3.614s in front.

“We were just on the right tyre,” said Sutton. “It’s so critical those first few laps, and the soft tyre made it a bit easier.

“I managed the tyre after that because Jake was still pushing and I wanted to make sure there was enough in case there was a safety car.”

Hill led WSR team-mate Colin Turkington throughout to take second, and the trio completed a repeat of the podium from race one.

All four of the BMWs started this race on the medium tyres, and as the 12 laps wore on Turkington began to look vulnerable to the Motorbase Ford of Dan Rowbottom, who was on the soft rubber.

But the bearded Midlander was kept at arm’s length and finished fourth. And, with the top six reversed on the grid for race three, Rowbottom is the only one of those who does not have to use the slow hard tyres.

Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus ST

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Just as they did in race one, WSR BMW pair Adam Morgan and Stephen Jelley came home fifth and sixth, with Jelley moving up to that position when he passed Tom Ingram at the esses on lap six.

Ingram went out on a limb, and the reigning champion was the only driver to start this race on the hard tyre.

The Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N pilot did a terrific job to take seventh, which is where he will start the finale on the medium rubber.

Rory Butcher had another defensive job to undertake, this time against the Motorbase Ford of Sam Osborne, and the Scot managed to cling on to claim eighth in his Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Corolla.

This duo’s battle allowed Dan Lloyd to close in, and the Team Hard Cupra Leon driver was side by side with Osborne as they crossed the finish line.

Dan Cammish was 11th in his Motorbase Ford, Ricky Collard recovered to 13th in his Speedworks Toyota - behind Aron Taylor-Smith’s Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall - after his race one DNF, while Josh Cook fell out of contention with a puncture on his BTC Racing Honda.

BTCC Snetterton - Race 2 results (12 laps)