Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, Motorbase Performance’s home track, provides the venue this weekend, for the eagerly awaited 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship finale – where the Kent squad will be battling for its first ever outright BTCC crown.
Motorbase, situated a literal stone’s throw from the circuit in nearby Wrotham, goes into the last three races of the campaign with its NAPA Racing UK entry leading the Teams’ Championship and Ash Sutton heading the Drivers’ Championship, following a strong outing at Silverstone a week ago.
Additionally, the BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors crown is also up for grabs as the category makes its second visit of the year to Brands, with Motorbase Performance/Ford currently second in that particular title battle.
Sutton, the reigning BTCC Champion, has produced an excellent second half of the season which has included three wins. With a total tally up to now of 12 podiums for the year, the three-time BTCC title winner heads into the finale with a five point advantage at the top of the Drivers’ standings.
While facing a major challenge in his bid to win the UK’s premier motor racing championship in his first season with Motorbase, Sutton is confident going into the Brands finale. Notably, of course, if he can claim the coveted crown for a record-equaling fourth time, it would also be his first BTCC title in a front-wheel drive car – his first season in FWD since his touring car debut in 2016.
NAPA Racing UK team-mate Dan Cammish, eighth in the standings, is aiming for a big finish to his first campaign with the Motorbase-run squad and he certainly deserves it after a season which has been badly impacted by some outrageous misfortune.
Starring during the visit to Brands Hatch’s Indy Circuit configuration back in May, with his first two podiums of the year, Cammish then experienced some dreadful luck over the next five race meetings before finally getting the break he deserved at Thruxton in late August – taking NAPA Racing’s UK’s maiden BTCC pole position and converting that into a lights-to-flag victory.
Of course, aside from his undoubted ability, Cammish has also been an outstanding team player this year. Foregoing a second win at Thruxton to enable Sutton to claim the victory and extra points in race two of the weekend, he also moved aside to assist his team-mate at Silverstone. Relishing the trip to Brands GP, it’s a track where Cammish has won each time he has visited in the BTCC.
At Silverstone just over a week ago, Ollie Jackson produced some excellent performances on his way to a pair of well-deserved points finishes for Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan – the highlight being ninth place in the weekend finale, having finished 11th in the preceding contest.
Getting increasingly comfortable with the Hybrid-powered Ford Focus ST as the season has moved on, especially the change in driving style required to accommodate the additional weight the system adds to the cars, Jackson is determined to end the season on a high at Brands Hatch GP. He will be pushing to take his tally of points finishes into double figures during the last three races of 2022.
It’s been a character-building season for Sam Osborne in the sister Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan car, and he is long overdue a straightforward and trouble-free weekend. Silverstone was a case in point, a tough qualifying session followed by multiple occurrences of contact on raceday.
Like team-mate Jackson, Osborne has been making incremental steps with his understanding of the Hybrid car and the differences it has made to the Ford Focus. For the three Brands Hatch GP rounds he has his sights set on a return into the points-paying top 15 and a push towards the top 10.
Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“What a season! This season has had it all but, most importantly for us, we’re aiming for glory in the finale in our own back yard at Brands GP. Ash has been here before and so have a lot of the people in the team. We’re top of the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships going into that last round for a reason, so at this stage we just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing this season and make our own luck going into the weekend. It’s the BTCC and so often things can swing one way and then completely the other. Whatever happens, I’m sure it will be a typically tense final BTCC weekend.”
Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“I’m absolutely buzzing and can’t wait to get to Brands Hatch this weekend! If you’d have told me early on in the season that we’d be heading into Finals Day leading then I’d have bit your hand off. Everyone at NAPA Racing UK has done a mega job to get us to this point and now we need to get it over the line. Seven points between three of us is nothing, you really couldn’t script it. Anything can, and usually does, happen at the final round but I’m feeling very comfortable with the situation I’m in as I know the demands that come with the finale, both in and out of the car. I love the Grand Prix Circuit and I’m confident the car will be really strong. I’m just ready to go now!”
Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“I’ve gone well at Brands GP in the past, I’ve won at the track every time I’ve raced there in the BTCC and it is a circuit I really enjoy. Its obviously a massive weekend for Motorbase and NAPA Racing UK, in the Teams’ Championship, Drivers’ Championship and the Manufacturers’ as well, which is a great achievement in our first season together – and I’ll have a role to play there. From a personal point of view, I really hope I can end the season challenging for wins and back on the podium and I’ll be doing all I can for the team in the championship fight as I did at Thruxton and Silverstone. I can’t wait to get to Brands and get started!”
Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“I’m really looking forward to Brands after a stronger showing at Silverstone. Brands GP is definitely my favourite track of the year, so it’s always good to go back there – and especially with it being the team’s home track as well. Hopefully I’ll be able to continue on from Silverstone and be back up there to finish the season with some strong results, and support the overall team in the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships.”
Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“Brands GP is always a fun track, it’s a proper drivers’ track, and I’m hopeful we can have a good weekend there to finish the season off positively. You need good confidence from the car, if you have that you can throw caution to the wind a bit and really attack the circuit. We have been making positive improvements, it’s not completely there yet but we’re getting there and I hope we can make a bit of a breakthrough at the weekend and end the season back inside the points. The top 10 is always the aim, if we can get there I’ll be happy.”
Opening free practice at Brands Hatch GP Circuit will begin at 09.30 on Saturday, 8th October, with session two following at 12.05 and the last qualifying session of the BTCC season will follow at 15.40 – streamed live online at www.itv.com/btcc
On Sunday, 9th October, round 28 will get underway at 11.30, round 29 is scheduled to start at 14.30 and round 30 is timetabled to begin at 17.15. All three races will, of course, be screened live on ITV4 and streamed online.
Pictures supplied by Jakob Ebrey Photography.