In a recent testing session at the East Midlands circuit, four-time title winner Ashley Sutton showcased his skills by setting the fastest lap time in his NAPA-liveried Alliance Racing Ford Focus ST. His performance was 0.098 seconds quicker than his teammate Dan Cammish. The testing session was divided into a morning session and an afternoon session, with the latter being interrupted by a thunderstorm, limiting the amount of meaningful running that could be done. Despite the challenging conditions, Sutton expressed satisfaction with the progress made and emphasized that they were focusing on testing different changes to the car rather than purely seeking fast lap times.
The morning session saw 2022 champion Tom Ingram leading the pack in his Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N Fastback, with a time 0.271 seconds faster than his teammate Tom Chilton. However, Chilton turned the tables in the afternoon session, securing the third-fastest time overall for the day. Ingram’s morning time was still good enough for fourth place overall. Dan Rowbottom in the third Alliance Ford and Jake Hill in the West Surrey Racing BMW 330e M Sport also put on strong performances, landing in the top five for the day.
Rob Huff of Speedworks Motorsport impressed with the third-fastest time in the morning session, followed closely by Colin Turkington’s WSR BMW. Andrew Watson’s Toyota also made it into the top ten on the day. Croft pacesetter Ronan Pearson rounded off the top ten in his Excelr8 Hyundai. The official entry list for the BTCC was also announced during the testing session, revealing changes such as Team Hard rebranding to Unlimited Motorsport under new ownership. WSR entered a fourth BMW without a nominated driver, indicating ongoing efforts to secure Bobby Thompson for the opening round at Donington.
Power Maxed Racing shared their plans to streamline their team to two Vauxhall Astras for the upcoming season due to budget constraints. Drivers Aron Taylor-Smith and Mikey Doble were confirmed to be part of the team lineup. Overall, the testing session provided valuable insights for teams and drivers as they prepare for the upcoming BTCC season.
The original article provides a detailed overview of the recent testing session for the BTCC, highlighting standout performances and key announcements within the championship. The analysis breaks down the information into distinct sections, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of the event.
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