Ash Sutton: “It didn’t feel like we had full ballast”

Team BMR’s Ash Sutton said his car was so good in Snetterton’s second race that it didn’t feel like it was carrying full ballast, as he doubled up for the day to take the series lead.

Sutton’s win makes him the first driver to take two victories on a race weekend in 2017, and also puts him in the history books as the first driver in a Subaru to lead the British Touring Car Championship.

The 23-year-old will bid for a hat-trick of wins from eighth on the grid, with team-mate James Cole on reverse pole.

“It couldn’t have gone much better than that, to be honest with you. Everyone was on the same tyre as us so it made life a bit easier,” said Sutton.

“For the last three laps we reigned it in. Up until that point it was quite controlled. We made some changes between the races and it transformed the car and it brought it alive. It was the best car this season.

“It genuinely didn’t feel like we had full ballast. The changes we made brought the car alive.”

Asked about his chances of making it a hat-trick of wins, Sutton said: “It would be nice but a tall order! Yes we’ve got the soft tyre, but we all know how hard it is to get through the field here. It’s not easy, especially with the Hondas around us.”

The BRDC Rising Star said he wouldn’t be thinking about changing tact after moving into the lead in the standings.

He said: “At the end of the day, the approach I’m taking isn’t a problem at the minute. It’s working and achieving what we want. I’m just going to continue with it. Until there’s a problem that occurs, I’m just going to continue the way I’ve been doing it.”