Ash Sutton “buzzing” ahead of title showdown

Ash Sutton admits he is “buzzing” ahead of his BTCC title showdown this weekend with Colin Turkington, with the Team BMR driver hoping to secure the crown for the first time.

Sutton holds a ten point lead over his main rival going into the final three races of the campaign, with the pair set to go head-to-head for the crown in what is effectively now a two horse race.

The reigning Jack Sears Trophy holder has tasted championship success at Brands Hatch in the past having lifted the Clio Cup crown in 2015, and he said he was taking the same approach into this weekend as he bids to wrap up the biggest accolade of his career to date.

“I’m trying to treat it the same, but it does feel different,” he admitted in BMR’s latest blog for Adrian Flux. “I went into the last round of the Clio Cup in second, quite a few points behind, and it was always a real push to come away with the title.

“This is a more prestigious championship and instead of being behind, I’m in the lead. It’s a different matter, but I’m trying to approach it with exactly the same attitude.

“I’m literally buzzing for it. It’s the calm before the storm at the moment and I can’t wait to get going. This is why I do the job.

“I know 100 per cent I’ve got the right team around me. The guys have all been brilliant supporting me and have helped me along the way in the last few rounds. We’ve got four cars compared to Colin’s two, which will hopefully be a benefit.”

Saturday’s on track action is currently set to be run in dry conditions with rain arriving on Sunday, and Sutton admitted that qualifying could be especially crucial to stay out of trouble on race day.

“In my eyes qualifying is a 50 per cent part of this weekend,” he said. “We have to be up near the front, to give us the best chance of outscoring Colin in races one and two.

“Brands is a tricky circuit in the wet but I like driving in the rain. I’m confident in myself and in the team to deal with it.

“I feel like I can extract all the performance from myself in the rain and I have every faith in the team. But yes, the wet brings the unknown into it and it can throw a spanner in the works.”