Photo: TCR UK

Ash Sutton hoping for more outings after perfect debut

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Ash Sutton hopes to be able to complete the TCR UK Touring Car Championship season after a perfect first race meeting with the Pyro Motorsport team, scoring pole position and two victories in the team’s Honda Civic TCR.

Sutton romped to pole position on Saturday morning which he converted into victory in the shortened first race, finishing ahead of championship leader Dan Lloyd’s WestCoast Racing Volkswagen by 16 seconds, which was carrying maximum compensation weight after a run of four pole positions.

The reigning BTCC champion then started Race 2 from pole due to perfect strategy in the reversed grid qualifying session, coupled with bad luck for Maximum Motorsport’s Carl Swift who was due to start on pole, to win Race 2 from Pyro team-mate Ollie Taylor, and scored the maximum 91 points possible from the race meeting, with Sutton leaving the competition for dead in both races.

“I love a good old race, but when you get it handed to like that you’re going to take it,” said Sutton to TouringCarTimes. “Without having a car like we did, it wouldn’t have been possible. The car’s been perfect all weekend and I can’t thank Verizon Connect Racing enough for having me.

“It’s nice when you’re able to jump into something you’ve never driven, top every time sheet, and deliver results like that. “

Sutton’s deputising for Finlay Crocker this weekend at the team, and looking ahead to the next two races at Croft and Donington Park, which don’t clash with any of the remaining BTCC rounds, Sutton added:

“I’d love to do the next two rounds, but that’s at Finlay’s discretion. He makes the calls. I hope I’ve done the team proud with the results we’ve got them this weekend.”