Three-in-a-row as Ash Sutton grabs Oulton Park pole

Ash Sutton became the first driver since 2015 to score three successive pole positions in the BTCC after topping the times in qualifying at Oulton Park.

The points leader maintained an astonishing run for the Motorbase-run NAPA Racing UK squad by heading the top ten showdown at the Cheshire circuit – with the Ford team having now grabbed pole for each of the five events this season.

Sutton topped the times in the opening part of qualifying ahead of Tom Ingram, who had led the way before a stoppage caused by Will Powell going off at Druids.

Such was the time posted by the defending champion at that stage that he elected against heading back out on track and was able to park up and save tyres safe in the knowledge that his place in Q2 was already secured.

Despite an early moment, Jake Hill put his BMW through with the third-best time ahead of Ricky Collard, Colin Turkington and Josh Cook.

Bobby Thompson, having gone quickest in FP2, was one of the final drivers to start setting quick laps but was able to make it through in the Cupra, with Rory Butcher, Aron Taylor-Smith and Dan Cammish completing the final ten for the shootout.

Such was the close nature of the times, Adam Morgan, Dan Rowbottom, Stephen Jelley, Aiden Moffat and George Gamble all missed out on a place in the ten minute Showdown element of qualifying by less than a tenth of a second.

When the second part of qualifying kicked off it was Cammish who posted the first quick lap but that was obliterated immediately by Sutton, who went six-tenths of a second faster onto provisional pole.

Hill, Collard and Thompson all got between the two Fords on their first timed laps, with Cook also near the front only to lose his lap to track limits in the Honda.

Ingram was unable to go better than sixth on his flying lap, with Turkington saving his best for last but back in seventh spot.

Cook made his second lap count but could only manage eighth, with Taylor-Smith and Butcher completing the top ten.