Dan Rowbottom beats Tom Chilton to race two win at Croft

Dan Rowbottom made the most of the soft tyre in race two at Croft to claim his third win of the British Touring Car Championship season ahead of Tom Chilton and Daryl Deleon.

The Alliance Racing driver was the highest-placed car on the grid to be running the more preferable Goodyear soft tyre and he wasted no time in charging his way to a fifth career triumph in the UK’s premier motorsport series.

Starting from fourth, Rowbottom dispatched Senna Proctor for third place at Tower on lap one and soon closed in on his Ford Focus ST team-mate Dan Cammish, taking second place from him at the Complex a lap later.

Race one winner Tom Ingram had provided a resolute defence out front but running the hard compound tyre, he could do nothing to stop Rowbottom from cruising past him on lap three heading into the Complex.

Chilton dived down the inside of Ingram a few corners later at the hairpin and once clear, the pair ran line astern all the way to the chequered flag – with Rowbottom reigning supreme over the Hyundai driver.

West Surrey Racing’s Deleon was another driver that made early progress to battle his way up to third place, a position he would hold until the finish. Behind him, Adam Morgan also fought his way up to secure fourth.

Many eyes were fixed on the charging Ford Focus of four-time champion Ash Sutton who, with the soft tyre bolted on his car, delivered an overtaking masterclass to go from 20th on the grid to clinch fifth overall.

Charles Rainford pushed Sutton all the way to the finish but he ultimately settled for sixth ahead of the lead Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Corolla of Gordon Shedden.

Despite being outgunned for grip by a majority of those around him, championship leader Ingram managed to hustle his EXCELR8 Motorsport Hyundai to eighth place at the finish – limiting the points deficit to his main rival Sutton. Completing the top ten was Aiden Moffat and Cammish.

Race three at Croft is scheduled to begin at 17:10.