Charles Rainford wins opening BTCC race at Snetterton

Credit: BTCC

Rainford got away well from pole position, maintaining the race lead into turn one. The Toyota of Josh Cook remained in second, ahead of Team VERTU’s Tom Ingram and NAPA Racing UK’s Dan Cammish.

Cook had to defend, throughout the lap, from Ingram, who eventually got past. This in turn, allowed Rainford to pull away out front. Ash Sutton made up an impressive eight places, to rise from the back of the grid to 13th by the end of lap one. Cook continued to struggle as Cammish and Daryl DeLeon applied pressure to the Speedworks Toyota.

Restart Racing’s James Dorlin made progress in the early laps, making his way up into the top ten. On lap three, Sutton made an overtake, down the inside of the Plato Racing Mercedes of Adam Morgan and into 11th place. Behind, Dexter Patterson and Lewis Selby went side by side, battling for 15th place. The pair continued to fight as they began lap four.

Ingram meanwhile, had put in the fastest lap of the race so far, however the gap to Rainford remained at roughly two seconds. On lap five, Nicolas Hamilton successfully overtook the PMR Audi of Aiden Moffat. Sutton remained in 11th as DeLeon began to pressurise Cammish for fourth place.

Credit: BTCC

Battles continued to develop throughout the grid, with Patterson and Selby right behind Gordon Shedden and Mikey Doble. Hamilton continued his progress through the field as he moved past Patterson. Meanwhile, DeLeon finally passed the NAPA Ford of Cammish.

The WSR BMW of DeLeon wasn’t stopping there as he began to reel in Cook for third place as the race headed into the final few laps. Similarly, Dorlin began to put Ricky Collard under pressure for eighth place. On lap nine, DeLeon would then overtake Cook for the final podium position.

Rainford continued to pull away out front as Sam Osborne looked to overtake Dorlin, who had fallen off the back of Collard, with the battles continuing onto the final lap of the race. Shedden and Doble battled hard for 14th place.

Another dominating drive from Rainford as he wins race one of the day at Snetteron, following from his win in the race to pole yesterday. The podium was completed by Ingram and DeLeon made it a double podium for WSR. Then came Cook, Cammish, Dan Rowbottom and Team VERTU’s Tom Chilton.

Credit: BTCC

Followed by Collard, Dorlin and Osborne completing the top ten. Sutton made good work on the harder tyre after starting last to finish 11th. Behind him, came Adam Morgan, Selby, Shedden, Doble, Smiley and Patterson. As Hamilton made some good overtakes to finish 18th, ahead of Aiden Moffat, Árón Taylor-Smith and Max Buxton.

Race two is due to get underway at 14:30 local time.