This season's third instalment will get underway at the Snetterton 300 circuit this weekend
In just a few days’ time, the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will arrive in Norfolk, as it heads to the Snetterton 300 circuit (20/21 May) for its third race event of the 2023 season.
Earlier this month, the campaign continued at the famous Brands Hatch Indy circuit known for its close racing. It certainly did not disappoint, with two different race winners and some career best performances reinforcing the competitiveness of the UK’s premier motorsport series.
Colin Turkington (Team BMW) and Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) shared the top spot of the podium on the Sunday (7 May), with the latter claiming two victories across Rounds 5 and 6.
The first race saw Turkington reach a significant milestone by securing his 64th career win, 20 years after claiming his first at the same venue. The result means that he now moves past the legendary Matt Neal and behind Jason Plato in terms of all-time race victories.
Sutton then surged to two stunning successes in the following bouts as he got the better of BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8’s Tom Ingram and Turkington in race two, before scything his way from 11th on the grid to win a dramatic and tense finale.
Round 6 also saw Bobby Thompson (Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils) claim a career-best finish of second, after starting on pole through the reverse-grid draw.
Now, Britain’s premier motorsport championship will head to Snetterton earlier in the campaign than its usual mid-August slot, with the 2.97-mile circuit hosting Rounds 7, 8 and 9 on 20/21 May.
After completing the shortest track on the calendar with Brands Hatch, the popular Snetterton 300 layout will represent a completely different challenge to the 2023 grid, as it remains to be the longest circuit in the BTCC.
The challenge will be welcomed as Snetterton is a circuit that the drivers know extremely well; the BTCC has been visiting Snetterton in Norfolk for over 50 years, and the now familiar ‘300’ layout has been used since 2011.
Drawing inspiration from iconic motorsport corners such as Monza’s Parabolica and the Montreal Hairpin, it certainly offers some fantastic viewing for spectators and makes for a popular family weekend.
Local Lights
BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8, based in nearby Suffolk, will be hoping for home support as its quartet of cars take to the track with Tom Ingram, Tom Chilton, Nick Halstead and Ronan Pearson looking to pick up the points for the Hyundai squad, and build on their second place standings in the Teams' Championship.
TV, Timetables and Tickets
Complimenting the tin top racing will be a sensational line-up of support series, as the Radical Cup UK, Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain, ROKiT F4 British Championship and MINI CHALLENGE completes the schedule of exciting races.
Saturday’s qualifying session will be streamed live via itv.com/btcc and ITV Sport’s YouTube channel from 1530, before ITV4’s more than seven-hour race day broadcast gets underway at 1045 on Sunday.
