Sutton Seals Record Fifth BTCC Title with Four Races to Spare

The NAPA Racing UK driver broke clear of the tie he had shared with Andy Rouse and Colin Turkington, becoming the first man to claim five BTCC crowns with four races still to run.

From 12th to victory in five laps

Ash Sutton needed to seal the title in a manner befitting the occasion and he delivered instantly. By the end of the third lap he had already sliced through to fourth place and banked the fastest-lap point required to become champion.

Records re-written at Silverstone

He crossed the line 5.449 seconds clear of Adam Morgan, with Charles Rainford a further three seconds back in third. Sutton had effectively conceded a position to Chris Smiley in Race 1 so he could lock up the championship with a race win rather than a conservative finish.

The achievement removes him from the company of Rouse and Turkington, the two four-time champions whose records he had already equalled. Sutton won all five of his titles inside ten seasons and was already the only driver to win a BTCC championship in both front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive machinery.

“It’s pretty surreal,” Sutton told reporters afterwards. “To go over the line, experience all the emotions, have Tony come over the radio and say it’s a history day…”

For a driver who has defined a generation in touring cars, five is simply the latest number next to his name.