Champion Sutton ends title campaign in style with finale win

Ash Sutton celebrates his title triumph in perfect fashion after ending the year on a high by winning the BTCC finale at Brands Hatch.

Simon Evans

24 Oct 2021

iAshley Sutton (GBR) - Laser Tools Racing Infiniti Q50
© JEP

Newly crowned 2021 British Touring Car champion Ash Sutton has ended his title winning campaign in euphoric fashion after dominating the final race of the year at Brands Hatch.

Having secured his third BTCC crown a race early during the previous encounter, Sutton went into the finale pressure free from fourth on the grid and celebrated his success by powering into the lead as early as lap three.

The Laser Tools Racing driver quickly romped into a healthy early lead, but a brief safety car phase neutralised the gap he built.

However, that mattered little, as Sutton - perhaps looking to prove a point - rebuilt the lead as quickly as he lost it, to the tune of over three-seconds by the end of the race, before backing off over the line.

Amazingly, that was Sutton's first victory since the end of August at Thruxton. His fifth win of the year means he finishes 51-points clear of four-time champion Colin Turkington in second, who suffered a miserable final race of the year after spinning into a retirement.

Dan Rowbottom capped off a strong debut campaign with the Team Dynamics squad with second place, while Tom Ingram ended a trying weekend with a podium result in third.

Just 0.1s covered the pair as they crossed the line after Rowbottom successfully quelled Ingram's charge from 12th on the grid.

Jake Hill was another to end a difficult weekend on a relative high in fourth, ahead of double race-winner Josh Cook in fifth. Having enjoyed his best weekend of the season, Cook came within three-points of dethroning Turkington from second in the standings.

Despite starting from the front row, Tom Chilton fell to sixth aboard his Ciceley BMW 330i M Sport. Chilton battled to hold third during the opening half of the race, but was unable to keep Rowbottom and Ingram at bay after dropping behind Sutton early in the race.

Three-time champion Gordon Shedden rounded off his return campaign to the series with seventh, ahead of Team HARD's Jack Goff who scored his best result since tenth at Oulton Park with eighth place.

Rory Butcher and Jason Plato completed the remainder of the final top-ten order of the year in ninth and tenth.