Hill led from begin to end and used his pole place to construct up an early benefit on the wheel of his West Surrey Racing-run BMW 330e M Sport whereas Sutton labored his manner by from sixth on the grid.
The three-time champion was as much as third inside the first few corners, earlier than the race went beneath a quick security automotive – Jade Edwards had been edged extensive as she ran aspect by aspect with Sam Osborne on the run out of McIntyres, and slewed throughout the street to make light contact with the chicane barrier.
Hill was assisted by second-placed team-mate Stephen Jelley, whose restart was so sluggish that the hole as they crossed the start-finish line was already 1.575 seconds.
Sutton acquired forward of Jelley on the exit of McIntyres on the primary lap after the restart, however the hole to Hill was 2.289s by the tip of the lap.
Now Sutton set to work in his Motorbase Efficiency Ford Focus ST, chiselling away on the hole and setting the quickest lap within the course of. By half-distance Hill’s benefit was lower than one second, and with seven laps remaining Hill was having to defend the within line on the hairpin.
The battle introduced again reminiscences of the duo’s thrilling exploits on the circuit in 2022, and on the twenty fourth lap of 26 Sutton drew to the surface at McIntyres. He did the identical on the hairpin, however Hill clung on.
Sutton made one ultimate bid on the hairpin on the ultimate lap however fell quick by 0.374s.
“Me and Ash simply thought we’d repeat final 12 months, it was so good,” joked Hill.
“The automotive’s not the quickest factor on the market, however it’s been going very properly, though my tyres have been simply killing themselves by the tip to be trustworthy.”
Jelley dropped again to a distant and really lonely third, virtually 12s adrift of Hill, whereas the chaos from race one which left lots of the common main runners behind the grid allowed some others to shine.
Andrew Watson struggled from the entrance row within the early laps in his Energy Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra, and it was team-mate Aron Taylor-Smith who got here by to move the entertaining battle for fourth, albeit virtually 19s off victor Hill.
The Irishman headed dwelling Dan Lloyd, who made good progress from tenth on the grid in his Group Onerous Cupra Leon, the Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Corolla of Ricky Collard, and Ronan Pearson in his Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N.
Scotsman Pearson was drawn on reversed-grid pole place for the day’s ultimate race.
That can be to the chagrin of Josh Cook, who put in a superb drive from twenty fourth firstly to say eighth in his One Motorsport Honda Civic Kind R however missed out on the reversed grid.
{Cook} handed Watson on the ultimate lap, whereas reigning champion Tom Ingram fought by from twenty sixth on the grid to tenth in his Excelr8 Hyundai.
Dan Cammish (Motorbase Ford) and Colin Turkington (WSR BMW) have been battling for thirteenth on the penultimate lap when contact put each out.