Sutton obtained a very good getaway, definitely in comparison with front-row accomplice Tom Ingram, and was in a position to lead from lights to flag.
Ingram clung on to second, and from then on, as within the earlier race, his Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N was the one risk to the NAPA-liveried Alliance Racing Ford Focus ST of Sutton.
The race didn’t actually get going till after an early security automotive.
Colin Turkington made a very good launch from fourth on the grid in his West Surrey Racing BMW 330e M Sport, however appeared to have his path blocked by Ingram and as a substitute ran aspect by aspect for third with Bobby Thompson’s Group Arduous Cupra Leon.
Dan Cammish, within the second of the Alliance Fords, additionally had a glance down the within of Turkington at Druids. There was minor contact, Turkington slowed dramatically, and he was hit by Ronan Pearson’s Excelr8 Hyundai, which in flip was collected by Michael Crees’s Arduous Cupra.
From the restart, Sutton set quickest lap immediately to increase a 0.993 seconds benefit over Ingram. This then oscillated round 1.5s for a lot of the race till the protection automotive appeared once more late on.
Sam Osborne (Alliance Ford) and BTCC returnee James Gornall (Arduous Cupra) made contact as they ran aspect by aspect down the pit straight, and Osborne slewed throughout Gornall and went closely into the tyre wall at Paddock Hill Bend.
Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus ST
Picture by: JEP / Motorsport Images
There was time for only one extra lap of racing. Ingram had hybrid out there, Sutton didn’t, however the Hyundai was no risk and the brand new four-time champion gained by 0.703s.
“That was good enjoyable,” mentioned Sutton. “It was good to not have any stress – simply to go and do what we will do.
“Tom is a tricky {old} canine in order that was laborious.”
Whereas Sutton and Ingram have been operating the medium tyres on this race, so was Thompson, and his Cupra instantly got here underneath assault from the soft-shod Cammish on the first restart.
Cammish made the transfer depend at Druids, and because the race wore on he closed virtually to inside putting distance of Ingram earlier than the protection automotive appeared once more.
With Cammish forward of him, Thompson was now underneath assault from Ricky Collard, whose Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Corolla went via into Hawthorns on the next lap.
Jake Hill, on the wheel of his WSR BMW, took benefit to comply with Collard via at Dingle Dell, however the Toyota man held on for fourth.
Tom Ingram, Bristol Avenue Motors with EXCELR8 Hyundai i30 N Fastback
Picture by: JEP / Motorsport Images
Hill seemed set for fifth however slowed on the run to the end line, and was pipped by Thompson.
Josh Cook (One Motorsport Honda Civic Sort R), Dan Rowbottom (Alliance Ford) and Stephen Jelley (WSR BMW) had all been in a prepare behind Thompson, and completed on this order from seventh downwards – Jelley took reversed-grid pole place.
George Gamble was fairly near this bunch in his Speedworks Toyota earlier than being given a black-and-orange flag, so it was the Arduous Cupra of Dan Lloyd that accomplished the highest 10.
Andrew Watson did what he wanted to so as to safe the Jack Sears Trophy – he sustained injury early on to his Energy Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra however completed the race to place the title out of attain of Osborne and team-mate Mikey Doble.