Touring Car / Tintop

When Jason Plato officially retired from BTCC racing at the end of 2022, after 23 seasons, over 600 races and 97 victories, most assumed the curtain had finally come down on one of British motorsport's most compelling stories.

The 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship may not have fired its first competitive shot yet, but if two days of pre-season testing at Croft Circuit are anything to go by, the season ahead is shaping up to be one of the most compelling.

The day began under a blanket of fog, but spirits in the paddock were high. It wasn’t long before the sun broke through, setting the tone for the opening round of the new motorsport season.

There’s a certain brutality to a February morning at Pomeroy Trophy. Silverstone doesn’t hide anything. The cold sits in the tarmac. Grip becomes a rumour. And drivers find out very quickly whether confidence is real - or imagined. ! I

Beneath the stillness, the surface was greasy and unforgiving. Grip was limited, confidence had to be earned, and every lap required patience.

There’s something about Brands Hatch in October that always feels like the season exhaling — a deep, smoky breath before winter takes over. The leaves turn, the tension spikes, and the final laps decide everything. And this year, Tom Ingram turned that pressure into poetry.

The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) has delivered some of the most thrilling motorsport moments in recent years, and the final clash between Tom Ingram and Ash Sutton at Brands Hatch was no exception.