COATES ROMPS TO CROFT DOUBLE

The sixth round of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship took place at Croft Circuit last weekend with another huge crowd enjoying the action and warm weather, whereby they were rewarded with plenty of local success.

Leading the way with a superb double victory in the Porsche Sprint Challenge GB was Scorton’s Max Coates who took two wins in front of his vast array of local fans in his Porsche Cayman 718.

Coates defied the tricky conditions following a brief rain shower on Saturday to take a win, which he followed up with another victory on Sunday after a rival had been penalised and for good measure, he secured a podium in the other race of three to move into the joint lead of the championship with three rounds to go.

It was a great weekend too for Coates’ teammate in the Team Omologato with Graves Motorsport squad, Ethan Hammerton, who also enjoyed success at his local track. The Northallerton driver finished third in Saturday’s opening race but couldn’t quite emulate that in the remaining two outings, where he followed up a fourth with a penalty in the final race which relegated him to fifth, meaning he occupies fifth in the standings but just one point off the fourth placed driver.

Hartlepool’s Dominic Wheatley was hoping for success at the track where father Des had so much success in rallycross, but he had to settle for a pair of fifth place finishes in the Vertu Mini Challenge races in his EXCELR8 Motorsport Mini Cooper JCW.

Former BTCC ace Simon Blanckley from Durham took a double class win in his BMW in the CTCRC Everard Pre-66 Touring Car races which heralded a popular throwback to yesteryear at the historic track whilst Harrogate’s Phil House took a best result of 13th overall and sixth in class in his 1293cc Morris Mini Cooper S.

In the actual BTCC races, there were wins for Colin Turkington (BMW), Josh Cook (Toyota) and Tom Chilton (Hyundai) following three action-packed races as the series now heads to Knockhill in Scotland next weekend.