Rowbottom Claims First Ever Race To Pole Triumph • BTCC

Jason Plato’s dream BTCC comeback kicks off at Donington Park

Cataclean Plato Racing made historical past at Donington Park earlier in the present day (18 April) as Dan Rowbottom took victory within the first ever BTCC Qualifying Race within the debut weekend for the staff.

The extremely anticipated ‘Race to Pole’ – launched in the course of the low season – noticed the very best tin high drivers within the UK battle for not solely grid positions for tomorrow’s opener but in addition for the primary haul of factors of the brand new marketing campaign.

It got here as little shock to see Tom Ingram (Team VERTU) and Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) – with six BTCC titles between them – lineup on the entrance row of the Qualifying Race by advantage of their flying laps in the course of the earlier session, however each hit bother throughout Saturday’s major contest.

It was a wide ranging begin and opening lap as Ingram, Sutton, Rowbottom and NAPA Racing UK’s Dan Cammish fought it out for P1.

There was little house as Sutton slipped his #116 Ford Focus Titanium down the within of Ingram firstly of lap two, and with the hole working out his automotive slid throughout the grass and ultimately into the gravel.

It was a double blow for NAPA Racing UK as Cammish was held up by the incident, whereas Ingram, Rowbottom and Speedworks Corolla Racing’s Josh Cook pulled clear.

There was additional drama shortly after as information filtered by way of of a 5 second penalty for Ingram for being out of place firstly of the race.

It proved to be a race in opposition to the clock, and with Ingram needing to tug clear, he ultimately completed simply 0.024s brief because the chequered flag waved.

Celebrations ensued as Team Principal and Team Manager Jason Plato minimize an emotional determine along with his unimaginable BTCC comeback producing a right away fairytale story.

Ingram did sufficient to seize second forward of a promising efficiency from Cook within the #66 Toyota Corolla.

The LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing duo of Mikey Doble and Aiden Moffat loved an important debut within the new Audi A3 Saloon – ending fourth and eighth respectively.

WSR’s Charles Rainford, Team VERTU’s Tom Chilton and Cataclean Plato Racing’s Adam Morgan had been subsequent within the order, while Gordon Shedden (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) and Dexter Patterson (Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing) rounded out the highest ten.

Round 1, 2 and three of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship takes place at Donington Park tomorrow with an enormous crowd anticipated on the Leicestershire venue with many extra capable of watch the motion all-day LIVE on ITV4 from 10:45.

Dan Rowbottom, Cataclean Plato Racing, stated: “We’ve made a little bit of history. We’ve put the car on pole for tomorrow for Cataclean Plato Racing and it obviously feels fantastic. We still have to do a lot of work, but we made the best of it.

“We did not have the tempo of [Tom] Ingram if I’m trustworthy, however he had that 5 second penalty, so all I needed to do was handle the hole. It’s been a protracted winter however that is an unimaginable second for Cataclean Plato Racing… let’s attempt to make it occur tomorrow.”

Qualifying Race – Donington Park (National)