Team Bristol Street Motors Targets Snetterton Silverware
Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS will hope to maintain its strong start to the new Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season when the series heads for Snetterton this weekend for the third meeting of the year.
The EXCELR8 Motorsport-run squad has been in fine form so far this season, with Tom Ingram scoring two wins at Donington Park and Ronan Pearson picking up his maiden BTCC victory last time out at Brands Hatch to give the team a 50 per cent win rate in 2024 to date.
With Tom Chilton having picked up his first podium of the season last time out and Nick Halstead scoring his first points finish of the year, all four drivers head to Snetterton in confident mood and with a focus firmly on helping the team to maintain its title challenge.
Ingram heads into the weekend in third place in the standings after an unfortunate puncture in race three at Brands Hatch cost him valuable championship points.
The silver lining to that however is that he now carries additional hybrid power into the weekend, which should prove be to advantageous in both qualifying and the opening race as he bids to replicate his previous race wins at the circuit.
Chilton bounced back from a difficult start to the season at Donington Park with one of his most competitive displays in the Hyundai at Brands Hatch, where he scored his 61st BTCC podium finish.
Currently sitting seventh in the standings, Chilton will hope to build on an impressive previous record at Snetterton, where he has secured eight podium finishes in the past.
Pearson joined the BTCC winners list with a stunning performance in race three at Brands Hatch, which came on the back of a strong showing at Donington Park in round one.
With that win now under his belt, Pearson makes the trip to Snetterton with confidence on a real high and his focus firmly on hitting the front in the race for the Jack Sears Trophy.
Halstead meanwhile put in a strong performance at Brands Hatch to maintain his own Jack Sears Trophy challenge, which included breaking into the overall points for the first time this season.
The former British GT racer endured a tough weekend at Snetterton twelve months ago after issues on Saturday limited his track time, but returns this time around hoping to maintain the progress seen in the opening two rounds of the year and push for more points.
This weekend’s three races will provide the Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS quartet with a fresh challenge thanks to the new tyre regulations in place for 2024, which mean drivers who finish inside the top ten in race one must run the hardest compound of tyre available in race two.
With all three compound of tyre being used this weekend, it means an additional layer of strategy to factor in going into race day.
Tom Chilton, #3 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
"The podium at Brands Hatch was a great way to bounce back from a tough start to the season at Donington. It showed the pace is in the car, and that all the work carried out over the winter has allowed us to take a step forwards.
"Given the impact hybrid had at Brands Hatch, the fact we head to Snetterton with a decent amount behind us for qualifying and race one means we should be in for a strong Saturday, and be able to secure a place near the front of the grid.
"Tyre strategy is also going to be important this weekend with all three compounds in play, and I’m fully expecting to be involved in some action-packed racing!"
Ronan Pearson, #14 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
"I’m still not sure it’s sunk in that I’m a BTCC race winner but now it’s time to bank the memories from Brands Hatch and focus forward on Snetterton and the races to come.
"Obviously my confidence is high given what happened last time out and we now go to a circuit where we know the Hyundai has been strong in the past, even without the improvements we’ve made as a team over the winter.
"I’ve been right on the pace in the two rounds run so far and see no reason why Snetterton will be any different. The goal is to try and get into the Quick Six on Saturday and then fight for three strong results on race day - and ideally grab the Jack Sears Trophy win!"
Nick Halstead, #22 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“Snetterton was a tough weekend for me last season but I’m going there this time around feeling really confident on the back of the results at Brands Hatch. Scoring my first points of the season was a huge boost to the confidence and with the car performing well, I’m hopeful we can put in another strong performance this time around.
We saw at Brands Hatch that the hybrid had a big part in the racing and I think that it will be even more important at Snetterton with the two long straights. I think its going to mean even more action for the fans watching on and I’m looking forward to being in the heart of it!”
Tom Ingram, #80 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“Although the final race at Brands Hatch was disappointing, it might well have done us a favour going into this weekend as it means we carry that little bit more hybrid into qualifying and race one. Although it’s still not a lot, we really saw the impact it had last time out, and it could be even more noticable at a circuit like Snetterton.
“Saying that, regardless of how much hybrid we do or don’t have, we know that we’ve got the car in a really good place, which is reflected in the fact we’ve already won three races as a team this season to match our total from last year.
“Snetterton is the circuit where we scored the first win for the Hyundai and where I’ve had plenty of success personally through the years, so I’m hoping for a nice big haul of points to at least maintain our current position.”
Justina Williams, Team Owner, said:
“We’re had a really positive start to the season, and the results at both Donington Park and Brands Hatch have been really pleasing. To have three wins at this stage is really encouraging and the fact we have set the fastest lap in four of the six races shows that the work we did over the winter has translated into pace in the car at two very different circuits.
“Snetterton is a venue we know well having been our home circuit for a number of years, and one where the Hyundai has been a proven winner in the past, so we’re optimistic of maintain our strong start to the year.”