Sutton takes BTCC lead on 'bogey track'

Subaru's Ashley Sutton says he's been able to profit on circumstances falling his way after emerging from the second British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park with championship lead ahead of Josh Cook.

Sutton admitted he arrived at the second meeting of season expecting Donington Park to be a 'bogey circuit' for his Subaru Levorg. However, the 2017 champion took two podiums and a top-five finish in race three after qualifying in third position.

Despite securing such a strong haul of points at Donington Park, Sutton still believes it was a bogey circuit for the Subaru, but said qualifying up at the sharp end for the past two meetings has given his Team BMR squad 'a leg up' come race day.

As a result, Sutton has a slender three-point ahead of BTC Racing's Cook in second, while reigning champion Colin Turkington sits just one-point further back in third.

"We came into the weekend questioning whether this was going to be a bogey track," Sutton told Crash.net. "I actually think it was. It sounds silly me saying that, but if you look at the luck we had come qualifying at both meetings, it’s just allowed us to be up at the sharp end.

"That’s not where we’re normally used to being at the first two rounds. We’ve kind of been given a leg up and that’s meant we’ve just had to really focus on turning that into points, and collecting those points to leave us where we are now.

"We’ve come here every to pick up points because we know they’re not our strong ones. The past two years has been a real struggle and we’ve not been able to achieve what we really want.

"This year we have. I just need to be clever now and keep collecting those points. The moment we don’t it’s going to hurt us.

"It’s a track that doesn’t technically favour us. That’s for sure our strongest haul. Us as a team with Subaru, it’s fantastic. We’ve done a mega job."