BTCC Croft Circuit - July 29-30
Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport kicked off the second half of the 2023 BTCC season in thrilling fashion at Croft, securing a trio of points finishes in the sixth round of the campaign. The team's star driver, Jake Hill, delivered impressive performances, leaving the circuit with a firm grip on 4th place in the Drivers' Championship.
The action-packed weekend began with two free practice sessions, where Jake Hill in his WSR-run BMW 330e M-Sport showcased his skills, ending both sessions with strong fourth-place finishes. The team made final preparations ahead of the weekend's qualifying session.
In a session disrupted by a red flag toward the end of play, the 2022 Goodyear Wingfoot Award winner displayed his consistent qualifying form, securing a solid sixth-place starting position for the first race at Croft.
On race day, he lined up on the third row and once again demonstrated his trademark fantastic start, moving up to fifth place heading into turn one. Throughout the opening race, Jake showcased impressive pace, applying relentless pressure on Josh Cook in fourth place. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't find a way past and ultimately finished in fifth place, adding more valuable championship points to his tally.
Race 2 saw Jake starting from fifth place, again making a strong start and challenging Cook into turn one. However, avoiding an incident forced him to cut the chicane, causing him to fall back behind Ingram into sixth place. Pushing on, Jake was battling hard with Cook for fifth place once again and at the start of the tenth lap he ran wide at turn one, stepping onto the gravel at high speed and sending himself into a spin. Dropping down to the order to 11th place, Jake remained there until the finish and took the chequered flag for another points finish.
For the final race of the weekend, starting from 11th place, Jake displayed a determined fightback, working his way up the order to an impressive sixth place. Unfortunately, another error at Sunny sent him into a spin, dropping him down to 8th-place. Undeterred, Jake kept attacking, this earning him valuable points and a seventh-place finish to round out the day.
Leaving Croft, Jake holds a strong position in the Drivers' Championship, sitting in 4th place with 217 points. While he trails the championship leader, Sutton, by 41 points, there are still four rounds and 12 races left to contend, and Jake remains determined to climb even higher in the standings.
The Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport team is proud of their achievements at Croft and is excited to continue their pursuit of success in the remaining rounds of the 2023 BTCC season. With Jake Hill's talent and determination, they are confident in their ability to make an even greater impact on the championship.
Next up for Laser Tools Racing is the annual trip to Scotland for the seventh round of the 2023 campaign at Knockhill in two weeks' time (12 - 13 August).
