Doble takes overall fastest time at Croft BTCC test

Reigning Jack Sears Trophy champion Mikey Doble made it an underdog double on the second of two days of British Touring Car Championship official testing at Croft.

Doble, who is entering his third season with the Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra team, set no fewer than three laps quicker than the best anyone else could manage in the afternoon session on Wednesday.

The Surrey racer was the only driver to eclipse the startling time set on the opening day by BTCC rookie and Independents class rival Max Hall at the wheel of his Un-Limited Motorsport Cupra Leon, his best shading the Gloucestershire teenager’s effort by 0.141 seconds.

Doble’s Wednesday afternoon best was a clear 0.231s ahead of the NAPA-liveried Alliance Racing Ford Focus ST of Dan Cammish in that session, although it was only 0.201s quicker than Cammish’s morning effort, which was the fastest time set before lunchtime.

Only a few weeks ago, the BTCC future of Doble and PMR looked in doubt after the team’s title sponsor broke its contract, but a new tie-up with Motor Parts Direct came to the rescue just in time for testing to kick off.

“We’ve had a fantastic first couple of days to kick off our pre-season testing programme,” said Doble, who did not take part in the private tests in which several other teams appeared at Brands Hatch two weeks ago and Snetterton last week.

Mikey Doble, Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

“The car felt amazing, and the team’s hard work in development over the off-season is now shining through. I can’t wait to get back out in the car for season launch at Donington in a couple of weeks.”

A handful of red flags interrupted running during the day, with Adam Morgan going off at Clervaux in his Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai in the morning, and Dan Rowbottom doing the same in the afternoon when his Alliance Ford sustained a puncture.

A late off-track incident for Rowbottom’s team-mate Sam Osborne caused the final red flag, after which there was time for six minutes of running.

During this period, Cammish leapt up the order in session, as did Daryl DeLeon, who continues to get to grips with the West Surrey Racing BMW and finished the day in third.

Four-time champion Ash Sutton was fourth fastest in his Alliance Ford ahead of the Excelr8 Hyundai of 2022 title winner Tom Ingram, who was second in the morning but appeared to focus on longer-distance running in the afternoon and was one of the few drivers not to go quicker.

Hall continued his impressive pre-season by finishing the day sixth ahead of returning three-time BTCC king Gordon Shedden in the lead Speedworks Motorsport-run Toyota Corolla GR Sport.

Completing the top 10 were rookie Charles Rainford in his WSR BMW, Josh Cook in a One Motorsport Honda Civic Type R, and the second Un-Limited Cupra of Dexter Patterson.

Reigning champion Jake Hill was another not to focus on headline times, and was on the cusp of the top 10 in both sessions with his WSR BMW.

It is understood that almost everyone got to run on soft tyres at some point during the day, although unclear who was on new or used rubber.

BTCC Croft pre-season test – Day 2 results