Ashley Sutton (born 15 January 1994) is a British racing driver, and three time British Touring Car Champion, who currently competes in the

British Touring Car Championship The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by TOCA TOCA, formally trading as BARC (TOCA) Ltd, is an organiser of motorsport events in ...

with NAPA Racing UK. After winning the Renault Clio Cup UK in

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

, Sutton moved up to the British Touring Car Championship for the 2016 season with MG Racing RCIB Insurance. He won one race in his début season, before moving to Adrian Flux Subaru Racing for the 2017 season. Sutton failed to score a point in the opening meeting, but won six races thereafter to win the championship, the youngest champion since

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

. He moved to Laser Tools Racing in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

, and would win the championship back to back in

and

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

. He moved to NAPA Racing UK for the 2022 season.

Racing career

Sutton began his career in

karting Kart racing or karting is a road racing variant of motorsport with open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on f ...

in 2000 and raced in karting up until 2009, when he switched to the 750MC Formula Vee Championship. He went on to win the Rookie of year award that season, finishing 4th in the overall championship with assistance from an established 2 Car team (AMP). He made a return to racing in the

2014 British Formula Ford Championship The 2014 Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain was a multi-event, open-wheel single seater motor racing championship held across England and Scotland. The championship featured a mix of professional motor racing teams and priva ...

after having been forced to sit out two and half years of racing, following a road car accident. He finished 3rd in the championship that year, taking 5 wins, 16 podiums, 4 pole positions and 10 fastest laps. For 2015 he switched to the

Renault Clio Cup United Kingdom The Renault Clio Cup United Kingdom was an entry level One-make, Touring car racing motor sport category and the current name in the long history of Renault one-make cups in the UK. It currently attracts drivers from across the United Kingdom to ...

, entering the championship with support from the

team,

Team BMR Team BMR was a British motor racing team based in Buntingford, Hertfordshire and founded by Warren Scott. The team raced in the British Touring Car Championship between 2013 and 2019 after previously entering the 2004 British Superbike Champ ...

. Winning the championship that year, with 6 wins, 14 podiums, 4 pole positions and 4 fastest laps. In March 2016, it was announced that Sutton would make his

debut with MG Racing RCIB Insurance driving a MG6 GT. He finished 4th in the first race of the season and took his first win in a wet race three at croft. He also won the Jack Sears Trophy. A championship for all the rookies to compete for in their first season. For 2017 Sutton moved back to Team BMR as expected. He failed to score a point at the first round at brands hatch but since has taken wins at Oulton Park, Croft, Snetterton, Knockhill and Rockingham. He held a 10 point lead at the summit of the championship heading into the finale. Sutton clinched the title in the final race of the season after rival Turkington had earlier won the second race from 15th on the grid to keep the championship alive. However, on lap 2 of race three, Turkington was hit, therefore ending his chances and confirming Sutton as the champion, the youngest since John Fitzpatrick in

. During his title defence in 2018, Sutton won six races, the most of any driver during the season but came fourth overall. Sutton competed in the inaugural season of the TCR UK series, winning two races of a truncated campaign with Verizon Connect Racing.

Personal life

Sutton was educated at

Birchwood High School Birchwood High School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. The school was converted to academy status in February 2012. It used to be a community school ...

, where he studied auto mechanics and engineering.

Racing record

750MC Formula Vee

Ash Sutton started his car racing career in the 750 Motor Club'
Formula Vee Championship
driving a Storm. He finished fourth in the championship, taking three victories, coming at Castle Combe, Brands Hatch and Pembrey. He took a further five podiums.

Complete Renault UK Clio Cup results

(

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

(

) (Races in bold indicate pole position – 1 point awarded just in first race; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap – 1 point awarded all races; * signifies that driver led race for at least one lap – 1 point given all races)

Complete TCR Europe Touring Car Series results

(

) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sutton, Ashley 1994 births Living people British Touring Car Championship drivers British Touring Car Championship Champions English racing drivers British racing drivers Renault UK Clio Cup drivers W Racing Team drivers TCR Europe Touring Car Series drivers