British Tour Cars: Kirkcaldy race ace Rory Butcher in optimistic mood ahead of competing at Oulton Park this weekend

Kirkcaldy race ace Rory Butcher reckons that a big result for him in this year’s British Touring Car Championship could be just around the corner, after a solid if unspectaular showing during the three races staged on his last outing at Thruxton on June 3 and 4.
By Craig Goldthorp
Published 12th Jun 2023, 12:01 BST
Updated 12th Jun 2023, 12:05 BST
Rory Butcher is ninth in the current drivers' standings (Pic by Jakob Ebrey/British Touring Car Championship)Rory Butcher is ninth in the current drivers' standings (Pic by Jakob Ebrey/British Touring Car Championship)
Rory Butcher is ninth in the current drivers' standings (Pic by Jakob Ebrey/British Touring Car Championship)

Ahead of competing in races 13, 14 and 15 in this weekend’s offering at Oulton Park, the 36-year-old Toyota Gazoo Racing UK driver posted online: “A trio of seventh places at Thruxton. You can’t say we aren’t consistent.

“It might not seem like it, but we’re making progress. The hard work back at the factory is starting to show through, not long until it’s our day.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Butcher entered 2023 in optimistic mood after finishing fifth overall in the championship’s standings last year, with 314 points from 10 meetings to match his previous highest rankings in both 2019 and 2020.

But this time around he’s sitting in ninth place with 90 points after four events, with the top three drivers being Ash Sutton (183 points), Tom Ingram (169 points) and Colin Turkington (142 points).

NAPA Racing UK’s Sutton claimed his fifth and sixth race victories at Thruxton last weekend, as the 29-year-old extended his advantage in the overall drivers’ standings.Team-mate Dan Rowbottom then completed a fantastic day for the Ford Focus squad, claiming victory in the final reverse grid race and building on NAPA Racing UK’s lead in the Teams’/ Manufacturers’ standings.

Oulton Park, in Cheshire, has always been hugely popular among drivers and fans.

Related topics:Rory ButcherKirkcaldy

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.