Rory Butcher ends BTCC season with race win at Brands Hatch

Ash Sutton became a two-time BTCC champion after clinching the title at Brands Hatch.

Butcher’s fourth-placed finish in race one and 10th in race two, added to his win in race three, saw him finish the series in fifth, but the 33-year-old says he was delighted with his season after getting to grips with a new car.

He said: “We really needed that to go into the winter. It’s been a tough few rounds, but we’ve made team boss David Bartrum very happy.

"We’ve had such a great year with a brand-new car. The Ford Focus ST came out of the blocks really fast and it’s been great all year.

“We’ve had some bad luck. I’ve made some mistakes and it’s been a learning experience.

"In the middle of the season, two or three rounds in a row we didn’t get everything out of it that we wanted to.

"We’re finishing fifth in the championship and we’ve had numerous podiums, pole positions and wins, but we need to get more consistent next year if we want to challenge someone like Ash.

“I was really comfortable out there and the car was so much better than it had been in race one, so I was feeling good.

“It’s our first year and it’s been a fantastic new car.”

He added: "Our goal for next year is to come back fighting and put in an even stronger fight, with everything we’ve learned about the championship and the car itself, so we’ll be back.”