BTCC 2025: WSR Show Their Pace At Knockhill

We headed to Knockhill in awe of the BTCC community as they came together to support Power Maxed Racing. Their entire factory with all the cars and the majority of the equipment burnt down just a week before the next round, and it was looking doubtful that they would make it to Knockhill. However, Unlimited Motorsport let them borrow a Cupra and the team was able to compete. 

On track, the last WSR win in 2025 was at Brands Hatch Indy back in May, but in the hills of Scotland they showed just how dominant they could be. Jake Hill was back from his illness at Croft and the Jack Sears Trophy standings are tighter than ever after some intense racing between Charles Rainford and Daryl DeLeon.

Don’t worry if you missed the action though, keep reading to find out the latest from the BTCC.

Qualifying

It was a close session but WSR dominated and got all four cars through to Q2, with three of them progressing to the Quick Six.

Charles Rainford shocked the establishment by snatching pole position with a great lap in Q3. Not only was it his first pole in BTCC but also his first in professional motorsport! The young WSR driver edged his teammate Daryl DeLeon by just 0.008s. Jake Hill, returning from illness, slotted into third, setting up a tantalising all-BMW front three. 

Tom Ingram made sure he stayed in the mix with fourth while his championship rival, Ash Sutton, couldn’t get higher than tenth. Two rounds in a row the Napa driver hasn’t managed to put a good lap together, but that hasn’t stopped him from winning so far.

Race 1: Hill makes a stunning comeback

The BMWs got a great start and Rainford was able to pull out a small gap off the line. Ingram stuck with Hill and DeLeon as they made their way around lap one while Dan Rowbottom, who started last due to being disqualified from qualifying due to being underweight, made up seven places on lap one.

An exciting battle ensued for tenth place by lap six - Chris Smiley, Sam Osborne and Adam Morgan went wheel-to-wheel for a few laps. Smiley was able to hang on to the independent lead throughout, but Morgan got the track position. The following lap Smiley became a victim of a Napa sandwich in the final corner. Rowbottom had caught Smiley and Osborne and was able to go around the outside to gain a place, and continue his charge through the pack.

Meanwhile at turn one we had a change of lead. DeLeon dived up the inside, ending up gathering grass in the front of his car but taking the lead from Rainford. Knockhill was already sweltering but the grass on that BMW prevented the car from cooling properly, and just one lap later Rainford made a move up the inside of DeLeon at the final corner and re-took the lead. Hill also had better traction out of the hairpin and passed DeLeon on the main straight into second. DeLeon carried on falling back, and finished the race in eighth. 

It wasn’t long before Hill took the lead from Rainford. They were side-by-side from the last corner into turn one but Hill ultimately came out on top, and led the race for the first time.

Árón Taylor-Smith became a cork in the bottle for the rest of the pack. He was in ninth with Morgan, Osborne, Smiley and Rowbottom behind, lined up and ready to pounce at any moment. Rowbottom and Smiley were swapping positions lap after lap, while Osborne was trying everything to get past Morgan - but couldn’t make it though.

With three laps to go Nick Halstead spun in front of Hill as he was being lapped, which brought out the safety. Hill’s comfortable lead was taken away and the pack closed up. On the restart Hill maintained his lead with Rainford close behind but not able to make a move. Proctor was stationed in third and Ingram remained in fourth. 

Hill took the win on his return with Rainford in second place. Ingram and Proctor swapped places, giving Ingram a podium needed to keep the gap between him and Sutton at the top of the standings.

Race 2: Ingram extends his grip on the championship

With Hill and Rainford on the medium tyres, Ingram had the advantage before the race began. Ingram ran the mediums in race one and with only one set of the harder tyres for all three races, the Team Vertu Hyundai started on the soft tyre despite finishing third in race one.

Lights out and the BMWs at the front got a good get away. Ingram stayed ahead of Proctor who had some wheel spin off the line, which allowed Cammish and Aiden Moffat through into turn two. It wasn’t over for Proctor who had to take to the grass - losing another place to Sutton by turn three. 

Ingram utilised his softer tyres early and had made his way into second before the end of lap two. He was on the hunt for Hill, while Rainford continued to tumble down the order throughout the race.

Lap three saw the lead swap between Ingram and Hill, but not before an intense battle where they were side by side for almost half a lap. Incredible driving by both, but Ingram had the inside line for the final corner and made the move stick. He then pulled out a gap by the end of the following lap, a gap which only got bigger as the race progressed.

The independent lead hotted up as a four-way fight between the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK cars of Gordon Shedden and James Dorlin, and the independents Smiley and Robert Patterson began. Dorlin and Shedden almost touched, sending Shedden into a big slide which he saved from becoming anything worse and kept the car in front. Patterson went by Dorlin but Dorlin was fighting back. Smiley was watching this all unfold, ready to pounce if there was an opportunity.

Half way through the race battles were breaking out all over the track. Hill lost a place to Cammish and went slightly sideways as he got on the curb at turn one, which unsettled the car. Teammates Moffat and DeLeon had a small scrap which was won by DeLeon, who was now into sixth place. Rowbottom got past Rainford and was fighting Morgan for eighth.

Sutton was trying to crawl his way back through the pack and reduce the gap between him and Ingram who was way out in front. Sutton got past Hill and fought hard with Proctor to take third. The Napa car looked for any move he could make, and eventually forced his way up the inside to take third.

The second half of the race was much calmer, with drivers settling into their positions. With no late dramas, Ingram took a commanding win to extend his gap at the top of the championship. He was joined by the Napa cars of Sutton and Cammish who took second and third respectively.

Race 3: Hill reigns again amid late drama

DeLeon got picked for reverse grid pole with his teammate Hill in second. DeLeon was focused on not only getting his second win of the year, but bumping up his lead in the Jack Sears Trophy ahead of Rainford. 

On the start the BMW continued their good getaways, while behind Proctor managed to stay ahead of Cammish - but not for long. The Napa was in third by turn two. Sutton had gotten past Ingram on the launch but Proctor was ready to play the ultimate teammate. He was defending against Sutton which allowed Ingram to try and take advantage. 

Hill had a great line into the final corner at the end of lap two and was alongside DeLeon. He couldn’t make the move stick there but they were wheel-to-wheel down the straight, and with the inside line, Hill took the lead of the race. Cammish followed closely behind and made it up into second just a few corners later.

If you wanted a championship battle, race three had all the action. Sutton ahead of Ingram but not without working hard all race long. Ingram was trying every move he could think of to get ahead of the Napa, with no success. 

Team Vertu found themselves locked in close fights. Tom Chilton was behind Ingram and Sutton fending off Rowbottom, and Morgan was locking in with Moffat who lost his rear bumper after some contact with the Hyundai. Proctor was on the medium tyres which served him well, running in third for most of the race - but he lost a few places towards the end due to battles which had continued since lap three. 

Half way through, DeLeon began to tumble back through the order. In the end, he had an issue causing him to stop at the pit lane entrance on the penultimate lap. If you have your eye on the Jack Sears Trophy there is now only one point between him and Rainford, who took the Trophy win at the meet after DeLeon’s DNF. 

But it was Hill who took an emotional race win to make him a double winner in Scotland. As they came towards the finish line, Cammish braked hard to allow Sutton to take second place. However, there were yellow flags waved for DeLeon’s broken car, so the positions were swapped back by the stewards.

Knockout at Knockhill

After a weekend of elbows-out racing, team drama, and a rookie fairytale, the BTCC leaves Knockhill with the title fight wide open. Hill’s comeback charge, Ingram’s relentless consistency, and Sutton’s never-say-die aggression mean the battle at the top is hotter than ever. 

Remember, you can follow along with the action on our social media, or come and say hello at our stand if you are heading to see the action live. If you are heading to Donington Park make sure you book for a Free Vehicle Health Check before you travel at your local Kwik Fit centre.