The 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship pulled up in Hampshire for the fourth racing weekend of the calendar on the 7th and 8th of June.
Rounds 10, 11, and 12 took place on the fastest track on the calendar… the wonderful 2.37 miles high speed Thruxton circuit.
Napa Racing UK/Alliance Racing’s Sam Osborne arrived in good spirits following three excellent races last time out at Snetterton. However, Saturday’s qualifying session saw a turn in the weather conditions which really tested the brave. Heavy rain soaked the circuit, and Sam battled to qualify his Ford Focus ST in 21st position for Sunday’s opening race.
RACE 1
The nature of this ultra-fast, yet entirely unique Thruxton circuit, meant that everyone raced on the hard tyre this afternoon. Yet, the high temperature on race-day ensured that the drivers had to keep an eye on their tyres as well, particularly the left front, which takes a hammering throughout the 16-lap races… although the first race of the afternoon (Round 10) would be stretched to 19 laps because of an enforced safety car…
Starting from the eleventh row on the grid, Sam had the full quota of eight laps worth of boost. He got away well at the start, drawing alongside Max Hall’s Cupra Leon (ROKiT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport) through the fast left-hander. However, Hall lost the rear of his Cupra after putting a cold right rear on the edge, which took both himself and the number 77 Ford Focus ST out of the race on the opening lap. Thus, the safety car entered the circuit as Sam’s race ended in disappointment. Thankfully, both drivers were alright at least.
RACE 2
Thanks to excellent work by the Napa Racing UK/Alliance Racing crew, Sam was back out on track for the second 16-lapper of the afternoon, albeit down in 23rd position. With a full quota of boost once again, he started Round 11 well to get by Nic Hamilton’s Powder Monkey Brewing Co with Esidock Cupra Leon on the opening lap.
Three laps later saw the number 77 Ford get the better of Stephen Jelley’s One Motorsport Honda Civic Type R, before gaining another position after Tom Chilton edged his Team Vertu Hyundia i30N into the pits with a left-front tyre issue.
Another position was gained when Gordon Shedden’s Toyota Corolla GR Sport (Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with IAA) peeled into the pits too a lap later. However, Jelley got his Honda Civic Type R back past Sam on the eighth tour, before the Ford driver was promoted back up a place following Mikey Doble’s Vauxhall Astra (Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing) pulled off with an over-heating engine.
Sadly, Sam’s woes continued too, as he had to return to the Napa Racing UK/Alliance Racing garage at the end of lap eleven. He did, however, return to the action to finish in 21st position and a lap down on race winner (and teammate) Ash Sutton.
RACE 3
Round 12 saw Sam starting in 20th place for the final race of the afternoon. Once again, he had a full quota of boost available to help him try to salvage something from the weekend.
He made a lightening start at the lights to quickly dispatch Nic Hamilton’s Cupra Leon and Stephen Jelley’s Honda Civic Type R. However, the fast trio of Mikey Doble, Tom Chilton, and Josh Cook (One Motorsport Honda Civic Type R) got ahead before the end of the opening lap.
As the slow-moving James Dorlin (Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with IAA Toyota Corolla GR Sport) dropped down the field on the fourth lap, Sam was bumped up to 20th. With his Ford Focus ST now the meat in a Honda sandwich, he set about chasing down Josh Cook while defending from Stephen Jelley.
While having a good old ding dong with the Honda duo and Dexter Patterson’s ROKiT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport Cupra Leon, the safety car entered the circuit after Adam Morgan crashed his Team Vertu Hyundia i30N on the eighth lap.
A good restart on lap 11 (of 18 now) saw Sam edge up into 17th position, after Ronan Pearson’s race was ruined by an uncooperative bonnet on his Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with IAA Toyota Corolla GR Sport. Seventeenth then became sixteenth when Sam got his Ford Focus ST by Dexter Patterson’s Cupra Leon before the start of lap 12.
By lap 13, he was into the points after Jake Hill’s Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW 330e M Sport clashed with the Ford Focus ST of Ash Sutton, forcing the BMW driver to pit to have grass removed from his radiator.
A terrific final two laps saw Sam get by Daryl DeLeon (WSR BMW 330E M Sport) and Aiden Moffat’s LKQ Euro Car Parts with WSR BMW 330E M Sport to finish the race at the chequered flag in a respectable thirteenth position, which became 12th after Mikey Doble was penalised for a track limits infringement.
However, Chris Smiley’s Restart Racing Cupra Leon was disqualified after the race, meaning that Sam finished the day in an excellent 11th place, of which his pace deserved after such a difficult afternoon in Hampshire.
The result meant that he collected more points to increase his tally to 35 points and 15th place in the Drivers’ Championship Table. Meanwhile, he also increased his total to 147 points to remain in fourth place in the Jack Sears Trophy table.
