British Touring Car Championship Pre-Season Test at Croft Circuit

BTCC 2026 Pre-Season Testing Gets Underway at Croft

The 2026 British Touring Car Championship officially roared into life at Croft Circuit on 24–25 March, as all 20 drivers took to the track for the first major pre-season test.

The BTCC Test at Croft day one belonged to reigning champion Tom Ingram, who set the pace in dry morning conditions. The Team VERTU driver dipped beneath his own Croft lap record in an impressive early statement, leading a Hyundai one-two alongside teammate Tom Chilton, with Ash Sutton completing the top three.

However, the opening day proved to be a tale of two halves. As heavy rain swept across the North Yorkshire circuit in the afternoon, conditions flipped dramatically—playing perfectly into the hands of three-time champion Gordon Shedden, who rose to the top of the wet-weather timesheets.

Across the full two-day test, it was Daryl DeLeon the 2025 Jack Sears Trophy Champion who ultimately stole the headlines. The West Surrey Racing driver produced a standout lap to go fastest overall, signalling strong early pace from the BMW squad.

With mixed conditions, varied run plans, and different fuel and tyre strategies in play, outright lap times only tell part of the story—but one thing is already clear: the 2026 season is shaping up to be fiercely competitive.

BTCC Test at Croft 2026 Pre-Season Testing: Team-by-Team Analysis from Croft

Here’s how each team fared:

West Surrey Racing (BMW 330i M Sport)

Daryl DeLeon emerged as the headline act, firing in a 1:20.417 lap on Day 2—quicker than last year’s pole time at Croft. It’s an early statement of intent from the BMW squad. Teammate Charles Rainford also impressed, placing himself firmly inside the top five and reinforcing WSR’s strength in depth.

Verdict: Early pace-setters. BMW looks immediately competitive.

Team VERTU (Hyundai i30 Fastback N)

Reigning champion Tom Ingram picked up where he left off, topping the opening day in dry conditions and ending the test third overall. Tom Chilton backed him up well with a top-five result, underlining the consistency of the Hyundai package.

Verdict: Calm, consistent, and right in the mix again.

Restart Racing

James Dorlin came within a whisker of topping the entire test, missing out by just 0.027 seconds after a strong Day 2 run. It was one of the standout performances of the event and suggests Restart Racing could be a genuine dark horse this season.

Verdict: Quietly impressive—one to watch.

NAPA Racing UK (Ford Focus Titanium)

Mileage was the name of the game here, with the team completing a staggering 652 laps across its four-car line-up. The Focus didn’t dominate the timesheets, but reliability and data collection were clearly the priority.

Verdict: Maximum track time, solid foundations.

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport (Toyota Corolla)

Three-time champion Gordon Shedden led the way when the rain arrived, setting the fastest wet time of the test. While the outright pace in dry conditions wasn’t headline-grabbing, the Corolla continues to show signs of steady improvement.

Verdict: Progressing well, especially in tricky conditions.

Speedworks Motorsport (Toyota Corolla)

Running alongside its NAPA counterpart, Speedworks continued refining the Corolla package throughout the test. Like several teams, outright lap times were secondary to long-run consistency and setup work.

Verdict: Methodical preparation over headline pace.

Plato Racing (Mercedes A35 Saloon)

This test marked the first official outing for the team’s new Mercedes machinery, with Daniel Rowbottom and Adam Morgan both showing encouraging speed. With a brand-new package, simply completing a clean programme was a win in itself.

Verdict: Promising debut with room to grow.

Power Maxed Racing (Audi A3 Saloon)

The Audi trio of Aiden Moffat, Mikey Doble, and Dexter Patterson focused on an extensive shakedown programme. All three drivers logged valuable mileage as the team worked through early-season checks. Power Maxed Racing extend its stay at Croft with an additional, privately-run test day after the official test.

Verdict: Productive test, building momentum.

BTCC Croft Testing Overview

Across the two days:

• 2,268 laps completed
• Over 4,800 miles covered
• Mixed conditions from dry to heavy rain

BTCC Test at Croft – Final Thoughts

If Croft is any indication, the 2026 season is shaping up to be fiercely competitive. The WSR BMW has laid down an early marker. Team VERTU remains consistently strong, and several challengers are already showing signs of breaking into the fight. As always, testing times should be taken with caution, given the variety of fuel loads, tyre strategies, and run plans in play.

Attention now turns to Brands Hatch, where the official Season Launch and final pre-season test will take place on the 8th April 2026. The countdown to lights out has well and truly begun.

Croft BTCC Test Day 1 Combined Results 

Pos	Driver	Team	Car	Time
1	Tom Ingram	Team VERTU	Hyundai i30 N	1:20.455
2	Tom Chilton	Team VERTU	Hyundai i30 N	+0.201s
3	Ash Sutton	NAPA Racing UK	Ford Focus Titanium	+0.486s
4	Lewis Selby	Duckhams Racing	Ford Focus Titanium	+0.412s
5	Josh Cook	Toyota Gazoo Racing UK	Toyota Corolla	+0.020s

Croft BTCC Test Day 2 Combined Results 

Pos	Driver	Team	Car	Time
1	Daryl DeLeon	West Surrey Racing	BMW 330i M Sport	1:20.417
2	James Dorlin	Restart Racing	Hyundai i30 N	+0.027
3	Charles Rainford	West Surrey Racing	BMW 330i M Sport	+0.133
4	Dan Cammish	NAPA Racing UK	Ford Focus Titanium	+0.388
5	Ashley Sutton	NAPA Racing UK	Ford Focus Titanium	+0.477

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