Ash Sutton believes that the first British Touring Car Championship race at Knockhill on Sunday ‘won’t be plain sailing’, with the championship contender lining up alongside Subaru team-mate Jason Plato.
Sutton secured second on the starting grid for race one, having been pipped to the top time by Plato in the closing seconds of the session on a drying track.
Even though Sutton is in title contention and Plato is 150 points adrift of the 23-year-old, Sutton admits that he’s not going to take things for granted, as he points out that 95-time race winner Plato is also eager to get closer to the 100 wins mark.
“I’m pleased, it’s great for the team to have both of us up there,” said Sutton to TouringCars.Net. “As long as Jason and I have our heads bolted on tomorrow and work together then I’m feeling pretty confident.
“He’s also got his own achievements [to look out for]; yes, he’s a team player, but I know full well that he wants his 100 race wins. It’s not going to be a given – I think if that [100th win] wasn’t on the cards, it may be a different story.
“We have to just wait and see. No doubt there will be talks about what we need to do and what we should do, and whether we follow those is another thing!
“Jason and I have already agreed that we’re going to work together in the past, so I think now is the time to prove it.”
Sutton also warned of the threat from the factory BMW drivers of Colin Turkington and Rob Collard who locked out the second row of the grid.
“I think James Cole will leapfrog [Tom Ingram] and make it a five-car [rear-wheel drive] train. No doubt the BMWs will be hungry, they won’t want the two Subarus to stay in front. It’s going to be tricky, it’s not going to be plain sailing.”