Reigning champion Colin Turkington took a commanding win in round 22 of the British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton to move level on points with series leader Ash Sutton.
Team BMW driver Turkington, who now is tied with Sutton in his pursuit of a fifth title, held off an early charge by Tom Ingram on the opening lap before managing to build a substantial lead throughout the remainder of the race.
The polesitter made a fine start in the rear-wheel drive BMW and would lead from start-to-finish, leaving Ingram and Jake Hill behind to fight for second place.
Hill, who had started second on the grid, was leapfrogged by the Toyota GAZOO Racing UK with Ginsters’s man off the line with the duo continuing to battle throughout the race.
The pair made contact on lap seven at the Wilson hairpin after the Honda Civic driver made a late dive up the inside, sending Ingram into a half-spin with Hill seemingly claiming second as a result.
But just a few corners later and with a somewhat bemused Ingram behind, Hill opted to let him back past for the position and couldn’t make another move on him for the rest of the 12 laps.
Rory Butcher, who took fourth, had appeared to be closing on Hill ahead in the later stages, but the Motorbase Ford driver couldn’t quite get close enough to try a move.
Now co-championship leader Sutton in the Laser Tools Racing Infiniti claimed fifth place in race one of the day, but things could have turned out differently at the first corner after he made contact with Ollie Jackson.
Sutton was caught out by a damp track in the early stages and tagged the Motorbase Ford driver, but the former champion didn’t drop any positions, unlike Jackson and Tom Oliphant who both spun onto the wet grass.
Dan Cammish, who is now eight points behind the two series leaders in third place in the championship, finished sixth with Adam Morgan, Josh Cook, Senna Proctor and an impressive Michael Crees completing the top 10.
Series debutants Paul Rivett and Jess Hawkins finished 22nd and 24th respectively and for the remaining two races of the day will carry no penalty weight, while Ethan Hammerton and Glynn Geddie took 24th and 25th as the pair returned to the series.
Race two of the day takes place at 13:07 GMT this afternoon.
Race result
| POS | NO | CL | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 1 | M | Colin TURKINGTON |  |
Team BMW | BMW 330i M Sport | 12 | 23:50.231 | 1:57.635 | 1 |
| 2 | 80 | M | Tom INGRAM | |
Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters | Toyota Corolla | 12 | 2.570 | 1:57.749 | 3 |
| 3 | 24 | I | Jake HILL | |
MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square | Honda Civic Type-R | 12 | 3.949 | 1:58.085 | 2 |
| 4 | 6 | I | Rory BUTCHER | |
Motorbase Performance | Ford Focus ST | 12 | 5.135 | 1:57.991 | 4 |
| 5 | 116 | I | Ashley SUTTON | |
Laser Tools Racing | Infiniti Q50 | 12 | 7.125 | 1:57.916 | 6 |
| 6 | 27 | M | Dan CAMMISH | |
Halfords Yuasa Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 12 | 8.916 | 1:58.242 | 5 |
| 7 | 32 | I | Adam MORGAN | |
Carlube Triple R Racing with Mac Tools | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 12 | 9.415 | 1:58.064 | 10 |
| 8 | 66 | I | Josh COOK | |
BTC Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 12 | 14.668 | 1:58.172 | 12 |
| 9 | 18 | I | Senna PROCTOR | |
Excelr8 Motorsport | Hyundai i30 Fastback N | 12 | 21.105 | 1:59.255 | 11 |
| 10 | 777 | I | Michael CREES | |
The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 12 | 25.165 | 1:58.601 | 17 |
| 11 | 22 | I | Chris SMILEY | |
Excelr8 Motorsport | Hyundai i30 Fastback N | 12 | 26.205 | 1:59.139 | 13 |
| 12 | 12 | I | Stephen JELLEY | |
Team Parker Racing | BMW 125i M Sport | 12 | 26.968 | 1:58.825 | 15 |
| 13 | 25 | M | Matt NEAL | |
Halfords Yuasa Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 12 | 27.199 | 1:58.689 | 16 |
| 14 | 15 | M | Tom OLIPHANT | |
Team BMW | BMW 330i M Sport | 12 | 29.603 | 1:58.778 | 7 |
| 15 | 41 | I | Carl BOARDLEY | |
Team HARD. | BMW 125i M Sport | 12 | 30.274 | 1:59.166 | 21 |
| 16 | 3 | I | Tom CHILTON | |
BTC Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 12 | 32.531 | 1:59.081 | 14 |
| 17 | 4 | I | Sam OSBORNE | |
MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square | Honda Civic Type-R | 12 | 33.342 | 1:59.143 | 18 |
| 18 | 31 | I | Jack GOFF | |
RCIB Insurance Racing with Fox Transport | Volkswagen CC | 12 | 33.532 | 1:59.214 | 19 |
| 19 | 222 | I | Paul RIVETT | |
GKR TradePriceCars.com | Audi S3 | 12 | 37.581 | 1:59.831 | 20 |
| 20 | 32 | I | Jack BUTEL | |
Carlube Triple R Racing with Mac Tools | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 12 | 40.103 | 1:59.728 | 26 |
| 21 | 48 | I | Ollie JACKSON | |
Motorbase Performance | Ford Focus ST | 12 | 46.232 | 1:58.614 | 8 |
| 22 | 39 | I | Jessica HAWKINS | |
Power Maxed Car Care Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 12 | 51.869 | 2:00.517 | 22 |
| 23 | 28 | I | Nicolas HAMILTON | |
ROKiT Racing with Team HARD. | Volkswagen CC | 12 | 55.861 | 2:00.760 | 27 |
| 24 | 23 | I | Ethan HAMMERTON | |
GKR TradePriceCars.com | Audi S3 | 12 | 1:08.252 | 2:01.291 | 25 |
| 25 | 88 | I | Glynn GEDDIE | |
RCIB Insurance Racing with Fox Transport | Volkswagen CC | 12 | 1:21.761 | 2:00.834 | 24 |
| 26 | 44 | I | Andy NEATE | |
Motorbase Performance | Ford Focus ST | 11 | 1:49.522 | 2:00.838 | 23 |
| 27 | 16 | I | Aiden MOFFAT | |
Laser Tools Racing | Infiniti Q50 | 14 | 1 Lap | 1:58.068 | 9 |
