Tom Ingram has gone against all odds to win race one at Knockhill after chaotic laps after a sudden downpour. However, the result was in doubt following the race when a scrutineering official failed to get the ride height roller under Ingram’s car – resulting in his later exclusion. The last time Ingram was excluded was in 2018, at Knockhill, also for a ride height infringement.
The race got off to dramatic start on the formation lap as Dan Rowbottom came to a halt on his way to Taylor’s after the car had an electrical fault and shutdown. Even before the rain came the race already became eventful for Ingram. On lap two the EXCELR8 driver came together with Rory Butcher taking fourth place.
Not too long afterwards, Ash Sutton and Josh Cook traded places out front after Sutton ran wide at the Chicane. The two made contact as Cook took the lead past a sideways Sutton. Then the rain came.
On lap six the rain started at Taylor’s which became a full downpour one lap later. Only seven drivers pitted instantly for wet tyres putting them a lap down. Those drivers were Tom Chilton, Stephen Jelley, Sam Osborne, Ronan Pearson, Rob Huff, Daryl DeLeon and Jack Butel.
Ingram made his later race-winning pitstop on lap nine. Jake Hill came in one lap later and fell behind Ingram as the two of them headed the wet tyre runners.
On lap 11, the chaos had stepped up a notch. Sutton and Cook, still on dry tyres, came together at the bottom of Duffer’s Dip sending Cook into the barriers and out of the race, despite the latter having led seven of the opening ten laps. At the same time, Árón Taylor-Smith came together with Dan Lloyd one corner later, although both continued.
By lap 13 Sutton, Aiden Moffat, Butcher, Dan Cammish, Lloyd, Michael Crees and Jade Edwards were the top seven as the only drivers still on dry tyres. The weather became critical as it became evident with Sutton flying over the chicane and running off into the gravel. The #116 rejoined still in the lead.
The safety car came out on lap 16 as Crees had stopped on the side of the circuit and could not get going again. After making 19 places, Cammish pitted under that safety car for wet tyres and as the safety car came in, so did his teammate Sutton.
The then championship leader only fell to tenth due to amount of cars being more than a lap down. In a big twist in the championship it took Ingram one lap to pass the remaining dry tyre runners and lead the race as his rival had dropped to 10th.
Butcher and Moffat both had incidents on lap 18 as the last two dry runners could not handle the rain on slick rubber. This caused the second and final safety car of the race extending the distance to 27 laps.
Once the race got back underway with a stricken Moffat and DeLeon trackside, Sutton moved his way up quickly. The NAPA Racing UK car made its way back up to seventh place on the penultimate lap as the race came to a close.
Ingram would lead Hill across the line with a second EXCELR8 car of Chilton completing the podium. Andrew Watson, Jelley and Ricky Collard finished behind the podium and ahead of Sutton.
UPDATE – After the race, both Ingram and Chilton were excluded from the result for failing the post-race ride height check.
Along with this, both Sutton and Taylor-Smith smith received one second penalties. Both were for passing Pearson under yellow flags.
Another post race penalty is that Jelley has been handed a one second penalty for passing Collard under yellow flags.
Revised race results
| POS | NO | CL | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 24 | M |  |
Jake HILL | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | BMW 330e M Sport | 27 | 28:29.812 | 51.850 | 3 |
| 2 | 11 | I | |
Andrew WATSON | CarStore Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 27 | 6.792 | 52.648 | 15 |
| 3 | 37 | M | |
Ricky COLLARD | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 27 | 7.565 | 52.394 | 11 |
| 4 | 12 | M | |
Stephen JELLEY | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 27 | 8.049 | 52.509 | 18 |
| 5 | 14 | M | |
Ronan PEARSON | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 27 | 9.091 | 52.658 | 14 |
| 6 | 116 | M | |
Ashley SUTTON | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 27 | 9.381 | 51.771 | 1 |
| 7 | 40 | I |  |
Árón TAYLOR-SMITH | CarStore Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 27 | 9.922 | 52.651 | 12 |
| 8 | 42 | M | |
George GAMBLE | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 27 | 10.528 | 52.212 | 17 |
| 9 | 88 | I | |
Mikey DOBLE | CarStore Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 27 | 1.733 | 52.859 | 22 |
| 10 | 123 | I | |
Daniel LLOYD | Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils | CUPRA Leon | 26 | + 1 LAP | 52.505 | 10 |
| 11 | 4 | M | |
Colin TURKINGTON | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 26 | + 1 LAP | 52.108 | 8 |
| 12 | 17 | I | |
Dexter PATTERSON | Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD. | CUPRA Leon | 26 | + 1 LAP | 52.243 | 21 |
| 13 | 79 | I | |
Rob HUFF | Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown | CUPRA Leon | 26 | + 1 LAP | 53.120 | 20 |
| 14 | 27 | M | |
Dan CAMMISH | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 26 | + 1 LAP | 52.387 | 23 |
| 15 | 22 | M | |
Nick HALSTEAD | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 26 | + 1 LAP | 52.363 | 26 |
| 16 | 33 | M | |
Adam MORGAN | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 26 | + 1 LAP | 52.160 | 6 |
| 17 | 99 | I | |
Jade EDWARDS | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 26 | + 1 LAP | 52.369 | 19 |
| 18 | 77 | M | |
Sam OSBORNE | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 26 | + 1 LAP | 52.168 | 16 |
| 19 | 96 | I | |
Jack BUTEL | Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown | CUPRA Leon | 26 | + 1 LAP | 52.956 | 24 |
| 20 | 777 | I | |
Michael CREES | Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils | CUPRA Leon | 24 | + 3 LAPS | 53.140 | 25 |
| R | 18 | I | |
Daryl DELEON | Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD. | CUPRA Leon | 19 | DNF | 53.169 | 27 |
| R | 16 | I | |
Aiden MOFFAT | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 17 | DNF | 52.094 | 7 |
| R | 6 | M | |
Rory BUTCHER | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 17 | DNF | 51.969 | 4 |
| R | 66 | I | |
Josh COOK | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 10 | DNF | 51.547 | 2 |
| EX | 1 | M | |
Tom INGRAM | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 27 | 28:24.935 | 51.990 | 5 |
| EX | 3 | M | |
Tom CHILTON | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 27 | 5.915 | 52.418 | 9 |
| NS | 32 | M | |
Daniel ROWBOTTOM | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | – | DNS | N/A | 13 |