Ashley Sutton bemoaned an “unreal” weekend in the latest Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship meeting at Snetterton.
A hero at Croft after collecting his maiden BTCC victory at only the 15th attempt, the Triple Eight rookie endured a difficult meeting in Norfolk along with team-mate, Josh Cook.
Sutton was victim to a puncture in race one and a heavy accident in the second encounter of the day, following another strong qualifying showing of eighth on Saturday.
Speaking to The Checkered Flag after a bruising Sunday, Sutton said: “I thought Oulton Park was bad – that was a disaster. It’s been an unreal weekend to be honest.”
Sutton and team-mate Cook were both victims of identical right-front punctures within a lap of each other in race one of the day, a catalyst for the former who was forced to recover from the rear of the grid in race two.
A charge was halted unceremoniously on the opening lap of race two however, caught up in a seven-car accident on the Bentley Straight that sparked a tireless repair job by Triple Eight before the third encounter.
“Literally, Cook got his puncture and then a lap later, I got the same puncture”, Sutton said on race one. “It’s odd that we got it in the same place. We looked after our tyres, but suddenly it let go. It was a real shame because we were P4 and had a really good start, but unfortunately that set the stone for the rest of the weekend and put me into the wrong end of the grid.
“[In race two] I was literally a passenger. The boys did a proper, proper job to get it back out. I can’t thank them enough.”
Sutton and Cook fought to 14th and ninth respectively in the final race of the day, now heading to Knockhill 12th and 13th in the championship.
Sutton concluded: “I’m black and blue, and ready for a bath!”
