Restart Racing continued their strong start to the 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season with an impressive showing at Snetterton, the longest circuit on the calendar and always a fan favourite. Coming into the weekend, Chris led the Independents’ Championship, and the team held the lead in the Independent Teams’ standings.
In dry conditions and with a packed crowd in Norfolk, both Chris and Dan showed strong pace from the outset. Dan narrowly missed out on the qualifying quick six and lined up 7th, while Chris, after a strong showing in practice, qualified 12th but felt there was more in the car. With the soft tyre significantly quicker than the hard, by nearly three seconds per lap, the team opted to save the hard tyre for race three.
Race one saw both drivers on the soft compound and off to a strong start. Dan passed Mikey Doble to take the lead in the Independents and quickly climbed to 7th, before making further moves to finish 5th overall, taking his first Independent win of the season. Chris made strong progress through the field, passing multiple rivals to take 8th overall and second in the Independents, marking the team’s first-ever 1–2 Independent finish in BTCC.
In race two, both drivers again made quick starts. Dan held his ground before fighting his way past Ash Sutton and then Dan Rowbottom to take the lead which was the first time Restart Racing has led a BTCC race outright. He was later passed by Adam Morgan and Tom Chilton in the final laps, both using their turbo boost to full effect, but still finished 4th and claimed another Independent win. Chris once again showed strong race pace, battling his way into 5th and earning an extra championship point by setting the fastest lap.
Race three looked set to be another big opportunity with Chris due to start on the front row in 2nd and Dan starting 3rd. However, an electrical issue meant Chris was unable to start the race on time and joined four laps down, effectively ending his day. Dan, now on the hard tyre, made a good start but was unable to hold position as the race unfolded. Despite his efforts, he dropped down the order to finish 16th as one of the few cars running the much slower tyre.
Despite the tough end to the day, the team leaves Snetterton with plenty to be proud of. Dan’s back-to-back Independent wins and two top-five finishes mark his strongest performance of the season so far. Chris remains firmly in the championship fight after two strong results in the opening races and continues to show front-running pace. The team also retains the lead in the Independent Teams’ Championship.
Chris: “So that’s Snetterton over and done. Overall, a positive day.
Race one this morning, we started P12 and raced our way up to P8. In race two, we got a good start and finished P5. Dan was the first Independent and I was second, so it was good points for the championship overall as well. The car felt really good.
In the reverse grid for race three, we were meant to be starting P2, but unfortunately, an electrical problem meant the car wouldn’t start. The boys worked really, really hard in the garage to try and get it going, but yeah, I’m just gutted we didn’t get the opportunity to start from the front.
We were on the hard tyre, but there were definitely still points available for both the overall and Independent championships.
As I say, the pace has been good all day. I set the fastest lap in race two, the car felt great, and I’m really looking forward to Thruxton in a few weeks’ time.”
Dan: “All right, so finished here at Snetterton — really good day. Two Independent wins, two top fives. A really strong result.
Chris had a good race one and two as well, so we’ve increased the gap in the Independent Teams’ standings. It was really unfortunate for him in race three.
I was on the hard tyre for the last race and we got pushed back a bit, but nevertheless, it was a really good day overall.
I just feel like there’s a bit of a weight lifted off my shoulders after a tough start to the season, so I’m still really, really happy. The team did a great job, gave me a great car, and I just want to thank everyone for the support at the start of the season during a couple of tough rounds.
I’m looking forward to Thruxton now.”
Championship Standings after Snetterton:
- Overall Drivers’ Championship: Chris – 8th, Dan – 14th
- Overall Teams’ Championship: 5th
- Independent Drivers’ Championship: Chris – 2nd (2 pts behind), Dan – 4th
- Independent Teams’ Championship: 1st
View the full standings here.