Restart Racing continued their 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign this weekend at Brands Hatch, taking on the iconic Indy circuit on a warm early summer’s day. Following a strong opening round at Donington Park, the team arrived at Brands Hatch with Chris leading the Independents’ Championship, aiming to build on the team’s early momentum.
After being quickest in free practice, Chris was slightly disappointed to qualify 11th, while Dan secured 8th, showing promising pace heading into the weekend’s three races. The team faced a strategic challenge with tyre choices, as both drivers needed to run the slower hard tyre in at least one race. Chris chose to get the hard tyre out of the way in race one, while Dan opted to save it for the final race of the day.
The first race saw Dan hold his starting position while Chris dropped to 12th, losing out to Ash Sutton’s Ford Focus, which had underperformed in qualifying. Dan was handed a five-second time penalty for a start infringement but showed great pace to climb up to 7th before the penalty was applied. Meanwhile, Chris, running on the hard tyre, faced a tough battle but maintained a solid pace, ultimately finishing 12th and the second of the drivers on the hard tyre. After the penalty, Dan finished 9th, putting both drivers in a good position to push forward in race two.
Race two started with a tough opening lap for Dan, dropping from 9th to 12th after running wide at Graham Hill Bend. In contrast, Chris made a strong start, moving from 12th to 9th. Chris continued to push, overtaking Mikey Doble to take the Independent lead on the next lap. Showing his race craft, Chris battled with championship leader Tom Ingram, eventually making his way past and setting up a move on Ash Sutton.
Dan’s luck took a turn for the worse as he was forced to pit after being shuffled off and forced to run through the grass at Surtees and McLaren, which blocked his radiator. Despite rejoining the race a lap down, he kept going to potentially pick up places if others failed to finish. A long safety car period bunched up the field, but another unusual safety car delay meant the race was extended to 27 laps (instead of the usual 24). Chris made the most of the late restart, making a decisive move on reigning champion Jake Hill to claim 5th, before passing Charles Rainford to secure 4th and the Independent race win. Dan finished in 21st, having done all he could to salvage something from the race.
The reverse grid race saw Chris start 9th but made a brilliant start, moving up to 4th with a bold outside pass at Paddock Hill Bend. Dan, starting on the hard tyre from 21st, struggled to make significant progress through the field. Chris maintained a strong position, battling with Tom Ingram and Dan Rowbottom, eventually moving up to 4th again before being overtaken by Sutton. Despite late pressure from Josh Cook, Chris secured 5th at the line, claiming his second Independent win of the day. Dan crossed the line in 22nd, having fought hard throughout the race.
The team leaves Brands Hatch with plenty of positives to build on. Chris retains his lead in the Independents’ Championship, while Dan remains confident that his pace will soon be rewarded. The team also leads the Independents’ Teams Championship after another strong weekend.
Chris: “Another really positive day here at Brands Hatch. We started off the day feeling like we were out of position. In race one, we took the hard tyre, moved up a few positions, and finished P12. The pace on the hard tyre actually gave us a better end to the day, and it was a real strength for us.
In race two, we started P12 and moved up to P4. It was one of those races where we were making good moves and showing strong pace. It’s just a pity the safety car stayed out as long as it did. I really think that if the safety car hadn’t stayed out so long, we would have been on the podium.
Race three, starting in P6, we gained one place and finished P5, taking another independent win. So, two independent wins out of three races today.
Really looking forward to Snetterton in a few weeks’ time. We were strong there last year, so I’m really looking forward to heading back.”
Dan: “To sum up today, disaster. Another disaster. The weekend started really well again, with positive pace. We nearly got into Q3.
Race one, we finished seventh on the road, but got unlucky with a five-second penalty, and it just got worse from there. In race two, I got caught up in someone else’s incident, which meant I had to come into the pits.
For race three, we had to run the hard tyre, starting from the back, so the pace just wasn’t there to move forward. Just another day to forget for me.
But on the positive side, the car is quick, so my time will come.”
Pete Jones, Team Owner: “So here we are at Brands Hatch at the end of race day. I’ve always described running the team as being like a father, and my drivers are my sons. Today, I’m very happy for one of them. Chris drove magnificently in races two and three, and some of the moves he pulled off were right up there with the best drivers on this grid.
On the other hand, Dan’s luck just didn’t break for him today. I really feel for him, he’s had a disappointing day, and I just end up having mixed feelings about it all.
But well done, Chris.”