BTCC brings thrilling weekend of racing to Croft Circuit

The circuit hosted rounds 22, 23 and 24 of the championship across Saturday (September 5) and Sunday (September 6), as the 2026 season entered its crucial closing stages.

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Crowds packed into the venue throughout the weekend to watch some of the country’s leading touring car drivers tackle one of the most demanding circuits on the BTCC calendar.

Croft’s 2.13-mile layout features 16 corners and is regarded as one of the championship’s toughest all-round tests, combining fast sections with a highly technical sequence of bends.

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

The North Yorkshire circuit has a long association with the British Touring Car Championship, having first hosted a BTCC race in 1968 before becoming a regular fixture again following its return to the calendar in the late 1990s.

This year’s visit came later in the season than Croft’s traditional pre-summer-break slot, with the meeting following the championship’s visit to Donington Park GP and helping to begin the run-in towards the season finale.

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Saturday’s programme included BTCC free practice from 10.15am before qualifying got under way during the afternoon.

Fans were also treated to a BTCC qualifying race over 11 laps, alongside action from the Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain, MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, Wera Tools F4 British Championship and Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain.

Sunday brought the main race-day action, beginning with a pit lane walkabout and autograph session which gave spectators the chance to get closer to the teams and drivers.

Three 15-lap BTCC contests then took place at 12.10pm, 2.30pm and 5.15pm, forming rounds 22, 23 and 24 of the championship.

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 2026 at Croft Circuit (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

A packed support programme continued throughout the afternoon, with Formula 4, Porsche and MINI racing adding to the spectacle.

Croft is particularly popular with motorsport supporters across the North East and North Yorkshire because of its proximity to Darlington, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and York.

The circuit has also developed a reputation for producing close and unpredictable touring car racing, while traditionally being considered particularly well suited to rear-wheel-drive vehicles.

Tom Ingram holds both of Croft’s current BTCC benchmarks after setting the qualifying lap record of 1m 20.522s, at an average speed of 95.85mph, and the race lap record of 1m 21.374s during the 2025 meeting.