Ash Sutton
The four-time champion set the benchmark at the opening round at Donington Park last month. Following a disaster in the qualifying race, he recovered to take race two and three wins and leads the championship going into this weekend.
After exiting the qualifying race in dramatic fashion following a battle with Tom Ingram, Sutton had it all to do starting at the back for the opening race of the season.
Nevertheless, he showed his speed and experience to rise from 21st to second by the chequered flag.
Sutton will be looking to add to the existing BTCC wins he has at Brands Hatch and extend his early lead at the top.
Tom Ingram
The reigning champion will be looking to return to winning ways after a tough opening round.
After putting his Hyundai i30 on pole for the qualifying race, he lost out to Dan Rowbottom and was forced to settle for second.
In the opening race of the season, he crossed the line first, but was later disqualified for a boost infringement.
As a result, he started race two from the rear of the field. Things got even worse for the 2025 champion as he was involved in a lap one skirmish, which meant he would again start from the back for race three.
However, this time he was able to make progress after avoiding incident and replicated Sutton’s race one drive to finish second, ending his difficult weekend on a high.
The two-time champion tends to go well at Brands, and the chaos of the Indy Circuit layout could benefit him.
Dan Cammish
Cammish had a strong opening round and sits fourth in the standings going in to this weekend.
The consistency we saw from the 37-year-old last season continued at Donington as he picked up fourth, second and tenth place finishes across the opening three rounds of the season.
The NAPA Racing Ford Focus again looks competitive this season, and Cammish will be looking to build on his strong Donington Park showing.
After finishing third in the standings last season, a few more wins this season could see Cammish emerge as a title contender.
Aiden Moffat
Moffat was another driver who had a great start to his 2026 campaign at Donington Park.
The 29-year-old currently sits third in the standings and second in the Independent Championship.
After qualifying eighth for race one, Moffat went on to take sixth and two fourth-place finishes in the next two races.
With both car and driver looking quick so far this season, Moffat could emerge as not only a contender for the Independent Championship, but also for overall honours.
Charles Rainford
The current leader of the Independent Championship and second to Sutton in the overall standings.
Rainford may not have taken any wins at Donington, but his consistency, matched with his podium in race one, has put him in a strong position going into this weekend.
The 27-year-old’s pace may have come as a surprise to some, but after a strong opening season in the series last year, which featured a win at Brands Hatch, Rainford will be one to watch not just this weekend, but for the rest of the season.
This weekend, the series will take to the Indy layout, with racing beginning on Saturday with the opening practice set to take place at 10:50 BST. Keep an eye out for our full preview later this week.
