Power Maxed Racing claimed a 1-2-4 in British Touring Car Championship free practice at Knockhill on the first anniversary of its miracle return from a disastrous fire.
The Midlands squad’s Vauxhall Astras were among the casualties of the blaze, which destroyed its premises 12 months ago.
But the team arrived phoenix-like at Knockhill with loaned and hastily prepared Cupra Leons, with which it finished the 2025 season.
Twelve months on, three of PMR’s new-for-2026 Audi A3 Saloons featured at the sharp end of the 50-minute weekend warm-up.
Aiden Moffat led the way from Dexter Patterson in a Scottish 1-2 for the BTCC’s annual trip north of the border, to the tune of 0.080 seconds, while Mikey Doble – the top PMR driver in the points standings – was fourth.
Patterson was on a further hot lap when he lost it at Duffus Dip, bouncing across the grass before regaining the circuit.
Even before free practice, this was a landmark weekend for PMR, which has expanded to a four-car entry for the first time. The returning Nick Halstead is making his first BTCC appearance of 2026 with the team, and he brought up the rear of the 23-car field.
Knockhill track
Photo by: JEP
Among the Audis were the Plato Racing Mercedes A35 Saloons, with Dan Rowbottom going third fastest and Adam Morgan fifth. Rowbottom set the fastest ‘theoretical’ best of the session based on a merger of best sector times, but was one of six to be sin-binned for accumulated track-limits offences.
The Midlander, Lewis Selby and James Dorlin were all black-flagged towards the end of the session, while Dan Cammish, Nic Hamilton and Ricky Collard were all pulled in earlier.
Sixth and seventh were two of the Hyundai i30 N Fastbacks, with Chris Smiley of Restart Racing leading the Excelr8 Motorsport machine of reigning champion Tom Ingram.
Eighth was Daryl De Leon in his West Surrey Racing BMW 330i M Sport, ahead of the fastest of the Speedworks Motorsport-run Toyota Corolla GR Sports in the hands of Aron Taylor-Smith, and Collard’s Excelr8 Hyundai.
Collard is celebrating the extension of what was initially a half-season deal with Excelr8, and guarantees him a further three rounds – Knockhill, Donington Park and Croft.
Runaway championship leader Ash Sutton was buried in the midfield with his team-mates from the Alliance Racing-run NAPA Ford Focus Titanium squad, with 14th place amid a 13-14-15-16 for the team.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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