Mid-Term BTCC Report: Ronan Pearson

Mid-Term BTCC Report: Ronan Pearson

Having realised a dream by joining the British Touring Car Championship in 2023, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS racer Ronan Pearson has already secured another landmark moment in his career at the half-way stage of his second year.

Continuing to race with backing from Macklin Motors, Pearson showed his potential during pre-season testing after topping the times at Croft, meaning confidence was high going into round one of the year at Donington Park.

The young Scot made an immediate impression in qualifying as he successfully made it to the Quick Six element of the knock-out session, taking fifth on the grid for his best performance in the series to date.

In challenging conditions after rain led to racing being delayed, Pearson kicked off his campaign with fifth in race one but it would prove to be the highlight of the weekend as power steering gremlins meant he failed to score in the following two races.

Brands Hatch also didn’t start well when Pearson was run off the road in race one and failed to score, but he bounced back well to take eleventh place in race two – a result that then saw him drawn on pole for the final race of the weekend.

Taking his chance to shine in fine style, Pearson fought back from a slow start to quickly reclaim the lead of the race and would remain out front to secure a stunning maiden win – joining countrymen like John Cleland and Gordon Shedden on the BTCC victors list.

Although the best placed Hyundai on the grid at Snetterton, race day would prove to be a challenge with eleventh place in the opening race marking his only points finish of the weekend.

A gamble on slick tyres ahead of race two failed to pay off when rain started to fall, and being left with the hard tyre in race three left him down outside the top 15.

Thruxton marked a return to the points however, despite the fact that he would be stuck at the back of the grid having been unable to set a time in qualifying.

Jumping into the top 15 in race one, Pearson would go on to score a best result of tenth in the final race and his combined results would be enough to give him the round victory in the Jack Sears Trophy.

More points followed across the three races at Oulton Park despite Pearson being forced to contend with an electrical gremlin that hampered his starts in two of the races, and it means he hits the half-way stage of the year only four points shy of his 2023 total – and with circuits to come where he has strong last year.

Mid-season Facts & Figures:

• Races: 15
• Wins: 1
• Pole Positions: 0
• Qualifying Average: 12.20
• Podiums: 1
• Points Finishes: 10
• Points: 65
• Championship Position: 15th
• Race Laps: 248/268
• Laps Led: 24
• Fastest Laps: 1

Mid-season Landmarks:

• First BTCC Podium (Brands Hatch)
• First BTCC Win (Brands Hatch)

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