Mikey Doble charges to maiden BTCC victory at Snetterton
Chris Ashby-Brown • March 18, 2026
Mikey Doble enjoyed his ‘day of days’ at Snetterton this past weekend (May 24-25) as he produced a masterful drive in race three to claim his first-ever victory in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.
After previously coming close on a number of occasions, the Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing driver was not to be denied in the reverse grid encounter as he drove a flawless race to realise a childhood dream and become a BTCC race winner.
In becoming the latest driver to triumph in the UK’s premier motorsport series, the 26-year-old’s victory was the first for an Independent team in 1001 days and the first for Power Maxed Racing in 156 races.
Coming off the back of a strong start to his season, Doble arrived at the Norfolk venue brimming with optimism and his aspirations were raised further when he delivered a stunning set of laps in qualifying to secure fourth on the grid for race one.
Deciding to adopt a different strategy to those around him and run the less favourable hard tyre in race one, the Vauxhall Astra racer produced a battling drive to take the chequered flag in ninth place.
With the pain of that tyre now out the way, the front-wheel-drive ace got his elbows out and managed to fight his way up to sixth place in race two. That would then become pole position for the day’s third and final contest following the reverse grid draw.
Making a perfect start as the lights went out, last year’s Jack Sears Trophy champion was peerless as he broke clear of the chasing pack to build up an early lead - however as is the way in the BTCC, he wouldn’t have things all his own way.
Heading into the closing stages, Doble was hunted down by four-time champion Ash Sutton and with the Ford Focus ST driver looming in his mirrors, the Surrey-based racer needed to be wheel-perfect all the way to the finish.
Doble did just that and he crossed the line to raptures of applause as he became the latest first-time winner. In addition, he also moved to the summit of the Independent Drivers’ Championship and now sits tenth in the overall Drivers’ Championship.
Mikey Doble: “I’m lost for words really. I’ve never been one to show too much emotion but I think everyone that’s been on this journey with me has demonstrated just how much this means. To now be able to call myself a BTCC race winner is absolutely incredible.
“I come from a racing family and simply being in this championship is a feat in itself. We don’t take anything for granted so this win means the world to us; coming into this season this was always the aim and I’m so proud to have got it done.
“Qualifying in P4 I sort of knew that I probably wouldn’t have the outright pace to run with the three in front of me so I thought let’s be a bit different and run the hard tyre in race one - all in the hope of playing the long game.
“Hanging onto P9 was a great result in race one and then to move up to P6 on the soft tyre set us up perfectly for race three, especially when we got drawn onto pole position. I just got my head down and tried to build a gap as those on hard tyres provided that buffer to the other soft runners.
“I’ll admit that those last few laps were a bit nerve-wracking but that’s to be expected when arguably the best driver of this generation is chasing you down. Thankfully I just focused on the job in hand, hit my marks and brought it home.
“It’s going to take a little while to sink in but I’ve got say a massive thank you to everyone at Power Maxed Racing as they truly deserve this win. I’ve also got to thank my family, friends and sponsors for their continued support on this journey.”
The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship next heads to the fastest circuit in the UK, Thruxton, for Rounds 10, 11 & 12 on June 7-8.
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Mikey Doble remains the driver to beat in the Independents Trophy after tallying his fourth win of the season at Thruxton on what was a fast and furious weekend in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship. Returning to action following the series’ mid-season break, the LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver punched in an ultra-consistent performance to extend his advantage at the top of the Drivers’ standings to 23 points. Arriving at the Hampshire circuit having clocked valuable mileage in his Audi A3 Saloon during a recent test at Pembrey, the 27-year-old wasted no time in hitting the ground running on Saturday as he set the fourth fastest time in practice. Come the Qualifying Race later that afternoon, the two-time race winner found himself in the thick of the action as he went wheel-to-wheel with a number of drivers before taking the chequered flag in ninth place. Starting on the fifth row of the grid for the first of Sunday’s three races around the 2.36-mile circuit, the former Jack Sears Trophy title winner went on to wow the crowds with a captivating battle with the Restart Racing Hyundai of James Dorlin. Getting the better of Dorlin in the opening exchanges, Doble then covered him off in the remaining laps with a wheel-perfect display that crucially secured him a fourth Independent win of the season. With the field so tightly bunched together, Doble spent the remaining two races in the midst of the midfield battle, clinching a brace of top tens. Crucially, these translated into second and fourth place finishes when it came to the Independents Trophy. In addition to extending his own lead in the Independents Drivers’ Championship over the course of the weekend, Doble also ensured that LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing remain out front in the Independents Teams’ too. Mikey Doble: “It’s been one of those weekend’s where we’ve ticked all the boxes in terms of scoring an Independent win and extending our lead in the championship, yet I’m leaving having wanted a little more. “We had a really good two-day test at Pembrey and the work that we carried out there left me feeling pretty confident that we could win some races this weekend. Sadly that didn’t materialise as we didn’t quite have the balance we wanted in the car. “Saturday was strong, and that set us up for a solid Sunday where we chipped away. Getting that Independents win in race one was a great way to start the day and we then just tried to keep our nose clean and make as much progress as possible in the remaining two races. “Obviously I’d have liked a little more results-wise but to come away having stretched our lead is something we can’t turn our nose up at. I’m unsure how we’ll fare at Knockhill but I know the team will pull out all the stops to ensure we have as strong a car as possible.” The 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season continues in less than two weeks time as the series makes its annual trip north of the border to Knockhill on August 8-9.
Mikey Doble enjoyed a return to form in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park this past weekend (June 6-7) as he tallied points in all three races and extended his lead in the Independent Drivers’ standings. The LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver had extra reason to celebrate at the Cheshire circuit too as race three marked his 100th start in the UK’s premier motorsport series Heading into the fourth event of the season looking to bounce back from a challenging outing at Snetterton, where searing temperatures hampered the team’s new-for-2026 Audi A3 Saloons, the 27-year-old welcomed the cooler conditions as he looked to fight for front-running honours. Saturday saw the two-time race winner enjoy a strong start to proceedings as he set the fourth fastest time in practice before he then went on to secure sixth place in a frantic Qualifying Race later that afternoon. Opting to run the soft tyre in race one on Sunday, the former Jack Sears Trophy champion wowed the crowds as he and team-mate Aiden Moffat played their part a thrilling battle - one which culminated in Doble taking the chequered flag in sixth. The Surrey racer went one better in race two as he again revelled in another wheel-to-wheel duel on the soft tyre. This time it was Aron Taylor-Smith that Doble diced with and after hounding the Toyota for a majority of the contest, he finally got the better of him to clinch fifth overall. Doble closed out his weekend with a measured drive in an action-packed reverse grid finale - which was also his 100th in the BTCC. Forced to run the less favourable hard tyre, Doble kept his nose clean to bank valuable points in 11th. As a result of his strong showing, Doble heads into the series’ annual summer break with a five-point lead at the top of the Independent Drivers’ Championship and sitting seventh in the overall Drivers’ Championship. Mikey Doble: “It’s been a good return to form after what was a tricky Snetterton. Oulton Park always throws up close racing and this year was no different so to be walking away with a strong haul of points is great. “We rolled the car out on Saturday in a good place and I was pleased with my performance in the Qualifying Race to clinch sixth. Then the battles I had with Aiden and Aron in races one and two were really enjoyable; it was hard yet fair touring car racing. “Obviously we banked on it raining for race three, hence why we left the hard tyre until then, but it sadly never came. We made the best of it and now head into the summer break in a great place. And what’s exciting is that there is much more to come from the car. “Finally, to have achieved 100 races in the BTCC is fantastic achievement and the fact that every one of them has been with Power Maxed Racing makes it even more special. Thank you to them, my partners and family for all their support and here’s to the next 100!” The 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season continues on July 25-26 at Thruxton.
Mikey Doble remains firmly in contention towards the top of the Independent Drivers’ Championship despite enduring a challenging third event of the season in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this past weekend (May 23-24). On what proved to be a scorching visit to Snetterton, the LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver showed his fighting spirit to battle both the heat and the competition to tally a trio of points finishes in his Audi A3 Saloon. Returning to the scene of his first-ever BTCC victory, Doble arrived at the Norfolk venue off the back of strong results at Donington Park and Brands Hatch; and as a result that meant he headed into Saturday’s Qualifying Race with a limited amount of TOCA Turbo Boost at his disposal. Securing 14th on the grid for the first of Sunday’s three contests, the 27-year-old elected to run the less preferable option tyre in race one. Getting his elbows out, the former Jack Sears Trophy champion produced a battling performance to hold his position come the chequered flag. With the faster soft tyre available for the remaining two races and the full allocation of boost, Doble had hoped to make further progress in races two and three however the high temperatures would slightly put pay to that. Suffering from a lack of engine performance owing to the searing heat, Doble made the best of what he had and ultimately walked away finishing on the fringes of the top ten in both remaining races. As a result, the Surrey racer is now tied at the top of the Independent Drivers’ Championship with Gordon Shedden, while he also remains inside the top ten of the overall Drivers’ Championship as the series next heads to Oulton Park. Mikey Doble: “It’s been a challenging weekend for us but it’s one where I come away holding my head held high as I know that I’ve maximised absolutely everything that both myself and the car had. “The temperatures really hampered us in certain areas with the car and that then made it difficult for us to make any real progress. Given the amount of TOCA Turbo Boost we had, race one was always going to be tough so we opted to run the medium tyre and get it out of the way. "I was pretty pleased with how I drove and had hoped that when we bolted the soft tyre on we’d be able to move forward. That sadly wasn’t the case but we made the best of what we had and was ultimately able to score points in all three races. “While the results haven’t been what we hoped for, this weekend has been hugely beneficial as its highlighted some areas that we need to focus on. Hopefully it will be a bit cooler at Oulton Park and then we can get back to where we should be, which is towards the front of the field.” The 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season continues in less than two weeks’ time at Oulton Park on June 6-7.
Mikey Doble maintained his strong start to the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season at Brands Hatch this past weekend (9-10 May) as he charged to an overall podium and a brace of Independent wins. On what proved to be a frenetic and at times unpredictable race day at the Kent circuit, the LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver kept his cool to elevate himself up to third in the Drivers’ Championship and to the summit of the Independent Drivers’ Championship. Following on from a memorable season-opener that saw him score a debut victory for the team’s new Audi A3 Saloon, Doble arrived at his home circuit optimistic of challenging for more silverware, having shown plenty of promise around the Indy layout during pre-season testing. Performing well during Saturday’s practice session, the Surrey-based driver went on to enjoy a relatively sedate afternoon as he started and finished the series’ Qualifying Race in seventh place; which in-turn was his starting position for Sunday’s opening encounter. Challenging weather conditions proved to be one of the biggest battles on race day as ever-intensifying rain - all while remaining on slick tyres - created captivating entertainment across races one and two. Remarkably, while others around him endured their own travails, the 27-year-old was able to keep out of trouble and in a frenetic opener he tallied a sublime victory in the Independents’ Class after finishing seventh overall. Doble went one better in an even more remarkable second bout as he again kept his nose clean to cross the line in sixth, which in-turn secured him third on the grid for the reverse grid finale a few hours later. Saving his best until last, Doble made the most of the now dry conditions and the soft tyre to fight his way up to second, before then embarking on a thrilling wheel to-wheel battle with four-time champion Ash Sutton. Keeping the Ford Focus driver behind him for a number of laps, Doble eventually relinquished the position late on but with a comfortable buffer to the chasing pack, he cruised home to clinch a well-deserved overall podium as the lead Independent. Mikey Doble: “Going into the weekend I had the target of three top ten finishes and a podium in my mind and here we are at the end of race day having achieved just that. It’s been another brilliant weekend and huge credit has to go to the entire team for all of their efforts. “Brands Hatch Indy isn’t probably one of our strongest tracks on the calendar but we made the best of the car over the two days. Qualifying inside the top ten set us up for a strong race day and given the amount that was happening around me, I was really happy with races one and two. “Those conditions, especially in race two, were so difficult and while we may not have had the ultimate pace, we were able to keep it on the circuit and pick up on the mistakes of others. That obviously then gave us a third place start for race three. “I said I wanted to be a bit more feisty in that last one and I definitely was as we managed to take the fight to Ash for much of the race. I could see the BMW was coming so when Ash made the move I thought it best to sit tight and follow him to the flag. “To be heading home with another podium and two Independent wins, as well as sitting third overall in the standings is pretty cool. The aim now is to maintain this form when we head to Snetterton in a couple of weeks’ time.”
Mikey Doble enjoyed a fairytale start to the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season at Donington Park this past weekend (April 18-19) as he charged to a spectacular second career victory. On what proved to be a dream debut for the all-new Audi S3 Saloon, the LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver delivered a wheel-perfect performance in the opening round to triumph in front of a capacity trackside crowd. Leading the BTCC Drivers’ Championship for the first-ever time at one stage too, Doble also added two further battling drives to cap off a memorable outing in the UK’s premier motorsport series. Entering the weekend having shown promising front-running pace throughout pre-season testing, Doble arrived at the opening meeting of the season with a quiet confidence; all of which was reinforced as he enjoyed a sublime Saturday at the Leicestershire venue. Securing eighth on the grid for the BTCC’s first-ever Qualifying Race, Doble underlined his credentials as one of the series’ leading lights as he hustled his front-wheel-drive machine onto the fringes of the top three. Producing a number of standout overtakes in the early stages of what turned out to be a frenetic 13-lap contest, the former Jack Sears Trophy winner battled his way up to fourth at the chequered flag - which is where he would then start the first of Sunday’s three races. Opting to run the soft tyre for race one, the 27-year-old underlined his status as being one to watch this year as he produced a virtuoso performance live on ITV4. Keeping out of trouble in the opening exchanges, the Surrey-based racer soon came alive as he firstly found a way past Charles Rainford for third before then dispatching Dan Rowbottom for second. Doble would spend the remaining laps chipping away at the gap to race leader Tom Ingram however he would ultimately be unable to overturn the deficit, crossing the line in second place overall and as the lead Independents’ entry. Shortly after the race it would be confirmed that Ingram had been disqualified from the result due to a technical issue, which therefore promoted Doble up to first to claim what was a hugely popular win. Riding a wave of momentum from his earlier victory, the Audi ace endured a bruising second race as a lack of TOCA Turbo Boost and the less favourable medium tyre saw him tumble back to the 14th at the chequered flag. Doble’s weekend then came to a close as he found himself getting caught up in a multi-car incident, all of which resulted in him having to take avoiding action across the grass and then a trip into the pit lane to scoop out the aforementioned grass in his radiator. Mikey Doble, LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing: “What an absolutely incredible way to start the season. Winning the first race of the year is perhaps one of the best to win as it is the race where everyone is at the exact same level in terms of boost, etc. “Obviously my first win last year was very special but this is just as incredible given what the team have been through during the past year and that they’ve had to build three brand-new cars. To take a win straight out of the box is phenomenal. “We knew we had really strong pace from the Qualifying Race and on the soft tyre, the car came alive. I had great pace and although we didn’t win on the road, I don’t think anybody could deny us that result. It’s a great reward for the whole team. “The lack of boost and the medium tyre hampered us a little bit in race two and then we just found ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time in race three. We used that more as an extended test session to gather data. “It’s been an incredible start to the season, not just for me but also for my team-mates Aiden [Moffat] and Dexter [Patterson], so hopefully we can go to Brands Hatch next month and maintain this strong start.” The 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship continues in less than three weeks’ time at Brands Hatch on 9-10 May.
