Mikey Doble ready to kick-start new BTCC campaign at Donington Park

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Mikey Doble was left beaming with pride at Knockhill this past weekend (August 16-17) as Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing completed a remarkable turnaround in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship. One week prior to the series’ annual trip to Scotland it had looked as though neither Doble or the team would be in attendance after a devastating fire destroyed the Power Maxed Racing facility, including both of its Vauxhall Astras. Not to be defeated, the Worcestershire squad rallied in sensational fashion and with the help of the wider motorsport community they headed north of the border with two Cupra cars - where Doble repaid everyone’s hard work by tallying a trio of race finishes. The 26-year-old kicked off the weekend spending much of Friday getting comfortable in his new car at the track before he and team-mate Nick Halstead were then allowed to complete a handful of shakedown laps later that afternoon. Come Saturday morning, Doble joined the rest of the BTCC field for two pivotal practice sessions where the Jack Sears Trophy holder began fine-tuning his front-wheel-drive machine further. In qualifying, the Surrey-based racer managed to secure a starting spot in the midfield for race one. Greeted with scorching temperatures and a bumper trackside crowd on Sunday, Doble had to dig deep on race day as he valiantly got to grips with the limitations of the Cupra - finishing just outside the points in races one and two. Throwing even more changes at the car for the weekend’s third and final contest, the Snetterton race winner showcased his overtaking prowess as he battled his way forward - and he was ultimately rewarded with a points finish. Leaving Knockhill, Doble remains firmly in the hunt for the coveted BTCC Independent Drivers’ Championship with just nine races now left to run. Mikey Doble: “I think it’s fair to say it’s not just been a rollercoaster weekend, but a rollercoaster week. Just over seven days ago it was unclear whether we’d race again this season so to have now completed all three races at Knockhill is quite an achievement. “I’ve got to say a massive thank you to every single member of the Power Maxed Racing team because what has been achieved over these last few days is nothing short of incredible. They moved heaven and earth to be here and put in some long hours to ensure we were competitive. “Obviously being in Scotland was a win in itself but I would be lying if I didn’t say I hoped to come away with a little more from the weekend. That being said there were no real expectations as this was the first-ever time driving the Cupra. “Every session was a step into the unknown but we learnt a huge amount about the car. We’ve got a long way to go but we’ve got an idea of what direction we want to take the Cupra heading into the next round - so hopefully we will see more progress at Donington Park.” Next up for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a return to Donington Park - albeit this time on the Grand Prix layout - for Rounds 22, 23 & 24 of the 2025 season on August 30-31.

Mikey Doble showed his fighting spirit to claim his fifth Independent victory of 2025 this past weekend (2-3 August) as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returned to action at Croft Circuit. Kicking off the second half of the season at the North Yorkshire venue, the Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing driver dug deep across three frenetic races, with the ultimate reward being a class victory in race three and the lead of the Independent standings. As he has done on many occasions this year, the Vauxhall Astra driver emerged as one of the stars of the show during Saturday’s qualifying session as Doble secured a fourth appearance in the Quick Six Shootout. Having comfortably progressed into the battle for pole position, the 26-year-old - who clinched a maiden race win at Snetterton - set a best time of 1:20.936 around the 2.100-mile circuit to snare third on the grid for race one. In the curtain-raising contest, the talented Surrey-based driver endured a frustrating outing as he was unable to capitalise on converting his second row start into silverware. Greasy conditions provided a challenge for everyone and with the car not in the optimum window, Doble was shuffled down the order on lap one before he inadvertently dropped a wheel onto the grass through the chicane, which subsequently sent him spinning into the tyre wall. Thankfully the reigning Jack Sears Trophy champion was able to get his front-wheel-drive machine moving again after the impact and he ultimately went on to fight his way back up to 15th place overall. Joining a majority of the field in opting to run the more preferable soft Goodyear tyre in race two, Doble then found himself bottled up in a train of cars from start-to-finish, unable to make any meaningful progress. Despite his best efforts, he was able to make up a single position and crossed the line in 14th place. If races one and two were action-packed then the reverse grid finale will go down as one of the all-time classic touring car contests, all of which resulted in Doble charging to a hard-fought Independent win. Lining up towards the rear of the field, Doble initially made early progress however he soon had to make an unscheduled trip into the pit lane to have an issue resolved. Luckily this happened under the safety which meant that he remained on the lead lap. On the restart, Doble showcased his overtaking prowess by carving his way up the order and clinched tenth place on the run to the line; critically snatching the top spot in the Independent category away from Dexter Patterson on the final lap. That victory now means that Doble holds an eight-point advantage at the top of the Independent Drivers’ Championship. Mikey Doble: “It’s been a rollercoaster race day so to be ending it on the podium with an Independent win is great. It’s slightly bittersweet however because I know we had the potential to achieve so much more this weekend. “Saturday we chipped away and continuously improved the car, the result being third on the grid. Race one we dropped a few spots at the start but we were coming back at them - I just didn’t have the car quite in the window in those early laps when conditions were greasy. “We managed to recover after spinning into the wall and score a point, and then basically finished where we started in race two. That last race was chaotic but despite a trip into the pit lane we managed to fight our way back to score an Independent win. “I’ve got to say a huge thank you to the whole Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing team because they’ve worked hard all weekend. Hopefully we can come back fighting at Knockhill in a couple of weeks." The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season continues in less than two weeks’ time at Knockhill on the 16-17 August.

Mikey Doble has vowed to come out fighting when the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returns from its annual summer after enduring a frustrating weekend at Oulton Park. Bringing the curtain down on the first half of the season at the Cheshire track, the Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing driver battled valiantly across three bruising encounters - only to be rewarded with a handful of points. Struggling to find a balance in the set-up of his Vauxhall Astra throughout practice on Saturday, qualifying later that afternoon proved to be frustrating for the 26-year-old, with 11th being the best he could muster. Choosing to get the less favourable hard tyre out the way in race one, the Snetterton race winner was in the thick of the action throughout but with diminishing type performance as opposed to who he was racing, the front-wheel-drive racer dropped to 18th by the chequered flag. Bolting the soft tyre on for race two, Doble was a man on a mission as he went from the rear of the field up to the fringes of the top ten. And it could well have been even higher had it not been for the safety car twice neutralising proceedings. Sadly Doble’s weekend came to a premature end in a damp race three as whilst on course to claim an Independents’ win, he was unceremoniously nerfed into the tyre wall at Hislops by Tom Chilton. Going into the six-week BTCC break, Doble sits third in the Independent Drivers’ Championship- firmly within striking distance of the top two. Mikey Doble: “Sadly just like Thruxton it’s been another weekend where we’ve fought tooth and nail for very little. For some reason we just didn’t have the pace so it’s frustrating. “Going into the weekend I felt like we had a good chance of mixing it towards the front but we never really got the car in that sweet spot we’ve had at previous rounds - and it’s hard to put a finger on why. “We obviously took the pain of the hard tyre in race one and then battled back through in race two. In the finale we were on course for what looked to be a comfortable Indie win then suddenly I get a big hit from behind and I’m in the barrier and out of the race. “It’s been a weekend to forget but importantly we’ve now got the summer break to reflect and hit the reset button. We’ll get our heads down and come Croft I wanna be right back in that gaggle of cars battling for the top six.” The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season continues at Croft on August 2-3.

Mikey Doble found himself out of luck this past weekend (7-8 June) as he saw his pace go unrewarded during the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship’s annual visit to the fastest circuit in the country, Thruxton. Hot on the heels of claiming a popular maiden win at Snetterton, the Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing driver battled mechanical gremlins throughout race day - ultimately being rewarded with just two points come the end of it. Renowned for its high-speed sweeping corners, the 2.356-mile layout is one of the most demanding tracks on the BTCC schedule and the challenge it presents undoubtedly intensified on Saturday afternoon as heavy rain battered the venue during qualifying. Despite the adverse conditions, Doble emerged as one of the stars of the show as he splashed his Vauxhall Astra into the Quick Six Shootout for a third consecutive weekend before snaring fourth on the grid for race one. The 26-year-old wasted no time in moving up to third as the lights went out in a frenetic opener as a bold dive bomb down the inside of Dan Cammish at the Complex put him on the rear bumper of the top two. Sadly for Doble he would not hang on as after dropping back behind Cammish, last year’s Jack Sears Trophy title winner was forced to pull off the circuit with a mechanical issue, which later would be diagnosed as an engine failure. Following a monumental turnaround by the team to fit a new engine, Doble made the start of race two and wasted no time in fighting his way from the back of the grid to inside the top ten. Once again though there would be despair as he would have to pit due to further technical problems. Returning to the rear of the field for race three, Doble produced yet another overtaking masterclass to fight his way to as high as eighth at one stage before he was hit with a track limits penalty late on, dropping him to 14th at the chequered flag. Mikey Doble: “It’s been one of those weekends where things just haven’t gone our way. We had great pace in qualifying and to be able to make it into the Quick Six once again was a great achievement. “Race one we were in a good place position-wise but the engine temperatures shot up pretty rapidly and I had to park it. The job the guys and girls did at Power Maxed Racing to fit a new engine in-between races was phenomenal but sadly another issue scuppered our progress. “Then in race three it felt like we were going to end things on a high having come from the back but we then got pinged for track limits. It’s frustrating but you have these sort of weekends in the BTCC sometimes. “The real positive for me is that we have some serious pace in this car to trouble the established front-runners so I’m looking forward to going to Oulton Park, scene of my first-ever podium last year, and seeing what we can achieve.” The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship reaches the halfway point in the season next as Oulton Park hosts Rounds 13, 14 & 15 on June 21-22.

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.

Mikey Doble produced a battling display to clinch his third Independent win of the season on what was an otherwise bruising weekend in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch. Arriving at his home circuit looking to build on the strong start to the campaign that he made at Donington Park, the Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing driver found himself in the thick of the action across three frenetic races at the sun-kissed Kent venue. Finding a sweet spot in the set-up of his Vauxhall Astra during Saturday’s two practice sessions, the 26-year-old delivered a series of superlative laps in qualifying later that afternoon to make it all the way into the Quick Six Shootout; ultimately ending the session in sixth place. Lining up on the third row of the grid for the first of three contests on Sunday, Doble enjoyed a relatively trouble-free opener as he maximised the performance of the soft tyre to finish where he started, while also claiming overall honours in the Independents’ Class. Frustratingly that would be as good as it would get for the Surrey-based racer as he found himself on the receiving end of multiple bouts of contact in race two which culminated in him suffering a right rear puncture and dropping a lap down after a visit to the pit lane. Tasked with starting race three from the back of the grid on the less preferable hard tyre, Doble showed his fighting spirit to progress up the order but sadly a points-paying finish was to be just out of his reach. Leaving Brands Hatch, Doble and Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing sit second in the Independent Drivers’ and Independent Teams’ Championship standings respectively. Mikey Doble: “It’s been a really hard-fought weekend! Off the back of the start we made at Donington Park I came into the event feeling that we could have another strong showing and after qualifying inside the Quick Six we were all set for a strong race day. “Race one was all about maximising our position and the soft tyre. I had a good battle with Dan [Cammish] and then when that settled down it was about preserving the tyre and bringing it home for another Independent race win. “I can comfortably say that race two was one of the toughest races of my BTCC career so far. From the minute the lights went out I was taking hits from everywhere and it ultimately caused my right rear tyre to explode, which in-turn sent me spinning across the pack. “To then start on the hard tyre and at the back was always going to be difficult but we got stuck in and had a few good battles. We’ve got a good package underneath us and if we can stay out of trouble at Snetterton I think we can be on for another strong weekend there.” The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship heads to Snetterton for Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the 2025 season on May 24-25.