Rob Huff wrote another chapter into the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship history books at the weekend.
The 44-year-old, who was born and raised in Cambridge, won the third of three races at Snetterton – 20 years on from his previous victory in the competition.
Huff’s triumph represents the longest gap between wins for a single driver in British Touring Car Championship history, with his last victory in the United Kingdom’s premier motorsport series having also come in race three at the Norfolk circuit back in 2004.
And the former St Faith’s School and The Leys School pupil also spearheaded a first-ever Toyota 1-2-3 in the process.
Huff finished ninth and 14th in the opening two races of the meeting hosted at what is considered to be his home track, meaning that he started race three in the latter of those two positions on the grid.
However, running the soft tyre, the ex-Long Road Sixth Form College student carved his way up the order and following a captivating battle with stable-mates Josh Cook and Aiden Moffat over a number of laps, he soon set off after race leader Jake Hill, who was on wets.
And once Huff had reeled in Hill at the summit, he never looked like relinquishing the lead, with the winning margin to second-placed Moffatt standing at more than two seconds.
“What an amazing result,” said Huff. “To win at my home track, 20 years on from the last time that I was here, was written in the stars, wasn’t it? For it to be a first-ever Toyota 1-2-3 in the BTCC too makes it that little bit more special as well.
“We’d had a bit of a rollercoaster day up until race three but with the soft tyre on I knew we could do something, as long as it stayed dry.
“The gaps at the front meant I genuinely didn't know that I was leading.
“I was just picking them off one-by-one but I didn't quite know where we were.
“The car was fantastic and the feeling that I had in race three is what I’ve been searching for so far this year; we were dialled in.
“I’ve got say a huge thank you to everyone at Speedworks Motorsport and Toyota because they’ve been mega and deserve this result.
“It’s an absolutely incredible feeling to be back on the top step of the podium, hopefully this is the first of many more wins this year.”
Huff’s victory has moved him up to ninth in the overall drivers’ standings with 60 points to his name, nine adrift of Tom Chilton in eighth.
Current championship leader Ash Sutton, despite yet to win a race this term, is 10 points clear at the top with 121.
The season will continue over the weekend of 8-9 June at Thruxton in Hampshire.
