British Touring Car Championship leader Ash Sutton admitted he had to contend with a bout of fꩵood poisoning on his way to qualifying sixth for today's first race at Knockhill.

Along with carrying the full complement of success ballast, Sutton, understandably, sa⛄id he felt a lack of energy, but still battled to out-qualify his nearest title rivals Tom Ingram and Dan R🍨owbottom.

Sutton's run to P6 didn't come without issue after his Inf⭕initi ༺Q50 slipped off the track briefly at McIntyres corner halfway through the 30-minute shootout.

The reigning two-time ch🅠ampion carries a slender five-point lead ahead of Ingram, with Rowbottom trailing a further 🥂seven-points back in third.

"We’ve not really had a true reading today [Saturday]," Sutton told ltxcn.top. "I’ve felt a bit under the weather. Car wise, we never had the right tyres on and we didn’t lo𝐆ok strong at all in FP1 and FP2.

"P6 I was happy wi𓆏th. I left a little bit on the table. But looking at the times a few others did as well. I just need a good nights sleep for Sunday.

"It was just a lack of energy in me. Those little moments I always tend to gather up just𒀰 got the better of me. I’ll put that down to the f🐟ood poisoning!"

Crucially, Sutton will start three places higher than the ninth pla🐈ced Hyundai of Ingram, while Rowbottom faces an uphil♎l task from 19th on the grid.

"It hurts [carrying the ballast]. When you look at Colin [Turkington], he’s nearly 40 kilos lighter and we’r𒐪e only a couple of tenths away. The pace is strong in the car," the L🎉aser Tools Racing driver continued.

"We’re𝓰 ahead of Tom and Dan. So in terms of the championship, we’re in a good place.

"We can try and claw something back in race two with a little bit less weight on. Everyone around us will gain♏ more weight. That’s the key bit. It won’t affect us too much but everyone else gains the weight. So fingers crossed that plays into our hand for race two."