Speedworks celebrating title double
CHESHIRE-BASED Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship squad Speedworks Motorsport took the 2017 Independents Teams’ title at the weekend while their driver Tom Ingram clinched the Independents Drivers’ crown at the final round of the series at Brands Hatch in Kent.
Starting seventh on the grid for race one Ingram climbed to finish second on a drying track. Fending off the advances of overall title protagonist Ashley Sutton [Subaru], Tom brought the Speedworks Avensis home a hairs breadth behind race winner Aiden Moffat [Mercedes].
It left the former Ginetta champion just one point shy of the Independents title with two races to spare.
Race two saw Ingram claim the points he needed to wrap up the Indy crown, while, despite some pre-race drama that saw teams reaching for wet tyres once more, fourth place in race three grabbed the teams title for Speedworks, to the delight of team boss Christian Dick.
“Absolutely remarkable” proclaimed Tom. “What we have achieved this season is huge. We are a little team running out of a chicken shed, but I have never seen so much passion and commitment to get the job done.
“The pressure was certainly on in race three when Gordon got behind me but there was no way he was going to take that place from me. I know it’s a cliché but this really is what dreams are made of and it has been an incredible year.”
Overall championship honours were claimed by Sutton in a dramatic final race that saw fellow championship contender Colin Turkington [BMW] retire with suspension damage. Team BMW took the Teams and Manufacturers crowns, while Senna Proctor [Vauxhall] won the Jack Sears trophy for rookie drivers.