Ingram gets back on the right track
STOCKPORT based Hughes/Speedworks Motorsport left Oulton Park with a useful points haul in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship as the team’s racer Tom Ingram got his 2015 season back on track.
Bumper crowds and blue skies welcomed visitors to the Cheshire venue as the Stockport Team took to the track in it’s ‘home’ event of the 2015 BTCC calendar.
Ingram started strongly going second and fourth fastest during Free Practice and finished qualifying in ninth place, 0.623secs off the Pole lap of double BTCC title winner Jason Plato in his VW CC.
Following a packed out Pit Lane autograph session that saw fans get to meet the men behind the wheels of the BTCC’s machines, and a Parachute demonstration from the RAF Red Devils it was time for Ingram to take to the track in the Team’s Toyota Avensis for the first of three rounds on the day.
Race 1 went by with relatively little to talk about, Ingram able to take advantage of ex-BTCC Champion Coin Turkington [VW] outbraking himself into the Island hairpin and running wide, gifting Tom eighth place at the early flag, brought out by the Toyota Avensis of Stewart Lines making contact with the barrier at the entrance to the Pit Lane.
Ingram qualified 15th for Race 2 just behind the Honda Civic of Martin Depper, and started well, nicking a place off Depper on the opening lap. He then set about the Mercedes of Aiden Moffat, lining up the Scottish youngster for a few laps before grabbing 12th place off him into the Hislop’s chicane, followed by Depper’s Civic. That’s where the Avensis racer would remain until the last lap, taking advantage of the retirement of Rob Collard’s BMW to take 11th place.
Ingram started Race 3 where he finished Race 2, in 11th place on the grid, though despite losing a couple of places on the opening lap he almost immediately saw an advantage as the Pole car of Adam Morgan [Merc] was deemed to have jumped the start and served a Pit Lane drive-through penalty, promoting Ingram back to 12th place.
An ongoing battle with the Audi of Rob Austin went on for several laps with the two of them swapping places until lap 10 when Tom snatched 10th place until the last lap where he snatched 9th off the Honda of Jeff Smith.
“A positive weekend for us” said Ingram. “Three decent finishes, obviously we would have liked higher but this gives us a good boost heading for Croft [in two weeks time]”.
Ingram remains 12th in the overall Championship standings but gained a place to fourth in the Independent series.
Elsewhere, there were two wins for Jason Plato and one for Sam Tordoff [BMW] leaving Jason leading the overall Championship.
The series is next in action at Croft in North Yorkshire on the 28th June.