Victory earns Tom Ingram early Championship lead

Tom Ingram claimed the first race win of the new hybrid era of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, when Britain's most popular car racing series started its action-packed 2022 season at Donington Park writes James Beckett.
By Zoe Ashton
Published 25th Apr 2022, 18:00 BST
Tom Ingram won the opening round of the 2022 BTCC at Donington Park on Sunday (Photo Ebrey/Beckett)Tom Ingram won the opening round of the 2022 BTCC at Donington Park on Sunday (Photo Ebrey/Beckett)
Tom Ingram won the opening round of the 2022 BTCC at Donington Park on Sunday (Photo Ebrey/Beckett)

Driving a Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars Hyundai, Ingram stormed to victory in the weekend's first of three BTCC races to score his twentieth-career touring car victory. Gordon Shedden (Halfords Racing) and Jake Hill (ROKiT MB Motorsport) were victorious in the day's other races.

Vale-based racer Ingram made a strong start from pole position to take the lead as the pack made its way down to the opening corner of Redgate. Once clear, Ingram managed to control the pace of the 19-lap race to keep the hard-charging BMW of multiple BTCC champion, Colin Turkington, behind.

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Speaking afterwards, Ingram said, “That was a strong race. The pace of it all the way through was fast! At no point could I relax. I had Colin [Turkington] pushing me along, I could see Jake [Hill] then catching onto the back of him. So, at no point did I think ‘it’s okay, I can just bring this one home.' "

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Adding, "I’m so pleased to get that one out the way and to top it off with a win is just perfect. From a drivers’ point of view, we’re earning our money this weekend because it’s busy, there’s a lot going on, the racing was fantastic. I’m really pleased to get that first one out of the way and get that first win with Bristol Street Motors."

Ingram backed-up his win with second and fifth place finishes in rounds two and three of the season, and he will arrive at Brands Hatch on May 14-15th as the early championship leader, holding a seven point advantage at the top of the points table over Gordon Shedden.

* The Silverstone Classic, that is scheduled to take place at Silverstone in four months time, is set to host races for GT4 cars for the very first time. Le Mans and Total Spa 24 Hours aspirant, Chris Metcalfe, is close to concluding a deal that will see him race at Silverstone. Speaking this week, Metcalfe said, "Silverstone Classic is a huge event, and I have fond memories of when the event used to be called the International Historic Festival. These GT4 races, a collaboration between Masters Historic Racing and the Stephane Ratel Organisation, looks like being very popular and I am very much looking forward to taking part."

Ends.

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