HUGHES SPEEDWORKS BTCC TEAM BACK ON TRACK AT OULTON PARK

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 as 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 at action in the BTCC at Oulton Park

Ingram started strongly going 2nd and 4th fastest during Free Practice 1 & 2 respectively and finished qualifying in 9th 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 Tom taking 8th 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, soon grabbing 12th place 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 …

…  in 11th place on the grid. 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” commented 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 4th in the Independent series.

The series is next in action at Croft in North Yorkshire on the 28th June.