HUGHES SPEEDWORKS ON TRACK TO GREAT BTCC START

It was a solid weekend for Tom Ingram at the opening rounds of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch, as Bredbury based Hughes/Speedworks Motorsport took a brace of top-tens, the highlights of which were two 6th place finishes around the Kent venue’s Indy layout.

Left: Ingram on track at Brands

Tom took the bull by the horns right from the off, setting fastest time of the twenty-six cars on track in the opening Free Practice session of the 2015 season. This continued throughout Free Practice 2 with the Toyota Avensis pilot just seven tenths of a second off the fastest time set by current BTCC Champion Colin Turkington.

By Qualifying the time gaps were narrowing more and more, so when the 30minute session came to an end it was unsurprising to see just one second covering the top 19 cars. With Ingram netting himself 9th on the grid, just a shade over two-tenths of a second off the pole time set by former World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx, in his BMW 125i M Sport.

Race 1 – Spring really had sprung as Brands Hatch basked under sunny skies as the BTCC kicked off the 2015 campaign where Ingram finished in 10th place.

Race 2 – The multiple Ginetta Champion lined up 12th in the Team’s Avensis and showed both his pace and mettle by climbing no less than six places to take sixth place overall, perfectly justifying the Hughes/Speedworks outfit’s desire to hang on to the talented youngster for a second year.

Race 3 – saw the BRDC Superstar again stand up well competing with the best, in the UK’s premier saloon car category, finishing 6th once more.

In both Race 2 and Race 3 Tom brought the Hughes Safety Showers backed Avensis home just 5.5secs off the winners time, showing both his and the cars pace.

3rd IN THE INDEPENDENTS …Ingram leaves Brands Hatch 3rd in the Independents Trophy and 8th in the overall Championship standings, with Speedworks Motorsport sitting 2nd in the Independents Team Trophy, 8th Overall.

The BTCC’s next stop is at Donington in Leicestershire on the 18/19th April for rounds 4/5&6.

For more information visit: www.hughesmotorsport.co.uk / www.speedworksmotorsport.com

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