Speedwork’s Ingram takes 1st BTCC of the season

Stockport based Speedworks Motorsport took their maiden win in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship in the opening round of the 2016 Championship at Brands Hatch.

Speedworks racer Tom Ingram started out by handing the Bredbury based squad Pole Position at the Kent venue, as they got the ’16 Season underway.

After a brilliant getaway, he then secured a lights to flag victory, interrupted only briefly by a Safety Car period that allowed 2015 Champion Gordon Shedden to close up. At the restart Ingram got away well again, and never looked back, finishing two seconds ahead of Works Honda racer Shedden and teammate Matt Neal.

Speaking to Cre8media after the race, a teary Ingram admitted, “This is what I’ve always wanted. Its testament to the hard work that’s gone in over the Winter.”

When asked about the pace of the Team’s Toyota Avensis, Tom remarked “I knew after the Qualifying pace that we had, I was hopeful that as long as we could get it off the line and had some clean air, I had a fairly good idea that we could keep them [the Hondas] behind us”

A buoyant Team Boss Christian Dick praised Ingram’s performance: “The lad blew them out of the water, didn’t he?! Drove superbly, the car looked superbly balanced all the way through, no big drop off in the tyres”.

“It’s certainly my greatest moment in motorsport” added Christian. “Regardless of what we go on to achieve from here, I’ll remember this forever”.

The remaining two Races of the day unfortunately didn’t go to plan for Ingram. Contact on the opening lap of race 2 between Tom’s Toyota and the BMW of Rob Collard saw Ingram forced to retire from the encounter.

The knock on from that meant that the Speedworks Avensis would be forced to start from 31st place for the final Race. A spirited drive from the young BRDC Superstar left him in 17th place at the flag.

Ingram’s teammate Matt Simpson completed his first ever BTCC races at the weekend at the wheel of his Honda Civic. The former European Hot Rod Champion, starting 24th, took 17th, 18th and 15th placed finishes, scoring a point in Race three on his maiden weekend in the Championship.

The Series now moves on to Donington Park, in Leicestershire, on the 16-17 April, for Rounds 4,5&6 of the “016 Championship.

Words & Pictures by Mike Petch www.mphotographic.co.uk