Hughes/Speedworks’ took their maiden podium finish in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Rockingham over the weekend as driver Ingram took second place in the third and final race of the day at the Northamptonshire venue, after a race long battle with former two times BTCC Champion Jason Plato [VW].
Ingram went fastest in the opening Free Practice session and second quickest in Free Practice 2, only to be dropped to 4th overall after late pushes from other drivers and a demotion of four places for Gordon Sheddon.
A dream start for Ingram saw Plato race hard to claw back the gap, closely followed by Turkington. It wasn’t long before Plato saw his chance in to Deene corner but Ingram wasn’t to be outdone, beating Jason in to the following corner at Yentwood and retaining the lead. Tom once again tried to pull
away, only to have his progress halted by a Safety Car on lap seven.
A great restart saw Tom pull away once more, Plato chasing all the time, and the former BTCC Champion tried the same move in to Deene two more times, succeeding at his third attempt, only for Tom to take back the place on the run through Gracelands.
The experienced Plato however, gave it one more shot, and this time made it stick, continuing on to take the win. Tom defended well to the flag from Turkington, taking second place – Speedworks Motorsport’s first BTCC podium since entering the Series in 2011 with, Team sponsor, Tony Hughes.
Beamed Ingram (left) :
“To be battling with ‘Mr Touring Cars’ himself makes it all the more special; it’s really good to race that hard in Touring Cars and have that much respect for each other. Jason could so easily have given me a little tap, sent me wide and gone past, and nobody would have thought anything of it. To not do that, and to stay and fight, goes some way to show there’s respect between us.
“To be up against him is a surreal experience. I’ve always wanted to be in Touring Cars and to fulfil a life-long dream of getting a podium, it makes it amazing when it’s against Jason as well.
“I spent the whole in-lap crying” he admitted, “I’m such a small cog in such a big working. To finally get it makes it all the more special.
“We’re such as small family run Team, and to be doing this is absolutely mind-blowing, it goes a short way to repay the faith the Team has put in me. It’s a big weight off our shoulders; the next step is to get a win”.
Elsewhere on the grid there were wins for Mat Jackson and Gordon Shedden. Shedden now leads the Series by the slenderest of margins, just six points separate him from Jason Plato.
Next up for the BTCC is the penultimate round on the calendar, moving just across the Northants county to the ‘Home of British Motorsport’, Silverstone, on the 27th September.