Tom Ingram produced a last lap lunge to take victory in Round 8 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch, as long-time leader Tom Oliphant eventually lost out during a pulsating contest.
Team BMW’s Oliphant led for more than 26 of the 27 laps as the race one winner desperately tried to hang on with maximum ballast onboard his 330i M Sport.
A slight gap was left going into Paddock Hill Bend for the final time, and the Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com Hyundai of Ingram immediately filled it. Inevitable contact followed with Ingram completing the pass going into Druids. Reigning champion Ash Sutton also spied his opportunity as the Laser Tools Racing car ran side-by-side with Oliphant’s BMW across the start/finish line, with the former snatching second by just 0.038s.
Drama unfolded almost immediately during the second bout of the day when Gordon Shedden’s Team Dynamics-run Honda was tipped into a half spin on the opening tour, before even heavier contact followed with Team BMW’s Stephen Jelley on the second lap.
The #52 Halfords Racing with Cataclean car of Shedden made it out of the gravel – albeit having fallen way down the order – but the safety car was deployed with Jelley’s Bavarian machine beached at Paddock Hill.
Daniel Rowbottom provided some joy for the Team Dynamics squad as he took fourth at the conclusion of the race, ahead of a feisty Josh Cook in the BTC Racing Honda – the latter also recording the fastest lap.
Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing enjoyed its most positive performance in a number of races as Daniel Lloyd and Jason Plato came home in sixth and eighth respectively.
Chris Smiley (Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com) and Aiden Moffat (Laser Tools Racing) continued their positive points scoring contributions with seventh and ninth, whilst Senna Proctor completed the top ten.
There was heartbreak for home hero Jake Hill when his MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square Ford suffered from a puncture whilst fighting for a podium.
Ingram picked out the #12 ball during the reverse grid draw post-race, meaning Adam Morgan (Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport) and Jack Goff (Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct) would occupy the front row for the finale, which you can relive back here tomorrow in the concluding race recap before Oulton Park.
