The BTC Racing team maintained its impressive form in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with two podium finishes from the latest rounds of the season at Croft.

The Brackley-based outfit made the trip to North Yorkshire on the back of a strong weekend at Thruxton, where Josh Cook notched his second victory of the campaign.

Having endured mixed fortunes in the opening rounds of the year, it was Northern Irishman Chris Smiley who headed the team’s challenge in qualifying as he put his Honda Civic Type R on the front row of the grid, with Josh lining up in 12th after a difficult Saturday.

The opening race of the weekend on Sunday morning saw Chris fight hard to secure his first podium with the new FK8 Honda, maintaining his second place from lights-to-flag behind the BMW of Andrew Jordan. As well as finishing second overall, Chris secured top honours in the Independents' Trophy for the second time this season.

Josh meanwhile was able to battle his way forwards into the top ten, emerging on top of a fight with Matt Neal and Tom Ingram to take ninth spot.

With extra ballast on his car in race two, Chris faced more of a challenge to fight at the front but drove well in the early stages to fend off quicker and lighter cars behind.

Having slipped back to fifth, a strong points haul was in the offing until the final lap when contact from Ash Sutton’s Subaru going through the Complex saw him spin off onto the grass; dropping down to 27th spot by the time he was able to rejoin.

Despite struggling for speed through the fastest part of the lap, Josh went one better than his result in race one to secure eighth place, which put him on the front row of the grid for race three thanks to the reverse grid draw. Josh also took the Independents' Trophy victory for the fourth time this season.

Rain ahead of that final race meant a decision had to be taken on tyres, with Josh sticking with wet tyres alongside the majority of the front-runners.

Although still down on speed in sector two, he was able to keep leader Tom Chilton honest throughout and saw off the challenge of Jason Plato behind for his fourth podium of the season – ensuring he leaves Croft second in the standings and at the head of the Independents' Trophy.

From his position at the back of the grid, Chris elected to gamble on dry tyres but the circuit didn't dry as quickly as he hoped, meaning he ended the race outside the points scoring positions. Chris now sits 15th in the championship standings and ninth in the Independents' Trophy.

BTC Racing meanwhile sit third in the overall Teams’ Championship and continue to head the Independents’ points.

Josh Cook said: “We lost time to a few issues in practice and then in qualifying it was really messy with traffic and red flags. I know others can say the same, but nothing was straightforward for us.

“We knew we had to play the long game after qualifying, and race one was tough because of the weight we had to carry.

“In race two and three we had to deal with a bit of an engine issue that was affecting us in sector two and the run out of Tower, and considering all that, it’s good to come away from the weekend with a podium finish.

“It means we maintain our record our scoring a top three finish at every round so far, and we have to keep picking up the points and keep our focus on the championship.”

Chris Smiley said: “We haven’t taken as much from this weekend as we should have done after race one, which is a real shame. It was good to get on the podium at the start of race day and the car felt really strong, and we weren’t a million miles off in race two even with the weight on.

“Unfortunately, what happened at the end has really hurt us, and the fact that the other driver was given a penalty tells the story – but it doesn’t get us the points back we lost.

“In race three, it was worth a gamble as the track was drying out; I just can’t believe how long it actually took to swing towards the dry tyres. We could have won from there if the gamble had paid off, but unfortunately it didn’t.

“We’ve made a lot of improvements to the car in a recent test at Donington and there is probably more still to come, so hopefully we can have a good showing next time out at Oulton Park.”

Halfords Yuasa Racing drivers Matt Neal and Dan Cammish head to the next rounds of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park in an optimistic mood, following the team's previous success at the Cheshire circuit.

Both drivers bagged a solid points haul in the most recent rounds at Croft, despite the North Yorkshire circuit typically being more suited to rear-wheel-drive cars.

Just five points separate Honda from rivals BMW as the manufacturers head to Oulton, while Halfords Yuasa Racing leads the Teams' championship and both Neal and Cammish remain in strong positions in the drivers' points chase. Dan in particular will be in a confident frame of mind after making his third podium appearance of the season at Croft.

In contrast to Croft, Oulton Park is considered much more friendly to front-wheel-drive cars such as the Civic Type R, and the track holds many happy memories for Honda. Seven race wins have topped a host of podium finishes at the circuit over the past ten seasons, including one memorable weekend in 2012 when the team locked out the top of the podium in all three races. They will be looking to continue this trend at the Cheshire circuit at their ensuing visit on 30^th June.

“Croft was another weekend of what could have been for us,” said Neal. “But I was happy with my race pace and particularly some of my overtakes and to come away with a decent points haul was great as it's not a circuit we traditionally go well at.
“I'm looking forward to Oulton, I really like the track, it's a fast flowing, old-school style circuit that is very unforgiving! I've personally gone well there over the years with 11 podiums including four wins in the last ten seasons, so I'm hoping I can add to that tally.”

“I was pleased with another solid performance at Croft and ending up on the podium was an added bonus,” said Cammish. “I managed to stay out of trouble, in the main, and come away with some good points for both myself and the team.

“I'm looking forward to Oulton as it's a track that suits my driving style, particularly in the high-speed, technical elements of the circuit. Qualifying is again going to be critical, so I'll be working closely with Matt to extract the most we can from the car and hopefully continue to progress up the leader board.”

Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport race ace Adam Morgan had a tricky weekend at Croft in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship but conquered the challenging conditions to secure two top-10 finishes.

After showing encouraging pace in free practice, Adam went into qualifying in more optimistic mood. However, the qualifying session turned out to be a real lottery, blighted by five red flags and frustrating interruptions. Frustratingly, each time Adam started a flier, the red flags flew and he hadn’t been able to complete a single fast lap time by the end of the session!

“Every time I was on a flying lap, the red flags flew,” said Adam. “We did nothing wrong, it was just other people falling off or nudging the barriers on to the track so they had to be moved. It is mega-frustrating because the car felt really good.”

From 28th on the grid for the opener, Adam charged his way up to 16th place on a damp road, winning Dunlop’s Forever Forward award for most places gained. Although Adam was just one place away from the points-scorers, it put him in the mix for race two.

Adam started the dry second race from mid-grid and battled up to 11th place, latching on to the tail of the similar Mercedes-Benz A-Class of Aiden Moffat. The Scotsman made his car very wide meaning that not only couldn’t Adam find a way by, but he soon came under attack from a train of cars including Stephen Jelley (BMW), Senna Proctor (Subaru) and Rory Butcher’s Honda. One error from Adam would have allowed the pack to charge by, but, soaking up the pressure, the 30-year-old hung on in his Fuchs lubricated Mercedes to take 11th place.

Heavy rain before race three threw another variable into the mix. Using Dunlop’s wet weather tyre, Adam started 11thon the grid but fought up to ninth place on a circuit that was drying all the time. With grip levels changing, Adam mastered the conditions to bag ninth spot.

“All things considered, to start the weekend 28th and finish ninth isn’t too bad!” concluded Adam. “I had two points scores, showed good pace and avoided damage so there are positives.

“It hasn’t been as good as I wanted and part of that is down to qualifying. Because the cars are so evenly matched, so competitive this year, qualifying is so important and that hurt us yesterday but the Mac Tools Mercedes-Benz A-Class is still a force to be reckoned with.

“We’ve had good races but not a good weekend yet, so we need to string together three good finishes next time at Oulton Park. That’s the target.”

The next three races in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship are at Oulton Park, Cheshire, on June 29/30 with qualifying shown live on itv.com and the three Sunday races live on ITV4.

The Cobra Sport AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing team worked hard to recover from a difficult qualifying session and score more solid points from the latest rounds of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Croft, but the Essex-based outfit will be looking for improvements at Oulton Park.

Going into the weekend as joint standings leader, race one saw Rory Butcher fight hard on track, working his way up to 18^th place after starting in 29^th place due to an accident in qualifying.

Battling towards the top ten in race two, Butcher was well placed to get into a position to potentially benefit from the reverse grid draw before contact compromised his line at the hairpin.

The end result was a 14^th place finish, but a determined Butcher fought hard with the BMWs of Colin Turkington and Andrew Jordan to eventually cross the line in seventh for the final race.

From  26^th on the grid in race one, team-mate Sam Tordoff showed the pace in the Honda to race forwards into the points before contact with Proctor at the hairpin dropped him back down the pack; with a further trip across the grass leading to a pit stop that saw him cross the line 23^rd.

Fighting back to 15^th place in race two, Tordoff would end the weekend with 13^th in race three to secure two points finishes.

“To see both drivers score points rewarded the team for their hard work,” said Team Principal Shaun Hollamby. “We’re looking forward to Oulton Park where we’re confident that the Hondas will shine!”
 
“I have to say a huge thank you to the team for getting the car fixed for race day after what happened in qualifying as it was a big hit,” said Butcher. “We did well on the wets and to make up seven spots and fight with Turkington and Jordan shows how competitive we are. It’s nice to pushing guys like that as a circuit where the BMW is so strong and hopefully at Oulton Park we’ll have a bit more luck.”
 
“When you don’t qualify well, it can be hard to come back from it and sadly that proved to be the case for us this weekend,” reflected Tordoff. “It’s been difficult again for me this weekend and hopefully my luck will turn at Oulton Park.”

Team BMW and BMW Pirtek Racing had another successful weekend as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship visited Croft as the squad now prepares for the visit to Oulton Park.

Andrew Jordan roared into title contention in North Yorkshire, claiming another pair of victories, ‘King of Croft’ Colin Turkington enjoyed a stellar weekend as he moved into the outright lead at the top of the Drivers’ standings and West Surrey Racing team-mate Tom Oliphant impressed with a feisty drive to fifth in race one, as BMW also moved to the top of the Manufacturers’ Championship.

Jordan’s second-best time in qualifying was good enough to secure pole before the rain closed in, while Turkington and Oliphant were fourth and fifth respectively, completing a good afternoon’s work for the WSR squad.

Sunday got off to a great start for Jordan as he pulled away cleanly from the front row, holding off Chris Smiley into Clervaux before controlling the race from the front to take his fourth win of the season.

Turkington and Oliphant ran line astern from lights to flag to secure fourth and fifth, although the latter kept reigning champion Turkington on his toes with a bold attempt through the Complex late on.

Race two was more of the same for Jordan as he fired his 3 Series off the line before setting about creating a gap to the chasing pack.

Northern Irishman Turkington bided his time before making a move, and then demonstrated his pace by bridging a gap of nearly five seconds to close right up behind Jordan at the flag.

Meanwhile, Oliphant found himself muscled out wide by Dan Cammish through the Chicane and spun to the back of the pack – resulting in an impressive recovery drive up to 18th.

The reverse grid draw saw Turkington and Jordan start eighth and ninth respectively, with the duo enjoying a race-long battle with Rory Butcher on their way to another solid points haul with Turkington crossing the line in sixth and Jordan finishing two spots further back.

Oliphant’s gamble on slicks failed to pay off, with the WSR driver eventually bringing his BMW home in 23rd.

Jordan moves up to fourth in the overall standings, just 26 points behind points leader Turkington while Oliphant is currently 13th in the order. BMW are now leading the Manufacturers’ Championship and Team BMW sit second in the Teams’ Championship.

“Once again Croft proves to be a great track for BMW, and now for the new 3 Series,” said Turkington. “It’s been a great weekend for me. I came here sharing the lead of the points and I leave in front on my own, which is exactly where we all want to be. Next we go to Oulton Park, where we’ve had some great results in the past, and even though I’ll have maximum success ballast, the aim will be to continue scoring big points.the aim will be to continue scoring big points.”

“Today’s a case of ‘what might have been.’ The pace in race one was an indication of how fast the car was today and I was pretty confident of getting a good start and a podium in race two,” reflected Oliphant. “But then I was turned sideways at the first corner unnecessarily and then just ran wide into the dirt two corners later and went around … We’ll put this behind us and head to Oulton.”

“A second double of the year ... It was pretty much perfect,” enthused BMW Pirtek driver Jordan. “I was overwhelmed after winning race two with full ballast, because to get two double-wins in successive events is something that almost never happens in the BTCC and it shows what an amazing job the team have done with the BMW.”

Trade Price Cars Racing’s Jake Hill had a frustrating weekend in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Croft; after taking a season's-best qualifying of ninth, and points in race one, engine issues forced retirement from race two, resulting in Hill not being able to start the final race of the day.

"The car was really good, as always we felt there was a little more to come - 0.1 second would have put me in the top-six - but we really are making great progress with the car,"  said Hill after qualifying ninth overall on Saturday.

Rain just before the opening race meant there was a little uncertainty as to which tyres to choose, and with Hill starting on the harder 'option' tyres, the early laps saw several drivers able to edge past.

Following an appearance from the Safety Car, Hill found himself in a fierce battle with Ingram, Neal and Jelley - with Ingram like Hill on the harder tyres. Ultimately Neal nipped by both, with Jelley finishing narrowly behind Hill, who crossed the line 12^th.

“Until the Safety Car we were strong, but the tyres dropped off later on, so to get some more points in the circumstances was really pleasing. Great job by the team as always.”

Race two saw a dramatic opening lap, with Hill being pushed off track and dropping to 16^th, but as the tyres came on strong some brave moves from the 25-year-old saw Hill move up to 13^th.

However, a brief 'off' on lap one damaged the radiator and on lap three the Trade Price Cars Racing Audi S3 ground to a halt.

As the team examined the car, it was apparent that the issue with the engine was not able to be addressed, forcing the team to withdraw the car from race three.

“The team have done a great job this weekend,” said Hill. “It was looking really good - the car was mega in race two - but it wasn't to be … onwards to Oulton Park.”

Team BMW’s Colin Turkington currently leads the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship standings as the series gets set for a trip to Oulton Park next weekend (29/30 June).

The picturesque Cheshire venue historically plays host to one of the biggest BTCC events of the season, as a huge fan base often descends on the north west circuit. 

Tom Chilton became the sixth different race winner of the 2019 campaign as Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher claimed race three at Croft, but it was the commanding form of the BMWs that set the scene. 

Ominously perhaps for the Bavarian manufacturer’s rivals… BMW also boasts a successful history at Oulton Park. 

Who will come out on top next weekend? Tickets to see the action are still available or you can watch every bit of drama unfold live on ITV4.

Perfect Ten?
Any of the top ten drivers in the standings – currently covered by just 50 points – may be regarded as a title contender, particularly when you consider more than 400 points remain available in this year’s championship. 

The three races scheduled at Oulton Park will bring about the midway stage of this year’s BTCC calendar, with reigning champion Colin Turkington currently setting the pace from BTC Racing’s Josh Cook and Adrian Flux Subaru Racing’s Ash Sutton.

The lead trio may be more concerned about Andrew Jordan looming large in their wing mirrors, however, as the BMW Pirtek Racing star has won five of the opening 12 races. The 30-year-old could be topping the overall standings if it wasn’t for a disastrous meeting at Donington Park. The 2013 champion has bounced back brilliantly since then by scoring a ‘double double’ at Thruxton and Croft.

“A second double of the year!” enthused Jordan after Croft. "It’s drawing us back into contention after Donington Park. We need to keep our expectations in check – there are a lot of quick guys out there – but we're on good form. I feel good in myself and with the car and the team.

“Now, we go to Oulton Park where I’m sure we’ll be competitive. The title fight really starts here.”

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal and Dan Cammish are firmly in the top ten scrap, as is the AmD-run Honda of Rory Butcher, although the Scotsman endured a challenging weekend at Croft earlier this month.

Chilton’s win in the North Yorkshire finale ignited his championship challenge, whilst Team Toyota GB with Ginsters’ Tom Ingram and Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing’s Jason Plato also made headlines in the final race. 

Ingram wowed the crowds with a dry Dunlop tyre gamble on a wet track, which ultimately failed to pay off. The Toyota driver set the fastest lap of the race on the final tour as the drying surface finally came his way, but it was too little, too late to make any significant inroads on the points paying positions.

Plato, however, returned to the BTCC podium for the first time since Croft in 2018, marking almost a year since his last rostrum. The Vauxhall Astra ace has been back at the sharp end this season and he’ll be looking to add to his extensive victory tally as the campaign progresses.

Home runners
Tarporley-based Tom Oliphant will be targeting a maiden BTCC win on home soil next weekend, and he’ll be doing so with one of the most successful teams around the 2.23-mile Oulton Park circuit – West Surrey Racing.

The Team BMW man scored a first podium at Donington Park earlier in the season and his pace has been edging towards his more experienced stablemates – Colin Turkington and Andrew Jordan.

Another local looking for success will be Lancastrian Adam Morgan, who has faced a difficult few weekends since an opening day podium at Brands Hatch.

Speedworks Motorsport are similarly based nearby, as is the Toyota factory in Deeside, so Tom Ingram can also expect to receive some solid support.

Timetable and Tickets
A spectacular line-up of support series will complement the BTCC action at Oulton Park, with a range of racing disciplines set to entertain the Cheshire crowds. The F4 British Championship resumes its tense title fight while the Renault UK Clio Cup and Porsche Carrera Cup GB series continue their 2019 campaigns. The ever-exciting Ginetta Junior Championship and Ginetta GT4 SuperCup also join the fray for the fifth meeting of the season. 

Tickets to Oulton Park can be purchased in advance until Thursday, 27 June, priced at just £28 for Sunday (BTCC Race Day) or £38 for the full weekend. Accompanied children aged 13 and under will be admitted free of charge, with tickets for 13-to-15-year-olds beginning at £17. Further details can be found here.

The fourth meeting of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship gave Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher much cause for celebration. After a season-best qualifying result for Tom Chilton and Ollie Jackson, Chilton went on to claim his third podium of the year, second overall win and third independent win on the North Yorkshire circuit.

With numerous on-track incidents halting proceedings during qualifying, Chilton pushed his #3 Focus RS to the limit to secure a second-row start with P3 on his first flying lap in the dying minutes. Just a lap later, Ollie Jackson took the P8 spot.

Race one saw Chilton in a full-race length challenge from the BMW’s. Defending his podium position for the entire 18-lap challenge, the 34-year-old remained steadfast under unrelenting pressure to bring the Focus home in P3, claiming his 55th BTCC-career podium.

Jackson’s strong start to the weekend looked to continue into the first race, running as high as sixth in the opening laps. On lap five, however, Jackson ran wide through the complex and clipped the curb, resulting in damage to his front-left wing. A daring effort saw him hold on for another three laps as the bodywork rubbed on the tyre before it finally gave way as the field was running under the safety car, pitching him into the barriers and ending his race.

Chilton battled hard to stay in the points-scoring zone in race two as he came under increasing pressure from the lighter, charging pack. Dropping down the order in the opening laps, he eventually took the flag in ninth collecting another haul of points for the championship challenge.

Lining up at the back of the grid, Jackson made steady progress through the field. Seeking to make amends for his earlier error, the 35-year-old pushed forward an impressive eight grid spots on the narrow circuit and crossed the line in P20.

Starting from pole by virtue of the reversed-grid draw, Chilton piloted the #3 Focus to the overall and Independent race win and rarely looked challenged for the race lead.

Making a strong start off the line, Jackson had charged into the points by the end of the first tour. Scything his way to 11th by the mid-way point, he eventually claimed P11 as the flag dropped, securing his highest-placed finish of the season.

The weekend’s results have moved the Kent-based squad up to third in the Independent Teams standings, with Tom Chilton sitting third in the Indy Drivers’ points. Both driver and team also remain seventh in the overall standings ahead of the next meeting at Oulton Park in Cheshire on June 29/30. 

“It was a perfect weekend for me and the team," said Chilton. "We’ve managed not just a double podium, but we got the win as well. We took three top ten’s for my car, and Ollie nearly got a top ten which was great starting from 20th. I’m very happy for him,” remarked Chilton. “I’m really pleased with our qualifying results this weekend. I feel like we’ve finally found our ideal set-up for the wet and dry.

“We’re in it to win it. Everyone in the team is working hard to put all of our knowledge together and make this old girl go faster this year and we’ve done a great job. I’m really looking forward to going to Oulton Park next. I’ll be looking for more of the same.”

“Salvaged I think is the word I’d use to describe this weekend! Qualifying was a high-point. P8 is my best-ever BTCC result and I think we’ve cracked it with the car now,” said Jackson. “The changes that we’ve made paid off in qualifying, and to be fair it was looking good in race one until I made a mistake. That kind of spoilt the weekend really. Thankfully we made our way through the pack in race three and picked up some nice points for the championship.”

Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing headed to a newly resurfaced Croft Circuit for Rounds 10, 11, and 12 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and would end the weekend with a popular podium for tin top legend Jason Plato.

Sadly, qualifying brought nothing but frustration for both drivers, as every attempt at setting a time was thwarted by a red flag.

With a couple of major offs, a total of five red flags created a topsy-turvy grid. Plato managed to secure a compromised start from 10th spot, albeit less than 0.5 seconds off pole, whilst Collard was even more frustrated down in 16th.

As the cars made their way down into the tricky turn one, Plato managed to get past the hard tyre-shod Audi of Jake Hill into ninth, only to be demoted back to tenth by Josh Cook on the next lap. Hanging on to the lead pack, the #11 Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Astra managed to re-take a sliding Cook on lap six and close up on Jackson ahead in eighth.

Further back, Collard was in the middle of a pack of cars jostling for position and dragging mud out onto the racing line. Unsighted, Collard had a moment before hitting wet mud on the exit of Sunny corner, losing the rear of the #9 Astra and hitting the bank hard. The badly damaged car could not be moved, necessitating a safety car on lap seven.

Ollie Jackson’s Ford Focus RS suffered a front-left puncture, moving Plato up to eighth before the restart, after which he immediately set about pressuring Ash Sutton for seventh, before falling into the clutches of Cook. He secured a hard earned eighth and good points come the chequered flag.

A quick turnaround by the hard-working PMR crew repaired extensive damage to the front, left side and rear of Collard's Astra ahead of race two. Fortunately, the weather had remained dry since Race 1, and although Rob was starting stone last in 30th place, there was less mud and debris for the Hampshire driver to avoid.

A hectic opening lap saw consolidate seventh, becoming part of the train of cars running line astern battling for second and third places. Plato was frustratingly unable to create subsequent overtaking opportunities, though proved a threat. In fact, the double champion pulled off a great move as he followed Sutton through by Tom Chilton's Motorbase Ford to set up an entertaining four-way battle all the way to the finish with Sutton, Cook and Tom Ingram.

From the back, Collard had a superb opening lap in the rebuilt Vauxhall, jumping eight spots in just over two miles before consolidating his position whilst monitoring high engine temperatures for a few laps.

By lap 10, the multiple BTCC race winner was among the fastest cars on the track and having got past both Dan Rowbottom and Ollie Jackson to move into 19th, where he would finish.

Plato made a great start in race three, vitally out-dragging the slick shod Toyota of Ingram, and fighting off the fast-starting BMW of Andrew Jordan –challenging for second as they headed into the unknown of a first flying lap in the wet.

With the slick shod cars sinking like a stone, Collard battled to stay on the track, falling to 28th. It was to be a long race of survival laced with more frustration.

On his wets, Plato was getting even faster. Not content with being consistently the fastest car on wets, he hunted the win – constantly nibbling away at the Honda of Cook with increasing urgency as he could see Chilton edging away. Around the twists of Croft, with a dry line now appearing, final efforts were fruitless, as a frustrated Plato bemoaned his fate over the radio, albeit delighting the hard working PMR crew with a well-earned podium.

Jason Plato, Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra #11 said: “I’ve always felt really connected with this car in the wet, as we showed at Brands during Qualifying and this afternoon. I had the fastest wet lap, which was only pipped on the last lap as the track really started to dry up. The weekend over all was good; we’ve just quietly gone about our business and just chipped away at it. I’m going home happy.”

Tom Ingram rolled the dice in a bid for glory in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Croft last weekend (15/16 June), and whilst his bold tyre gamble narrowly failed to pay off, the Team Toyota GB with Ginsters star insists he would ‘do the same again’. 

On a freshly-resurfaced track, Ingram worked methodically through his pre-planned programme during free practice in North Yorkshire, but a disjointed qualifying session – punctuated by a succession of red flag stoppages for incidents and rain showers – restricted him to a frustrated and unrepresentative 15th on the grid amongst the 30 high-calibre contenders in the UK’s premier motor racing series.

That left the Bucks-born ace with a mountain to climb on race day, and he began the first of the three ITV4 live-televised contests with 24kg of success ballast on-board and on the less favourable hard-compound tyres, making his task doubly difficult. Undeterred, an assertive start saw him gain four positions to 11th behind the wheel of the #80 Toyota Corolla.

The best-placed driver on the hard tyres, the result confirmed Ingram as the only competitor to have finished inside the points in each of the opening ten races of the campaign – testament to his commendable consistency in what is widely regarded as the world’s most fiercely-disputed tin-top series.

Now free of ballast and back on the regular tyres, the reigning two-time BTCC Independents’ Champion pulled off a flurry of gritty overtakes to advance to seventh in race two, earning him third on the partially-reversed grid for the day’s finale. With his closest rival on the standard rubber all the way down in 14th, the stars were aligning – at least, until a heavy shower soaked the circuit and left teams in a quandary.

With the track drying out, Ingram took a gamble and bolted on slicks – the only driver inside the top 15 to do so – knowing that the initial laps would be all about establishing the grip level, tiptoeing around and remaining patient while waiting for the conditions to come to him. They eventually did, but too late, and it was only in the closing stages that he was able to begin scything back through the field from 23rd, eventually taking the chequered flag 16th, just 1.7 seconds shy of the points-paying positions.

Posting the race’s fastest lap on the final tour, all the 25-year-old could realistically do was prove his pace and prowess, and that he did with aplomb, circulating at times almost five seconds quicker than any of the other slick-shod drivers and thrilling fans along the way by repeatedly rescuing lurid sideways slides.

“Sometimes you have to take a chance, and I’ve received so many messages since the weekend from people saying they were impressed we had the guts to follow our instincts when nearly everybody else was playing safe,” said Ingram.

“I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of driving on slicks on a damp track, but we just couldn’t generate temperature in the tyres quickly enough and I had some proper big ‘moments’. Ultimately, we lost too much ground early on and by the time it turned our way, the damage was done – but it was a lot of fun.

“Since we’re not right up there in the title battle at the moment, we can take a few more risks and go properly doorhandle-to-doorhandle without fearing the consequences if it goes wrong – and that’s a nice position to be in. My move on Josh Cook (in race 2) was really enjoyable – just hanging on for dear life through the Jim Clark Esses at more than 130mph. That was mega!

“Realistically, we knew it was going to be very tough to beat the rear wheel-drive cars in a straight fight at Croft, so our strategy was for race three to be our big opportunity, with the majority of the field on the harder tyres. That plan was working to perfection, and then obviously it rained – but whilst our gamble didn’t pay off on this occasion, I would do exactly the same again...”