Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com has scored a maiden victory in the BTCC, and the first ever win for Hyundai machinery in the UK's premier motorsport series, as Tom Ingram took a popular triumph at Snetterton.
Ingram had to muscle his way past pole-sitter Stephen Jelley shortly after mid-distance as the leading BMW 3 Series ran wide through turn one, before the positions were finally switched through the tight right hairpin.
Laser Tools Racing's Ash Sutton and Halfords Racing with Cataclean's Gordon Shedden also bullied their way past the fading Jelley, as their own battle intensified towards the finish.
Sutton held onto to second – moving to the standings summit in the process – whilst Shedden grabbed his first podium since returning to the BTCC.
BTC Racing's Josh Cook ended a rather sluggish weekend with a much-welcomed fourth place, whilst Jelley had to settle for fifth as the chequered flag fell.
Regular title contenders – Rory Butcher (Toyota Gazoo Racing UK) and Colin Turkington (Team BMW) – finished in sixth and seventh respectively, ahead of Adam Morgan's BMW – completing a solid weekend for the Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport man.
Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct's Jack Goff took his second successive ninth place finish as Daniel Rowbottom rounded out the top ten in the other Team Dynamics-run Honda.
A couple of front-runners hit trouble in the contest as Team BMW's Tom Oliphant spun whilst attacking for the lead against team-mate Jelley in the early running, and MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square's Ollie Jackson also tumbled out of contention following the incident.
Tom Ingram said: “Amazing! To come to the second weekend and take a second, then a fourth, then a win in the last race is amazing. I honestly can’t express just what a great job that everyone at Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com have done, they’ve put an insanely good car under me. Of course this means everything to me because I’m the one that’s getting to drive the car around, but for everyone in the garage it’s such a special feeling and to share it, I’m so pleased we’ve been able to do it. It’s also really nice to wave to some fans on the way in, so just absolutely fantastic."
Ash Sutton said: “I’m over the moon with that one, I didn’t expect to get quite as high as that. I think we were assisted with Jackson and Oliphant. If someone offered me this last night I would have definitely taken it. I’m really over the moon, I had to watch the mirrors a couple of times under the breaking zones because that thing is good on the brakes, and Shedden put me under a lot of pressure, but I’m delighted.”
Gordon Shedden said: “When I spoke to you yesterday after qualifying it was all smiles and then obviously it went a little bit pear-shaped after that, but to be back on the podium I thought was a real tall order today - so many competitive cars, difficult to pass around here but I’ve kind of thrown the kitchen sink at it and you’ve got to try and get some points. In the last race it was just too risky to try and do anything too forceful to Ash [Sutton] and risk not scoring again, we just don’t have that luxury right now, so we’ll take a podium and move onto Brands.”
2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Snetterton
1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com 12 laps
2 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.144s
3 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +1.617s
4 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +3.217s
5 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +6.756s
6 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +7.469s
7 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +7.768s
8 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +8.744s
9 Jack GOFF (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +9.916s
10 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +10.355s
11 Chris SMILEY (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +11.293s
12 Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +11.718s
13 Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +12.403s
14 Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Team HARD. with HUB Financial Solutions +14.118s
15 Jade EDWARDS (GBR) PHSC with BTC Racing +14.575s
16 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +15.262s
17 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +16.002s
18 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +17.120s
19 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +18.655s
20 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +19.993s
21 Jack BUTEL (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +23.054s
22 Glynn GEDDIE (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +27.350s
23 Jessica HAWKINS (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +27.739s
24 Rick PARFITT (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +38.849s
25 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with iQuoto Online Trading +48.741s
26 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) BTC Racing +1:57.596s
DNF Sam SMELT (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK
DNF Ollie JACKSON (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square
DNF Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) Laser Tools Racing
