TOM Ingram passed more rivals on track than anybody else during the British Touring Car Championship’s latest round at Thruxton.
He also set a lap record at the Hampshire circuit behind the wheel of his Speedworks Toyota Avensis, beating the previous marker that had been in place for 16 years.
After 16 years, Yvan Muller’s @DunlopBTCC race lap record around @thruxtonracing was finally broken yesterday 👀@Tomingram80 is now the new record holder, setting a blistering time of 1:17.060 in race three 🚗💨 #BTCC pic.twitter.com/LuHgubY8YT
— BARC (@OfficialBARCHQ) May 21, 2018
That outcome will have appeared unlikely when an alternator failure caused him to retire from race one – a first non-score of the 2018 campaign.
“We lost all the electrics early on including the power steering,” said the 24-year-old.
“That made it hard work to hang on through the faster corners, but then the alternator gave up completely on lap five.”
He made amends for the Northwich team in race two, gaining 20 places to cross the line in 12th place after starting last on the grid.
After taking seven spots on the opening lap, he had risen to 18th two circuits later and occupied a points-scoring position half way through.
That's more like it! 20 places gained from the back of the grid and bought back to garage all clean (other than a few flies!!). Race 3 in just over an hour!! Fingers crossed. 🤞 #BTCC pic.twitter.com/dw6eIstRvX
— Tom Ingram (@Tomingram80) May 20, 2018
An attacking charge in Sunday’s finale saw him circulate more than three tenths of a second quicker than anybody else, surpassing a marker set by Yvan Muller back in 2002.
Ingram pinched seventh from three-time champion Matt Neal (Honda Civic Type-R) at the beginning of the last lap to end the weekend on a high.
He remains firmly in a hunt for the title, 11 points adrift of Adam Morgan at the summit of the drivers’ standings and a close second behind Morgan in the Independents’ Trophy.
Speedworks are sixth in the overall teams’ table, and third of the Independent Team entries.
Ingram tops Dunlop #ForeverForward tally at Thruxton ➡️ https://t.co/FC9QUora3Y
— BTCC (@DunlopBTCC) May 22, 2018
Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram gained 24 positions on his way to Dunlop #ForeverForward honours at Thruxton – ten more than his nearest rival...#BTCC pic.twitter.com/a8Pr6riBc8
“To head home with a lap record, a solid haul of points and to still be in contention is definitely a positive,” said team principal Christian Dick.
“We’ve scored in every race bar one so far, which is a measure of our consistency, and there was nothing anybody could have done to prevent the failure in race one.
“Tom then produced a stunning drive in race two.”
The series visits Oulton Park, Speedworks’ home circuit, next month.
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