TOM Ingram secured a maiden pole position for Speedworks Motorsport in the British Touring Car Championship after topping the timesheets in qualifying at Brands Hatch.

Behind the wheel of the Northwich team’s Toyota Avensis, he set a lap record at the Kent circuit after clocking 47.990s.

The 22-year-old, about to embark on his third season in the series, set his marker 10 minutes into the half-hour session before a brief rain shower.

His rivals closed a gap as the surface on the 1.2-mile Indy configuration dried later, but the Honda Civic of defending champion Gordon Shedden and that of Halfords Yuasa Racing teammate Matt Neal had to settle for second and third place on the grid respectively for Sunday’s opener.

“It’s quite mental to think I’ve just taken my first touring car pole,” said Ingram, who had also been quickest during the first free practice period on Saturday morning.

“I was it was going overcast, so I knew we needed to put a ‘banker’ lap in early to be safe.

“We stressed all the way through the winter that we would only see everybody’s true pace in qualifying here, so it’s an absolutely superb result.”

The session – the only one of the campaign when cars are run at their base weight without any success ballast – proved close, with the top 22 drivers in a 32-strong line-up covered by less than a second.

Ingram also claims the first point on offer of the 2016 edition as a reward.

Three races are scheduled for Sunday, with the first due to start at 11.30am.

ITV Sport will broadcast the action live on television.