TOM Ingram heads to Donington Park this weekend at the top of the table in the British Touring Car Championship.

The Speedworks driver was a victor in race three at Brands Hatch during the opening round at Easter, and points collected in the other sprints makes him an early front-runner.

“He drove the wheels off our Toyota Avensis in all three races as he always does,” said Christian Dick, team principal for the Northwich outfit.

“To win on the first weekend of the season for a third successive year is brilliant, and I can’t praise everybody highly enough.

“We go to Donington Park full of confidence as a result.

“The car has maximum success ballast for qualifying and the opening race, but our winter testing was all conducted with extra weight on board so we’ll be as prepared as ever.”

Ingram laid down an early marker after recording his seventh victory career victory in the UK’s premier car racing series, and has set his sights on the top prize during 2018.

However the competition is fiercer than ever; the top 10 places in the standings are occupied by as many different teams and marques.

In qualifying at the Kent circuit, 30 cars set times within a second of pole-sitter Jack Goff’s benchmark in his Honda.

“To immediately come out fighting on race day I think underscores the strength of character of this team,” said Ingram.

A trio of 16-lap races on Sunday is preceded by a half-hour qualifying session on Saturday.

ITV Sport will broadcast the action live on television.