BTCC Brands Hatch – Ingram’s title challenge comes alive after last gasp win

Tom Ingram took his second win of the season and took the lead of the championship after a last lap pass on Tom Oliphant. Ash Sutton stole second from Oliphant in a battle to the finish line.

A six lap safety car period broke up the race after Stephen Jelley and Gordon Shedden collided at Paddock.

Oliphant had another good start off the line, with Dan Rowbottom atoning for his poor start in race one by rocketing up to second. Shedden is tapped at Paddock Hill bend but recovers. However on lap two he wasn’t as lucky.

Stephen Jelley saw a chance to dive down the inside and Shedden shut the door too late, with the pair going off into the gravel at Paddock. Shedden resumed but Jelley retired and this brought out the Safety Car.

After a six lap Safety Car period racing resumed. On lap ten Jake Hill passed Ingram into Paddock Hill in a brilliant move.

However Hill got a puncture heading into Clearways and lost two laps trying to fix it. Falling from third to the back of the pack.

Rowbottom challenged Oliphant for the lead and went around the outside of Druids. This left the door open for Ingram who took second by the end of lap 18.

There were interesting battles throughout the pack, with Jack Goff and Senna Proctor fighting for tenth place. It was the Yorkshireman who prevailed, finishing tenth ahead of Goff.

On lap 23 of 27 Ingram was on Oliphant’s tail, who was for the second race in a row, defending incredibly well in a much heavier BMW.

Ingram finally made his move on the last lap as he dove down the inside at Paddock and slightly tapped Olihpant’s rear. He managed to get through at Druids and steal away for his second win of the season.

Ash Sutton is a driver who can never be ruled out, as he took third from Rowbottom on the penultimate lap before sneaking past Oliphant in a drag race to the finish line.

Ingram took the win from Sutton and Oliphant on the podium, with Rowbottom, Josh Cook, Dan Lloyd, Chris Smiley, Jason Plato, Aiden Moffat and Senna Proctor rounded off the top ten, with Adam Morgan taking the reverse grid pole position.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 24:56:451
2 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +0.489
3 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +0.527
4 Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +0.972
5 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +1.213
6 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +1.630
7 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +1.957
8 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +2.194
9 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +8.394
10 Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +8.794
11 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +9.232
12 Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +10.066
13 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +10.468
14 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +11.212
15 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +11.599
16 Ollie Jackson Ford Focus MB Motorsport +13.169
17 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +13.590
18 Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +14.034
19 Sam Osborne Ford Focus Motorbase +14.909
20 Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +15.251
21 Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +15.518
22 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +19.035
23 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +20.337
24 Rick Parfitt Jr Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +22.885
25 Andy Neate Ford Focus Motorbase +23.690
26 Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD +23.986
27 Jake Hill Ford Focus MB Motorsport +2 Laps
Retirements
DNF Glyn Geddie Cupra Leon Team HARD Mechanical
DNF Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR Crash

 

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