BTCC Croft – Ingram takes title lead with win after Sutton suffering puncture

Tom Ingram secured a lights to flag win in race one at Croft, holding off Ford’s Dan Cammish with Senna Proctor grabbing an excellent podium from eighth on the grid – making it a double Hyundai top three.

In what could be a huge moment in the championship, Ingram’s championship rival Ash Sutton suffered a puncture midway through the race, losing a points finish and falling behind in the standings.

Ingram led off the line, moving across to stay ahead of the fast-starting Cammish. The star of lap one however was Senna Proctor. The Hyundai driver started eighth on the grid, and made up five places to be third, and best of the rest by the end of the opening lap.

Mikey Doble found himself in strife on lap three, taking too much speed out of the turn three chicane. The back end spun round and the Vauxhall driver spun and clipped the wall – thankfully able to get going again.

Throughout the race Ingram and Cammish were swapping fastest laps, as the pair pulled out a lead on the chasing pack. Ingram was getting better of the Ford behind, pulling out a 2.3 second lead.

It was to all come to nothing however, when the Safety Car was deployed on lap ten. Chris Smiley and Gordon Shedden were battling lower down the order. It was a drag race down to turn one, with Smiley ahead. He went wide at turn one, and his left rear clipped the front of Shedden’s Toyota – sending him into the gravel trap, and out of the race.

After a three lap break from the action, the Safety Car pulled into the pits and the race back underway. In what could be a pivotal moment for the championship, Ash Sutton, who’d made good progress from 11th on the grid to sixth, pulled into the pits with a flat tyre. Possibly caused from delamination from going over the kerb.

The only saving grace for Sutton, is he was on the harder medium tyre, and the shackles will be off for race two.

Ingram managed the race well and held off Cammish for the win, and with it comes a 13 point lead in the championship. Proctor took third for his first podium since his return to the grid.

Dan Rowbottom was fourth, holding off Tom Chilton’s Hyundai. Daryl DeLeon was sixth with Aron Taylor-Smith finishing seventh. Charles Rainford, Dan Lloyd and Adam Morgan rounding off the top ten. Morgan the highest placed medium tyre finisher.

Shedden finished 11th after contact with Smiley, Dexter Patterson finished 12th with Aiden Moffat and Sam Osborne close behind. Doble recovered from his excursion off the track with 15th and one point.

Sutton finished 20th after his tyre trouble, and was delayed out of the pits with a power steering issue.

Related posts:

BTCC Oulton Park – Ingram takes dominant lights to flag win BTCC Oulton Park – Sutton’s tactical gamble pays off with race two win