25 AUGUST: BTCC DONINGTON
The BTCC roadshow returned to Donington where the 2024 season began.
This time the inclusion of the Melbourne loop meant that the drivers were navigating the GP circuit, but Tom Ingram was hoping for a repeat of the double win that heralded the start of his campaign.
As it was Tom had to settle for 5th in qualifying, with fellow Cobra boys Cook and Turkington 1st and 2nd on the grid and Ingram’s nearest Championship rival Jake Hill in 7th.
A demon start by Turkington at the start of race one put him in the lead by the first corner – a position he held for the rest of the race, despite late pressure by Ash Sutton.
Life wasn’t as straightforward for Ingram: On the first lap Noble slid into him turning his car 90 degrees and sending him tumbling down the order. Driving like a man possessed, Ingram fought his way back up to fifth at the flag, behind Hill who snatched second from Cook when Cook got sideways and clipped the tyres at the chicane.
Ingram’s woes continued in race two: Having impressively fought his way into second place, a mechanical issue forced a mid-race retirement.
Back out on the circuit Turkington took a comfortable second, having relinquished his lead to Sutton on lap one, with Jake Hill taking valuable Championship points in third with fellow Cobra drivers Cook, Morgan and Huff finishing 4th 5th and 7th respectively.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man and in race three Tom Ingram delivered the drive of the day and what may yet prove to be the drive of the season, starting 19th on the grid and working his way through the field to an incredible second, with Cook fourth (his third fourth of the day!) and Hill fifth.
The consistency of 7th, 3rd and that 5th place in the final race sees Hill take a nine-point lead over Ingram going into Silverstone.
