Tom Ingram takes first career BTCC pole
Tom Ingram will start the opening round of the 2016 BTCC season from pole position after smashing the qualifying record with a lap time of 47.990 in qualifying.
The Speedworks Motorsport driver, who was also fastest in FP1, made the most of the track conditions, setting his fastest lap just before the circuit began to become greasy and the average lap time dropped significantly. A late session resurgence put some pressure on the young driver, but no-one could get near to his record-beating time.
Sam Tordoff, who topped FP2, was the first driver to go below last season’s pole time, posting a 48.377, before Gordon Shedden beat the BMW driver and came tantalisingly close to a 47 second lap with a 48.053.
It was then that Ingram pulled out the lap of the day, blitzing the competition and becoming the only driver to go below 48 seconds of the weekend, setting a time of 47.990.
Matt Neal and Ashley Sutton also set times below the previous qualifying best as they pushed Tordoff down to fifth. During the final ten minute rush, Tordoff managed to push Sutton back down to fifth, with Josh Cook joining his MG team-mate on the third row. Adam Morgan, Jack Goff, Mat Jackson and Aron Smith rounded out the top ten positions.
Goff had a nervy first qualifying with West Surrey Racing, spending the first half of the session lingering between 25th and 30th, before steadily rising up through the order and ending up eighth.
Colin Turkington was the best of the Team BMR Subaru Levorg drivers once again, taking the 11th best time, while Jason Plato, Warren Scott and James Cole could only manage 23rd, 27th and 29th respectively.
