Tom Ingram seeking to strike early on race day

Tom Ingram says he will look to strike early on race day to try and convert his second row grid slot into victory at Rockingham.

The Speedworks driver qualified third for the eighth meeting of the season, having earlier set the pace in both free practice sessions around the high-speed Northamptonshire circuit.

Ingram, who returned to the top of the podium last time out at Knockhill, will start ahead of his main rivals in the championship standings but with three rear-wheel drive cars in the first five spots on the grid, he admitted he would need to try and get ahead early on to challenge for top honours.

“It’s a shame that we couldn’t convert our practice pace into pole but we’re in a good position and one of the quickest front-wheel drive cars on the grid,” he said. “If we are in a position to strike early in the races then we’ll need to try and do it because the races will come to the rear-wheel drive cars as we go on, but at the same time we can’t afford to be too racy too early because we have to protect our tyres.

“The plus point for us is that we are ahead of the likes of Rob Collard and Gordon Shedden on the grid, and also ahead of Matt Neal who is the closest person to us in the standings. It means we have a chance to take points out of them and we have to try and make sure we capitalise on it – particularly in the first race when the weight situation will work in our favour.”