Tom Ingram tops season launch test at rain-soaked Brands Hatch
Tom Ingram topped the times for EXCELR8 in the only official pre-season test ahead of the 2023 British Touring Car Championship on a day where the weather played havoc with proceedings at Brands Hatch.
The defending champion set a best time of 47.928s during a break in the weather during the latter stages of the morning running to head the way in his Hyundai i30 Fastback N, just edging out the Ford Focus of Ash Sutton – who would end up just 0.048s behind in second spot.
It would prove to be a good day for Sutton’s Napa Racing UK squad in terms of the times as Dan Rowbottom slotted into third spot, with Dan Cammish in fifth; the interloper in amongst the Motorbase-run cars being the Toyota of Rory Butcher.
That capped a solid showing for the Speedworks team with its new Toyota engine, with George Gamble also showing top ten pace, although Ricky Collard would slide off in the gravel at Clearways during the morning running.
Jake Hill would head the rear-wheel drive runners in his BMW, setting the fastest time in the afternoon before heavy rain ended any serious running with a lap good enough to grab sixth on the combined times, with Colin Turkington and Josh Cook rounding out the top eight.
Cook – alongside his fellow One Motorsport racers – was at the wheel of an ex-Team Dynamics Honda fitted with the Neil Brown Honda engine after the multiple championship winning team announced it wouldn’t compete this season.
Adam Morgan and Gamble then rounded out the top ten.
Stephen Jelley would have issues in the morning when he went off track into the gravel at Druids, whilst Team HARD was unable to run during the morning as it waited for the hybrid systems in its cars to be commissioned by Cosworth – meaning Dexter Patterson, Jack Butel and Dan Lloyd only turned limited laps in the rain late on.
Nic Hamilton failed to appear on track, with the car of Jade Edwards not present and Bobby Thompson missing with illness.
