Tom Ingram’s run of bad luck showed no signs of abating at last weekend’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at Croft Circuit, as the Speedworks Motorsport driver was only able to salvage one points finish from the event.
Ingram looked imperious at the start of the season, taking the first win of the year followed by a win at the next event at Donington. This wasn’t to continue however, as a mixture of poor luck and collisions have seen him finish just two of the last six races – with only one points finish among them.
Ingram took his only points of the last six races in race one, having picked his way through the pack to rise from thirteenth on the grid to an eighth place finish place. Race two saw bad luck strike again as he was caught in a collision with Josh Cook; the result being broken suspension for Ingram’s Toyota Avensis. Starting from the rear of the grid for race three, Ingram was only able to make it to sixteenth – missing out on points for the second time that day.
Team Principal Christian Dick was clear where the blame lied: “We could – and should – have come away from Croft with a good, strong points tally around a circuit that traditionally favours rear wheel-drive machinery, so to have had that ruined by another driver’s impetuosity was very hard to accept but we will go away, take a deep breath and come back even stronger.”
Ingram was reflective on the weekend, looking to the previous season for reassurance: “Admittedly, we’re not in as good a position as we were after Thruxton, but we’re by no means in a bad position either.” He said.
“Gordon Shedden was 52 points off the championship lead at this stage last year and he went on to win the title – so there’s no reason at all why we can’t do the same.”
