The Latest Breaking News from Tom Ingram

Turkington’s West Surrey Racing team-mate Jake Hill charged his BMW 330e M Sport from the back of the grid to eighth, but has now fallen out of championship contention.

The win, remarkably Sutton’s first of his BTCC career at the Northamptonshire circuit, came after long-time leader Jake Hill suffered a misfire just as the race restarted following a half-distance safety-car interlude.

Despite steady morning drizzle, Hill was the only driver among the top nine to take the start on wet-weather Goodyears and had qualified his West Surrey Racing BMW 330e M Sport in fourth position. 

Sutton, who holds a 42-point advantage over Tom Ingram in the rankings, sat on the bubble at the wheel of his Motorbase Performance Ford Focus ST during the last couple of minutes in qualifying on the National Circuit. 

One of four drivers in contention for the title, Hill set the fastest time in the early-morning session aboard his West Surrey Racing BMW 330e M Sport.

It’s around 10am on Saturday 22 April at Donington Park. The first British Touring Car Championship free practice session of the season is nearing its end. The rhythm of rasping BTCC cars bombing downhill through the Craner Curves to the Old Hairpin is becoming almost hypnotic. Suddenly, a blue-and-yellow projectile…

Lloyd had started his Team Hard Cupra Leon from pole position and led the Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N of Tom Chilton, who was soon given a five-second penalty for an out-of-position start.

Ingram worked his Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N ahead of the Motorbase Performance Ford Focus ST of Sutton on the fourth lap of 14, and stayed in front until the end of the race.

The three-time champion worked his Motorbase Performance Ford Focus ST around the Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N of reigning title holder Tom Ingram on the second lap, and disappeared into the distance.

But this time Sutton had to fend off a stern challenge from reigning champion Tom Ingram, who ran him extremely close but could not prevent the Motorbase Performance Ford Focus ST squad from extending its 2023 pole wipeout to eight from eight.

With the Berkshire-domiciled Yorkshireman’s Ford Focus ST already southbound on the M1 en route back to Motorbase Performance’s Kent premises after his hefty FP1 shunt, the second session began with angry black clouds looming beyond the Melbourne loop.