INGRAM SHINES AS THE BTCC SPARKS INTO LIFE

The British Touring Car Championship’s brave new world dawned at Donington Park on Sunday. Three races, three different winners and dramas aplenty marked out the weekend as a cracking start to the season.

Tom Ingram won the opener and left as the championship leader in his Excelr8 Hyundai i30 N after a victory, while Gordon Shedden (Team Dynamics Honda Civic Type R) and Jake Hill (MB Motosport BMW 330e M Sport) also tasted champagne.

There were plenty of hard luck stories behind them but they were matched with some feel-good topics too. One was George Gamble, Ciceley Motorsport’s impressive rookie, who drove like a veteran with a race two podium as his highlight.Another was Motorbase’s crew which worked wonders to allow Dan Cammish to race at all (see sidebar, left).

Yes, the new M-Sport engines and Cosworth hybrid units had their gremlins, but the doom and gloom that some were pedalling was unjustified and the quality of the racing, far from a crash-fest, was the perfect way to start the season. On this evidence, it will be a belting season.

Race 1

Hill had secured pole position for the opener and was in confident mood but had team-mate Colin