Ingram Sets The Pace as BTCC Returns To Donington Park

Photo courtesy of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)

The mid-season break may be in full swing but the BTCC crew showed that they are on anything but a holiday, as the premier tin top competition returned to Donington Park for this year’s official Goodyear tyre test earlier this week.

The session provides all of the teams a unique opportunity to gather all-important data on their cars and, more importantly, gave the drivers a valuable run-out on the Derbyshire circuit’s Grand Prix loop for the first time in over twenty years.

The last time the BTCC used the expanded version of the track was back in 2002 – before Team HARD’s Dexter Patterson was even born!
On Tuesday, the teams spent over six hours running around the 2.49-mile circuit, providing what could be a very intriguing look at what could lie ahead at the second Donington meeting of the season on 26th and 27th August.

After seeing his Bristol Street Motors with Exceler8 team-mate Tom Chilton set the best time in the morning session, it was reigning champion Tom Ingram who secured the fastest of the day, lapping at an impressive 1:33.197s.

Tom Ingram, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8: "We are all done for the day here at Donington Park GP circuit – the first time we've been here since 2002! It's going to be fun when we come back for the race weekend here in August and I'm sure the fans are going to really enjoy it too.
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"It's been a good day and we've got loads done, especially with tweaking and finding little bits and pieces to improve.
"It's always nice to get back in the car and get refreshed before Croft in a couple of weeks.”

Providing quite possibly the biggest talking point of the day, however, was Irishman Aron Taylor-Smith who bagged second overall, trailing Ingram by only six-hundredths of a second, to cap off a successful outing for the ever-improving Power Maxed Racing team, who have already bettered last season’s overall points haul, still with half the season to go.

Photo courtesy of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)

Árón Taylor-Smith, CarStore Power Maxed Racing, said: “This was definitely the most productive day of testing we’ve had so far this year. To finish the day in second is always a nice little boost, but as always, there’s definitely more time to come in the car and from myself.
“Without getting too technical and giving anything away, there are a few things we’ve been waiting to try until today, to give it the proper time and attention, and it’s helped us unlock a new avenue in the Vauxhall Astra.

“So, it’s all good news, and this gives us a nice little lift during the summer break as we turn the focus on to Croft.”

2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Combined Classification, Goodyear Tyre Test – Donington Park

1. Tom Ingram, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 1:33.197s
2. Árón Taylor-Smith, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.064s
3. Ricky Collard, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +0.151s
4. Colin Turkington, Team BMW +0.204s
5. Ashley Sutton, NAPA Racing UK +0.291s
6. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport +0.385s
7. Tom Chilton, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +0.387s
8. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK +0.417s
9. Adam Morgan, Team BMW +0.432s
10. Andrew Watson, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.444s
11. Daryl DeLeon, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils +0.482s
12. Rory Butcher, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +0.585s
13. Daniel Lloyd, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils +0.721s
14. Dan Cammish, NAPA Racing UK +0.821s
15. Mikey Doble, CarStore Power Maxed Racing +0.831s
16. Dexter Patterson, Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD +0.972s 
17. Stephen Jelley, Team BMW +1.061s
18. Sam Osborne, NAPA Racing UK +1.228s
19. George Gamble, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK +1.442s
20. Nathan Harrison, Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown +1.563s
21. Nic Hamilton, Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown +2.515s
22. Nick Halstead, BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 +2.555s

Chris Tetreault-Blay
BTCC Journalist @ F1 Journal