Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com’s Tom Ingram produced one of the moves of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship so far on his way to claiming a vital victory in the Knockhill finale.
From fourth on the grid, Ingram gradually made his way by BTC Racing’s Senna Proctor and Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing’s Jason Plato, but saved his best until last as he approached pole-sitter Stephen Jelley.
Team BMW’s Jelley defended valiantly for much of the contest but Ingram eventually sliced his #80 machine down the inside of the race leader at the final hairpin.
Ingram charged on to take the win, closing the gap to standings leader Ash Sutton in the process.
“That was our master plan!” said Ingram. “We had the conversation before that first race, what we did today was what we tried to do at Oulton Park. It went a bit better this weekend and I’m just so happy, so, so happy!
“It’s so nice to do it around a circuit like this as well, where the adrenaline’s pumping, everything feels alive, you come in shaking, it’s just a hell of an experience to be able to drive. And so nice to be able to do it in front of fans here at Knockhill – it’s just awesome!
“I’d read him a couple of laps previous, and I could see that I was a little bit better onto the brakes in the final hairpin, and I probably had a chance to do it three or four times. But I thought I’d only get one chance to do this so the lap previous I just looked to see what he did. I didn’t move too much, I just looked to see if he defended it then opened it up, and he did. I didn’t need a second invitation.”
“We had a couple of technical gremlins, there were alarms coming up on the dashboard saying low fuel pressure, high fuel pressure – something’s got into the mix that shouldn’t be in there! I contemplated doing a full master off and master on again under the safety car, but I’m glad I didn’t.”
BTC Racing’s Senna Proctor has been one of the drivers of the day at the undulating Fife circuit and he also got the better of Jelley as part of the aforementioned move and went on to take his second podium from three races.
Jelley hung onto third amidst huge pressure from multiple champions Gordon Shedden (Halfords Racing with Cataclean) and Ash Sutton (Laser Tools Racing).
Chris Smiley (Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com) and Aiden Moffat (Laser Tools Racing) have shown pace throughout the event and ended the weekend in sixth and seventh respectively.
Team BMW’s Colin Turkington and Plato endured bruising encounters with the tin-top legends both muscled down to eighth and ninth, whilst the recovering Dan Rowbottom completed the top ten for Halfords Racing with Cataclean.
2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Knockhill
1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +25 laps
2 Senna PROCTOR(GBR) BTC Racing +1.383s
3 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +4.658s
4 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +5.211s
5 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +5.273s
6 Chris SMILEY (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +6.033s
7 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +6.432s
8 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +10.298s
9 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +11.932s
10 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +12.546s
11 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +16.436s
12 Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Team HARD. with HUB Financial Solutions +16.883s
13 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +17.076s
14 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +17.507s
15 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +18.575s
16 Jack BUTEL (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +19.350s
17 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +19.796s
18 Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +20.405s
19 Jade EDWARDS (GBR) PHSC with BTC Racing +23.312s
20 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +23.466s
21 Paul RIVETT (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +24.111s
22 Jack MITCHELL (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +24.420s
23 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +24.482s
24 Sam SMELT (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +25.027s
25 Rick PARFITT (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +25.120s
26 Jack GOFF (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +38.599s
27 Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +3 laps
28 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with iQuoto Online Trading +4 laps
29 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +25 laps
