Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram has set the pace in the opening 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Free Practice session at Brands Hatch.

The young Toyota driver was fastest during official pre-season testing at Donington Park recently, and the pace of his newly facelifted Avensis has been further proven around the 1.27-mile Indy Circuit. Ingram’s form at the Kent venue is of little surprise as the 23-year-old scored his first BTCC pole position and race victory here in 2016.

“We’ve got more time to find, but it’s always good to be at the top of the timesheets,” said Ingram.

Ingram’s lap was clocked early in the session, whilst the BMW trio showed their hand towards the end of the 40-minutes. Rob Collard took second ahead of stablemate Andrew Jordan, whilst WSR returnee Colin Turkington claimed sixth. Among the BMWs were the Mercedes of Adam Morgan and Honda of Gordon Shedden in fourth and fifth respectively.

Four different teams completed the top ten positions as Subaru new boy Ashley Sutton grabbed seventh ahead of Eurotech’s Jack Goff. MG manufacturer driver Aron Taylor-Smith was ninth ahead of Handy Motorsport’s Rob Austin. The Toyota of Austin was also in the wars after mid-session contact with the Vauxhall Astra of Tom Chilton, although both continued with only superficial damage to their bodywork.

The session was stopped briefly to retrieve the car of Aiden Moffat after an issue sent his car spiralling into the Clearways gravel, with no blame apportioned to the young Scottish driver.

An incredible 26 cars were seperated by less than a second, suggesting we are in for a nail-biting FP2 and qualifying session later today.

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice One – Brands Hatch (Indy):

1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport 48.164s (90.28 mph)
2 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +0.117s
3 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.139s
4 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +0.156s
5 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.168s
6 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.182s
7 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.329s
8 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +0.342s
9 Aron TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +0.374s
10 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +0.387s
11 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.520s
12 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +0.523s
13 Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.533s
14 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +0.548s
15 Daniel LLOYD (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +0.565s
16 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +0.585s
17 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.589s
18 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.680s
19 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.715s
20 Josh COOK (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +0.772s
21 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat with Duo +0.775s
22 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +0.780s
23 Luke DAVENPORT (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +0.853s
24 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.884s
25 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +0.909s
26 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +0.980s
27 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +1.116s
28 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +1.120s
29 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +1.136s
30 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.165s
31 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.566s
32 Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +2.067s