Britain’s premier motor sport series ready for a party in the Park

The 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will speed into Donington Park for high-octane thrills ‘n’ spills next weekend (16/17 April).

A record-breaking 32 cars took to the starting grid at Brands Hatch for the recent season-opener, delivering three breathless races around the short Indy loop that augured well for an exciting campaign ahead. Indeed, with the introduction of new technical components and teams still getting to grips with their 2016 cars, the form guide has been thrown out of the window this year – meaning fans are in for a real treat.

The eagerly-anticipated arrival of Subaru means the field features no fewer than 11 marques, and the fact that three different cars – run by three different teams – took the chequered flag first at Brands Hatch serves to underscore the unpredictable nature of this season’s contest.

All the action is broadcast live and extensively throughout the UK on the free-to-air ITV4 channel, meaning whether you are in the grandstand, on the spectator banks or relaxing in the comfort of your own armchair in front of the box, you won’t miss a moment of the drama – and make no mistake, drama is guaranteed!

Talking point: Who will take the fight to Honda?
Halfords Yuasa Racing duo Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal starred at Brands Hatch, with the former winning race two and the latter leaving the Kent circuit at the top of the points table as they proved the potential of the newly-liveried Honda Civic Type R.

That means the experienced team-mates – who count five Drivers’ titles between them – head to Donington in the pound seats, but they will need to work harder than ever in qualifying and the first race by having to carry significant success ballast. That offers their rivals the perfect opportunity to pounce – and there is no shortage of pretenders snapping at their heels.

West Surrey Racing’s trio of rear-wheel drive BMWs all enjoyed their time in the spotlight at Brands, with Sam Tordoff and Jack Goff both reaching the rostrum in race three and Rob Collard vying for the lead following a meteoric getaway in race two before contact scuppered his charge. Both Tordoff and Collard are former winners in Leicestershire, and are sure to be in the thick of it again next weekend.

One of the most impressive aspects of the Kent curtain-raiser was the pace and performance of MG Racing RCIB Insurance young guns Ashley Sutton and Josh Cook. Both ran at the front throughout and Sutton in particular caught the eye, as he rapidly finds his feet in the BTCC after lifting the Renault UK Clio Cup laurels last year. The rookie similarly turned heads at the Season Launch at Donington by nearly topping the timesheets at the end of the afternoon test, so he clearly knows his way around the Midlands circuit.

Having been the BTCC benchmark over the second half of 2015, Motorbase Performance’s Brands Hatch weekend was a slightly subdued affair, but the Ford Focuses of 2013 champion Andrew Jordan and team-mate Mat Jackson worked their way progressively up the order and indulged in a fair bit of entertaining internecine tussles. Both men are more than capable of opening their 2016 victory account at Donington.

There was joy for Tom Ingram and Speedworks Motorsport at Brands Hatch as they celebrated their maiden BTCC triumph in the opener, with the Toyota driver controlling the pace from the front. Following incidents in races two and three, the 22-year-old will be light on ballast going into Donington’s qualifying session, making him a contender for a second consecutive pole position.

On the subject of dark horses, another Independent outfit to shine at Brands Hatch was WIX Racing, with Adam Morgan staving off a two-pronged BMW assault for race three glory. Aron Smith also enjoyed a strong weekend behind the wheel of the Volkswagen CC, stealing a podium finish for new entrant BKR less than two weeks after the team’s announcement that it would be joining the fray. The Irishman made headlines at Donington last year with a lively scrap for the lead with Cook, so he will undoubtedly be one to watch again 12 months on.

And what, finally, of former multiple champions Jason Plato and Colin Turkington? Having barely turned a wheel before heading out in practice at Brands Hatch, the Silverline Subaru BMR Racing Levorg GTs inevitably took some time to get up-to-speed, but progress was palpable over the course of the weekend, with Turkington very nearly cracking the top ten in qualifying and both he and Plato scoring points on race day. The team has been working feverishly ever since to further fettle and fine-tune the rear-wheel drive machines, so don’t discount them from contention at Donington.

Local Heroes: Neal returns to happy hunting ground
Hailing from Stourbridge, Matt Neal counts Donington Park as his home circuit and it is a venue that holds happy memories for him – never more so than in 1999, when he became the first Independent driver in the modern era to win a BTCC race outright, receiving a £250,000 cheque for his troubles. Now in his 26^th campaign in the series, the 49-year-old remains at the top of his game, and he heads to Leicestershire as the man that everybody else is chasing.

Fellow title-winner Andrew Jordan (Lichfield) is similarly a Donington ‘local’, and as he continues to gel with Motorbase Performance’s Ford Focus – sporting a striking Pirtek Racing livery – the 2013 champion is sure to be right up at the sharp end this weekend.

MG can also consider Donington as its home event with the British manufacturer based in nearby Longbridge. New MG signing Josh Cook led last year in a Chevrolet until contact with Aron Smith sent them both skating wildly across the grass at the Craner Curves.

Eurotech Racing is another local entrant, fielding Honda Civic Type Rs for Jeff Smith and Martin Depper, whilst Sutton Coldfield’s Stewart Lines will be aiming to bounce back from a challenging season-opener as he eyes his first career points in his Maximum Motorsport Ford Focus.

Timetable and tickets 
The second race day of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship takes place on Sunday 17 April, with all three BTCC encounters – and many of the day’s other races – broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4. Those in attendance at the circuit can stay in touch with the commentary and live timing from every session, available on the btcc.net Live Zone throughout the weekend.

In addition to the BTCC, the support series on the TOCA package are set to bring even more action to Donington Park. Sportscar racing fans will get their fix with races from the Michelin Ginetta GT4 SuperCup and Simpson Race Products Ginetta Junior Championship. The Renault UK Clio Cup – often seen as a stepping-stone to reaching the BTCC – will also feature on the huge bill of British racing, as will the MSA Formula Championship, the single-seater launchpad for the next generation of aspiring Formula One world champions.

Tickets for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s annual visit to Donington Park on 16/17 April are available in advance from just £11.25, with free entry for children aged 13 and under. For more information, visit www.donington-park.co.uk. All admission includes access to Sunday morning’s 09:15am autograph session with the BTCC drivers in the pit lane (limited spaces) and the racing paddocks, as well as free parking and giant TV screens on Sunday. Racing starts at 10:05am on Sunday with the final BTCC showdown scheduled for 17:15pm.

MG RCIB Insurance Racing pairing Ashley Sutton and Josh Cook are both looking to the podium after enjoying an outstanding weekend at the Brands Hatch season-opener last weekend, having first turned a wheel in the MG6GT just two weeks prior at the Donington Park Season Launch.

The youngsters caught the eye with strong pace at that Season Launch test session, with Sutton notching the second fastest time of the day – pipped marginally at the end of the session by experienced head Matt Neal, as the Honda man turned up the wick for his final run.

Sutton reprised his impressive form in practice around Brands’ 1.2-mile Indy Circuit, featuring up towards the sharp end throughout despite grappling with set-up issues in his MG Racing RCIB Insurance MG6GT. He was right on the pace from Free Practice 1, with a time just a tenth shy of quickest, despite those problems. In qualifying, both Sutton and Cook followed through on their promise shown in 'non-competitive' running by securing 5th and 6th place on the grid.

Sutton, 22 and reigning Renault UK Clio Cup champion, sees no reason why the Triple Eight Racing backed MG squad shouldn't be looking to the rostrum given their showing so far.

"Well there you go, I have my first BTCC weekend under my belt! I personally set some targets to aim for and we definitely achieved them," said Sutton. "Getting three top ten finishes was fantastic and to qualify fifth topped it off! I feel now we can move forward at Donington, we have a very quick car under us thanks to Triple Eight Racing considering the small amount of laps we have actually done.

"The platform is there so we can now build on this and move forward in the right direction and get the MG6 on the podium! I am also learning the craft of British Touring Cars so there is still more to come from me!"

On the other side of the team's garage, Sutton's slightly more experienced stablemate Cook echoed the same sentiments, bemoaning a couple of circumstances beyond his control that took the sheen off his weekend.

"I was really pleased with the pace of the car throughout the weekend, in comparison to a lot of the cars on the grid we had very little time in the car pre-season so we went into the weekend on the back foot. Qualifying and Race one was a glimpse of what the MG6 has to offer.

"Race two was purely unlucky for me with the oil on the track, a bit gutting but that’s the way it goes sometimes. It could happen to anyone. As a result we started from the back for Race three, midway through when I reached P14, we encountered a fault which halted my progress or I’m confident we could have recovered with a top 10 finish.

"The guys behind the scenes at MG RCIB Insurance Racing do a really great job. We’ve learned a lot this weekend, and Ash and I are doing well together as a team, hopefully we can soon get up on that top step. There is no question that we’re going to be giving it everything we’ve got."

New Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship outfit BKR did not exist in its current guise as a BTCC squad until less than a month ago, when it took two ex-Team BMR Volkswagen CCs out of storage with the aim of competing in 2016 – a campaign that was looming ominously in the near-distance.

With a little help from Warren Scott, three weeks later BKR was on the grid at Brands Hatch – notching up a stunning podium and two top eight finishes with Aron Smith in the process.

“I’m over the moon with the way the weekend went," reflected Smith. "Three weeks ago, these cars were sat in a shed not going racing. The work that both BKR and Team BMR have put in to get us to this point has just been phenomenal.

"I really can’t thank everyone enough – particularly Warren. It’s no exaggeration to say that without him, we would not be here. He’s done an amazing job. Everybody at BKR is so enthusiastic, and that excitement is infectious.

“The Brands Hatch podium is for all the lads – I’m delighted for them. They’ve effectively had to perform a full winter rebuild in the space of just a couple of days, so it’s great to come straight out of the box and pick up a trophy to give something back.”

Despite the lack of preparation, the former Britcar and Renault UK Clio Cup team knew they had capable machinery in their hands – the car that took Jason Plato to the runner-up spoils in the Drivers' standings last year.

After a rush to ready the cars for the Season Launch at Donington Park, both Smith and team-mate Mark Howard squeezed in some running during the afternoon test session – impressive running, in fact, totalling 26 and 41 laps respectively.

Smith feels with more miles on the clock and after an extremely positive opening weekend, the team can now push the car further – as he relishes the novel position of being lead driver.

“The Volkswagen CC is a known quantity for us,” he acknowledged. “I’m comfortable in the car, and I have quite a bit of experience with it now. This is also the first time I’ve ever led a team, and that’s a special feeling in itself.

“The Season Launch test was a baptism of fire for all of us to say the least, but now the guys have the opportunity to strip the car and put in the work we need to do on it – and that will hopefully allow us to come back even stronger.”

On his first weekend in a front-wheel drive touring car, Rob Austin took opening honours in Dunlop’s 2016 #ForeverForward contest, by gaining a total of 19 positions across the course of the three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at Brands Hatch.

Overtaking is always something of a skill around Brands’ short 1.2-mile Indy Circuit, but Austin made short work of many of his rivals in race two as he scythed through the field from 30^th to finish 14^th. The three additional spots he improved in the finale earned the Handy Motorsport ace the highest #ForeverForward score of the record-breaking 32 contenders in Kent.

Rob Collard and Josh Cook were Austin’s closest challengers, each advancing 16 places on Sunday, although the former’s collision with Tom Ingram as the pair disputed the lead of race two arguably cost the BMW man a shot at #ForeverForward glory. On his maiden outing for MG Racing RCIB Insurance, Cook impressed in race three by vaulting from 29^th on the starting grid to 14^th at the chequered flag.

Dan Welch, meanwhile, enjoyed a much stronger start to the season than of late behind the wheel of his new Proton as he annexed points in two of the three encounters. Other major movers over the weekend included Power Maxed Racing’s Hunter Abbott and Team BMR Subaru’s Warren Scott in race two – the latter making his competitive debut in the new Levorg having missed the opener – as well as Speedworks Motorsport’s Ingram with a stirring race three recovery.

Amongst the contenders for overtake of the weekend, finally, was Andrew Jordan’s move on Motorbase Performance team-mate Mat Jackson in race two, as the two Ford Focuses ran flat-out and side-by-side down the main straight in close proximity to the pit wall.

The #ForeverForward leaderboard is below, with one point attributed for every position gained. Points are not removed if places are lost.

Rob Austin 19

Rob Collard 16

Josh Cook 16

Hunter Abbott 15

Tom Ingram 14

Colin Turkington 14

Jake Hill 13

Warren Scott 13

Dan Welch 13

Andrew Jordan 12

Stewart Lines 12

James Cole 11

Jason Plato 10

Matt Simpson 10

Michael Epps 9

Mark Howard 8

Aiden Moffat 8

Kelvin Fletcher 7

Ollie Jackson 7

Alex Martin 7

Aron Smith 7

Jeff Smith 7

Sam Tordoff 7

Mat Jackson 4

Matt Neal 4

Chris Smiley 4

Jack Goff 3

Adam Morgan 2

Gordon Shedden 1

Ashley Sutton 1

Martin Depper 0

Andy Neate 0

Speedworks Motorsport joined the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship winners’ club in style, after Tom Ingram raced to a commanding maiden victory in the 2016 curtain-raiser at Brands Hatch this past weekend.

The outfit was keen to build upon an impressive end to the 2015 campaign that had seen Ingram clinch the independent outfit’s breakthrough podium finish at Rockingham before adding to it with another in the Brands Hatch GP finale.

The talented young Bucks ace lapped fastest of all in opening practice after his crew had swiftly rectified a minor mechanical issue. Ingram topped the timesheets for the majority of the second session, too, producing a series of consistent laps in the #80 Toyota Avensis.

In qualifying, Ingram delivered on his practice promise, posting the best lap ever recorded by a touring car around Brands Hatch’s short 1.2-mile Indy layout to take his and Speedworks’ first BTCC pole position.

On a track still greasy and slippery in parts from overnight rain, Ingram made a super getaway when the starting lights went out in race one and managed an early safety car period after an incident further down the order. He then found himself under pressure from Honda duo Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal but Ingram didn’t put so much as a wheel out-of-place.

As he flashed across the finish line more than two seconds clear, Ingram was met by a rapturous reception from the Speedworks pit wall and the capacity crowd, who acknowledged an outstanding lights-to-flag performance and tremendously popular triumph.

Beginning the second outing from pole once again, the three-time Ginetta Champion and former British Karting Champion remained in front until a forceful overtaking attempt by Rob Collard resulted in contact that consigned his damaged Toyota to an early bath.

Following a rapid repair job by his Speedworks mechanics, Ingram scythed his way through from the back row of the grid in the finale. Repeatedly setting lap times faster than the leaders as he showcased both the Avensis’ raw pace and his ability to make a pass stick. He ultimately wound up half-a-second shy of sneaking into the points.

Nevertheless, that fleeting frustration could not take the gloss off a weekend to remember for the Northwich, Cheshire-based squad, which sits eighth out of 19 in the Teams’ standings and a challenging fourth in the Independents’ Team Trophy, with Ingram ninth in the overall Drivers’ classification and seventh in the Independents’ table.

“I still don’t think the magnitude of what we have achieved has sunk in yet,” reflected Speedworks Team Principal Christian Dick. “This has been our strongest start to a BTCC campaign by a country mile. We knew the Avensis was quick from pre-season testing, but you can never be sure exactly where you’re going to shake out in the pecking-order because we’re up against some very high-calibre opposition – including manufacturer teams with far greater resources than us.

“Tom was under pressure throughout race one, but he led flawlessly from the front like a seasoned pro and controlled it beautifully; he never gave Shedden a look-in, and he even had a little extra pace left in his pocket had he needed it. It was a superb drive.

“I’m immensely proud of the entire team; we’ve finally proved what I’ve been saying we are capable of for a long time, and this result means so much to us all. Everybody is hugely excited moving forwards, and the key will be to sustain this level of performance. We head to the next round with very little ballast and an extremely fast car, and we need to make sure we exploit that opportunity.”

“I was able to control the pace quite comfortably in race one," said Ingram. "I felt like I had the legs on Gordon and could hold a half-second margin without too much trouble, and when I needed to push to open up a gap, I could do so.

“All the way around the last lap, I was listening for even the tiniest of vibrations, and when I saw the boys hanging over the pit wall as the chequered flag came out, I just screamed down the radio. Hearing the team’s reaction was such a special moment, because they have waited so long for this result and thoroughly deserve it for all the effort they put in both on and off the track.

“There’s no question that on paper, we shouldn’t be doing what we are doing. At the end of the day, Speedworks is only a small, family-run operation, but the awesome thing about the BTCC is that it gives teams like us the chance to shine and pull off some giant-killing exploits – and now David has beaten Goliath once, we want to do it again and again.”

The 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship commenced in fine style at Brands Hatch with a trio of different drivers celebrating victory from the three fast and furious races. Tom Ingram, Gordon Shedden and Adam Morgan all tasted champagne on the top step of the podium – Matt Neal who left the Kent circuit with the championship lead.

The top three from each of the opening three rounds spoke to btcc.net back in the pitlane after the podium celebrations had died down...

Race 1 – Tom Ingram, Gordon Shedden, Matt Neal

Race 2 – Gordon Shedden, Matt Neal, Aron Smith

Race 3 – Adam Morgan, Matt Neal, Aron Smith

The 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship commenced in fine style at Brands Hatch with a trio of different drivers celebrating victory from the three fast and furious races.

Tom Ingram, Gordon Shedden and Adam Morgan all tasted champagne on the top step of the podium, but it was Matt Neal who left the Kent circuit with the championship lead.

Ingram set a scorching lap record during qualifying on Saturday, taking a maiden pole position in the process, and the 22-year-old duly backed up his pace with an impressive lights-to-flag victory in the season opener.

Reigning champion Shedden inherited the lead and ultimately the win in the second contest, after contact between Ingram and West Surrey Racing’s Rob Collard sent them both spiralling out of contention.

Race three produced another lead change when pole-sitter Sam Tordoff had to give up top spot to the hard charging Morgan. Tordoff and WSR team-mate Jack Goff kept Morgan’s Mercedes honest throughout, but the WIX Racing star held on for his third career victory.

The day kicked off under glorious spring sunshine as tens of thousands of fans flocked to the world famous motor sport venue. The spectators were immediately entertained as Ingram and Speedworks Motorsport’s first ever BTCC victory received rapturous applause from the huge crowd.

While the race was frenetic further down the order, the top three contenders in Ingram, Honda’s Shedden and his team-mate Neal remained steady throughout. A slowing backmarker and a mid-race safety car spell proved to be the only issues for Ingram, but the young charger dealt with both interruptions with consummate ease.

MG’s young duo continued to belie their relative inexperience by finishing fourth and fifth, with debutant Ashley Sutton getting the better of Josh Cook.

The Halfords Yuasa Racing boys improved further in the second bout by scoring Honda’s first one-two of the season, as Shedden headed Neal.

Ingram’s Toyota had maintained the lead off the line while Collard’s BMW blitzed from sixth on the grid into second before the 32 cars reached Paddock Hill Bend for the first time.

Collard immediately set about attacking Ingram and the duo touched at Paddock on the second tour before more forceful contact at Druids sent the BMW into a spin. Ingram continued for half a lap but then slowed with damage, which was caused as a result of the earlier incident.

Honda inherited the top two positions and never looked back while Aron Smith completed the podium order in his VW – the first rostrum for new squad BKR.

Morgan celebrated victory in race three around the 1.2-mile Indy circuit after holding off a near race-long threat from the WSR duo of Tordoff and Goff.

WIX Racing’s Morgan slotted in behind pole-sitter Tordoff and the soft Dunlop SportMaxx tyre-shod Mercedes crawled all over the back of the BMW on the opening lap. Morgan eyed his opportunity on lap two and darted past Tordoff on the run down to Paddock Hill Bend.

The closing stages were tense as Tordoff and Goff hauled their BMWs back towards Morgan's Mercedes. The Lancashireman kept his powder dry, however, and saw off several attacks to take the win.

Three-time champion Neal may not have won any of the three opening rounds but used all his experience and guile to bag more points than his rivals with strong second, third and fifth-place finishes.

He currently leads the standings from stablemate Shedden, while race three winner Morgan lies third, just six points off the championship summit. Aron Smith and Andrew Jordan enjoyed solid outings and line up in joint fourth.

Honda leads the Manufacturers/Constructors’ table from WSR and MG respectively, whilst debutants Subaru are fourth. The Japanese marque produced a hugely impressive effort just to ready its four Levorgs in time for the meeting, and the Team BMR-run squad was rewarded as Jason Plato and Colin Turkington scored points in races two and three respectively.

Halfords Yuasa Racing top the Teams’ standings, while Aron Smith and BKR lead both Independents’ tables. Impressive debutant Ashley Sutton heads the Jack Sears Trophy.

Rounds 4, 5 and 6 of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will take place at Donington Park on 16/17 April.

Tom Ingram said: "This is what all the hard work over the winter was for. With the way we finished last season, we knew we had a good package underneath us, and Speedworks Motorsport are such a fantastic bunch of guys – this result is for all of them. When I saw the team celebrating as I climbed out of the car afterwards, it brought a tear to my eye, and the emotion just goes to show how much this first victory means to us. It’s unbelievable."

Gordon Shedden said: "It’s been a good weekend, with a couple of podiums for me including a win, a big points haul and Matt and myself sitting first and second in the Drivers’ classification. The Honda Civic Type R is clearly very fast, and there’s still more to come from it as we are learning all the time. We didn’t take any risks in race one and perhaps went a little bit too soft on the set-up. I think my car was actually slightly better with the ballast on-board in race two, which wasn’t at all what we had expected, and I got bullied a little bit in the early part of race three and then picked up the puncture. Still, no complaints – it’s been a very strong weekend for us."

Adam Morgan said: "It’s been an unbelievable finish to the weekend. Our pace was reasonable in races one and two, and then obviously the reverse grid played out in our favour. I was certain I was going to be down in third by the first corner with two BMWs around me, but I got probably the best start of my life and managed to hold off Jack [Goff]. I knew I needed to get past Sam [Tordoff] as soon as possible because the rear-wheel drive cars take a bit longer to warm up their tyres, and after that it was a case of managing the gap. The whole team has done a superb job – the new engineers and all the mechanics have been brilliant. To leave Brands Hatch third in the points is a great way to start the season."

Matt Neal said: "It’s been a fantastic weekend and a cracking day today for the team. What a way to welcome Halfords back to the grid and to repay Yuasa’s loyal support. I’m over-the-moon – dead chuffed. We probably went a bit too safe with the car due to the conditions in race one, and race two got a bit sketchy at times; ‘Flash’ and I were settled in third and fourth when it all kicked off ahead of us between the two leaders, and then there was oil down on the track at Graham Hill Bend later on. We scored more solid points in race three, and to come away from Brands leading the championship is just the perfect start."

Aron Smith said: "I’m over the moon with the way this weekend has gone. Three weeks ago, these cars were sat in a shed not going racing. The work that both BKR and Team BMR have put in to get us to this point has just been phenomenal, and I really can’t thank everyone enough – particularly Warren Scott. It’s no exaggeration to say that without him, we would not be here. He’s done an amazing job. Everybody at BKR is so enthusiastic, and that excitement is infectious."

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Brands Hatch Indy

Penalties

Race one:
Ollie Jackson received an official reprimand and two penalty points on his licence for an incident involving Hunter Abbott

Race two:
Alex Martin received a £500 fine and three penalty points on his licence for an incident involving Mark Howard

Race three: 
Tom Ingram received a £500 fine and three penalty points on his licence for an incident involving Jake Hill

Ashley Sutton received an official reprimand and two penalty points on his licence for an incident involving Rob Austin

Adam Morgan celebrated victory in race three of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch after holding off a near race-long threat from the West Surrey Racing duo of Sam Tordoff and Jack Goff.

Morgan's win made it three different winners on the opening day of the BTCC season, but the WIX Racing driver was forced to work extremely hard throughout this contest. He started the race on the attack after getting a good getaway and slotting in behind pole-sitter Tordoff.

Running the soft Dunlop SportMaxx tyre, the Mercedes of Morgan was crawling all over the back of the fast-starting BMW after just one lap. Morgan immediately eyed his opportunity and darted past on the run down to Paddock Hill Bend.

The action behind the lead trio was also fast and furious, which included slight contact between the two Motorbase Performance Fords. Andrew Jordan recovered after a wild slide and while team-mate Mat Jackson continued for the next few laps, he was eventually forced into the pit lane with a puncture.

The safety car was called for after Kelvin Fletcher's Chevrolet and Mark Howard's VW visited the gravel in separate incidents, but the drama soon returned.

Both Hondas of Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden squeezed by Aron Smith's VW on lap seven, but reigning champion Shedden would face a disappointing finish. His ballast-laden Civic Type R was already fading down the order before a puncture sent him off and into retirement at Paddock Hill Bend.

Neal couldn't hold on to fourth, as the recovering Jordan dragged his Ford Focus alongside as they crossed the finish line. Jordan got the nod by just 0.037s as WSR's Collard looked on behind in sixth.

The Jordan/Neal battle wasn't the closest scrap of the finishers, however, as Jeff Smith went side-by-side with Aron Smith and took seventh by an incredible 0.003s. Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat took ninth, whilst Ashley Sutton recovered to take tenth despite getting bogged down off the line and dropping way down the order.

The final laps for the rostrum positions can be described as tense with the BMWs of Tordoff and Goff hauling their machines onto the back of Morgan's Mercedes. The WIX Racing man kept his powder dry, however, and saw off several attacks to take the win.

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 3 – Brands Hatch Indy:

1 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing (27 laps) 23m49.834s
2 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +0.136s
3 Jack GOFF (GBR) Team IHG Rewards Club +0.449s
4 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance +3.832s
5 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +3.869s
6 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +4.192s
7 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +4.195s
8 Aron SMITH (IRL) BKR +5.702s
9 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +6.391s
10 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +10.892s
11 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +11.051s
12 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Subaru Team BMR +11.482s
13 Hunter ABBOTT (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +11.995s
14 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +14.512s
15 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +15.098s
16 Jason PLATO (GBR) Subaru Team BMR +15.513s
17 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +15.640s
18 James COLE (GBR) Subaru Team BMR +16.124
19 Warren SCOTT (GBR) Subaru Team BMR +16.744s
20 Daniel WELCH (GBR) Goodstone Racing +17.406s
21 Michael EPPS (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +21.854s
22 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD Tuning +22.302s
23 Jake HILL (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +23.947s
24 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Eurotech Racing +24.912s
25 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +27.308s
26 Andy NEATE (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +32.593s
27 Alex MARTIN (GBR) Dextra Racing +40.900s
28 Stewart LINES (GBR) Maximum Motorsport +45.226s
29 Chris SMILEY (GBR) TLC Racing +4 laps
30 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +7 laps
31 Kelvin FLETCHER (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +26 laps
32 Mark HOWARD (GBR) BKR DNS

Click here for the full classification.

Halfords Yuasa Racing scored its first one-two of the new BTCC season as reigning champion Gordon Shedden led home team-mate Matt Neal in the second contest at Brands Hatch.

Pole-sitter and race one winner Tom Ingram endured a torrid time after contact with Rob Collard’s BMW sent both cars out of contention.

Ingram’s Toyota maintained the lead off the line while West Surrey Racing’s Collard blitzed from sixth on the grid into second before the 32-cars reached Paddock Hill Bend for the first time.

Collard immediately set about attacking Ingram for the lead and the duo touched at Paddock on the second tour before more violent contact at Druids sent the BMW into a spin. Ingram continued in the lead for half a lap but then slowed with damage, which was caused as a result of the incident with Collard.

Honda inherited the top two positions and never looked back following a short spell behind the safety car, but the final place on the podium did change as the race progressed.

Aron Smith had already hauled his VW from seventh into fourth, but the Irishman was determined to reach the rostrum. He made his move on Josh Cook’s MG on lap six and was then able to pull away from the gaggle of cars behind.

The soft Dunlop tyre shod Ford Focus of Andrew Jordan came out on top of that particular battle as he took fourth after a squabble with Cook’s MG. Jordan’s move also helped his team-mate Mat Jackson, as the Duo-backed Focus slipped by while Sutton was busy regaining his composure.

MG’s efforts worsened when oil was spilt at Graham Hill Bend in the closing moments. Cook’s car slid onto the grass, as did Cook’s, with the likes of Colin Turkington and Mat Jackson following suit.

Some recovered from the incident, some didn’t, but it was Jackson who eventually took fifth from Sutton. Goff held on from Adam Morgan’s Mercedes, whilst Sam Tordoff took an impressive ninth. The Yorkshireman had to respond following a frustrating opening race when contact with Collard sent him tumbling down the order. Starting 16^th in race two, Tordoff made solid progress throughout to eventually finish ahead of Jeff Smith, with the latter rounding out the top ten. Jake Hill was cruelly robbed of a tenth place finish when his Team HARD car limped out of the race with a suspected fuel pressure sensor issue.

Tordoff’s joy was further heightened after the race when #9 was picked at random in the reverse grid draw, meaning the Team JCT600 with GardX car will start race three from pole position.

Adam Moffat's Mercedes was 11th while Dan Welch is enjoying his best day in the BTCC for nearly three years, backing up his race one points finish with another in the second bout.

Jason Plato scored the first ever points for Subaru in 13th, with Rob Austin's Toyota and Hunter Abbott's Chevrolet completing the scoring order.

Gordon Shedden said: “It all got a bit congested early on, and I thought I was going to get collected at one point when Ingram and Collard came together. Fortunately, I managed to avoid it all and then made my best plan to escape. I think my car was actually slightly better with the ballast on-board, which wasn’t at all what we had expected, but it’s fantastic to come away with a one-two finish for myself and Matt with the Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda Civic Type R.”

Matt Neal said: “Two races and two podiums – it doesn’t get much better than that! I’m over the moon – dead chuffed with the day so far. The race got a bit sketchy at times; ‘Flash’ and I were settled in third and fourth when it all kicked off ahead of us between Ingram and Collard, and then there was oil down on the track at Graham Hill Bend later on. We both called into the pits almost simultaneously saying we had a puncture, but thankfully, that obviously turned out not to be the case.”

Jeff Smith said: “This one’s for the team. Hats off to the whole BKR crew – they’ve been unbelievable. To think that three weeks ago we weren’t even racing here, to be back on the grid and back on the podium almost straight away is incredible.”

Race three will take place at 17:10 and you can see all of the action live and exclusively on ITV4.

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 2 – Brands Hatch Indy:

1 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing (26 laps) 22m 27.048s
2 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.848s
3 Aron SMITH (IRL) BKR +3.132s
4 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance +4.165s
5 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +7.176s
6 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +8.647s
7 Jack GOFF (GBR) Team IHG Rewards Club +9.682s
8 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing +10.076s
9 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +10.395s
10 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +10.588s
11 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +11.829s
12 Daniel WELCH (GBR) Goodstone Racing +17.276s
13 Jason PLATO (GBR) Subaru Team BMR +18.462s
14 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +18.738s
15 Hunter ABBOTT (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +19.036s
16 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +20.873s
17 Michael EPPS (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +21.303s
18 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +23.468s
19 James COLE (GBR) Subaru Team BMR +23.840s
20 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Subaru Team BMR +24.678s
21 Warren SCOTT (GBR) Subaru Team BMR +29.454s
22 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Eurotech Racing +30.440s
23 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD Tuning +30.865s
24 Alex MARTIN (GBR) Dextra Racing +35.224s
25 Kelvin FLETCHER (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +37.381s
26 Andy NEATE (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +40.840s
27 Mark HOWARD (GBR) BKR +45.944s
28 Chris SMILEY (GBR) TLC Racing +2 laps
29 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +4 laps
30 Jake HILL (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +12 laps
31 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +24 laps
32 Stewart LINES (GBR) Maximum Motorsport +24 laps

Click here for the final classification.

Young star Tom Ingram has taken his first ever Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship victory after producing an impressive lights-to-flag performance at Brands Hatch.

While the opening race of the season was frenetic further down the order, the top three contenders in Ingram, Honda's Gordon Shedden and his team-mate Matt Neal remained steady throughout. A slowing backmarker and a mid-race safety car spell proved to be the only issues for Ingram, but the Speedworks Motorsport racer dealt with both interruptions with consummate ease.

The bumper-to-bumper action kicked off as soon as the lights went out on the 2016 BTCC campaign, with a number of incidents influencing the latter half of the points-paying positions.

The Subaru of Colin Turkington was in the wars early on, as was the BMW of Sam Tordoff after contact with his West Surrey Racing team-mate Rob Collard. Motorbase duo Mat Jackson and Andrew Jordan went side-by-side across the line on lap three, narrowly avoiding each other, but the major moment came later on the same lap.

Power Maxed Racing's Hunter Abbott lost control on the run through to Surtees, and Alex Martin spun wildly while trying to avoid contact with the Chevrolet ahead of him. Although the Dextra Racing driver succeeded in that respect, his striking yellow machine went on to make heavy contact with the barrier.

A short safety car intervention followed, which ultimately led to dramas for two particular BTCC race winners. Adam Morgan was the first car to be shuffled down the order, as his WIX Racing Mercedes dropped to ninth in the blink of an eye. Team IHG Rewards Club's Jack Goff was next to fall foul of the chasing pack as he attacked Ashley Sutton's MG for fifth. Goff's failed attempt left the BMW running wide at Paddock Hill Bend, and he found himself down in tenth by the end of the race.

Back to the front and Ingram crossed the line to the rapturous applause of both his team and the filled spectator banks and grandstands of Brands Hatch, whilst the two Halfords Yuasa Racing cars completed the podium positions.

MG's young duo continue to belie their relative inexperience by finishing fourth and fifth, with debutant Ashley Sutton getting the better of stablemate Josh Cook. Collard took a top six finish while Aron Smith produced an impressive BTCC bow for BKR by bringing his VW CC home in seventh.

Jackson eventually got the better of his Ford Focus team-mate to finish eighth ahead of the fading Morgan and Goff, whilst Pirterk-backed Jordan had to settle for 11th.

Subaru's introduction to the BTCC was a difficult one as Turkington got caught up in an incident in the early running while team boss Warren Scott was unable to make the start. Both Jason Plato and James Cole reached the finish, although some way down the order as the Team BMR-run outfit continues to develop its quartet of Levorgs in racing conditions.

Tom Ingram said: “This is what all the hard work over the winter was for. With the way we finished last season, we knew we had a good package underneath us, and Speedworks Motorsport are such a fantastic bunch of guys – this result is for all of them. When I saw the team celebrating as I climbed out of the car afterwards, it brought a tear to my eye, and the emotion just goes to show how much this first victory means to us. It’s unbelievable.”

Gordon Shedden said: “Second place represents good points to start the season. We didn’t take any risks and perhaps went a little bit too soft on the set-up. I think I would have had the pace to run in front of Tom [Ingram], but I’m not sure I had the pace to pass him because we were so equally-matched – and in any case, when you get too close round here, the aerodynamic effect takes over. Congratulations to Tom on his first win – he drove a faultless race.”

Matt Neal said: “I’ve got to be happy with a podium finish and a pot. The car felt solid and I focused on looking after my tyres and being careful over the kerbs during the first few laps. When the safety car came out, I got on the team radio to say ‘we need to get the hammer down now, so tell ‘Flash’ to pull his finger out’, and when the race got going again, he did that and I sat still! We probably went a bit too safe with the car due to the conditions, so we’ll make some changes for race two.”

Race two will take place at 14:10 and you can see all of the action live and exclusively on ITV4.

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship - Round 1 - Brands Hatch Indy:

1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport (27 laps) 23m 44.664s
2 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +2.284s
3 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +3.925s
4 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +6.070s
5 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +6.423
6 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +7.908s
7 Aron SMITH (IRL) BKR +10.314s
8 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +11.720s
9 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing +13.495s
10 Jack GOFF (GBR) Team IHG Rewards Club +13.615s
11 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance +14.596s
12 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +18.504s
13 Jake HILL (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +18.769s
14 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +22.825s
15 Daniel WELCH (GBR) Goodstone Racing +24.456s
16 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +24.640s
17 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +24.953s
18 Andy NEATE (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +25.157s
19 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Eurotech Racing +28.708s
20 Michael EPPS (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +29.142s
21 Jason PLATO (GBR) Subaru Team BMR +30.142s
22 Stewart LINES (GBR) Maximum Motorsport +44.497s
23 Mark HOWARD (GBR) BKR +49.253s
24 Chris SMILEY (GBR) TLC Racing +1 lap
25 James COLE (GBR) Subaru Team BMR +2 laps
26 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Subaru Team BMR +7 laps
27 Kelvin FLETCHER (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +10 laps
28 Hunter ABBOTT (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +13 laps
29 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD Tuning +14 laps
30 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +24 laps
31 Alex MARTIN (GBR) Dextra Racing +25 laps
32 Warren SCOTT (GBR) Subaru Team BMR DNS

Click here for the final classification.