Tom Ingram sets the early pace at Croft

Tom Ingram set the early pace for EXCELR8 as the fifth meeting of the BTCC season kicked off at Croft.

Buoyed by his double win at Oulton Park last time out, Ingram was able to dip below the qualifying lap record as the field hit the track for the first time in the opening practice session, with the Hyundai racer one of only two drivers to break the 1:22s mark.

Jake Hill had been the first driver to set a noticeably quick time at the wheel of his BMW 330e M Sport before being overhauled by the Infiniti of Aiden Moffat and then Rory Butcher’s Toyota.

However, when Ingram then put in a 1:21.645s lap on his first run it would prove to be enough to lead the way, with Ingram’s best three laps in the session all coming together.

Ingram would be followed on the times by Gordon Shedden, who set his fastest laps just seconds after his rival – with the pair split by just 0.159s on the timing sheets.

Butcher would end up third fastest, despite his session coming to an early end when his Toyota Corolla stopped on the run to Tower after an electrical fire.

Adam Morgan waited until his final lap in the session to post his best time as he moved up into fourth as the best of the rear-wheel drive cars, with Hill also improving late on on his best time to take fifth ahead of Moffat – who had a late moment at the complex.

Colin Turkington – back in his 2019 title-winning car this weekend – was seventh, with Stephen Jelley, Dan Cammish and George Gamble rounding out the top ten.

Points leader Josh Cook was 14th on the times with a best lap eight tenths of a second off the pace.

Series returnee James Gornall was 20th fastest as he steps in for Jack Butel this weekend although Carl Boardley was unable to take up his place in Rick Parfitt’s Infiniti Q50 having been taken ill, leaving a 28 car field for the remainder of the weekend.