TOM Ingram claimed his first race win of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season at Thruxton after finishing on the podium in all three races.
Driving for Droitwich-based Team Vertu, Ingram won the opening race of the weekend and finished second in races two and three.
Ingram now trails drivers’ standings leader Ash Sutton by just nine points with Ingram on 172 points and Sutton in the lead with 181 points.
Ingram said: “A win and two second places, you can’t ask for much more than that.
“It has been a really good haul of points, but amazingly after such a good day we’ve only clawed back six points on Ash (Sutton), which seems bonkers.
“Fairly action packed to be honest, I’ve not been that fussed about it but it’s good to get the first win of the year.”
The Team Vertu driver became the ninth different race winner in as many races after he passed pole-sitter Sutton in the opening race.
Ingram overtook Sutton earlier in the race with the safety car boards out which meant he had to give the place back to his title rival.
Sutton then slid his car into Ingram’s machine at the final chicane soon after which forced both cars off the track.
However, Ingram returned to the track in the lead as Sutton began to slip back and eventually finished fourth.
Sutton’s teammate Dan Cammish finished second with Josh Cook third.
Ingram then finished second in race two as Sutton blasted his way from fourth on the grid into the race lead on the opening lap.
Sutton held off Ingram for the remainder of the race while Dan Rowbottom took third after a post-race inspection revealed Cook’s car failed ride height checks.
And Ingram finished second again in the final race as he deployed his boost in the closing laps to come away from the weekend with a 55-point haul.
Team Vertu driver Senna Proctor finished fourth in the final race as he placed above title contender Sutton to achieve his highest finish of the season.
Proctor also finished ninth in race one and sixth in race two while Adam Morgan finished eighth in race one, 12th in race two and suffered a DNF in race three.
Team Vertu’s other driver, Tom Chilton, placed 15th in race one and eighth in race three after suffering a DNF in race two.
Team Vertu now sit second in the teams standings on 305 points just 10 points behind leaders NAPA Racing UK.
The BTCC season continues at Oulton Park on the weekend of June 21 and 22.
