A lot of the pre-race billing centred around Tom Ingram‘s duck at Oulton Park with no victories for the perennial BTCC winner around the Cheshire circuit since his Ginetta Junior days but that has finally been broken as he took a lights to flag victory to begin Sunday’s proceedings.
His only battle came to start the race as Ingram and Rory Butcher touched before the Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars.com racer pulled away to win from the chasing pack which was led by NAPA Racing UK‘s Ash Sutton who is level on points with Ingram behind early pacesetter Josh Cook a long way back.
Gordon Shedden finished third in controversial circumstances with Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport who saw George Gamble in strife for most of the early part of the race had Adam Morgan go through the same as he was spent spinning out into the barrier in an incident involving Shedden which the Halfords Racing with Cataclean racer said post race he had all right to commit to as the rules have since changed and he had nowhere to go.
Daniel Lloyd started towards the front also but was another who faced issues as Sutton and Shedden’s brilliance to get past him saw him begin to spiral down the order as on Lap 11, he went straight across the grass at Knickerbrook. While Sutton and Shedden ganged up on another driver in Butcher to take the final podium spots.
Colin Turkington finished fifth, while Dan Cammish looks to revive his fortunes with sixth ahead of Lloyd, Cook and Dan Rowbottom and Ricky Collard completing the top ten.
2022 British Touring Car Championship – Race 1– Oulton Park
1. Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com 18 laps
2. Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +3.370s
3. Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +5.164s
4. Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +7.207s
5. Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +7.307s
6. Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +8.248s
7. Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +8.499s
8. Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +8.767s
9. Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +9.261s
10. Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +9.836s
11. Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +10.020s
12. Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +10.633s
13. Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +11.434s
14. Michael CREES (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +16.644s
15. Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +17.644s
16. Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +17.870s
17. Jason PLATO (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +19.419s
18. George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +19.676s
19. Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +21.109s
20. Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +23.795s
21. Jade EDWARDS (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +24.627s
22. Nic HAMILTON (GBR) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +29.832s
23. Dexter PATTERSON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +29.954s
24. Jack BUTEL (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +33.409s
25. Rick PARFITT (GBR) Uptonsteel with Euro Car Parts Racing +1:22.844s
26. Will POWELL (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +3 laps
27. Ash HAND (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +8 laps
28. Tom CHILTON (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +14 laps
29. Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport + 15 laps