Team VERTU Aims To Impress As Season Hits Half-Way Stage

20/06/2025 09:27 Share

Team VERTU Aims To Impress As Season Hits Half-Way Stage

Team VERTU will look to end the first half of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season on a high this weekend when the series heads for Oulton Park for the fifth meeting of the campaign.

The EXCELR8-run team arrives in Cheshire having enjoyed another strong weekend at Thruxton last time out, with Tom Ingram grabbing three podium finishes from three – including a first win of the year.

It means that in the twelve races run so far, Team VERTU has bagged 13 podium finishes - more than a third of those available.

Although unable to add to their own podium tallies two weeks ago, Tom Chilton, Adam Morgan and Senna Proctor all bagged top eight finishes – the latter on his first weekend in the series since 2021 – as the Hyundai squad maintained its strong position in the three championships that it is eligible for this season.

It means Ingram sits second in the Drivers’ Championship – with Morgan and Chilton both in the top ten – whilst Team VERTU sits second in both the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ title race and the Teams’ Trophy as it heads to a circuit where it has won three times in the past.

Those wins have all come from Ingram, who took a double success back in 2022 and then won again last season on a strong weekend where he bagged three top four finishes.

Currently second in the standings, Ingram has scored a double podium in each of his last three visits to the Cheshire circuit, and will look to try and replicate that form to maintain his impressive record so far in 2025 – with nine podiums from twelve races.

Chilton has also won at Oulton Park in the past, although the Cheshire circuit hasn’t been kind in recent seasons with a single top six finish since joining the Team VERTU line-up back in 2022.

The most experienced driver on the grid will seek to improve that record this time around as he also looks to bounce back from a tricky weekend at Thruxton last time out to move back up the championship standings.

Oulton Park marks the home event for Morgan who, like Chilton, is eager to return to form following a tricky outing at Thruxton two weeks ago.

Morgan has scored multiple podiums at Oulton Park in the past, which includes his last victory in a front-wheel drive car back in 2020. Having shown strong pace since stepping into the Team VERTU Hyundai at the start of the season, Morgan will hope to push for a first victory of the season to retain his place inside the top six in the standings.

Proctor heads for Oulton Park having impressed on his first outing in the series since the 2021 season finale at Thruxton, where he scored three top-eight finishes.

Like his three team-mates, Proctor has enjoyed success at Oulton Park in the past, scoring his first career pole at the circuit on his last appearance and also taking a race win.

With a weekend of experience under his belt in the Hyundai, Proctor will seek to build on his strong start and improve his own championship position going into the summer break.

Qualifying on Saturday is scheduled to take place at 15:00 and will stream live on YouTube, with Sunday’s three races on ITV4 and ITVX taking place at 12:20, 14:40 and 17:05.

Tom Chilton, #3 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“Oulton Park hasn’t been the kindest venue to me in the last few years, which is a real shame because it’s one of the circuits on the calendar that I really love. It’s one where you can’t afford to make a mistake because it will punish you, and where you need to have a good car underneath you.

“Even though Thruxton didn’t deliver the results on paper I was looking for, we were able to show the same strong pace as in the opening three meetings, so I’m going into the weekend confident that we can be in the mix for three strong results.

“Some silverware to take into the summer break would be great but the main focus is a good haul of points to try and move up the standings.”

Senna Proctor, #18 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“Although I was confident of getting up to speed quickly on my return to the series, Thruxton was a weekend that went better than I expected in terms of the results with three top ten finishes. It’s given me a real platform to build on going forwards, although I don’t want to get too carried away as I know there is more to come as I spend more time in the car.

“Oulton Park is a circuit where I’ve had strong results in the past, and where the car has also gone well in recent years so there is no reason why I can’t hope to fight inside the top ten again this weekend.

“Of course, the end goal is always to fight for podiums and race wins, but if I can come away from Oulton Park with three more strong points finishes to my name then I’ll be happy at this stage.”

Adam Morgan, #33 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“I was kicking myself after Thruxton with the mistake I made in race three, and I’m going into the weekend at Oulton Park looking to make amends and fight for the podium finish we were challenging for two weeks ago.

“Given this is my home event, it’s one where I’m expecting to have plenty of support and I’m confident that we will be right in contention towards the front given the pace we have shown at each meeting so far.

“I can’t believe it’s nearly the half-way stage of the season and it would be fantastic to go into the summer break with a win under my belt – and I’ll be pushing hard to make that happen!”

Tom Ingram, #80 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“I said at the start of the season that consistency was going to be vital this year, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen so far this season. We’ve only missed the podium three times in twelve races but are only second in the championship, which is a reflection of how you have to maximise every single race if you want to come out on top.

“That’s exactly what we’ll be trying to do once again this weekend to close the gap at the top of the standings, and I’m confident that we can fight for three strong results at Oulton Park and hopefully add to the win we secured at Thruxton.

“It’s a circuit where we have been particularly strong over the past few seasons and although there is a long way still to go in the title race, it would be good if we were able to hit the front at the half-way stage.”

Justina Williams, Team VERTU Team Owner, said:
“It’s been a fantastic season for us so far in 2025, and hopefully that will now continue at Oulton Park as we approach the half-way stage. All four drivers have displayed their pace with some impressive results and I’m confident that we will be in contention for wins during the weekend ahead.

“The fight at the front has been huge in the opening four rounds and the whole team is focused on ensuring that we remain part of that fight throughout the remainder of the season.”