Team VERTU reclaimed the lead in the race for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship title after a fine weekend at Croft saw the team secure no fewer than five podium finishes.
Heading into the weekend second in the points for the EXCELR8-run team, Tom Ingram bagged a third win of the campaign in a pair of podiums, whilst both Tom Chilton and Senna Proctor also climbed onto the rostrum.
Whilst Adam Morgan just missed out on silverware, he enjoyed arguably his best weekend at the circuit to date to gain ground in the championship standings.
The Hyundais were on the pace from the moment track action got underway, with Ingram and Proctor taking a 1-2 on the timesheets in both free practice sessions.
Chilton also ended up inside the top six despite his second session being ended early by a trip into the barriers at turn one, with Morgan having slightly more work to do in qualifying having lapped outside the top ten.
All four drivers successfully progressed through the first phase of qualifying, with Ingram topping Group 1 and Chilton leading a 1-2-3 in Group 2 before Ingram and Chilton secured places in the Quick Six battle for pole.
Proctor and Morgan would both drop out in Q2 - with Proctor eighth and Morgan twelfth - before Ingram blitzed to his second straight pole in Q3. Chilton would actually set a quicker lap time before being penalised for a track limits infringement and would have to settle for fourth on the grid.
After heavy morning rain, conditions had dried enough for slick tyres for the start, with Ingram, Chilton and Proctor all going for the soft compound rubber.
Ingram nailed the start to retain the lead despite the best efforts of Dan Cammish off the line and was able to control proceedings from the front to bag a comfortable win despite a late caution period eradicating his lead.
With chief rival Ash Sutton suffering a puncture and failing to score, that moved Ingram to the championship lead ahead of race two.
Behind, an astonishing start for Proctor saw him rocket up the order to sit third by the end of the opening lap and from there he was able to keep Daniel Rowbottom at bay for his first podium since returning to the grid, with Chilton close behind in fifth spot having been forced to run wide across the chicane on the opening lap.
Given his tough qualifying session, Morgan took the decision to run the hard tyre at the first opportunity and fought hard to bring his car home in tenth spot - leaving him as the highest placed driver on the slower tyre.
Now forced onto the hard tyre, Ingram was able to retain the lead at the start of the second race but would ultimately be unable to match the pace of the majority of the field, who were out on track on the soft rubber.
Although he kept hold of a podium spot in the early stages, Ingram would be shuffled back to eighth at the finish, with Proctor also suffering from the switch to the hard tyre.
Having been forced wide off track at Sunny Out early on, Proctor was running in 15th at the flag but a ten second penalty for exceeding track limits meant he was classified back in 19th.
Instead, it was Chilton who upheld Team VERTU honours as he fought his way through to second in the early stages to earn his spot on the podium with Morgan also impressing as he rose to fourth spot to bag more solid championship points to add to his tally.
The reverse grid draw saw Ingram line up on the front row for the weekend finale and a solid start saw him make a move for the lead around the outside into turn one, where contact from Aiden Moffat’s BMW tipped him into a wild slide that dropped him back to third.
Sitting third after an early safety car, Ingram dispatched title rival Sutton for second spot but was then baulked behind Moffat, which allowed Sutton to pass the pair. Ingram would eventually work his way back to second by the finish to ensure he holds an eight point lead in the standings.
Behind, Proctor produced an astonishing drive to follow Ingram home in third place despite starting back in 19th on the grid. On the soft tyre, he got away well off the line to make up places and then vaulted up the order when he avoided the incident that brought out the safety car.
At one stage moving ahead of Ingram on track as the pair worked to clear Moffat’s BMW, Proctor slotted in behind his team-mate to take his second podium of the weekend, with Morgan rounding out a strong race as he crossed the line in fifth place.
That allowed him to move up into the top six in the standings, level on points with Chilton who was forced onto the hard tyre but was still able to end his weekend with an eighth place finish.
Tom Chilton, #3 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“It’s been a great weekend with three races inside the top eight, particularly after what happened in practice when for whatever reason, the car just didn’t want to go right at turn one and I ended up in the barriers.
“Credit to the team for getting it turned round quickly for qualifying as we did well there, and had the pace for pole without the track limits issue. We carried that pace into Sunday, bagged some silverware and have moved up a place in the championship which is a great way to start the second half of the year.
“If anything, the pleasing bit was such a strong result on the hard tyre in race three as I was aiming for somewhere in the points and to get eighth was amazing - I don’t think we could have asked for much more. Over the summer break I had my eyes on the top three in the standings, and this weekend has moved us a little closer.”
Senna Proctor, #18 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“The only thing I can be disappointed with this weekend is that we didn’t execute race two on the hard tyre as well as we could have done, but to come away from my home weekend with two podium finishes is an absolute dream.
“Getting onto the podium in race one from eighth on the grid was a really good way to kick things off and I’d have been happy with that for the weekend after race two - my wife actually decided to go home when I was going to be starting the final race back in 18th!
“I was aiming for a top ten but with everything happening ahead, we managed to make up ground to be in the top six after a few laps and then I just had to get my head down and push forwards.
“The car is fantastic and despite missing the first three rounds, we’re almost in the top ten. We just need to keep chipping away and we’ll soon get there.”
Adam Morgan, #33 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“I’ll be totally honest and admit that Croft is a circuit that I’ve never enjoyed coming to because the results have always been unkind to me in the past, but hopefully we’ve turned a corner this weekend.
“Although qualifying didn’t go to plan on Saturday, we made a good call with the strategy in running the hard compound tyre in race one even though it was a challenge in the mixed conditions, and the fact that we managed to bring the car home in tenth then set us up for the final two races.
“We were able to make the most of the pace in the car and having the soft tyre available to remain towards the sharp end and whilst a podium would have been nice, we’ve scored some solid points to move up in the standings. Considering this has traditionally been my worst circuit, I can’t complain at that.”
Tom Ingram, #80 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“We’ve had a blinder of a weekend and with how the car and how the results have gone for us, it’s been a bit of a perfect storm really.
“The opening race of the weekend where we got the win and Ash had his problem is one of those where you have to really capitalise when the chance is there as we are never going to beat him in every race in the same way he isn’t going to beat us. Sometimes you have to admit defeat and sometimes you have to go on the attack, and that was a chance for us to attack.
“We did what we could to minimise our losses in race two, although obviously it’s a bit disappointing that we lost some points to Ash in the final race, particularly as I’d got the move done on him but then got caught up behind Aiden. However, given that the race around us was complete and utter carnage, I’m glad we came out of relatively unscathed!
“Coming in behind, we leave ahead with a big swing in the points, so it’s been a good weekend.”
Justina Williams, Team VERTU Team Owner, said:
“We were confident that Croft would be a strong weekend for us but to come away from it with five podium finishes is beyond expectations. All four drivers have done a fantastic job, and we’re delighted to have reclaimed the championship lead on the back of another win.
“As I’ve said before, there is still a long way to go until anything is won but are confident about the remainder of the season.”