Tom Ingram hits the top of the BTCC

Moffat produced a magnificent performance in the opener as he stormed through from fourth on the grid.

The striking blue Mercedes-Benz diced past Jack Goff's Eurotech Racing Honda on the opening lap, and third became second shortly afterwards as Rob Austin's Handy Motorsport Toyota was disposed of by the talented young driver.
Scotsman Moffat began hounding down early leader Ingram, who himself had made a forceful move into the lead past pole-sitter Austin on the run down to Redgate for the first time, and the two front-runners were soon locked in battle.
Moffat's defining moment came on lap five as the Mercedes got the run alongside Ingram's ballast-laden Avensis, Ingram had no answer as Moffat blasted by on the run down through the Craner Curves, and the Laser Tools man would go on to take a comfortable victory.

Ingram was shuffled further down the order once Austin enacted his revenge on the sister Avensis, whilst Halfords Yuasa Racing's Matt Neal eventually grabbed second after he passed both Toyotas.

Ingram then became the first double winner of the 2017 campaign, claiming a commanding race two triumph.

The Speedworks Motorsport star made his way past the Team BMW duo of Colin Turkington and Rob Collard in the early stages, before he returned the favour on Moffat by making an almost carbon copy move as his younger rival had produced in the earlier encounter.
Collard and Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's Ashley Sutton eventually progressed to podium positions, but neither could live with the pace shown by race-winner Ingram.

Double champion Turkington claimed the honours in the final race after on-the-road winner Gordon Shedden was excluded from the result for a technical infringement.
Shedden looked to have produced a classy drive amidst difficult conditions as heavy rain fell on the 1.98-mile National Circuit.

Pole-sitter Dave Newsham had initially scampered away whilst those behind squabbled for position. Shedden soon reeled in the BTC Norlin Racing Chevrolet Cruze, having already made moves on the Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport Ford Focus of Josh Cook and Turkington's BMW.
The reigning champion blitzed around the outside of Newsham at Redgate to take the lead, and subsequently romped home to take the chequered flag. It soon became clear, however, that his Civic Type R had failed its post-race ride height checks, resulting in his exclusion from the final classification.

It was three-abreast on the run down to Roberts on the final lap and Morgan stunningly emerged ahead of Sutton to take second place, as Newsham narrowly missed out on a podium for the new BTC Norlin squad.

At the end of a dramatic weekend of action it's Ingram in charge at the top of standings, with second-placed Turkington some 14 points in arrears.

Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will take place at Thruxton in Hampshire on the weekend of 6th and 7th of May.