Ingram dominates BTCC finale at Brands Hatch, Ricky Collard denied maiden victory on touring car return after penalty
Tom Ingram dominated proceedings in Brands Hatch at the final BTCC race weekend of the season, securing second place in the Drivers' championship. Meanwhile, a returning Ricky Collard was denied his maiden touring car victory after a post-race penalty for a Safety Car infringement during the final race on Sunday.
The opening race on Sunday began with Ingram overtaking Aiden Moffat into the first corner at Paddock Hill Bend, with his Team VERTU Hyundai out-accelerating the Power Maxed Racing Audi off the line. Further behind, Ricky Collard battled Daryl De Leon for fourth place, with Collard eventually finding the traction on the exit of the first corner, drawing alongside De Leon and out-braking the BMW driver into the second corner.
Towards the back of the pack, Gordon Shedden had a poor start, immediately being overtaken by Lewis Selby and Tom Chilton. The pair of them then went side-by-side into the first corner at Paddock Hill, with Selby being pushed wide, allowing for Shedden to get back alongside the NAPA Racing Ford for the second corner.
However, Shedden was caught out by the field ahead braking early for the second corner, and the Scot smashed into the back of Chilton. The incident forced Shedden to retire from the race, effectively ending his Independent Drivers' Championship hopes in the process.
On the third lap of the race, Moffat began to come back at Tom Ingram for the lead. Moffat managed to put the power down on the back straight before Hawthorne Bend, drawing alongside Ingram into Turn 7 before then putting the Audi ahead of the Hyundai just before Sheene Curve.
However, towards the end of the race, Ingram managed to come back at Moffat using his boost deployment strategically. Ingram attempted to out-brake Moffat into the final corner, with the pair side-by-side. The Audi leaned on the Hyundai going through the corner, as Ingram was pushed further wide. However, Ingram managed to deploy the Hybrid boost, and went ahead of Moffat just before the first corner, seizing the lead of the race.
Ingram cruised home to take the victory, as Moffat was handed a penalty for track limits, dropping him to fourth position despite crossing the line in second. Josh Cook inherited second place, as Ricky Collard made it to the podium on his BTCC return. The aforementioned Moffat dropped to fourth, and Ashley Sutton rounded out the Top 5.
The second race of the day saw Ingram maintain the lead from Josh Cook, who immediately came across the circuit to defend from Ricky Collard behind. Ash Sutton tried to make progress early on, seeking a move on Aiden Moffat at the first corner. However, Sutton drove into the rear of the Audi, sending Moffat sideways. The pair then went side-by-side into the second corner, with Sutton on the inside securing fourth place.
Sutton would then go on to overtake Ricky Collard on Lap 4 at Paddock Hill Bend, igniting Collard's descent through the field as he was overtaken by Daryl De Leon and several others before finishing in seventh place.
On the sixth lap of the race, Charles Rainford went to the inside of Aron Taylor-Smith, with the Irishman being forced to take a more defensive line. Taylor-Smith's Toyota was bumped by the BMW of Rainford, and the Laser Tools Racing car was then sent into the back of Gordon Shedden. The Scot was sent into the gravel and fell from 16th place to outside the Top 20. The incident poured salt into the wound for Shedden, who subsequently lost the Independent Drivers' Championship.
During the final lap, De Leon was being hounded by Mikey Doble for fourth place. De Leon kept parking the car on the exit of corners, being bumped several times by Doble, who eventually found a way through down the back straight after dipping two wheels onto the grass.
Ingram dominated the race from Cook and Sutton, Doble managed to finish in fourth and subsequently claimed the Independent Drivers title, as De Leon finished in fifth.
The final race of the 2026 season was incredibly chaotic. Ricky Collard made a phenomenal getaway, going from third to challenging Dexter Patterson for the lead of the race. Collard managed to get underneath a slow-moving Patterson on the exit of Paddock Hill, and dived up the inside into the second corner to take the lead of the race.
Further behind, however, chaos ensued. Tom Ingram and Tom Chilton collided, with the two VERTU Hyundai's crashing out of the race before the first corner. A retiring Chilton bowed before the crowd in his final race, as the pair were sent to the medical centre.
Coming out of Paddock Hill Bend, the NAPA Ford of Lewis Selby was sent careering across the circuit and into the barriers before the bridge at Turn 2, after contact with CPRL's Dan Rowbottom. Meanwhile, down at Turn 3, Sutton tried to go around the outside of Rowbottom, with the pair colliding. Sutton was sent into a half-spin, catching the car before the Safety Car was deployed.
Just one lap after the restart, Dan Cammish managed to overtake Dexter Patterson for third place at the opening corner, before Patterson then got back underneath Cammish and dived to the inside of the Ford driver into the second corner, reclaiming the place.
On Lap 9, Ash Sutton attacked Ricky Collard for the lead of the race. Sutton took a wider line going into the first corner, looking for traction coming out of Paddock Hill Bend to make a run up the inside of Collard into the second corner. However, despite finding the speed, Collard covered the inside and refused to let Sutton through.
Later in the lap, Sutton attacked Collard once again. The five-time champion got a sensational run coming out of Hawthorn Bend and tried to get alongside Collard going into Westfield at Turn 7. However, Collard squeezed Sutton to the right side of the track, as Sutton was forced onto the grass.
Sutton flew across the circuit, with no grip to help him turn the Ford Focus on the grass at Westfield. The reigning champion re-entered the track in ninth place after flying off the circuit.
On the very next lap, Patterson tried to get up the inside of Collard for the lead of the race at the first corner. Collard managed to out-brake Patterson, leaving the Brit vulnerable to Dan Cammish behind. Cammish eventually managed to get underneath Patterson and went up the inside at Turn 2 to complete the move.
A second Safety Car saw the field bunch up once again, as Collard waited long before accelerating down to the first corner. Collard would receive a five-second penalty for procedural infringement at the Safety Car restart.
Moffat weaved around at the restart, causing Adam Morgan to hit the brakes and move to the right side down the straight, squeezing Josh Cook up against the pit wall. This incident allowed a charging Ash Sutton to come from seventh place and out-brake several cars at the first corner. Sutton then managed to climb to fourth position after overtaking Moffat.
Later that lap, Sutton got through on Dexter Patterson, before then attacking Dan Cammish at Paddock Hill Bend on the final lap. Sutton managed to get a run on Cammish, diving to the inside of his team-mate at the second corner. However, Cammish came back at Sutton down the back straight before Hawthorn Bend, hitting the boost and subsequently sailing past Sutton.
Collard took the chequered flag, but with the penalty applied, dropped to eighth position. Cammish inherited the victory, leading Sutton home for a NAPA Ford 1-2 as Patterson completed the podium places. Moffat and Morgan rounded out the Top 5 places.
Sutton broke yet another record at Brands Hatch, scoring a record of 21-podiums throughout the 30-race campaign as he collected a fifth championship trophy. He also announced shortly before the action on Sunday, that he has signed a new five-year contract with NAPA Ford racing to remain on the BTCC grid, despite initial speculation that he may drive in other Sportscar racing championships.
The conclusion of the 2026 BTCC season is also the end of an era, with ITV's Louise Goodman stepping back from coverage, as well as other drivers like Tom Chilton and Sam Osborne retiring from the sport.
Despite the lack of a championship battle throughout this year, the 2027 season is set to be interesting, with Tom Ingram looking to battle Ash Sutton for the title once again, as other drivers like Dan Cammish, Ricky Collard, Dan Rowbottom and Adam Morgan all look to leave their mark on the championship next year, with the group all taking the fight to Sutton at individual races this season.
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