The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is set for a blockbuster final six races of the season after Tom Ingram extended his advantage to 32 points over Ash Sutton at the top of the standings around Donington Park.

Ingram arrived at the East Midlands circuit with a 17-point advantage over the four-time champion but a sublime race day on the Grand Prix layout of the East Midlands venue for the Team VERTU driver enabled him to stretch his lead even further.

Saturday’s track action belonged to Ingram’s Hyundai team-mate Tom Chilton as the veteran racer claimed his first BTCC pole position since 2011, and he duly converted that into a comfortable victory in the opener.

Chilton and Ingram pulled away from the chasing pack in the early exchanges and with the benefit of breathing space, they swapped positions so that Ingram could lead a lap and take a point – before the duo settled back into their original positions by mid-distance.

As Chilton and Ingram charged to a Team VERTU 1-2, the NAPA Racing UK trio of Dan Rowbottom, Sutton and Dan Cammish fought their way forward to finish third, fourth and fifth respectively.

Cammish then took centre stage in race two as he celebrated his 200th BTCC race in style by claiming a second win of the season. The Ford Focus ST utilised the faster medium tyre and when Sutton and Chilton hit strife following a safety car restart, the Yorkshireman dispatched Ingram and then romped to victory.

It wasn’t without drama however as a flash downpour in the closing laps sent Cammish and a number of others skating into the McLeans gravel trap. Thankfully the #27 was able to rejoin in the lead and take the win ahead of Adam Morgan and Gordon Shedden.

The weekend’s third and final contest then saw Ingram take his fifth victory of the year as he reigned supreme after wowing the crowds with a captivating wheel-to-wheel battle with title rival Sutton.

Despite starting from the third row, Ingram wasted no time in charging forward and he was soon hot on the heels of pole sitter Sutton, who was running the less favourable hard compound Goodyear tyre.

Swapping paint over a number of laps, Ingram finally broke the resolute defence of Sutton and once out front he swept his way to the chequered flag while Sutton and team-mate Rowbottom occupied the remaining podium places.

Leaving Donington Park, Ingram now sits 32 points ahead of Sutton while Cammish’s win enabled him to consolidate third place in the Drivers’ Championship.

Alliance Racing/Ford hold a slender one-point lead in the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ table, whilst rivals Team VERTU top the Teams’ order. Mikey Doble and Restart Racing are the Independent pace-setters, with Daryl DeLeon heading the Jack Sears Trophy standings.

Elsewhere, history was made on the TOCA support bill as Rodin Motorsport’s Dries van Langendonck became the youngest-ever driver to win a race in the Wera Tools F4 British Championship certified by FIA.

Celebrating his 15th birthday on Saturday, the McLaren Development Driver marked his debut by charging to pole position in qualifying and then followed it up by claiming a sensational maiden win in the weekend’s finale.

Before van Langendonck charged to the top of the podium, Tommy Harfield claimed his and Chris Dittmann Racing’s first British F4 in race one. James Piszcyk then boosted his championship chances with a commanding fourth win of the season in race two.

Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain title contenders Will Martin and Andrew Rackstraw couldn’t be split over the course of the weekend with each driver claiming a win apiece. With four races left to run, Martin holds an eight-point lead over the Century Motorsport racer.

Rounding out the weekend were a trio of races from the VERTU MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, two of which were won by Westbourne Motorsport’s Olivier Algieri. The Wera Alliance Racing Academy machine of Murray Richardson scooped outright honours in the remaining contest.

To view the full classification of results from Donington Park, CLICK HERE.