Ash Sutton finished P3 at Oulton Park‘s Race to Pole, with the British Touring Car Championship title favourite having contact with Tom Ingram along the way.
The main story of Sutton’s Race to Pole was receiving a heavy bump from Ingram at Lodge.
The Team VERTU driver went into the corner way too hot and steamed into the rear bumper of Sutton’s NAPA Racing Ford Focus.
However, Ingram would give the place straight back to Sutton on the main straight, avoiding a penalty and showing good sportsmanship.
“I think he must have missed his braking point and got into the back of us but to be fair to him he gave it back to me,” Sutton told BTCC media.
“He yielded over the start line and gave it back to me so I can’t really complain too much.
“But yeah, I mean, proper scrappy these. I’ve only been involved in two of these… a bit dicey aren’t they?
“I mean, we had a mega one at Brands and that was another solid one. P6 to third, obviously gained off of Árón’s misfortune [a five second penalty].
“But yeah, I’m pleased with that.”
Ash Sutton expects feisty Sunday after Race to Pole dramatics
Sutton was not the only driver who experienced a moment in Oulton Park’s 13-lap Race to Pole.
An early safety car caused the race to be extended, with Nic Hamilton having locked the rears of his Team VERTU Hyundai under braking and hitting the wall at Island Bend.
Teammate Tom Chilton also had a scare at the same corner, after Adam Morgan squeezed him to the slick outside grass on entry.
The stewards also penalised James Dorlin post-race for a late lunge that ended Gordon Shedden’s outing.
When asked on the drama between drivers in the Race to Pole, Sutton said: “It sets the precedent a little bit doesn’t it?
“I mean, if we’re all going to be starting off with this whole thing of getting stuck into each other on a Saturday, [it] only kind of sets the precedent for the Sunday morning.
“But it’s qualifying at the end of the day, we all want to be coming off the front [as] it makes race day a little bit easier.
“I expect it to be dicey and the way the TOCA Turbo Boost rule book plays out in the Qualifying Race makes it really difficult, and that’s where we see big closing speeds and things like that.”
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