Rob Collard expressed his frustration after a clash with race one winner Tom Ingram that left him 16th in the the second race of the day at the season opener for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, and Ingram out.
Collard made a fantastic getaway from the third row of the grid and swooped around the outside line into Paddock to make his way up to second position ahead of Gordon Shedden, who eventually went on to win the contest.
After following Ingram for a lap, Collard made a move on the inside line into Paddock and the two made contact, and clashed again on the run up Hailwoods hill and into the hairpin at Druids. The two clashed once more and this time the BMW 125i M-Sport of Collard was spun around as the entire field swarmed around the tight right-hand corner. Ingram continued but lost the lead and later retired with the crash damage he sustained.
Speaking to TouringCars.net shortly after the conclusion of the race, Collard vented his frustration at the incident and felt the actions of Ingram lacked consideration for his position on the racetrack.
“It was very frustrating because [I had] a cracking start, definitely the best start I’ve made all of last year as well,” explained Collard.
“I followed Ingram for a lap, I could feel I was so much faster, so much racier than him and I put a lovely move on him into turn one and as we go up the hill into Druids, the move’s done. He just starts right-hand downing me into Druids but I’m up against the grass, I’ve got nowhere to go and he just keeps turning in, in fact he put me into a spin because he hit me on my back wheel.”
When asked if he felt Ingram would be awarded a penalty by the race stewards, Collard was brief and clear with his response.
“I should hope so.”
His team-mate Sam Tordoff will start the final race of the day from pole position after the #9 was drawn out of the reverse grid ballot. The race starts just after 5pm.