A herculean effort resulted in Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS securing a 15th podium finish of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season in the final race at Donington Park.
The EXCELR8-run team headed to the East Midlands circuit looking to maintain its challenge for championship honours, with Tom Ingram holding a narrow lead in the Drivers’ Championship, and the team sitting second in the Teams’ Championship standings.
A revised driver line-up for the weekend saw three-time Vertu MINI CHALLENGE title winner Dan Zelos drafted in alongside Ingram, Tom Chilton and Nick Halstead for his series debut.
Despite some great performances… a triple points score on debut for Zelos and a fifth in the opener for Ingram, the weekend looked to be heading towards one of the more frustrating for the talented squad.
A DNF for Ingram in race two led to an enforced engine change before the final encounter, and he rewarded the mechanics for their efforts with a drive that will live long in the memory as he scythed his way through the field from the back to take second place - gaining an incredible 17 positions across 14 racing laps, despite two safety cars halting his charge.
It was a magnificent effort and one that ensured the team left Donington on a high, with
Ingram sitting second in the standings with Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS holding a similar position in the Teams’ Championship.
Here's what the drivers and team boss had to say…
Justina Williams, Team Owner, said: “On paper we could argue that a single podium finish is a lot less than we hoped for from Donington Park, but we come away from the weekend absolutely delighted with the end results as it could have gone very differently after race two.
“I can’t put into words how proud I am of the effort to change the engine in Tom Ingram’s car in the manner they did ahead of race three, and it is those kind of things that can make all the difference when you are involved in such a close fight in the championship standings.
“Although Tom Chilton and Nick didn’t have luck on their side, Dan has done an amazing job considering he was thrown in at the deep end having never sampled the hybrid system before and with the weather conditions being so varied. He did everything we hoped and more besides, and to score three points finishes in the manner he did was very impressive.”
Tom Chilton, #3 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “I was hoping for a third podium in as many weekends, and it could have happened if I’d got the reverse grid in race three, but overall it’s been a more challenging meeting for me.
“We had some electrical gremlins on Saturday that ultimately hurt me as I didn’t get the track time we needed to get the car set-up really dialled in, and then I had an issue at the start of race one that cost me a load of time.
“We came back well in the second race but then in race three, I was forced to go off across the gravel early on and dropped down the order and when the rain started to come down, it was worth a gamble to change to wets considering where we were running. Ultimately it didn’t pay off but there was nothing to lose, and had the rain come down heavier, we’d have been heroes…”
Nick Halstead, #22 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “I think a recent trip to Monaco with Crazy Carts made me go for risk over reward a bit too much this weekend! Saturday had been really promising with my best ever result in qualifying, which gave me a lot of confidence going into race day.
“Unfortunately, I picked up some damage in race one that meant I couldn’t build on the pace we showed in qualifying and then when it rained before race two, we were one of the cars that headed to the grid on wet tyres, but ultimately it wasn’t the right call and pitting to change to slicks dropped me away from the pack.
“Like Tom, it was worth a gamble in race three when there was another shower and although it didn’t come off, I think there are quite a few positives to take away from the weekend that I can look to build on in the final two meetings.”
Dan Zelos, #45 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “This weekend has been a dream come true for me, and it’s been an emotional experience for both myself and my family who have been able to enjoy it alongside me. The team has been fantastic with me, and there is no-one I would rather have raced with this weekend, as EXCELR8 have been my family for the last six years. To bring home three decent results - and keep the car largely in one piece - is the least they deserved for babysitting me!
“To finish in the points in all three races, battle against drivers who have won races and championship, and nearly bring home a top ten has been fantastic and I know there are so many places where I can improve and where I could be quicker with more time in the car. I honestly feel we could do something really special in the BTCC, and this weekend makes me more determined than ever to try and get onto this grid, and make sure this is more than just a one-off.”
Tom Ingram, #80 Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “This is a team game, and never has a weekend shown that fact more than this one. After a recovery drive in the first race from the early contact, we were on for the win in race two before the stone went through the radiator and there was obviously a huge amount of disappointment when I had to come in and retire the car.
“However, the job that the team then did ahead of race three was phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal. In little over an hour, they not only changed the engine but they had it running and pressure tested, they had the car all set-up and they sent me out with the tools to do the job.
“It’s the beauty of the relationship we have that I went out for that race and had absolutely no concerns about being able to push as hard as I could from the first corner of the first lap, despite the fact that the car didn’t even have a front end on it 45 minutes earlier. I hoped to be able to reward the team with a top six finish but having maximum hybrid made a massive difference and I was able to rocket through the field to bring home a podium. It shows how important it is to keep your head up when things might not be going your way and leaves us well placed ahead of Silverstone.”
