Tom Ingram is bullish about his prospects of reclaiming the biggest prize in national motorsport this weekend (5-6 October), as he prepares to go toe-to-toe for title glory in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season finale at Brands Hatch.
Ingram will head to the Kent venue’s legendary ‘GP’ circuit after a double triumph in changeable conditions at Silverstone yielded the equal-largest points haul of his career to-date as he outscored all 19 of his high-calibre rivals in Northants.
More significantly, the results vaulted the Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS star to the joint top of the championship table, tied with Jake Hill in the chase for the coveted Drivers’ crown in the UK’s premier motor racing series, with fellow former champion Ashley Sutton just over 30 points adrift of the pair in third.
In total this season, Ingram – who previously lifted the laurels two years ago – has chalked up five victories and eight further podiums behind the wheel of his Hyundai i30N, meaning he has reached the rostrum in almost half of the 27 races to-date in 2024.
Indeed, the 31-year-old Bucks-born ace has placed inside the top four no fewer than 19 times, and boasts the best average score of the six title protagonists based upon the races in which they have finished inside the points.
His record at Brands ‘GP’ is similarly impressive, with two wins and eight podium appearances there over the past decade – including a commanding double-top on his way to championship honours in 2022 – giving Ingram plenty of cause for optimism ahead of the rapidly-approaching showdown.
Following Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session at 15:40 – streamed on ITV Sport’s YouTube channel – every moment of Sunday’s doorhandle-to-doorhandle action will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4 from 10:30. All three races will additionally be shown on the ITV Sport TikTok channel, in the UK and globally.
Tom Ingram, Driver, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS, said: “I’m feeling confident, relaxed and mentally very strong. Historically, we’ve gone really well at Brands ‘GP’, and it’s a circuit I always enjoy so I think we’ll be in good shape. The advantage has ebbed-and-flowed all year, and there’s obviously a fairly unique dynamic this weekend going in level on points. It feels like a one-shot shootout for glory, which is exciting for the drivers, the teams and the fans.
“Jake [Hill] and I will share the same hybrid allocation in qualifying and race one, while Ash [Sutton] will have a little bit more and he certainly isn’t far enough behind just to be forgotten about. He might not be an immediate threat as things stand, but you can never discount him; Jake and I only need to have a coming-together in race one and fail to score, and if Ash wins, he would be right back in contention. I’m very mindful of that, but as we have done throughout the season, we will be focussing solely on ourselves.
“Ultimately, what we all want is for it to be a fair fight and not come down to luck. Brands ‘GP’ doesn’t really favour either front wheel-drive or rear wheel-drive, so it’s a fairly neutral venue in that respect – although the weather is one aspect that clearly has the potential not to be neutral and could play a big part. That said, with the way the Hyundai is performing at the moment, I’m happy in all conditions.
“We’ve been competitive everywhere this season, and ultra-consistent with it – if we haven’t won, we’ve been there-or-thereabouts. I see no reason at all why we can’t finish the job this weekend. This is my eighth consecutive year of going into the BTCC finale still in with a shout, and having the experience of coming out on top before means I know what is required. I genuinely believe we’re in the strongest position possible.
“Had we not had the race two drama at Donington Park, don’t forget, we’d have been leading the championship quite comfortably, and we’ve been quick at Brands ‘GP’ before with a car that I would describe as good, whereas right now, the i30N feels fantastic. This feels like the best opportunity we’ve ever had.”
