• Former champion fully focussed on winning back his title in 2024
• EXCELR8 Motorsport star hails ‘best-ever’ pre-season build-up
• 30-year-old says team has ‘turned a huge corner’ over the winter

Tom Ingram leaves no doubt about his objective for the forthcoming British Touring Car Championship campaign – he wants to reclaim the biggest prize in UK motorsport, which he first lifted 18 months ago. He is confident he can do just that.

Ingram concluded last season in the country’s premier motor racing series placed second in the standings amongst the 31 high-calibre contenders – his second runner-up finish in the past six years. He has no intention of repeating the feat in 2024.

“My desire to win the title back is greater than it was to win it in the first place,” asserts the Team Bristol Street Motors star, a 27-time race-winner in the BTCC. “It’s natural that you want to win it once, but I don’t think I’d previously appreciated how much you want to get it back after losing it. I used to wonder how drivers kept on coming back for more, but now I understand you are never satisfied with just winning it once.”

Ingram’s title defence in 2023 was by no means a disappointment. He scored more points than in any of his previous nine campaigns in the championship and reached the rostrum 17 times from 30 starts – ascending the highest step at both Snetterton and Donington Park. He was, he acknowledges, ‘the only one to consistently take to fight to Ash [Sutton]’ – and now, he wants to turn the tables.

One of the factors that he identifies as a key issue last year was the team’s lack of representative running over the winter, meaning they were constantly trying to learn ‘on the job’ as the season progressed. Twelve months on, the situation could scarcely be more different.

“The 2023 pre-season period was absolutely shocking for us, with next to no dry track time followed by a predominantly dry season, which left us routinely on the back foot and playing catch-up,” the 30-year-old explains. “This year has been very different. It actually feels like the best pre-season we’ve ever had. We spent three days at Anglesey in amazing weather, which was massively productive. That played a major role in steering our direction and development of the car for the coming season.”

The car he refers to is the EXCELR8 Motorsport-prepared Hyundai i30N, which now benefits from the additional input of tin-top powerhouse Team Dynamics, with whom EXCELR8 has joined forces, relocating premises to share the renowned Midlands-based outfit’s state-of-the-art workshop. Team Dynamics has no fewer than 13 BTCC titles to its name – six Drivers’ crowns and seven Teams’ trophies – and Ingram believes the partnership could prove pivotal to a renewed assault on glory.

“Team Dynamics was the absolute benchmark in the series for many, many years,” reflects the talented Bucks-born ace. “It’s a hugely impressive facility they have, which I have no doubt played a significant role in that success.

“Alongside the move, we’ve had a very busy winter from an engineering perspective. We’ve taken everything right back to basics and have tried to be very strategic, analysing what worked last year and what didn’t. There’s no such thing as a silver bullet in this game, so rather than focussing on any one particular area, we have concentrated on trying to make small improvements across the board. I’m confident that will put us in really good stead once the serious business gets underway.

“The truth of the matter is that we were never far away last year. We were in the mix every weekend and were the only ones to regularly take the fight to Ash and keep him on his toes. It goes without saying that everybody else will have improved too – nobody ever sits still in a championship as tough and competitive as the BTCC – but I believe the steps we have taken with the Hyundai’s chassis over the past few months have yielded real gains, and testing seems to have corroborated that. 

“Honestly, it feels like we’ve turned a huge corner and that we’re in a really strong place in every area, and I feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been too, both mentally and physically. More than anything, I think we’re all in such a positive headspace right now, because we know we are good enough and quick enough to win the title back, and we are aiming to hit it hard right from the start.

“The key, as ever in the BTCC, will be to be fast and consistent at every circuit. That, fundamentally, is what we need to do. Do I think we can turn the tables on Ash and NAPA Racing? Yes, I do.”

The new campaign will get underway at Donington Park on 27/28 April, with all of the action season-long to be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV channels and the ITV Sport TikTok account.

Motorsport Games and the British Touring Car Championship has confirmed a new non-exclusive license agreement, effective immediately, that reinstates BTCC content in the highly acclaimed rFactor 2 racing simulation until the end of 2026.

Current BTCC content included in rFactor 2 comprises of eight different cars, which MSG will continue to update with the latest liveries from the 2024 season and beyond, plus a range of the current iconic circuits, such as Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Thruxton.

BTCC Chief Executive, Alan Gow, said: “The BTCC content within rFactor 2 was incredibly well received by our fans and the sim racing fraternity – so this new agreement provides for our BTCC content to continue to be updated and rolled out through to the end of 2026. I’ve no doubt this news will be very welcomed by sim racers everywhere.”

For further information on rFactor 2 visit www.studio-397.com or the game’s social media channels @rFactor2. You can purchase rFactor 2 through the Steam store page and BTCC content in the game’s item store both from Steam and inside the game.

Global Media Properties (GMP) proudly announces its appointment as the Exclusive Commercial Partnership Agency for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). This partnership heralds a new era of strategic collaboration aimed at driving innovation, fostering new partnerships, and enhancing consumer experiences within the UK’s premier motorsport series.

The British Touring Car Championship is one of the most prestigious and longest running motorsport championships in the world. Since its inception in 1958, the BTCC has captivated tens of millions of fans in the UK and worldwide, with its non-stop action and entertainment.

In its capacity as the Exclusive Commercial Partner, GMP will spearhead the development and execution of a dynamic commercial strategy tailored to meet the evolving demands of modern businesses and audiences. This entails reimagining the BTCC’s commercial proposition to align seamlessly with contemporary content and ROI expectations while unlocking new avenues for growth and engagement.

Moreover, GMP will extend its expertise to BTCC teams, offering support in their pursuit of new partnerships and sponsorship opportunities, further enriching the competitive landscape of the championship.

Alan Gow, CEO of the British Touring Car Championship, remarked, “As we embark on this exciting journey with GMP, we are confident that their innovative approach and strategic insights will elevate the BTCC to new heights of commercial success and audience engagement.”

Greg Albrecht, CEO of Global Media Properties, commented, “Securing the BTCC as a client is a testament to our commitment to excellence and innovation in the field of commercial partnerships. We are eager to collaborate with Alan and his team to unlock the full potential of the championship and deliver unparalleled value to commercial partners and consumers alike.”

For more information about Global Media Properties and the British Touring Car Championship, please visit www.globalmediaproperties.co or www.btcc.net.

About Global Media Properties (GMP): Global Media Properties is an integrated agency providing innovative commercial solutions in the realm of sports, arts and culture, entertainment, and tourism. Utilising its four core verticals of sales, content creation, data/insights, and asset development, GMP strives to unlock new opportunities and enhance experiences for partners and audiences worldwide.

Contact: Greg Albrecht, CEO, Global Media Properties (GMP): +1 (416) 399-7293 or galbrecht@globalmediaproperties.co