Tom Ingram: ‘Staying out of trouble is key’
Tom Ingram admits that staying out of trouble could be the key factor in deciding which of the four contenders emerges from the BTCC finale at Brands Hatch this weekend as champion.
The EXCELR8 driver heads into the final three races of the campaign sitting third in the standings – just seven points off Ash Sutton and two down on Jake Hill – as he bids to try and secure the championship for the first time.
Ingram goes into the weekend on the back of victory in the final race of the weekend last time out at Silverstone and admits he is now in a better position than ever before going into the final meeting.
“I’m really pumped up for the weekend ahead, and I’m not feeling nervous or anxious about what is to come,” he said. “We have put together a really good season, and it’s now a case of trying to put the final piece of the puzzle in place.
“This is the best position I’ve been in going into the season finale, and therefore the best chance I’ve ever had, and it’s vital that we do the best job possible when we hit the track and don’t drop the ball at all.
“That is going to be key to who comes out on top in the title race and it won’t necessarily be the quickest driver that wins – it will be the one that stays out of trouble and doesn’t make mistakes.
“Although Colin [Turkington] has the most hybrid out of the contenders, Ash and Jake are the two closest rivals in the points and I’m in the power seat when it comes to the three of us. As far as I’m concerned, the pressure in on the others.”
Ingram – who has already set a new personal best for points scored this season – finished on the podium around the Brands GP layout last season, and he vowed it would now be ‘maximum attack’ to try and challenge at the front again this time around.
“Even when we had weight on the car last year, we were strong around the GP circuit and the car now is better than it was then,” he said. “In one respect, this is just another weekend with qualifying and three races, but there is a much bigger prize at the end of it. For me, it’ll be maximum attack.”
