and sponsors support as he reflects on stellar campaign
Tom Ingram has reflected that it was the unstinting support of the KX Akademy, SKYCIG and Hansford Sensors that enabled him to push to the maximum this year and come within a whisker of clinching an unprecedented Ginetta title hat-trick.
The High Wycombe-based speed demon tallied six victories, 17 podiums, four pole positions and six fastest laps en route to third spot in the Ginetta GT Supercup standings in 2012, and he was a contender for the crown right the way down to the season finale. Whats more, he was in his maiden campaign behind the wheel of a Ginetta G55, whereas the two drivers who finished ahead of him both had far more experience in the championship. Indeed, one of them, Ingram quipped, has been racing for longer than Ive been alive!
Along the way, there were a number of standout highlights, most notably the six triumphs registered by the 19-year-old British Racing Drivers Club Rising Star, MSA Academy member and KENNETT brand ambassador. The first of them came under sustained pressure at Donington Park, kick-starting his bid for the laurels, whilst there was another at Croft and peerless double-tops at Oulton Parkin front of new sponsor SKYCIGand Rockingham. He rounded out the season with a rostrum finish in the torrential rain at Brands Hatch.
Its been a mixed year, Id say, with a number of highs-and-lows, he mused. At the end of the day, we had four DNFs that cost us dear in the final reckoning, and theres a part of me that cant help but think, what if..? We lost 35 points at Snetterton alone, for example, when my engine blew up as I had a 1.5-second lead after the opening lap.
On the positive side, though, we got quicker and quicker as the year progressed, and as we grew in confidence as a team, we consistently managed to extract more pace from the car; that was in large part thanks to the sterling efforts of all the boys at JHR Developments, who I truly cant thank enough.
I also need to thank both SKYCIG and Hansford Sensors for their incredible support. I regard Chris Hansford more as a friend now than anything else; he has a huge passion for motorsport, and enjoys nothing better than attending race meetings and really getting stuck in.
Going back to Oulton Parka weekend that he described as fantasticIngrams dominant double victory could not in hindsight have come at a better time, as it was achieved just as energy drinks company KX was scouting out emerging talent for its new and exciting KX Akademy initiative. With the spotlight shining down bright, the former Ginetta G50 Champion, Ginetta Junior Champion and British Karting Champion responded magnificentlyand he was duly selected as one of only two drivers to be inducted onto the prestigious programme.
In every area, he affirms, the association has been invaluable, from no longer needing to fret over whether he can afford to make the next race meeting to having the opportunity to tap into the expertise of the schemes mentor, two-time British Touring Car Champion Jason Platothe most successful driver in the BTCCs long and illustrious history.
Having KXs support has obviously been a tremendous boost, Ingram acknowledges, and I owe everybody there a massive thank you for believing in me. Financially, weve never been 100 per cent sure we would be able to finish the season before, so it was a huge weight off our minds in that respect. To not have to constantly worry about the funding for the first time and being liberated to concentrate solely on the racing has been amazingit felt like a reward for all the hard work weve put in over the years.
One of the major downsides to not having the money to pay for repairs is that it makes you hesitant when considering overtaking moves in case of any contact or damage. Now Ive been able to take more chances and drive the way I want to driveand with a decent budget behind us at last, I think we showed what we can actually do. I really hope we can continue the partnership into next year; Ive benefitted so much from being a member of the KX Akademy, but theres still so much more I feel I can learn.
The training sessions on dealing with the media, sponsorship and finance and how best to market yourself have all been extremely valuablethere wasnt a single one in which I didnt acquire something useful. As to having Jason as a mentor, well, thats something money truly cant buy. He is somebody who has been there before and has the T-shirt to prove it, and theres been no end of knowledge and advice that Ive been able to glean from his experience.
On top of that, hes such a genuine and down-to-earth bloke and we quickly struck up a good relationship. At BTCC meetings, Tesco, KX and Momentum99 have what they call TheFillingSt8n, where Jason and his team-mate Andy Neate regularly go up on stage for Q&A sessions for the fans. I was invited to join them a few times, and it was fun to have a bit of banter. I remember at one point, Jason said, this is the kid who will be after my drive in five years time, and I just looked at him and fired back, not that long, Jason...
It has been a pleasure to work with Tom this year in the KX Akademy, adds Plato, the respect palpably mutual. He is clearly a very gifted young racing driver who appears to have a bright future within the sportI just hope he doesnt become too good, too quickly, or else hell have me out of a job!
In all seriousness, though, he is a very hard-working, intelligent and pleasant lad who listens and takes everything in, and his level of success over the past three seasons in the various Ginetta championships speaks for itself. I actually see quite a bit of myself in Tom from when I was his age, and wherever he races next year, I have no doubt that he will acquit himself admirably.
