Tom Ingram has stormed into the lead of the 2013 Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup title standings courtesy of a stunning podium sweep in the second outing of the campaign at Donington Parkand now he is bidding to press home his advantage around one of his favourite circuits on the calendar.

Albeit not the greatest fan of Donington, Ingram does have an impressive record there and he returned with good memories after clinching his maiden victory in a Ginetta G55 around the Leicestershire track in 2012and buoyed by a dominant drive in the final race of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship-supporting Ginetta GT Supercup curtain-raiser at Brands Hatch three weeks earlier.

Coming off the back of the win at Brands Hatch, I was feeling positive and really looking forward to the weekend, affirmed the talented young High Wycombe ace. We had high hopes and high expectations, and although Donington has never been a circuit Ive particularly enjoyed, we managed to try a lot of things out and establish a good set-up for the car during practiceso everything was looking good.

That optimism would prove to be well-founded in qualifying, although a fistful of understeer left Ingram unable to demonstrate his true potential and scuppered his efforts to scoop his first pole position of 2013. Pipped to the top spot by a mere three tenths of a second in the 17-strong field, the 19-year-old SKYCIG and Hansford Sensors-backed KX Akademy protg was nonetheless pleased to be on the front row of the starting grid for race one.

I got away well and thought briefly about sticking my nose down the inside of pole-sitter Carl Breeze into Redgatebefore swiftly thinking better of it! he recollected. Carl pulled out a small gap initially, but I was hauling him in when the safety car appeared for an incident.

I then got a really good re-start and pressurised Carl for the last three laps. The problem is that when you are that close behind someone, you lose all your aerodynamic grip which makes it very difficult to overtakeand I did back out of a couple of potential moves because I knew there was a fair chance they would have resulted in contact. I was very aware of the importance of finishing the race because our target is the championship, and second place represented a decent haul of points.

Less than four tenths of a second adrift of his quarry when the chequered flag felland with fastest lap underscoring his credentialsthe result vaulted Ingram into the championship lead as he turned a hitherto seven-point deficit into a six-point advantage.

Race two was a similar affair as the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC) Rising Star, MSA Academy member and KENNETT brand ambassador shadowed Breeze throughoutultimately winding up a scant two tenths shy of glory as the duo sprinted well clear of their pursuersbut from fifth on the reverse grid, the weekends ITV4-televised final encounter would rapidly develop into an altogether livelier affair.

It was never going to be easy from there with some very quick pedallers in front of mebut it got a whole lot harder over the first few laps and although I tried my best to stay out-of-trouble, it kept finding me! he quipped. I held my position at the start, but then got forced sideways and sent bouncing across the grass on cold tyres heading down towards Craner Curves and later around the opening lap I was boxed out wide, which dropped me to seventh.

The JHR Developments boys had put a superb car underneath me again, though, and I was confident I had the ability to fight my way throughbut when I came up against James Birch in fourth, I think he had just about the widest Ginetta G55 in the field! I knew I was quicker because of the manner in which I had caught him, but I couldnt be too forceful or risk doing anything stupid and full credit to himhe didnt give me an inch.

I tried to size up where I was strong and he was weak, and shortly after Id found a way past, I also overtook my team-mate for third. By that point, though, the two leaders were so far ahead that I honestly thought the window of opportunity had closed and my chance of catching them had gone. We had set my car up so that it would come on strong straightaway, and I hadnt been able to make the most of that performance as I had been tucked up in Birchs dirty air.

It was only in the very closing stages that I realised all was not lost and going into the last lap, I was right up behind Matt Nicoll-Jones in second place. I got a good run on him through Craner Curves and we battled side-by-side as he tried to hang on around the outsidebut I got the job done, which was tremendously satisfying and I was over-the-moon to end up second. I genuinely never thought I would claw my way back that far after the first few laps.

Had he managed to clear Birch just a fraction sooner, Ingram acknowledged, he could have been toasting a truly extraordinary against-the-odds triumph, but still, a fifth fastest lap from six starts this year underlined his outstanding raw pace and his fourth consecutive podium finish has seen him open up a 15-point margin over his adversaries in the chase for the coveted crown.

Better yet, next up is ultra-quick Thruxton in Hampshire, where the former Ginetta G50 Champion, Ginetta Junior Champion and British Karting Champion claimed his first car racing rostrum in 2009, breakthrough victory in 2010 and a commanding hat-trick in 2011. He was well on-track to add to that success in 2012 when his driveshaft failed whilst in the leadso he will return 12 months later seeking payback.

I absolutely love Thruxton! he enthused. We topped the times in testing a couple of weeks ago and I just cant wait to get there now and build upon our momentum from Brands Hatch and Donington. Its such a fun circuitcompletely balls-outand fortune definitely favours the brave.

And there was, after all, no shortage of bravery from Tom Ingram at Donington Park...