BTCC // GINETTA JUNIOR CHAMP TESTS VAUXHALL VECTRA

Current Ginetta Junior champion Tom Ingram got to fulfill a dream today (Nov 2nd) as he sampled the performance of a current specification BTCC Vauxhall Vectra at Silverstone. The 17 year old who clinched the UK's Ginetta Junior Championship title back at Brands Hatch in early October sampled the most powerful race car he has yet to drive as an award for his 2010 title success... [read more]

Ingram, who claimed the G40 sportscar title with 5 wins to his name during the season got to experience his first taste of Touring Car machinery aboard the Pirtek Racing Vectra with which Andrew Jordan scored two race victories in this years Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The former karter commented "It’s just a massive opportunity, absolutely fantastic, and I have to thank both Pirtek and Ginetta for it. I think I am one of the youngest drivers ever to test a touring car at only 17 – and that will be great publicity for me in helping to get my name out there more.

“The fact that Pirtek are prepared to let me out in their car demonstrates a level of trust and confidence in me, which is always nice to see. It really is a dream come true.

Ingram completed around 100 laps of the "National" circuit ending the day with a best lap time in the 61 second bracket, which notably would have placed him 16th on the grid when the series visited the Northamptonshire venue back in August.

After completing his day Ingram enthused to official BTCC website btcc.net "It’s just been a brilliant experience.” Coming out of Juniors into one of these is just a bit different! The size of the car, the slick tyres, front-wheel-drive, the sequential gearbox… and the power – coming out of the corners there’s this whoosh of power and it just keeps pulling and pulling. It’s all a bit of a shock. Everything about it. It’s a touring car. It’s fantastic".

Having battled with the all too frequent budgetary concerns already during his fledgling career Ingram went on to say "“I’d like a shot at touring cars. I’d feel up for it if someone came along with the budget for 2011!

“This has been a fantastic prize that Ginetta has put up, so again a massive thanks to Eurotech and Pirtek for putting so much effort into today and letting me out in their car.”

Editorial: Neil Tozer
Photo: BTCC via Jakob Ebrey