Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram says he is “super excited” to be on “maximum attack” in this weekend’s triple-header of British Touring Car Championship races.
The 2017 Independent Drivers’ champion currently sits 34 points adrift of standings leader Colin Turkington, with 67 points up for grabs on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix layout this weekend.
Ingram told TouringCars.Net he doesn’t feel nervous ahead of the weekend, as he feels more excited to try to chase down Turkington in his title bid.
“Look, I’m really excited for it – I don’t feel any nerves, any pressure – I just feel really super excited to get cracking with it,” said Ingram.
“We’re chasing, so when you’re doing that you have to be on maximum attack all the time.
“It’s not ours to win, it’s Colin’s to lose. So the pressure is very much on Colin and not on us. So he’ll be feeling nervous this weekend and rightly so because if he drops the ball we’re going to be right there.
“So the pressure is very much on him. I’m going out and I’m genuinely really really excited to get the weekend going. Colin’s saying he’s really excited but I know he’ll be very nervous as well.”
By virtue of sitting second in the Drivers’ standings, Ingram will carry 67kg of success ballast aboard his Toyota Avensis, which will have a large impact on the 2.43-mile GP circuit.
His main focus is to outqualify Turkington, but says securing a top ten position would be an “amazing” result.
“Obviously we need to be ahead of him [Colin], but if we can get into the top ten that’ll be amazing,” he said.
“But I think that’s going to be a very big ask. But you never know – stranger things have happened and we need to have the best qualifying we can realistically have to give ourselves the best chance at going forwards.”
Progressing through the field has been a regular part of Ingram’s 2018 campaign, and he feels if he struggles in qualifying his car will suit the circuit well enough for him to make up positions.
“We’ve unfortunately had to do it more times than we maybe wanted to, but we’ve got a great car around us so when it’s working well this place will really suit us.
“I’m quietly confident but excited at the same time.”