Tom Ingram and Speedworks Motorsport had their best BTCC season to date in 2016, with Ingram making it into the top ten in the final Driver standings, picking up a surprising race victory at the season opener in Brands Hatch and another win at Silverstone.
The Toyota Avensis that Tom Ingram will drive for the upcoming BTCC season has been amended and improved aerodynamically. In a series that see’s cars wheel-to-wheel and separated by the slightest fraction, any small performance gain could be the difference between a handful of points and a thimble full.
Last season, Tingram was the fastest qualifier on average, an impressive feat in a highly competitive field. Speedworks and Ingram worked well in 2016, and after some success, their expectations for the upcoming season are higher.
On the new Avensis, Speedworks Motorsport’s Team Principal Christian Dick said,
“This is the biggest single overhaul the Avensis has ever had, and we are confident that we have taken significant strides in every respect,” he affirmed. “We decided towards the end of 2016 which direction we wanted to pursue and that gave us a head start on a lot of the groundwork. The boys have put in an immense effort over the winter, and what they have produced is a real testament to the strength-in-depth and design expertise inside this team. The car looks quite different from every angle, and we’re all extremely excited to see how it performs when it hits the track.
The Avensis still has plenty of untapped potential, and our objective was to keep it fresh by bringing it right up-to-date. We carefully evaluated every aspect and identified quite a few areas in which we could make gains. The BTCC is so tight and intensely competitive that you have to carry on continuously developing because if you stand still, you will go backwards very quickly.”– Christian Dick
Three-time Ginetta Champion Tom Ingram sounds as optimistic, the 23-year-old said,
“I’ve spent a lot of time up at the Speedworks factory over the winter, closely following the changes to the Avensis, and I cannot tell you how much of a buzz there is about the package we now have underneath us. On paper, we have improved the car pretty much across the board and if it goes even half as quick as it looks, we will be in good shape. I can’t wait to get out there!”
– Tom Ingram
The 32-strong BTCC grid is a competitive looking one this season, but having a pole sitter like Ingram in the team can help Speedworks from avoiding the usual midfield bumper bashing. The team will begin testing next week at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal.
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