BTCC: Ingram to pilot Hyundai i30N with EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars

Essex and Suffolk duo EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars have today (20 January) announced the signing of BTCC star Tom Ingram for 2021 and beyond.

The High Wycombe-born racer has been a consistent challenger for Britain’s most coveted motorsport prize in recent years for Speedworks.

However, the switch from Toyota to Hyundai ends one of the series’ most lucrative partnerships, and welcomes the start of a new era for both driver and team.

Excelr8 Motorsport bagged a podium in the opening round of 2020’s campaign in their fresh i30N Fastback piloted by Chris Smiley, who recently signed an extension with the team. Trade Price Cars Racing, on the other hand, claimed four top ten finishes across the year.

Alongside newly recruited Jack Butel and Smiley, Ingram will add significant firepower to the expanded four car outfit as they aim to cement their place within the BTCC.

Since 2017’s opener, Ingram has claimed an impressive 14 victories, as well as finishing within the top five of the standings in three of those four seasons.

Regarding the news, Ingram said:

“I’m immensely excited to announce my new deal with EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars. When it became clear that commercially, we would not be able to continue with Speedworks, I spoke to a number of BTCC teams and to be honest, this was probably one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make.

“It’s great to have the security of a multi-year agreement, especially in the current climate. This is a long-term commitment on both sides, which means we know where we stand moving forward, and gives us the opportunity to really grow together and establish EXCELR8 as a bona fide front-running team.”

Justina Williams, EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars’ Team Owner, said:

“I am absolutely delighted to have agreed a multi-year deal with Tom to drive for EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars. He is a proven race-winner and will no doubt also be a championship-winner, so he will inevitably be a huge asset to our team and will continue to push us towards the sharp end of the BTCC grid. 

“I have admired Tom’s car control, racecraft, fan engagement, media skills and commercial acumen for a number of years, even before we entered the BTCC and have always regarded him as a top-drawer choice of driver for our team. I am super excited for 2021 and beyond, with the highest level of optimism about what we can achieve with Tom on-board. With the team we have built and our other three drivers, what a year it promises to be!”