Ginetta Junior title tops 'best year' for Tom Ingram

Ingram made the podium 13 times this season

High Wycombe racer Tom Ingram says securing the Ginetta Junior title is his greatest achievement.

The 17-year-old secured the championship with a second-place finish at Brands Hatch on Sunday.

He said: "It's just been the best year of my life. To win the title means everything to me.

"It makes everything we've gone through along the way so worthwhile. I can't believe it really, I'm still waiting for it to sink in."

The former British Karting Champion secured 13 podium finishes in 2010 and ended the campaign 65 points clear of second-placed Jake Hill.

"I was confident I could do it, because I knew my only title rival Jake needed to overturn a big points deficit," Ingram added.

Because of his financial situation, he knew he couldn't afford to take any undue risks

Hillspeed Racing team principal Richard Ollerenshaw

"The pressure was on him, not me. Brands is his home circuit, but we tested there the Wednesday before the weekend and were pretty quick - only a 10th of a second or so off Jake's time - so I knew we were going to be there or thereabouts."

The youngster's achievements have secured him a test drive in a Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra, one of the vehicles in this year's British Touring Car Championship.

Ingram's Hillspeed Racing team principal Richard Ollerenshaw was full of praise for his performances, which came despite having one of the smallest budgets on the circuit.

"Because of his financial situation, he knew he couldn't afford to take any undue risks," said Ollerenshaw.

"He utilised his skill to evaluate every situation and get the best out of them all without doing anything that might have prevented him from making the next round, especially after a lack of budget had impacted so heavily on his 2009 season."