The secrets of their success

ExcelR8 Motorsport went from BTCC newcomers to race-winning championship contenders in a single season. Matt Salisbury finds out how they did it

- Matt Salisbury

When British Touring Car Championship front-runner Tom Ingram announced he was leaving Speedworks Motorsport back in December, there was widespread surprise among fans of the series.

Ingram had joined the team for his BTCC debut in 2014, and the partnership progressed from being a solid midfield outfit to front-running force across seven seasons together.

Differing commercial requirements between team and driver left Ingram to consider his options for this year, but he was understandably a driver in demand given his success on track over recent seasons.

In the end, a multi-year deal was signed with ExcelR8 Motorsport. These relative newcomers to touring car racing joined the grid for the first time as recently as 2019. The Suffolk-based outfit had shown glimpses of potential in 2020 after bringing the Hyundai name into the BTCC with the new i30 Fastback N, but was still something of an unknown quantity – and the only team on this season’s entry list without a BTCC win to its name.

Signing Ingram, as well as doubling in size from two cars to four, was seen as a signal of intent, but there were still plenty of questions about whether or not it was the right deal if Ingram was to add to his win tally and challenge for silverware.

Fast forward to the start of autumn, however, and as the BTCC speeds towards the final stages of the campaign, the decision has more than been vindicated. The Hyundai is now a proven race winner, and Ingram is firmly in the mix for the title as he seeks to wrest the crown from defending champion Ash Sutton.