TOM Ingram lost the lead in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) drivers’ standings despite a race three podium at Donington Park.
Ingram drove superbly from the back of the grid to finish second in the final race after a DNF in race two and a fifth-place finish in race one driving for Droitwich-based Team Bristol Street Motors.
However, Ingram trails new BTCC leader Jake Hill by just nine points after the latter driver secured two podium finishes.
Ingram said: “It was hard. After that second race we knew it would be a bit of a struggle to get back into the mix.
“The work that went on in-between races two and three was nothing short of amazing. It’s races like that that really mean a lot to you, and yeah, emotional.”
Ingram was in contention for a podium in race two until a stone punctured through the radiator of his Hyundai which led to a rising engine temperature.
He eventually retired to the pit lane as the Team Bristol Street Motors crew worked frantically to replace the engine in time for the start of the final race of the weekend.
And the team’s hard work paid off as Ingram produced a sensational drive to rise from 19th on the grid to second in one of the best drives of his career.
Team Bristol Street Motors also handed a BTCC debut to 26-year-old Dan Zelos who made the most of his chance following a late call-up to replace Ronan Pearson.
Zelos scored points in all three races after finishing 12th, 13th and 11th respectively.
Zelos said: “What an unforgettable weekend, and such a massively proud moment for me and my family. The past week has been absolutely mental – a real whirlwind, and it has all felt a bit surreal, to be honest.
“I was really gutted for Ronan [Pearson] – he’s a former team-mate and a friend – but on a personal level, I can’t thank Team Bristol Street Motors and EXCELR8 Motorsport enough for allowing me to live my dream and show what I can do.
“The least I owed Team Bristol Street Motors for the faith they had placed in me was to repay them by bringing the car back in one piece, so that was my main objective.
“Overall, it was an absolutely unbelievable experience – something my family and I have been working towards for most of my life, and I loved every single moment.
“My dream has become a reality and it wouldn’t have been possible without my parents, my loyal partners, Team Bristol Street Motors and EXCELR8 Motorsport.
“It’s the fairytale ending and for now, this is it, but I definitely want to be back and I’m hungrier than ever. Let’s see what happens next.”
Team Bristol Street Motors’ other drivers, Tom Chilton and Nick Halstead finished 16th and 19th in race one, 12th and 18th in race two and 16th and 17th in race three.
The team remain second in the teams standings on 477 points behind leaders NAPA Racing UK who sit on 581 points.
The BTCC continues at Silverstone on the weekend of September 21 and 22 next month.
