Blog31 August 2016

Ingram one step closer to Junior European Rally Championship title

Following the disappointment of early retirement at the WRC Rallye Deutschland in mid-August, Chris Ingram responded fantastically in the Junior European competition to seal victory in the Czech Republic’s Barum Rally.

Leading from start to finish, the 22-year-old guided his iconic Open Adam R2 car around the tricky 230km track with the assistance of co-driver Elliott Edmondson.

The car featured a new-look Andrews Heat for Hire branding which has replaced the logo originally used up until this stage of the season.

Chris set the tone for an impressive performance by recording the fastest two-wheel drive time on the city stage in Zlin, in front of a bumper crowd of 100,000 spectators. He then went on to take 7 stage wins from 9 in the opening leg, maintaining a healthy lead on the final day to win.

This marked a fifth successive ERC podium finish and puts Chris in a strong position ahead of the sixth and final round of the European Rally Championship – held on the gravel in Latvia.

Speaking in the aftermath of another incredible showing, he said: “We are absolutely delighted to have taken the win here. After my two most recent crashes have been WRC Germany last week and here in Barum last year, it was quite difficult mentally to believe we could win. We dug deep and really wanted it.

“My Opel team did an awesome job to keep the Adam R2 running perfectly as it was a tough event for many teams. It was a huge team effort and it’s thanks to all the guys, Elliott, my supporters and Andrews Sykes, who all played a big part in this result!”