Peugeot rally star to take on Rallye Azores for the win
Peugeot UK's junior rally star is heading to round three of the 2015 FIA European Junior Rally Championship (ERC) the SATA Rallye Azores (4-6 June) with high hopes of another top result.
The talented 20-year-old from Manchester will arrive on the mid-Atlantic archipelago second in the ERC Junior standings, having driven his Peugeot 208 'R2' rally car to excellent points-scoring results on the snow of Rally Liepja in Latvia and the fast Tarmac of the Circuit of Ireland Rally.
Most of Ingram's early rallying was done in the forests of Great Britain and now, together with co-driver Gabin Moreau, he fancies his chances of taking his first ERC Junior victory in his rapid Peugeot, Total Lubricants supported, 208 R2.
Azores is a spectacular venue. S�o Miguel, nicknamed the Green Island, is located 930 miles west of Portugal and 2,400 miles east of North America, with a dramatic coastline, high mountains and a stunning signature stage, Sete Cidades, running around the rim of a volcanic crater.
It's a favourite event for many drivers, owing to the island's challenging stages, which traverse lush countryside with many of the stages lined by the colourful Azorean hydrangea bushes, making it one of the most beautiful events in the ERC.
Ingram said: "After a snow rally in Latvia, which is a surface I don't get to drive on very often, and an asphalt rally in Ireland, I am really looking forward to the Azores, which is the first gravel rally of the season. Having started my rally career doing rallies in the Welsh forests, I have more experience on gravel than any other surface, and consider myself a bit more of a loose surface specialist than a Tarmac one.
"The Azores is the best rally in the ERC. You don't get stages like it anywhere else in the world twisty, fast, narrow, demanding and all in the most stunning scenery. And then there is Sete Cidades, for me the best stage in the whole ERC by far.
"We finished second in Azores last year, beaten only by St�phane Lefebvre, who went on to become ERC Junior champion, so we take a lot of confidence to this year's event because of that. That is also my best ERC Junior finish to date, so I'd obviously like to go one better and win this time."
He added: "I'm confident we can go to the Azores and be very competitive. We're second in the ERC Junior championship at the moment, and if we can score a podium finish on all the remaining rounds, that will be very good for our title hopes. It's time to push for a win."