Chris Ingram’s dream opportunity
CHRIS INGRAM
When the World Rally Championship calendar for this year came out I thought there would be no way I’d be heading to Croatia next week for the third round of the WRC. But thanks to some incredible support, massive commitment from so many people and a lot of hard work, my co-driver Ross Whittock and I will be starting what we hope will be an amazing adventure in the WRC.
To say this means the world to me is a massive understatement and I’m so fortunate. When you grow up in a country that produced Richard Burns and Colin McRae, two of the best rally drivers that ever lived, it’s a massive source of inspiration.
When you’ve got the kind of passion for rallying that I have you want nothing more than to try to get to the WRC and achieve just a fraction of what they did. Of course, they were World champions and obviously that’s the ultimate goal, but it takes time, talent and a phenomenal amount of hard work to get that far.
It also needs financial support and I wouldn’t be here without my main sponsor, CarFinance 247. And with SG Financial and Fladgate acting as advisors, my Rally Warrior team has secured additional backing from Protec, Kroon-Oil, Fleetback, WS Transportation, HAH Whisky, Stilo and Freem. I’m so thankful and so grateful for this support. I also want to say thank you to Fred Miclotte and all the team at SXM Competition, who will be running my Skoda Fabia in WRC3.
Although getting a chance in the WRC for one year would have meant the world to me, the fact I’ve got a two-year programme is vital.
Experience is so important in the WRC, which is so tough and so competitive. And you only get experience by getting to the finish of each event you start. So, in year one, the objective is to keep a calm head, not do anything stupid, learn as much as possible and complete as many kilometres as possible. Points and podiums on top of all that would be a massive bonus, but there’s no pressure on me to do that. The only pressure is to get myself in a position where I can go for top results in year two.
I’m totally committed, totally determined and I’ve won two of the main titles below
WRC level. I have sacrificed everything personally to be able to chase my rally dreams. It has been a challenging road to say the least just to get to this point. We had to launch a crowdfunding bid just so Ross and I could get to the final rounds of our European championship-winning season, but thankfully we made it and lifted the trophy.
I train hard and push myself to be the best that I can be and I am so grateful the people who have helped me to get this far.
I achieved a dream when I became European champion. However, competing against some of the fastest rally drivers on some of Europe’s most dangerous roads wasn’t the challenging part. I was struggling, fighting and overcoming a much harder battle with my own mental health. That’s why I’ve used my social media channels to promote HUMEN, The Men’s Mental Health Movement.
I hope that by being open about my challenges it will help other men to get talking. I have struggled with hard times in my personal life. I became very depressed when everything hit me all at once, financial pressures, relationships, family illnesses and the thought I couldn’t continue my career.
Going home just a few days after each rally and even after winning the ERC in Hungary, I would get so depressed with my personal life and sink into a very dark place, as I didn’t seek help. Men should talk.
Although this year is all about learning, I can’t forget that, apart from the testing we managed last week, I’ve not driven a powerful rally car in competition since November 2019 and that was in very wet, cold and muddy conditions.
All the events I’m planning to do will be new for me, it’s a new team and I’m up against the best drivers in the world. I know it’s not going to be easy but I’ve never had it easy in my career. I’m looking forward to facing all of the challenges head on as always and I feel confident in the knowledge I have a fantastic team around to support Ross and myself.
I’m going to give it everything I’ve got, just like I’ve done throughout my career and thank you again to everybody for the support.
Some of the messages I’ve received since we announced our programme have been so humbling, but they’ve also made me realise more than ever the opportunity I have and the support for rallying in my country.
Ross and I will be flying the Union Jack flag with so much pride next week and we really can’t wait to get started and do everyone who have helped us proud.