Tom Ingram is ‘over the moon’ after ending months of uncertainty by confirming that he will return to the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) for a second season.

The High Wycombe driver had bided his time before announcing on Tuesday that he would be returning to the grid in the Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Avensis which had taken him to a 14th place finish overall in his rookie season.

Ingram is a two-time Ginnetta Supercup champion and, after racking up 19 points finishes from 30 starts in 2014, his announcement was an eagerly awaited one amongst the racing world.

He said: “It’s no great secret that we’ve had a long, tough winter trying to raise sufficient budget to stay in the championship – we thought we were sorted, but then there was a change in circumstances for one of our major sponsors and they were unfortunately unable to continue their support.

“That meant it really was touch-and-go for a while, but we never gave up hope or stopped pushing and it’s extremely rewarding to see all of our hard work now pay off.

“The Speedworks guys are a fantastic bunch and I established a great relationship with them last year and, although we did talk to other teams over the off-season, they made a very compelling argument to stay.”

The 21-year-old will line-up alongside Stokenchurch’s Jack Goff on the grid for the upcoming season which begins at Brands Hatch on the weekend of April 4-5.

Both Bucks speedsters have been named as part of the British Racing Drivers Club Superstar scheme for 2015 – a programme which provides high quality training for young racers – and it has clearly helped to enhance the skills of both young men.

Ingram’s best result of his debut year in the BTCC came in the season finale at Brands Hatch when he drove his way to a fifth place finish, but that has only served to enhance the youngster’s ambitions of what is achievable in the upcoming campaign.

“With so many drivers moving around and switching seats, being able to rely upon that prior knowledge and stability is unquestionably an advantage, and having seen the modifications that have been made to the Avensis, I can’t wait to get out there and put it through its paces,” he said.

“It’s too early to set any solid goals just yet, but with the experience of my rookie year under my belt, I definitely want to be moving forward and scoring some consistent top six finishes in 2015 – and if we can do that, hopefully our first BTCC podium won’t be too far away.”

The former British Karting champion’s eye-catching displays for Speedworks drew praise from many people in the paddock, none more so than team principal Christian Dick who was desperate to re-sign him.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have Tom back on-board again,” he said.

“After his performance last year, he was always our first choice for 2015 – it’s probably fair to say he outperformed the car’s capabilities on a number of occasions, so hopefully the upgrades we have made to the Avensis for the forthcoming campaign will allow him to demonstrate his true talent and potential behind the wheel.”