Champion Ingall finally does it

English-born but raised in Australia, Ingall's path to V8 Supercar glory has seen him take in a wide variety of cars and countries.

After securing the 1990 Australian Formula Ford title in his second season in the series, he raced in countries including Britain, Germany, Japan, Macau, the Netherlands and New Zealand as he drove Formula Ford, Opel Lotus and Formula Three cars over the next four years.

Along the way he won the 1993 British Formula Ford Zetec title with 13 wins in 16 races, and the 1993 Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch, as well as strong results in the other series he drove in.

1995 saw Ingall get his big break in Australia, but it sadly came after the death of another competitor. Gregg Hansford died following a crash at Phillip Island in a Super Touring race, and this allowed Ingall, who had just finished second in the British Formula Renault series, to take his place alongside Larry Perkins in the Sandown and Bathurst endurance races.

A nightmare start to the Bathurst 1000 race with a flat tyre turned into joy by the end, as Perkins and Ingall took the chequered flag in first place. A repeat performance two years later (without the tyre drama) saw Ingall go from strength to strength.

After starting his full-time V8 Supercar career in 1996, he won a race before the season was over. He secured his place at the team, staying with Perkins' for the following six years

During this time he became known as 'The Enforcer', for his no-nonsense tactics when battling other cars. In 1998, 1999 and 2001 Ingall finished runner-up in the title chase, so close, but so far.

A change of team in 2003 to Stone Brothers Racing also saw a change of manufacturer, from Holden to Ford. While some fans couldn't handle the change, Ingall did, showing strong performances in his first year but not quite as good as he had hoped for, with a controversial incident with Mark Skaife at the final round overshadowing his season.

A stronger season in 2004 saw him finish second overall, with only teammate and series champion Marcos Ambrose ahead. After the controversy the previous year, Ingall ended the season on a high as he moved from fourth to second in the points in the final round.

2005, his championship year, has seen him win only two races during the year. But he has finished every race except one, when his car failed to start the third race at Hidden Valley, and while he has been racking up consistent strong points finishes, his rivals have spun, blown up and crashed.

He is probably no longer 'The Enforcer' of old. But he is the 2005 V8 Supercar champion because of it. Keeping out of the firing line has won him the title and the champagne.