Ollie Jackson delighted with Speedworks opportunity

Speedworks Motorsport’s new signing Oliver Jackson is delighted with his last minute signing with Speedworks Motorsport ahead of the 2013 BTCC season.

The 28-year-old will join Dave Newsham in one of the team’s two Next Generation Touring Car specification Toyota Avensises for the season in a deal which Jackson explains was very last minute.

“I think everyone was assuming I was staying with AmD, and then Shaun announced James Kaye in the Golf and I got a couple of phone calls,” said Jackson to TouringCarTimes. “The first one was from Christian (Dick) from Speedworks, and that was about a week ago. (On Wednesday) we met up at a service station on the M1 and thrashed it out.”

Jackson first raced in the BTCC at the end of 2011 in one of Triple Eight’s Vauxhall Vectras, before competing in the 2012 season for AmD Tuning in the team’s Super 2000-spec Volkswagen Golf.

Unfortunately for Jackson his track time was limited at the BTCC’s media day, after he crashed the Toyota out at Craner Curves less than an hour into the four hour session.

“It’s the first time I sat in an NGTC, and unfortunately I just found out what they do around Craners,” said Jackson.

“I was P13 at one point and was two seconds off Dave (Newsham). I’m quite happy with that after a couple of laps, I was still learning what it does, it’ll be interesting to have a look at the data.”

On his season’s aspirations, stepping up to the NGTC Toyota Avensis, Jackson added:

“I think the car’s competitive, if I can get to the top ten I’d be happy, and maybe if we can steal a couple of podiums I’d be absolutely ecstatic. We have to see how we get on really and how it all measures up.

“Last year with the Golf, I hadn’t really had any front-wheel drive experience, so having Dave, a successful, proven front-wheel drive racer a benchmark is a whole new bonus.”