Rockingham next up as BTCC begins season run-in

The unique banked oval challenge of Rockingham Motor Speedway is next up for the British Touring Car Championship competitors, as the title protagonists prepare for the end of season run-in.

Matt Neal, Andrew Jordan, Gordon Shedden and Colin Turkington are separated by just 30 points with nine races to go, with the ever-present threat of Jason Plato a further 24 points back.

This season is only the BTCC’s eighth visit to the newest circuit on its calendar, one which in recent years has favoured the Hondas and drivers chasing maiden successes.

Shedden took two wins in 2012 en route to his maiden championship, also winning in 2008 and 2011, while team-mate Neal won twice in 2010 and once, memorabyly, in monsoon conditions while driving for Triple Eight in 2008.

Plato is also a five-time winner, with 2009 champion Turkington and current independents champion Jordan yet to taste success at the Corby circuit.

And for current WTCC ace James Nash and former West Surrey Racing driver Stephen Jelley, it was the site of their first wins in the championship.

Eurotech Racing driver Jordan is confident of a good weekend.

He said: “I’m the only driver to have finished every race in the points and we’ve had a podium at every race meeting so far this year.

“We’ll take 36kg of success ballast to Rockingham, but that is almost our base weight these days as we’ve had that pretty much all year.

“I think a lot of the fast corners will really suit us, so I think we’ll go really well. I like Rockingham, it’s about finding that balance between pushing hard and scoring points all the time.”

For Triple Eight MG’s Plato, the weekend is about concentrating on race wins.

He said: “We were very fast at Rockingham last year and that should carry over to 2013 as well. It is an interesting track with lots of technical bits, but everybody loves the banked turn one, which is taken flat out. It is a ballsy corner and one which requires total commitment – it’s right up my alley.

“All I need to do now is concentrate on race wins and I don’t have to play any strategic games just to bank points. Whatever else happens will happen in terms of the bigger picture but nothing but victories will do for me now. That means I will be on maximum attack at Rockingham and for the rest of the season.”

Once again, the driver merry-go-round has been in full swing ahead of the meeting.

Tom Onslow-Cole has left Tony Gilham Racing and will now contest the final three meetings of the season for Motorbase Performance in their third NGTC Ford Focus.

Onslow-Cole’s seat in the Volkswagen CC will be taken by VW Cup racer Andy Wilmot, with Howard Fuller making his season bow in one of the team’s Vauxhall Insignias.

And returning in the second Insignia is 2012 Clio Cup champion Jack Goff, who sat out Knockhill due to sponsorship issues.

Jeff Smith also returns in the second Eurotech Honda after sitting out Knockhill due to business commitments.

Finally, the Rockingham weekend could see the first piece of 2013 silverware handed out.

In the Jack Sears Trophy, JWT Performance driver Lea Wood leads Motorbase Performance’s Liam Griffin by ten wins to six. If Wood wins all three races, as he did at Snetterton, he will take the crown.

The action gets under way with free practice at 09.30 BST and 12:40 BST on Saturday, followed by qualifying at 15:40 BST.

Sunday’s three races are at 11.27 BST, 14:02 BST and 16:50 BST.

BTCC Rockingham Entry List

No – Driver – Team – Car – Class
1 – Gordon Shedden – Honda Yuasa Racing Team – Honda Civic – NGTC
2 – Matt Neal – Honda Yuasa Racing Team – Honda Civic – NGTC
5 – Rob Collard – West Surrey Racing – BMW 125i M – NGTC
6 – Tom Onslow-Cole – Motorbase Performance – Ford Focus ST – NGTC
7 – Mat Jackson – Motorbase Performance – Ford Focus ST – NGTC
8 – Aron Smith – Motorbase Performance – Ford Focus ST – NGTC
10 – Daniel Welch – Welch Motorsport – Proton Persona – NGTC
11 – Frank Wrathall – Dynojet Racing – Toyota Avensis – NGTC
12 – David Nye – Welch Motorsport – Ford Focus ST – S2000
13 – Rob Austin – Rob Austin Racing – Audi A4 – NGTC
14 – Will Bratt – Rob Austin Racing – Audi A4 – NGTC
17 – Dave Newsham – Speedworks Motorsport – Toyota Avensis – NGTC
18 – Nick Foster – West Surrey Racing – BMW 125i M – NGTC
21 – Andy Wilmot – Tony Gilham Racing – Volkswagen CC – NGTC
22 – Howard Fuller – Tony Gilham Racing – Vauxhall Insignia – NGTC
29 – Colin Turkington – West Surrey Racing – BMW 125i M – NGTC
31 – Jack Goff – Tony Gilham Racing – Vauxhall Insignia – NGTC
33 – Adam Morgan – Cicely Racing – Toyota Avensis – NGTC
39 – Warren Scott – Tony Gilham Racing – Volkswagen CC – NGTC
43 – Lea Wood – JWT Performance – Vauxhall Vectra – S2000
44 – Andy Neate – IP Tech Race Engineering – Chevrolet Cruze – NGTC
48 – Ollie Jackson – Speedworks Motorsport – Toyota Avensis – NGTC
55 – Jeff Smith – Eurotech Racing – Honda Civic – NGTC
66 – Liam Griffin – Motorbase Performance – Ford Focus ST – S2000
77 – Andrew Jordan – Eurotech Racing – Honda Civic – NGTC
88 – Sam Tordoff – Triple Eight Race Engineering – MG6 – NGTC
99 – Jason Plato – Triple Eight Race Engineering – MG6 – NGTC

BTCC Rockingham Success Ballast

Driver – Ballast
Matt Neal – +45kg
Andrew Jordan – +36kg
Colin Turkington – +27kg
Gordon Shedden – +18kg
Jason Plato – +9kg

BTCC Rockingham Timetable

Saturday 14th September
09:30 – Free Practice 1
12:40 – Free Practice 2
15:40 – Qualifying

Sunday 15th September
11:27 – Race 1 (16 Laps)
14:02 – Race 2 (16 Laps)
16:50 – Race 3 (16 Laps)