SEAT enters 3 cars for Silverstone

SEAT has entered all three of its drivers – Jason Plato, James Thompson and Darren Turner – in Silverstone’s final rounds of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship on 15 October as it seeks to capture both the coveted Manufacturers’ and Teams’ titles.

Plato and Turner will drive the team’s two regular BTCC Leons. Thompson will be in the Leon he races in the World Touring Car Championship and be overseen by his WTCC engineer John Waterman.

Former champions Plato and Thompson had always been scheduled to race at Silverstone. Turner has stood in for WTCC-tied Thompson on four occasions this year, but now will get an unexpected fifth opportunity to compete in Britain’s premier motor racing championship.

SEAT’s line-up now equals arch rival Vauxhall’s three-car line-up in their battle for the coveted Manufacturers’ crown. Vauxhall has held the title since 2001, but SEAT leads the current standings by 65 points with a maximum of 81 available at Silverstone.

And SEAT Sport UK could also win the Teams’ title – it trails three-car squad Team Halfords by 55 points, again with a possible 81 still to be scored.

SEAT UK motor sport manager Scott Dennis said: “Running the three drivers who have contributed so much to our successful season to date is a fitting way to end our 2006 BTCC campaign.

”The job isn’t over and we’re conscious that we mustn’t get carried away with things before we’ve secured the Manufacturers’ title, and that’s what we will be focused on doing. We can only nominate two cars to score Manufacturer points and we’ll do that after qualifying.

“Hopefully come race day we can win the title in either the first or second races and actually enjoy watching a race for once!”