Race Preview: Oulton Park is next up
The BTCC Season continues at Oulton Park this weekend. After a thrilling race weekend at Snetterton, SEAT are hoping to continue with the pace they had at Snetterton but will need to improve reliability if they are to stay in contention for drivers and manufacturers championship honors. Giovanardi leads the championship and will hope to improve from 2007 where in race 3 he was out after only 2 laps.
Previous at Oulton Park
In 2007 Oulton Park hosted a fantastic race. Each race was won by a different driver, with Shedden taking race 1, Turkington narrowly winning race 2 by the smallest of margins to Giovanardi and Mat Jackson taking a fantastic win in race 3. Giovanardi took the championship lead away from SEAT Sport UK man Jason Plato after race 2, but crashed just after the race start in the final race.
The season so far
The season was turned on its head at Snetterton in the last race, when SEAT made their intentions clear by setting the pace at a pre-race test then continuing their domination in race 1 and 2. Only poor reliability for both Plato and Turner allowed Giovanardi to extend his advantage in the championship standings. The result has certainly got SEAT rivals paying attention.
Snetterton produced typical, close racing action that is synonymous with the BTCC. Plato took wins in race 1 and 2 however it was Mat Jackson and Steven Kane that used the might of their BMW’s to battle for top spot in the third race. Daylight barely separated the BMW Dealer UK and Motorbase Performance team cars at the end.
Giovanardi currently leads the standings followed closely by both Matt Neal and Jason Plato. After race 2 Jason Plato had moved up the order to sit second but his DNF in race 3 allowed Matt Neal to snatch second in the standings back by a small margin.
Quotes prior to the race
Jason Plato – SEAT Sport UK
“It would be nice to have two days of testing before Oulton Park, like we had before Snetterton, but c’est la vie. Arriving at each new circuit with the Leon TDI is like taking a step into the unknown, but at least the more we learn about the car the smaller those steps become. It might just come down to getting a few key corners right, like it did at Snetterton, and if we can make the car go well at Druids and Cascades, which are crucial corners at Oulton Park, then I think the rest of the lap might look after itself and we’ll be very strong. I’m not looking at the points tables at the moment. We’ve got some ground to make up, so it’s simply a case of cracking on and win races – and if we do that the Championship will come to us. There is still a long way to go, Fabrizio [Giovanardi] hasn’t had a bad weekend yet and we’ve had a couple, so it could all change very quickly. I’m quietly optimistic about this weekend and really looking forward to Oulton Park.”
Darren Turner – SEAT Sport UK
“I’ve not had a race meeting this season where I’ve not had one DNF or a low finish for some unlucky reason, and such is the format of race day that that has had a huge effect on the points I’ve been able to score. I’m going to Oulton Park with the aim of getting three strong results and scoring some big points. We’ve made some good progress with the Leon TDI; Snetterton was always going to be our strongest circuit, but what we’ve learnt about the car over the last four months gives us more options for the other circuits and it bodes well for the remainder of the season. We have to hit the ground running at Oulton Park, use free practice to find a good set-up, make an impact in qualifying and get the three good results we were due at Snetterton. We have to score some big points in the Manufacturers’ Championship and with me down in eighth place and a long way off the lead in the Drivers’ standings, we have to try and help Jason, who is right up there in third, close the gap on Fabrizio Giovanardi so there is another exciting battle for the title again at the end of the season.”
Colin Turkington – Team RAC
“The last few rounds have been great for both the team and on a personal level. The team worked tirelessly to secure a podium finish at Snetterton – a result I’m not too sure many people outside of our garage expected.”
“I did well in qualifying at Oulton Park last year and secured a victory so the team has every right to go into the weekend with optimism.”
Stephen Jelley – Team RAC
“Oulton Park is my favourite track. I can’t say why, but it just is! It is a circuit where I have always scored well in the past. The fans are always great in the North West and have a real enthusiasm and knowledge of motorsport.”
“I am feeling more and more comfortable in the BMW320si. We’ve got a great car and I am really looking forward to next weekend – as are the entire team.”
Steven Kane – Motorbase Performance
“I love Oulton Park; it’s a mega place”
“It reminds me a bit of motocross when you are going up and down hills and over blind crests. It’s also likes the roads in Ireland, so I feel at home there.”
Schedule
10.35 – Pits Walkabout / Autograph Session
11.35 – BTCC Drivers’ Parade
12.00 – Formula Renault UK with Michelin
12.35 – BTCC Pit Lane Opens
12.45 – HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship
13.30 – ELF Renault Clio Cup
14.10 – Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
14.50 – BTCC Pit Lane Opens
15.00 – HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship
15.40 – SEAT Cupra Championship
16.20 – Ginetta Junior Championship
16.50 – Formula Renault UK with Michelin
17.30 – BTCC Pit Lane Opens
17.40 – HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship
