Airwaves BMW out to defend independents’ lead

Mat Jackson and Steven Kane will be hoping to defend Airwaves BMW’s lead in the indie teams trophy, but Team Aon & Tech-Speed are hot challengers at the fast Norfolk circuit.

Airwaves BMW have a slim, seven point lead over Team Aon in the independent teams championship heading into the last half of the season.

Steven Kane also lies only two points behind Team Aon’s Tom Onslow-Cole in the independent drivers’ standings, whilst the team are also in contention for the overall championship against the manufacturer might of Honda & Chevrolet.

Mat Jackson, championship runner-up in 2008, knows where they need to improve:
“The BMW is arguably the strongest car out there in race trim but we do need to be qualifying a bit higher up the grid on Saturdays to give ourselves a better chance on Sundays. I’m sure it will come. There’s a great motivation among everyone in our team and we all know the title remains a realistic possibility.”

Airwaves BMW’s main threat is the shattering performances in the last few rounds of Team Aon, specifically Tom Onslow-Cole – who took the lead of the independents’ championship.

Mat won at Snetterton in 2008, and gives a run down of the track and changes this year.

“It’s no Oulton Park but it’s still got its challenges. The first corner, Riches, is a double-apex 5th gear corner at about 110mph and the next at Sear is crucial as it leads onto the long Revett Straight… or Chilton Straight as everyone’s calling it going by the speed of his Ford down there in testing!”

“Then comes the Esses, the first big obvious overtaking place but you need to have kept in your opponent’s slipstream down the straight to jink out and have a go into the left-hand entry. Then it’s case of running them out wide into submission and hanging on through the right-hand exit.”

“The Bombhole and Coram follow: again these are two fairly high-speed right-handers. Mistakes through either can let your rivals get their nose in on the exit and coming out of Coram well gives you a chance later on in the race when people are struggling with their tyres to have a stab into the Russell chicane. They’ve changed the kerbing there which means a different approach this year. Just like the Esses it’s another great place for the fans to watch.”

Steven Kane said:
“I love Snetterton and I’ve spent a great deal of time there testing in Formula 2. As a race track, with the new, higher curbs it has changed a bit, but that should only encourage more exciting racing for the fans. On the straight we’ll have a tough job keeping up with the LPG powered Fords but the Airwaves BMW is a great race car so over the distance it’s anyone’s guess who’ll win. I think the car and I are capable of podiums in every race”.

Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed were third fastest in the test two weeks ago, and are hoping to put back together their challenge in the independents’ category, after Paul O’Neill suffered a disastrous weekend at Oulton Park.

“We have to be confident going into the weekend and have got to be aiming for the podium in all three races.” said O’Neill.

“Hopefully we can play our cards right and take a victory, but I want to come away from the weekend knowing we have done our best. I want to try and reclaim the lead in the Independents’ championship and get the car onto the podium, but that elusive top step is the ultimate goal.”

Pirtek Racing will also be one’s to watch, running a development year with the new NGTC engine saw the team struggling early on in terms of results, but Andrew Jordan took his first career win at the final race at Croft before the mid-season break, and after a strong test at the end of July, is hoping for a good run at Snetterton

Andrew Jordan said:
“I think the power of the engine could work well for us there but we will keep our fingers crossed for cooler weather because the heat affects the performance of the Turbo engine as well as how well we use our tyres during the races.”

BTCC Independent Drivers’ Standings after Round 15