Jackson targeting title with Motorbase Focus

Mat Jackson is aiming for the 2011 BTCC drivers title at Motorbase Performance with Arena’s 2010 Ford Focus ST at his disposal.

Jackson was fifth fastest in the afternoon test at the series’ media launch day and the top driver running in a Ford The 29-year-old from Henley-in-Arden is hoping to beat the team that built his car and pipped Motorbase to the independents’ title last year.

“It’s always the same old thing isn’t it,” said Jackson to TouringCarTimes.

“Your team-mate is your biggest rival, and they’ve (Arena) have moved on and we’ve got the old Focuses, so yeah it’s human nature to want to beat the works team if you like, but the bigger picture is we want to challenge for the championship and we need to be banging in results right the way through.”

Jackson’s best championship result was second place to Fabrizio Giovanardi in 2008, and he’s flip-flopped between rear-wheel drive and front-wheel drive cars ever since, running competitively each time. This season Motorbase will also be running with the Mountune 2.0 litre turbocharged engine which will be used by Arena Motorsport in the Global Ford Focus, and Jackson has high praise for the new power unit.

“Mountune are renowned for developing a mega engine, it’s done the most miles out there, it’s got proven durability wise which is good. We have to say hats off to all the boys at Mountune they’ve done a fantastic job for us.”

Jackson acknowledges it won’t be an easy fight against the manufacturer backed entries of Chevrolet and Honda.

“The Hondas and the Chevrolets are very quick, despite what they will say otherwise. Certainly the Chevy is a proven car, it’s won world championships, it’s not slow. It’s got a great chassis there and RML they know what they’re doing, so it’s going to be the benchmark.”

“Obviously we’ve got the Focus, which we’ll have to see how the development goes on that, but hopefully we can mix it with those front boys.”