Photo: PSP Images

Mat Jackson all but writes off drivers’ championship

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After a rotten run of luck in the last two race weekends scoring just one point for a fastest lap at Knockhill, Motorbase Performance’s Mat Jackson is aiming for race victories only at Brands Hatch & Silverstone.

The 30-year-old was leading the championship leaving Snetterton at the beginning of August, but now finds himself 45 points down on the championship leading Honda pair with 52 points the maximum available at each race weekend.

Jackson has qualified in seventh for the first race at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit today, and third in the independents’ category.

“It puts us at the right end of the grid with the guys who are going to have less carnage shall we say, or let’s hope so. So hopefully we can have a good start and just…get to the chequered flag!” said Jackson to TouringCarTimes.

Four DNFs and two outside of the top ten finishes in the last six events means Jackson has only scored one point since Snetterton, which was for setting the fastest lap in race two at Knockhill. As a result, Jackson has dropped behind the two Hondas and Jason Plato’s Chevrolet in the standings, and is now only one point ahead of Triple Eight’s James Nash.

“It’s cost us the championship this year but we know we’ve got the pace as a race car, and all we can do is go for as many outright wins as we can and just push for that. The championship’s pretty much dead and buried bar from some miracle, but with the luck I’ve got at the minute it doesn’t look like a miracle’s about to pop up.”

Jackson’s still in contention for the independents’ title this year, currently in second place 24 points behind James Nash with 45 available from a weekend, but is also battling in that category with Andrew Jordan. Both Nash and Jordan have qualified well, with the two Vauxhall Vectra drivers starting second and third for the first race of the day.

“The Vauxhall’s have found a huge load of pace from where they’ve been in previous race meetings…A little bit frustrating really but we’re still there, we’re still plugging away with what we’ve got.”