James Thompson to race for Motorbase at Silverstone

Two-time British Touring Car Champion James Thompson has been recruited by Motorbase Performance to help Mat Jackson fight for the overall and independent drivers’ titles at Silverstone.

Thompson, the 2002 & 2004 Champion whilst racing for Triple Eight Race Engineering, will coincidentally be fighting to prevent his former team from winning their first title as an independent entrant. Triple Eight’s James Nash currently leads the independents’ standings by just 17 points heading into the season finale over Motorbase’s Mat Jackson.

Jackson and Nash are also both in contention for the overall drivers title, though will need an exceptional weekend with bad results for the two Honda drivers and Jason Plato to be able to take the title.

Thompson last raced in the BTCC for Team Dynamics (now Honda) in 2009 for six race weekends, taking the team’s only three victories that season at Donington Park and Oulton Park. Thompson also tested for Motorbase Performance ahead of the 2009 season in their previous car, the BMW 320si.

Last year, Thompson won the FIA European Touring Car Cup for Hartmann Racing in a Honda Accord, and this year started the season with Volvo Polestar Racing in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship, before splitting with the team before the sixth round of the season at Karlskoga.

“I’m genuinely excited to be coming back to compete in the finale of the Championship,” said Thompson.

“I’m here to lend support to Mat and the Airwaves team in their quest for the title and try not to cause too much mischief out on the track!”

Thompson will be taking over the team’s third Ford Focus ST which has been raced at the last two meetings by Motorbase’s Porsche Carrera Cup UK graduate Michael Caine.

The Ford Focus ST was dominant at the Silverstone National circuit last year, with pole position, all three fastest laps and all three victories for Tom Onslow-Cole and Tom Chilton when the car was run by Arena Motorsport.