Jason Plato: “We’ve not been given a chance this year”

Jason Plato has congratulated Matt Neal on his third Championship victory, but remains upset with the BTCC organisation for actions which he believes has removed himself and RML from being able to compete for the title this season.

Chevrolet driver Jason Plato has been vocal about the the lack of parity between the fully Super 2000 compliant (two litre normally aspirated) and Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC, two litre turbocharged)-powered cars since the start of the season, and believes that performance parity has never been reached between the two different engine specifications.

When introducing turbocharged engines built to the BTCC’s new rules package this year, Championship organisers TOCA made the assurance that the top teams would be equalised so the performance differences between the different engine regulations would not impact the results.

“It’s just frustrating because my guys have done a brilliant job this year”, said Plato to TouringCarTimes. “Congratulations to Honda, they’ve done a great job with their kit and I don’t have a problem with what they’ve done. I have a problem with the organisers. The organisers have not done what they promised to do and we’ve been hobbled. No matter which way you look at it, if you’re unbiased and you look at it with an unbiased mind, the best people in the paddock have been removed from the game this year.”

Looking ahead to next season, Plato’s uncertain as to whether the budget will be in place for a fourth campaign with RML. According to the sporting regulations, the 2010 World Touring Car-specification Chevrolet Cruze which he’s raced this year should still be competitive against the top NGTC-spec and NGTC-powered S2000 cars in 2012, however Plato doesn’t believe that will be the case as he believes it hasn’t been this season.

“We’ve got 26 engines which we have to throw in the bin, that was never in the business plan, because according to the regulations…we should be competitive as a normally aspirated car.”

“It’s just frustrating. I wasn’t even in the fight today. I just want to be able to race and have a chance, and we’ve not been given a chance this year.”

“What was promised to us was engine parity between the two different types, not package parity, but engine parity…If you go turbo and it screws up your car, tough. They only reason why they’ve (Honda) won races is because they’ve got massive power, but in a racing environment that makes it almost impossible for us to race them.”

“I don’t have an issue with what Honda have done, our beef isn’t with them and in many ways I feel sorry for them because they’ve run less boost than anyone else and so from their perspective, they’re getting shafted. What I’m most upset about…and so do most of the professional teams in the paddock…is TOCA are trying to equalise packages. They want everybody to be as fast as each other, but hold on, that ain’t motor-racing, that’s show business, and if it’s show business then give me a hundred grand appearance fee.”

On whether Plato thinks he’ll be on the grid next year, at this point in time he’s unsure, saying the only way RML could return for next season is with a full NGTC-specification car. “This isn’t playing games, I honestly don’t know,” said Plato. “We have to go NGTC and we have to have a turbo engine, and that’s a million quid which I haven’t got at the minute…on top of the assets we have to throw in the skip, that’s a lot.”

“I certainly don’t want to be involved in the Championship if it’s been like this year, I have no interest at all.”

“I’ll have to go and think about things, I want to do Le Mans, but I love the BTCC, but I love the BTCC when it’s fair.”