Mat Jackson: “We’re here to win races”

Mat Jackson was delighted to secure pole with another lap record at Brands Hatch and is now turning his attention to making another trip to the top step of the podium.

The Motorbase Performance driver smashed the lap record around the Grand Prix circuit to score his third consecutive pole, attributing the impressive pace of the Ford Focus to the work put in by the mechanics.

“It’s good, obviously qualifying has gone to plan which is great,” Jackson told TouringCarTimes. “It puts us in a great place for tomorrow and the car feels phenomenal. Hopefully we can match the same pace as what we’ve just done in the race tomorrow and secure a pole for race two, while winning the race. It’s never easy, the races are a lot harder. The boys have worked so hard for this and to get them three poles is testament to the hard work everybody’s put in.”

Jackson has been on an impressive run of form lately, taking a flurry of wins, poles and fastest laps since the Motorbase Ford Focus made its late debut at Snetterton.

“We’ve got the luxury of not having any ballast and that’s what it boils down to,” explained Jackson. “If Honda had no ballast because they weren’t in the championship people would expect to see them where we are and we’ve got to capitalise on that. We’re in a great position for race one and hopefully we can get the win and fastest lap for race two, but then we get the ballast and it’s a different game.”

Four of the five championship contenders line up behind Jackson on the first four rows of the grid, and although the Motorbase driver wants them to have a clean end to their championship campaigns, has admitted he won’t be rolling over, chasing victories of his own across the weekend.

“We’re off pole so hopefully we can not see them,” said Jackson. “That’s certainly the plan hopefully until race two, but we’re here to race as well just as much as they are. I’m not going to do anything stupid, we’re here to race. I’m going for the win, that’s what we’re here for. Rest assured we’re pushing for victories and hopefully they have a good championship as well.”