Colin Turkington confident of strong Thruxton

Colin Turkington says he is aiming for ‘big points’ this weekend at Thruxton as he looks to close the gap to BTCC points leader Tom Ingram.

The Team BMW driver goes into the weekend 14 points behind his young rival having opened his victory account for the season last time out at Donington Park.

The double champion has enjoyed a strong record at Thruxton in the past with three wins, and he expressed confidence of a strong performance again this time around in his BMW 125i M Sport.

“Thruxton’s the fastest circuit in the UK and always provides excellent racing,” he said. “The high-speed, bumpy nature of the track makes it a unique challenge, but one I thoroughly enjoy. I have a pretty good record there, including three wins, and I think we’ll be fast again this time.

“We had a productive test at Thruxton recently and that has given us good direction for this weekend. Getting the suspension and tyre set-up right is crucial, as you need to be fast at the end of the race.

“With 57kg of ballast on board, qualifying and the first race will be a challenge, but the BMW is strong over a race distance, so I’m sure we can get some big points and more trophies.”

Team-mate Rob Collard will also hope to impress at what is his home circuit, with the 48-year-old aiming to build on the podium finishes he has already secured this season.

“I love racing at Thruxton,” he said. “It’s my home circuit, so I do get lots of family and friends coming along, and the support from the local crowd is always fantastic.

“The season has started strongly with podiums at each of the first two rounds; including at Donington, where we perhaps did a little better than expected. We tested the new Dunlop ‘Thruxton’ tyres here a few weeks ago and were pleased with the progress we made, so I think we can be optimistic of another strong weekend.

“Everyone’s seen how strong the BMW is in races, even with some success weight, so let’s see what we can do.”