Colin Turkington keen to build on “superb start”

Colin Turkington says he hopes that West Surrey Racing can build on a “superb start” to the BTCC season when the series heads for Thruxton this weekend.

The defending champion claimed a double win last time out at Donington Park to move up to third in the standings heading to the fastest circuit on the calendar.

Whilst he took a double podium in Hampshire last season, the high-speed nature of the circuit didn’t play to the strengths of the BMW 125i M Sport – something that isn’t expected to the be the same with the new 3 Series.

Although he will carry some success ballast into the weekend, the Northern Irishman expressed confidence about his chances of success with last month’s test having provided vital track time to prepare for the challenges to come.

“I’m really looking forward to Thruxton,” he said. “It’s a track I enjoy, and it certainly rewards bravery. We think it should suit the characteristics of the 3 Series better than the 1 Series, particularly in terms of stability through the high-speed corners.

“The test there last month was very productive from my perspective, and it gave me the opportunity to tailor the new car a lot more to my liking. With so few opportunities to run at Thruxton, it was important to make the most of the time we had and I think we did just that.

“The aim is simply to keep on scoring good points and convert opportunities into results. I’ll carry 36kg of success ballast into the weekend, but we coped well with the weight in race two at Donington so I think we’re in good shape.

“It’s been a superb start to the season, which is no less than everybody at BMW and WSR deserves for their efforts. Hopefully we can keep the momentum of development going and continue that form this weekend.”