British Touring Cars are set for Snetterton race
Winner of race 11 of the British Touring Cars championships at Snetterton, Andrew Jordan. Picture: Denise Bradley - Credit: Archant 2013
Hundreds of spectators are set to line the track at Snetterton when the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) roars into Norfolk this weekend.
The British Touring Cars championships at Snetterton. Picture: Denise Bradley - Credit: Archant 2013
With the home nations currently fighting for glory in the Commonwealth Games, a similar theme is being played out at the top of the BTCC standings.
The British Touring Cars championships at Snetterton. The Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup race, led by car 25, Pepe Massot. Picture: Denise Bradley - Credit: Archant 2013
Northern Irishman Colin Turkington (BMW) is currently the man to beat on 228 points, with a seven-point lead over Scotsman Gordon Shedden (Honda).
After dominating the early rounds, England’s reigning champion Andrew Jordan (Honda) lies in third place with 200 points.
Champion in 2009, Turkington returned to the series last year and is looking forward to racing at Snetterton this weekend.
“I really enjoyed it last year, I found it a much bigger challenge than the old layout,” he said.
“I think everybody is keen to know how fast we will be, including myself. I’m looking forward to going back for a second time, hopefully I’ll be faster!”
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Shedden, the 2012 champion, is confident of success this weekend.
“It will be good to get back into it at Snetterton and really get down to the serious end of the championship,” he said.
“I feel relaxed and refreshed after the summer break and am definitely ready to go again.
“I’ve got happy memories of Snetterton. The 300 is the longest circuit we go to on the BTCC calendar, and it has a good mix of corners and hard-braking zones, which should play to our car’s strengths.”
Jordan is also ready resume his title defence and is confident of a strong end to the season.
“I think it’s been good so far with four wins out of fifteen races, which is more than we’d had last year at this point,” he said.
“The consistency hasn’t been as good as last year, but I’m only five points behind where I was last year.
“We won a race at Snetterton last year, so I think we’ll be strong. The 300 layout makes for good racing.”
Englishmen Jason Plato (MG) and Rob Collard (BMW) are also within striking distance of Turkington.
The pair, who are fifth and sixth in the championship respectively, are both are confident of a strong result at Snetterton this weekend.
Since its transformation in 2011, the new Snetterton 300 circuit has provided some of the championship’s most memorable moments.
Old rivals and former champions Plato and Matt Neal (Honda) famously clashed on track in the opening two events and last year Plato spectacularly rolled out of the final race of the weekend.
The pair will be joined by BTCC legends Fabrizio Giovanardi (Ford) and Alain Menu (VW) on the 31-car grid.
Giant TV screens will be showing all of the action throughout the day, which includes races from the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Renault UK Clio Cup, Ginetta GT Supercup, Ginetta Juniors and Formula Ford.
Spectators can meet the drivers during a pit walk and autograph session at lunchtime on Sunday.
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