Wrotham based Airwaves Racing will be looking to continue their recent success as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heads to Rockingham this weekend.
The Airwaves squad heads to the oval circuit in confident mood straight off the back of the squad’s first race win of 2014 at the picturesque Knockhill circuit over the August bank holiday weekend.
Having arrived at the Fife circuit on the crest of a wave after a successful weekend at Snetterton earlier in the month; Airwaves Racing further stamped its mark on the championship with Mat Jackson claiming his maiden win of the season in ‘The Gary B’ Mountune-powered Ford Focus ST.
Consistency has been the key so far, with points scored in all but one race to date and this performance leaves the team in a strong fighting position for the Independents’ titles; with both Mat Jackson and Airwaves Racing currently residing in second place positions in the championship standings. With only nine races remaining, the Airwaves line up is resolute in building on that recent momentum as it targets more wins and podiums to close the gap on the leaders as the BTCC enters its final stages.
Giving his thoughts ahead of the weekend, Mat Jackson said: “We’re fired up off the back of our win at Knockhill and looking forward to getting back out there again this weekend. We’ve had some great results this season, just consistently bagging the points and that has left us in a great place to challenge for the Independents’ titles as the championship heads into the closing stages.
“It’s all down to sheer determination and hard work, the Airwaves boys have done a mega job and the car’s been faultless all year. The fast corners at Rockingham should suit the Focus chassis well and I fully expect us to be at the front challenging for podiums and more wins.”
Knockhill also delivered a best result to date for the Motorbase-run Crabbie’s Racing team with Jack Clarke securing two points in the last two races of the day. The BTCC rookie’s hard work and tenacity during the first half of the season was justly rewarded with a P13 and P14 and the former F2 driver enjoyed some outstanding racing in the Crabbie’s backed Focus ST. Jack and the Crabbie’s crew now look forward to building on these results with the aim of breaking into the highly competitive top ten as the racing resumes.
Speaking ahead of the weekend, Team Manager Oly Collins, said:“We’re looking forward to Rockingham as always. Knockhill was a great weekend for Airwaves Racing getting the win in race 2. It was a great boost for everyone in the team and we’re hungry for more wins before the season is out.
“We were strong at Rockingham last year in the wet but equally comfortable with our dry weather pace this season. We’re 2nd in the Independents Championship both in teams and drivers, and Mat’s not in a bad place in the overall Championship. All we can do is keep getting the results and see what happens with our rivals.”
Round 8 of the 2013 season takes place at Rockingham Speedway circuit on September 6/7. Live coverage of Sunday’s events will be shown on ITV4, itv.com and also in HD from 10.45am – 6pm; with itv.com featuring live streaming online of Saturday’s qualifying session between 3.35 and 4.10pm.
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