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HiQ MSA British Touring
Car
Championship
(provisional points after Round 30)
Drivers’
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi
….262pts
2. Mat
Jackson….226pts
3. Jason Plato….223pts
4. Colin Turkington…212pts
5. Matt Neal…185pts
6. Tom Onslow-Cole....170pts
7. Gordon Shedden...144pts
8. Darren
Turner….133pts
Manufacturers’
1. Vauxhall….697pts
2. SEAT….545pts
Teams’
1. VX Racing….537pts
2. SEAT Sport
UK….328pts
3. Team Halfords….231pts
4. Team RAC….227pts
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SEAT
UK leaves BTCC
with 43 wins in 150 races
 SEAT
UK can reflect on five highly successful seasons in the HiQ MSA British
Touring Car Championship after winning 43 races and scoring 101 podium
results in 150 races.
Having entered the
series in 2004, Jason Plato and Darren Turner closed the chapter on SEAT
UK’s motorsport programme by ensuring the Leon TDI was the top winning
car in the 2008 BTCC campaign – with 10 race wins to its name. Nine
different drivers won races in 2008, but no-one scored more than Jason
Plato, who took his BTCC career total to 46 victories and 2136 points
(in 276 starts) with eight wins this year.
Jason still had a
mathematical chance of winning this year’s Drivers’ title at the final
round at Brands Hatch, but he needed arch rival Fabrizio Giovanardi
(Vauxhall Vectra) to have a nightmare of a race weekend.
Having scored
points in all previous 27 races, Giovanardi non-scored in the opening
two races at Brands Hatch and only scored one point in the final race.
Unfortunately, Jason didn’t have a good race day either, picking up six
points for finishing 5th in Race 1, but non-scoring in the other two.
With Mat Jackson
(BMW 320si) winning Race 1 and 2 and finishing 4th in Race 3, the 2006
SEAT Cupra Champion stole the runners-up spot in the Drivers’ series,
with Jason’s 3rd position in the final Drivers’ standings not
representative of a great season.
Darren won two
races in 2008, taking his BTCC race career total to five wins and 339
points (in 75 races). Ever the professional, Darren gave up his chance
of winning the opening race to try and help get his team-mate further up
the leader board, going from 2nd to 7th in the unselfish act.
He was in 7th place
in the middle race too when he collected a front puncture and whilst
Darren took the chequered flag in 18th place, he was officially
classified as a non-finisher.
Race 3 saw John
George moved across the front of Darren on the fast approach to Surtees.
The Honda Integra tapped the front of the Leon TDI and speared off into
the crash barriers on the right, rolling before coming to rest in a
mangled heap. Darren was concerned for George’s condition, but
thankfully the driver emerged from his badly damaged car, visibly
shaken.
Darren raced on to
finish 12th, one place ahead of Jason, to finish 8th in the Drivers’
table. As SEAT Sport UK prepared to load the equipment into its trucks
for the final time, there was a fitting tribute from the SEATCupra.net
fans on the South Bank, with air horns saluting the team’s achievements.
 Jason
Plato (5th/DNF/12th): “My association with SEAT started in 2003, and
up until that point in my career, particularly in touring cars, I had
always been just a driver. When I left the BTCC at the end of 2001, I
knew that if I came back I’d want to do something different and be more
than that. When the opportunity to get involved with SEAT came along, I
could see I could be more than that. I could get involved with its
marketing and be an ambassador for the brand and that was a very
exciting prospect.
“The fact that
it’s all come to an end is very sad. We did set out to win the BTCC, and
we won the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ title, but never the Drivers’ –
although we finished second twice, third twice and fourth in five years.
We’ve been incredibly successful and I leave with a lot of mixed
emotions; pride that we achieved so much and sadness that it’s all over.
“I have really
enjoyed working with the people at SEAT. They are my kind of people –
they work extremely hard, they want to win and they know how to enjoy
themselves. SEAT has achieved an amazing amount of success the last six
years, five of which in the BTCC, and I think the paddock will have a
very different feel to it when SEAT isn’t there. SEAT in British
motorsport has been much bigger than I thought it ever would be.
“Putting the
racing to one side, SEAT has had a massive influence on my life – and
not just from 2003 to where we are now, but on the rest of my life too.
If it wasn’t for SEAT I would not have met my wife Sophie and I wouldn’t
have a wonderful baby daughter. I’ve got an enormous amount to thank
SEAT for.”
Darren Turner
(7th/DNF/13th) “SEAT took a risk with me at the end of 2005 and gave
me an opportunity to drive for them in the 2006 season, even though I
had no touring car experience at all at the time, and I shall always be
extremely grateful to them for that. “Although I never really had a good
run at the Championship myself, I’ve had the opportunity to win races,
get stuck into the BTCC and enjoy front-wheel drive racing, which is
something else I had never done before in my career. It’s been a very up
and down experience with SEAT, but even at the times when things have
been on the back foot and not running that well for me, it’s been a
great experience. When it’s been going really well, like qualifying both
cars on the front row of the grid and winning races, it’s been the best
feeling in the world.
“We’ve made
some great strides with the diesel-engined Leon this year and we would
have been extremely competitive next year, so not carrying on in 2009 is
a big disappointment – but you have to look what has been achieved in
the six years that SEAT has been involved in British motorsport and what
a great period that has been. Everyone who has been involved with SEAT
Sport UK should be extremely proud of what they have been part of – I
know I am. This is the end of a chapter. Life goes on and for me they’ll
be new chapters, but I know for sure that they won’t be as much fun as
the SEAT chapter.”
Scott Dennis,
SEAT UK Motorsport Manager: “Little did we know when SEAT Sport UK
recorded its first of forty-three race wins in its BTCC debut race
meeting in 2004 at Thruxton that we would have such an impact on the
Championship. “During the subsequent five years SEAT Sport UK has not
been afraid to try new things, running the first S2000 car in the
Championship, becoming the first manufacturer to run a turbo diesel and
taking the first win with a diesel engine car in the fifty year history
of the BTCC. We’ve enjoyed Championship success by becoming Manufacturer
and Team Champions, and have narrowly missed out on the Drivers’ title
on a number of occasions, including this year where, had it not been for
a mid-season run of unfortunate results, I’m sure we would have been
here at Brands Hatch this weekend defending the Championship lead. “I’d
like to thank everyone who has contributed to the success of SEAT Sport
UK over the years, without all of their hard work and commitment we
would not be able to look back on our journey in the BTCC with the
satisfaction of a job well done. I’m very proud of what SEAT Sport UK
has achieved. “I’d also like to thank the many thousands of fans who
have supported us during our BTCC campaign.”
BTCC Round 28
- 1. Mat Jackson (BMW
320si)…22:20.106
- 2. Steven Kane (BMW
320si)…22:22.207
- 3. Robert Collard (BMW
320si...22:27.886
- 4. Colin Turkington (BMW
320si)…22:28.020
- 5. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…22:30.253
- 6. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...22:31.108
- 7. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…22:31.437
- Fastest lap: Steven Kane (BMW
320si)…49.703
BTCC Round 29
- 1. Mat Jackson (BMW
320si)…20:14.716
- 2. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...20:16.555
- 3. Colin Turkington (BMW
320si)…20:17.199
- 4. Robert Collard (BMW
320si...20:20.641
- 5. Steven Kane (BMW
320si)…20:20.889
- 6. Tom Chilton (Honda
Civic)...20:21.464
- Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…DNF
- Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…DNF
Fastest lap: Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…49.581
BTCC Round 30
- 1. Tom Chilton (Honda
Civic)...24:47.517
- 2. Steven Kane (BMW
320si)…24:48.244
- 3. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall
Vectra)...24:48.683
- 4. Mat Jackson (BMW
320si)...24:49.228
- 5. Colin Turkington (BMW
320si)…24:49.992
- 6. Robert Collard (BMW
320si...24:50.718
- 12. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…24:54.237
- 13. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…24:54.705
- Fastest lap: Fabrizio Giovanardi
(Vauxhall Vectra)…49.871
SEAT breaks
100 podium barrier at Silverstone
 Jason
Plato led all three HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship races at
Silverstone today in his SEAT Leon TDI, and his victory in the first
race was SEAT Sport UK’s 100th BTCC podium result. Having given the team
its first podium finish with victory in its first ever BTCC race meeting
in 2004, it was appropriate that Jason’s victory – his 32nd BTCC race
win for SEAT and his 46th of his career – gave the team its 100th
podium. That was increased to 101 podium finishes 6.194 seconds later,
when Darren Turner took the chequered flag in 3rd. Statistically, SEAT
Sport UK has finished 69% of the 147 BTCC races it has contested since
its debut season in 2004 on the podium.
Rain at the beginning for the opening race saw all but one of the 23
competing cars start on wet weather tyres, but as the rain got heavier
even Tom Onslow-Cole come into the pits to replace the front slicks on
his Vauxhall Vectra. Although the last minute change to wet tyres on the
grid saw cars run on a dry weather set-up, this suited the Leon TDI, as
Jason enjoyed a classic lights to flag victory and Darren came home 3rd.
With Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra) finishing 5th, Jason had
reduced the gap in the BTCC Drivers’ standing from 41 to 30 point.
SEAT Sport UK changed the Leon TDI to a full wet set-up for the
remaining two races, and initially everything worked well. Jason started
from pole in Race 2 and in Race 3 came from 6th on lap one to lead both
races. At half distance, his car lost front end grip and with increasing
difficulty turning into corners he dropped down the field in each race
and finished 7th and 5th respectively. With Giovanardi finishing 1st and
3rd, the gap at the top of the Drivers’ table had increased to 44 points
by the end of the day.
Darren had an equally frustrating final two races. He was lying 3rd in
Race 2 when Giovanardi made an aggressive move up the inside at Luffield
at the end of the opening lap, forcing Darren’s Leon TDI off the track
and through the gravel trap. Giovanardi hit Darren with such force that
it badly damaged the car’s front right suspension, which resulted in the
car snapping sideways and sliding off into the gravel at Brooklands on
the next lap. The car came to rest against Michael Doyle’s Honda Civic,
which had just gone off beforehand, and was beached axle deep.
The team did a fantastic job to repair Darren’s car in the short amount
of time before Race 3. He was due to start the final race from 18th on
the grid, but as the rain had stopped he and the team decided to gamble
and bring him into the pits at the end of the green flag lap for slick
tyres to be fitted on the front – which saw him start from the pit lane.
But not even a dry line appeared during the 22 lap race and in the
slippery conditions Darren did well to keep the Leon TDI on the track,
eventually finishing 19th.
 Jason
Plato (1st/7th/5th): “It was always going to be a struggle to try and
pull the points back on Fabrizio Giovanardi, but realistically the
Championship’s been over a long time ago. We had a good first race at
Silverstone; the Leon TDI performs well when it’s raining, but we
changed the set-up for the next two races and it didn’t work in the
greasy conditions. We had good pace at the beginning of each race, but
then we hit a brick wall. The car wouldn’t turn in at all and I had no
grip; I had to ease off at Woodcote where before I could take it flat
out and people were just able to drive around the outside of me at
Becketts. But once again we’ve learnt a lot about the Leon TDI this
weekend. We’ve brought new diesel race technology to the British Touring
Car Championship this year and, having developed and raced the car at
the same time, the team has done incredibly well to enable us to win so
many races. It’s nice to have won eight races so far this season and
it’s great to have played my part in giving the team over one hundred
podiums, but to be honest I’m not interested in statistics. All I want
to do is win races for the team, and we’ll be out there trying to do
that again at Brands Hatch. We want to try and finish the season on a
high and what’s even more exciting is that I think we’ll be very strong
next year.”
Darren Turner (3rd/DNF/19th): “Saturday, as ever, was great, with a
fantastic qualifying session for the team, and race one was perfect.
Jason got the win and I got third and minimised how many points
Giovanardi scored with a good team strategy. Race two was very short and
very disappointing. I got fired off the track by Giovanardi on the
opening lap and from where I was sitting it seemed very unnecessary, and
for me that put paid to race two. We were going to start race three from
eighteenth on the grid, but the rain had stopped and had it been at any
other circuit it might have been the right decision to come into the
pits at the end of the green flag lap and change to front slicks, but
the track never dried. I was lapped by half the field and it was a waste
of time being out on the track; but at the time we thought it might pay
off, but it didn’t work. Race day started well and deteriorated after
that, but I’ll take what positives I can from this weekend; we qualified
well, race one was great and we worked extremely well as a team.”
Scott Dennis, SEAT
UK Motorsport Manager: “When you consider that SEAT Sport UK has been
competing in the BTCC for such a relatively short period of time, we are
the fifth most successful manufacturer in the fifty year history of the
series and during our five years we have set several milestones –
another one of which is breaking the hundred podium barrier. We have
finished on the podium in six-nine percent of the BTCC races we have
contested, and that is a remarkable achievement. And we continue to be
competitive; in qualifying at Silverstone we locked out the front row of
the grid for the fourth consecutive race weekend and with Jason picking
up a point for pole, we were confident of closing the deficit in the
Drivers’ standings on Fabrizio Giovanardi. We achieved that in race one,
reducing the gap from forty-one to thirty points, but because of the
greasy track conditions, which admittedly was the same for everybody,
Jason suffered increasing understeer in both races and we lost the
points we’d gained. It was still a great team effort and we can move on
to Brands Hatch looking forward to ending the season with more race
wins.”
BTCC Round 25
1. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…30:29.829
2. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…30:30.374
3. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…30:36.023
4. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…30:36.156
5. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...30:37.568
6. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...30:38.031
Fastest lap: Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…1:08.144
BTCC Round 26
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...30:59.002
2. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…30:01.770
3. Adam Jones (SEAT Leon)…31:02.808
4. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...31:03.287
5. Steven Kane (BMW 320si)…31:06.386
6. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...31:07.672
7. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…31:08.660
Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…DNF
Fastest lap: Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)... 1:08.869
BTCC Round 27
1. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)...26:03.875
2. Adam Jones (SEAT Leon)…26:07.129
3. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...26:08.178
4. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…26:10.356
5. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…26:11.643
6. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...26:12.596
19. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…+1 lap
Fastest lap: Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)...1:09.464
Three out of three for SEAT at Knockhill
 SEAT
Sport UK dominated the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship
meeting at Knockhill, qualifying 1st and 2nd on
the grid, recording the fastest lap time in all three races, winning all
three races and setting a new lap record with its Leon TDI.
Having
taken an unequalled seventh win of the season with victory in Rounds 22
and 23 of the series, a collision saw Jason Plato end the third and
final race in Scotland in the crash barriers; which is a serious blow to
his BTCC Driver title aspirations.
Darren
Turner qualified on pole and after a bruising opening two races scored
his second win of the year with a textbook drive in Round 24.
In
front of a huge crowd, Jason set the fastest lap of Race 1 (53.496 /
85.54mph) on his way victory in the opening BTCC race of the weekend. In
the next race, Jason started from pole and, with the maximum 45kgs of
ballast on board his Leon TDI, was able to hold off the challenge of
Championship leader Fabrizio Giovanardi.
With
two wins out of two races, Jason had taken nine points out of the
Italian to reduce the gap at the top of the BTCC Drivers’ standings from
44 to 35 points.
 The
reverse grid saw Jason start the third and final race at Knockhill from
9th place, and with Giovanardi starting just one place ahead
he had high hopes of overtaking his rival and reducing the gap still
further. But just eight laps into the 27 lap race, Jason overtook
Giovanardi’s Vauxhall team-mate, Tom Onslow-Cole, at the hairpin. As
they straightened up for the start/finish straight, Onslow-Cole hit the
rear left corner of Jason’s car with such force that it snapped the
suspension and sent the Leon TDI sharp left and into the crash barriers.
Jason sat on the pit wall and watched Giovanardi finish 5th
to pull six points back and nudge the gap back up to 41 points.
Having
qualified on pole, Darren was pushed wide at Scotsman corner by Onslow-Cole
on the opening lap of the first race, which dropped him from 2nd
to 12th . Despite a big vibration from the front left wheel,
Darren fought his way back up to 8th when, on lap 14, Tom
Chilton (Honda Civic) left the door open at Carlube and Darren shot down
the inside. The two made contract, and broken suspension sent the Leon
TDI off sharp right and into the crash barriers on the inside of the
corner.
As a
result of his Race 1 retirement, Darren started Race 2 from 18th
on the grid – but after a great start he was 14th by the end
of the opening lap, 8th at mid-distance and was challenging
for 6th when he tried to go around the outside of Colin
Turkington (BMW 320si) at the hairpin on the penultimate lap. He was
forced wide on exit, losing a place to Rob Collard (BMW 320si) and
eventually finishing 8th .
Darren
also set a new lap record (53.283 / 85.89mph), breaking Gordon Shedden’s
previous 53.311 best, which had stood for two years. Darren made a great
start from 2nd on the grid in Race 3 to overtake pole-sitter
Andrew Jordan (Honda Integra) before the first corner, set the fastest
lap of the race (53.389 / 85.72mph) and win – ensuring a hat-trick of
victories at Knockhill for the Leon TDI.
Jason
Plato (1st /1st/DNF): “I’ve won two races and Darren’s
won the other, so it’s been a good day for the team. It’s a shame my
weekend ended in a tyre wall. I made a forceful, aggressive touring car
move on Tom [Onslow-Cole], which was needed because from where I was
sitting it looked like he was under instructions not to let me past at
any cost. He left the door open at the hairpin and I nipped through. I
gave him enough room on the exit and I was off and gone when I got a big
hit in the left rear. It’s unlike Tom to do that, so either something’s
broken on his car and that’s forced him into me or he’s maliciously had
me off. I was in front of him at the time so I didn’t see. But it’s
still been a good day for the team. We really understand the Leon TDI
now; we can qualify well, it’s got good race pace and it works well on
the Dunlop control tyres. You can tell it’s a good car because the
opposition is whingeing, but in the last five years Honda and Vauxhall
have both had the best cars out there, so it’s nice to see that now it’s
our turn. Mathematically we can still win the Drivers’ title, and of
course we’ll keep on trying at Silverstone and Brands Hatch until the
points say otherwise, but realistically my thoughts have already turned
to next year.”
 Darren
Turner (DNF/8th /1st ):
“To qualify on pole and to get both cars on the front row of the grid
was a great start to the weekend, but being fired off by Tom Onslow-Cole
on the first lap was a very frustrating way to begin race day. After
that I ended up getting involved in fights I shouldn’t have been
involved in, which resulted in another incident and me ending the race
in the tyre barriers. Race one was a big disappointment, but race two
was great fun because I had to fight my way up from the back of the
grid. I’d had a good clean race with Colin Turkington until closing
stages, so I was a bit annoyed that he pushed me wide at the hairpin
because it was unnecessary, but at least the result gave me a front row
starting position for the start of the third race. I was a bit concern
by the three BMWs that were starting around me because they are quick
off the mark, but Andrew Jordan didn’t get a great start and I managed
to slot into the lead before the first corner and just paced myself from
there on. I was pleased to win, especially for the guys in the team who
work on car 12 and did a great job to repair it after the first race.”
Scott
Dennis, SEAT UK Motorsport Manager:
“We did some simulation work before we arrived at Knockhill to try and
find out what the Leon TDI might be like around here, and from that we
thought the car would be very strong. For the third consecutive race
meeting we locked out the front row in qualifying, and whilst it is a
fantastic achievement to win all three races we feel slightly
disappointed that we didn’t maximise our full potential. With such a
strong performance on Saturday, it’s not unrealistic to aim for a first
and second place finish in the opening two races, but for various
reasons we weren’t able to do that. Then Jason finished the final race
in the crash barriers, meaning that once again only one car scored well.
The incidents which put Darren out of race one and Jason out of race
three might not have been of our making, but it meant that we didn’t
have the results we deserved this weekend.”
Rounds
25, 26 and 27 of the BTCC takes place at Silverstone on August 30-31.
BTCC
Round 22
-
1. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…26:31.059
-
2. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...26:32.641
-
3. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...26:33.232
-
4. Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic)...26:34.052
-
5. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…26:36.505
-
6. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…26:36.784
-
Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)… DNF
-
Fastest lap: Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)...53.496
BTCC Round 23
-
1. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…21:37.937
-
2. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...21:39.253
-
3. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...21:41.209
-
4. Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic)...21:48.557
-
5. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…21:48.955
-
6. Rob Collard (BMW 320si)…21:50.799
-
8. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…21:53.411
-
Fastest lap: Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)...53.283
BTCC Round 24
-
1. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…25:28.884
-
2. Rob Collard (BMW 320si)...25:31.050
-
3. Andrew Jordan (Honda Integra)...25:31.943
-
4. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)...25:33.281
-
5. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...25:35.170
-
6. Tom Chilton (Honda Civic)...25:38.000
-
Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…DNF
-
Fastest lap: Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)...53.389
PLATO PHILOSOPHICAL AFTER OULTON HIGHS AND LOWS
Jason
Plato became the first driver to win five races in the 2008 HiQ MSA
British Touring Car Championship when he led from pole to win the first
of three races at Oulton Park in his SEAT Sport UK Leon TDI. With two
fastest laps as well it could have been a big points scoring day, but a
misfire whilst leading Race 2 and having to fight his way from 17th on
the grid in Race 3 spoilt the celebrations. Despite this, Jason has
moved up to 2nd in the BTCC Drivers’ standings, albeit 44 points behind
Fabrizio Giovanardi.
It was an equally frustrating day for Darren Turner. Having qualified
2nd, he was pushed sideways by Tom Chilton (Honda Civic) in Race 1 and,
with damaged rear suspension, finished 6th. Race 2 saw the front left
wishbone break under braking for the Knickerbrook chicane on the opening
lap, which forced Darren into retirement, and then an engine problem saw
him complete the final race unable to use full throttle as he finished
16th, one lap down. After such a good effort, Darren scored just five
points and remains 8th in the BTCC Drivers’ table.
Jason
Plato (1st/DNC/9th): “We’ve now got some performance in the Leon TDI,
it’s engineered extremely well, the team is doing a great job and we
start a race weekend off well – but then these mysterious engine
problems intervene and prevent us scoring the points we need. It’s very
frustrating. We don’t know what’s causing the misfire, but we have to
try and get to the bottom of it. The objective for the rest of the year
is to win more races; there is nothing else we can do. We’re making big
progress with the car and we’ll be very strong next year, but as far as
2008 is concerned I think it’s over. Whilst the series is still alive
we’ll keep on fighting, but I think Vauxhall and Fabrizio [Giovanardi]
are too far ahead.”
 Darren
Turner (6th/DNF/16th): “Qualifying was fantastic, and from the front of
the grid it looked like we’d be able to finish first and second in the
first two races and take whatever the third race would throw at us, but
it all went wrong for me at the start of the first race when I dropped
behind Tom Chilton. It took me a few laps to get past him, only for him
to lunged at me and take me off. I had to start sixth in the second race
and had a suspension failure; that was unfortunate, but these things do
happen and it’s the first time anything like that has happened to me. I
had to start the third race from twenty-first. I made a good start and
quickly got on the back of Jason and it looked like we’d push through
the field before Tom Chilton did one of his magical manoeuvres again and
took out half the field at the chicane. It was actually of benefit to me
as I moved up to ninth, and I was up to seventh when the engine gremlin
appeared again. We need to find the problem sooner rather than later,
because it’s costing us good results – and if we can get rid of it, I’m
sure we can score some good results in the last three race meetings.”
Scott Dennis, SEAT UK Motorsport Manager: “After a fantastic qualifying
session on Saturday, everything looked extremely promising for race day.
We could have had a one-two finish in the first race, and although
Darren was very unlucky we were delighted to see Jason win for the fifth
time this season. Then the bad luck really set in, and we were not able
to maximise on our points scoring opportunities. SEAT Sport UK is doing
a great job with the chassis, but we all need to work together to find
out what is causing these engine problems. When we do, we’ll be able to
turn all our hard work as a team into points.”
BTCC Round 19
1. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…22:30.779
2. Tom Chilton (Honda Civic)…22:32.778
3. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...22:36.737
4. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…22:37.467
5. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...22:38.990
6. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)… 22:39.897
Fastest lap: Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)...1:28.563
BTCC Round 20
1. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…22:23.153
2. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...22:29.932
3. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...22:30.875
4. Steven Kane (BMW 320si)…22:31.915
5. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…22:34.023
6. Adam Jones (SEAT Leon)...22:41.170
Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…DNC
Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)… DNF
Fastest lap: Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…1:28.516
BTCC Round 21
1. Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic)...25:48.501
2. Adam Jones (SEAT Leon)...25:49.894
3. Andrew Jordan (Honda Integra)...25:50.727
4. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)...25:50.920
5. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...25:51.151
6. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...25:52.187
9. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…25:58.746
16. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…+ 1 lap
Fastest lap: Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)...1:28.831
DOUBLE BTCC VICTORY JOY FOR SEAT AT SNETTERTON
SEAT Sport UK won
two out of the three rounds of the HiQ MSA British Touring Car
Championship at Snetterton on Sunday, having also dominated testing,
free practice, qualifying and scoring the first 1-2 finish for the Leon
TDI in the UK.
Jason Plato scored his 3rd and 4th race wins of the season in a pair of
copybook lights to flag performances in Rounds 16 and 17, while Darren
Turner finished 2nd in Round 16 (giving the BTCC its first diesel
engined 1st-2nd finish) and smashing the lap record by 0.538 seconds in
Round 17 – before picking up a puncture and finishing 19th.
Significant ground had been made up in the Manufacturers’, Teams’ and
Drivers’ Championships, and the team looked set to end one of its most
dominant race weekends ever when an electrical misfire plagued both cars
in the third and final race. Jason was forced to retire in the pits,
while Darren limped around the 1.952 mile Norfolk track to finish two
laps down.
Having closed the gap from 67 to 57 points in the Manufacturers’
standings in two races, the final race disappointment sees SEAT leave
Snetterton 74 points behind Vauxhall. Having started the day 4th in the
Drivers’ Championship, 46 points in arrears, Jason had moved up to 2nd
after Round 17, 28 points behind Fabrizio Giovanardi. But retirement in
Round 18 now sees him in 3rd place, 39 points behind the leader and five
points behind Matt Neal. Darren remains 8th in the Drivers’ category, 79
points off the lead.
Two thirds of race day had been almost perfect. Jason enjoyed a perfect
lights to flag race win in Round 16, although he and 2nd placed Darren
had to maintain a fast pace as Tom Chilton and Gordon Shedden (Honda
Civics) were following close behind in 3rd and 4th. Not even a Safety
Car period could hamper the team’s progress, as the first BTCC diesel
1st-2nd finish was secured. The top four finishers broke the once
illusive 1min 12sec lap time barrier,
with Darren’s smashing the lap record (1:12.249 / 97.16mph, set by Matt
Neal, Honda Integra, in 2005) with a 1:11.711 (97.99mph).
Chilton challenged
the Leon TDIs off the line in the second race, getting ahead of Darren
briefly before the SEAT 1-2 formation was restored on Rivett Straight.
Having opened up a safe 2.223 second cushion between themselves and 3rd,
Jason let Darren through to take an extra point for leading the race at
half distance, before regaining the lead. Even with 45kgs of success
ballast on board, Jason was able to win by 3.169 seconds. The Safety Car
came out for the tyre stack to be replaced at the apex of Russell Bend,
and as the race resumed Darren collected a front left puncture.
Unfortunately he had just passed the pit entrance when the tyre fully
deflated, and he had to complete a full lap before coming into the pits.
He returned to the track and finished 19th, scoring valuable
Manufacturer points in the process.
Jason started the third and final race from 8th on the grid while Darren
lined up 19th – but all was not right from the beginning, when both cars
almost stalled leaving the line. An electrical misfire had struck both
cars, and having come into the pits for data to be downloaded from the
on-board computers, Jason retired from the race and Darren struggled on
to finish two laps down to score Manufacturer points.
 Jason
Plato (1st/1st/DNF): “We came to Snetterton to take points out of
Vauxhall’s and Fabrizio Giovanardi’s lead, and for two thirds of race
day that’s exactly what we did. We’ve worked extremely hard in the six
weeks since Croft to improve the Leon TDI and having dominated Saturday
we were confident race day would bring its rewards. The first two races
could not have been better, and I thought I had a real chance in the
third race to score some more big points. With Giovanardi starting ahead
of me on the grid, the aim was to finish ahead of him and it could have
been a great race. But I almost stalled leaving the grid for the green
flag lap and I struggled to get away from the line in the race proper.
Something wasn’t right from the start, and the misfire just got worse as
the race progressed. We were making progress in the Championship and we
had a DNF when we shouldn’t have. These things happen, that’s motor
racing. I’m already looking forward to the next rounds at Oulton Park.
Hopefully the chassis modifications we’ve made will work well there too
and we’ll go there with nothing to lose. It’ll be maximum attack.”
Darren Turner (1st/19th/17th): “Race one was how you’d write it
down on a piece of paper – perfect. We were surprised how quick the
Hondas were, but Jason and I were able to keep ahead of them and score a
strong one-two finish, scoring the sort of big points in the Drivers’
and Manufacturers’ Championships that we were looking for. I had a
little bit of contact with Tom Chilton at the start of the second race,
which wasn’t a problem, but I got back into second and was running close
behind Jason in another nice one-two position when I picked up a
puncture, which effectively ended my race from a Driver points-scoring
perspective. Starting 19th on the grid I had everything to play for and
was aiming to finish sixth. I picked up a few places on the opening lap
and was looking good before an electrical problem kicked in. The car was
misfiring badly, but I just had to try and get to the end of the race to
score some points for SEAT in the Manufacturers’ Championship. It’s a
very frustrating way to end a race weekend which had promised so much.
It’s great that JP won two races, but it’s not been such a great weekend
for me with two non-scoring races. We’re certainly made some progress
with the Leon TDI, so hopefully we can put in a good performance at
Oulton Park and the other remaining circuits this season.”
Scott Dennis,
SEAT UK Motorsport Manager: “Two
race wins and a second is a good performance by anybody’s standards. The
team has made huge improvements to the Leon TDI in the six week break
since Croft, and that shows. We continue to work well as a team, there
were no mistakes made by anybody over the course of this weekend we have
a lot of positives to reflect on. We have to establish what affected
both cars in race three and make sure that doesn’t happen again, and of
course it was a frustrating way to finish a race day which had promised
so much. From here we have to continue to improve the Leon TDI and
travel to Oulton Park aiming to score as many points as we can.”
BTCC Round 16
1. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…27:38.560
2. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)… 27:39.143
3. Tom Chilton (Honda Civic)…27:39.924
4. Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic)... 27:40.210
5. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…27:41.446
6. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...27:43.075
Fastest lap: Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)...1:11.711
BTCC Round 17
1. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…25:39.832
2. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…25:43.001
3. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...25:43.532
4. Rob Collard (BMW 320si)…25:44.629
5. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...25:45.506
6. Steven Kane (BMW 320si)...25:47.134
19. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)… 26:20.173
Fastest lap: Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...1:12.248
BTCC Round 18
1. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)...22:00.124
2. Steven Kane (BMW 320si)...22:00.894
3. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...22:02.475
4. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...22:07.798
5. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...22:08.632
6. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…25:43.001
17. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…+2 laps
Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…DNF
Fastest lap: Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...1:12.442
SEAT
plans second half attack after Croft setback
 SEAT
Sport UK is looking forward to attacking the second half of the HiQ MSA
British Touring Car Championship with all the new-found knowledge it has
acquired with its Leon TDI in the first 15 races. The technical
challenge of taming the diesel package has been great, yet the Leon TDI
has already won three races (the first for a diesel- engined car in the
50 year history of the BTCC), scored nine podiums and achieved one pole
position.
After disappointing
results at Croft, in which Jason Plato and Darren Turner scored just
three points each, the team is confident of strengthening its challenge
for the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ titles in the remaining 15 races.
SEAT reaches the halfway point in the BTCC 2nd in the
standings, 67 points behind Vauxhall, while Jason and Darren are 4th
and 8th in the Drivers’ Championship, 46 and 78 points
behind leader Fabrizio Giovanardi.
Torrential rain caused
the first of three BTCC races at Croft to be stopped early after two red
flags, as standing water made driving conditions extremely difficult.
Development brake pads which work well in the dry didn’t work well in
the wet, and Jason and Darren both went off because of it. Jason had to
start from the pit lane after hitting a patch of standing water, locking
the front brakes – which cut the engine and the power steering – and
sliding into the gravel at Clervaux on the formation lap. Darren started
from pole and was overtaken by Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic) into the
first corner and was then hit by Mat Jackson (BMW 320si) and lost more
places. Unable to see in the spray, Darren approached Tower Bend in
fourth gear instead of sixth. He touched the brakes and skated straight
off the track. Jason eventually finished 12th, while Darren was 15th .
The rain had stopped
when the second race began – which was a shame, as both Leon TDIs had
left the pits with a full wet weather set-up. On a drying track, both
cars suffered from a lack of traction and despite Jason and Darren
trying different techniques to lap the circuit at speed, they were both
frustrated with the progress they were making. Having started 12th ,
Jason finished 8th , while Darren came from 15th
on the grid to finish 9th .
The bad luck continued
when the top seven cars were randomly selected to start the third race
in reverse order, meaning that Jason and Darren would start from their
Race 2 finishing positions. A bad day ended on a low when Jason
attempted to overtake Colin Turkington on the inside of the Hairpin at
the end of lap 2; he rode up the inside of the BMW 320si, balanced on
two wheels and slammed back down to earth. He pitted twice for the
engineers to check the Leon TDI, but the damage didn’t cause any safety
concerns and he returned to the track. He could only lap two seconds
off the leaders pace, but Jason finished 12th to score
valuable Manufacturer Championship points.
 Darren
Turner was running in 7th when Jackson forced him into the
gravel trap at Clervaux at the start of lap 7.
Jason Plato (12th /8th /12th ):
“This just hasn’t been our weekend. The team did a great job on Saturday
and we qualified well, but it just didn’t happen for us on race day. We
know where we went wrong. We didn’t consider the brake pads wouldn’t
work in the wet; they were too grippy at the front and didn’t work at
the rear, and that caused both Darren and I to go off. We had no
traction at all in race two and I collected damage in race three. We
have to take this disappointment on the chin. We have six weeks to
prepare for the next meeting at Snetterton and we have to exploit what
we’ve learnt about the Leon TDI and make every opportunity in the second
half of the season count.”
Darren Turner (15th /9th /DNF):
“Today
hasn’t delivered for us. I’ve scored one point for qualifying on pole
and virtually nothing on race day, which isn’t great when you’re trying
to fight for the Championship. The first race was very disappointing
because of our brake issue, race two was damp and we had no traction and
in race three I got taken out by Mat Jackson. It’s just been one of
those frustrating weekends. We have to put this behind us and return in
six weeks time stronger and better.”
BTCC Round 13
-
1. Colin Turkington
(BMW 320si)…4:07.301
-
2. Matt Neal
(Vauxhall Vectra)...4:08.308
-
3. Gordon Shedden
(Honda Civic)...4:09.274
-
4. Fabrizio
Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...4:10.462
-
5. Robert Collard
(BMW 320si)…4:11.483
-
6. Mike Jordan (Honda
Integra)…4:12.379
-
12. Jason Plato (SEAT
Leon TDI)…4:17.624
-
15. Darren Turner
(SEAT Leon TDI)…4:20.945
-
Fastest lap: Gordon
Shedden (Honda Civic)...1:36.870
BTCC Round 14
-
1. Colin Turkington
(BMW 320si)…26:24.098
-
2. Mat Jackson (BMW
320si)…26:24.199
-
3. Matt Neal
(Vauxhall Vectra)...26:27.810
-
4. Robert Collard
(BMW 320si)…26:11.483
-
5. Fabrizio
Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...26:31.881
-
6. Adam Jones (SEAT
Leon)…26:32.644
-
8. Jason Plato (SEAT
Leon TDI)…26:36.200
-
9. Darren Turner
(SEAT Leon TDI)…26:36.507
-
Fastest
lap: Steven Kane (BMW 320si)...1:36.870 BTCC
Round 15
-
1. Fabrizio
Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...28:31.186
-
2. Adam Jones (SEAT
Leon)…28:32.778
-
3. Matt Neal
(Vauxhall Vectra)...28:33.006
-
4. Tom Chilton (Honda
Civic)…28:36.430
-
5. Mat Jackson (BMW
320si)…28:36.528
-
6. Gordon Shedden
(Honda Civic)...28:37.968
-
12. Jason Plato (SEAT
Leon TDI)…29:16.695
-
Darren Turner (SEAT
Leon TDI)…DNF
-
Fastest lap: Fabrizio
Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...1:26.547
SEAT LEON TDI WINS AGAIN AT THRILLER
THRUXTON
 Jason
Plato gave the SEAT Sport UK Leon TDI its third win in six HiQ MSA
British Touring Car Championship races after a characteristically
never-give-in performance at Thruxton. He bounced back from scoring zero
points in Race 1 to net maximum points in Race 3 – scoring his 40th BTCC
race win and eclipsing 2000 career points in the process. Darren Turner
finished 6th and 4th in the first two races, but a puncture whilst in
3rd position on the notoriously abrasive Hampshire track spoilt what
would have been a superb hat-trick of race results.
Having made his BTCC debut in 1997, Jason reached 2000 career points on
his 257th BTCC race – the second of three races at Thruxton – when he
came from 24th and last on the grid to finish 7th, despite picking up a
misfire towards the end of the race. He had earlier finished 3rd in the
opening race, but had been excluded from the results when the rear of
his Leon TDI was found to be 2mm below the legal height limit – caused
by a bent right rear upright and bodywork damaged, after he’d been hit
from behind by Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra). Despite race
officials reinstating Gordon Shedden when damage saw his Honda Civic
fail the ride height test during qualifying, SEAT Sport UK’s appeal was
dismissed and the exclusion upheld.
Jason drove all the third and final race at Thruxton without rear brakes
after a brake bias problem came to light on the grid, yet he still set
the fastest lap of the race as he powered his way to victory. The
abrasive Thruxton surface had witnessed several front left punctures
during the day, but Jason judged his pace to perfection, as his front
left tyre deflated on the slowing down lap, after he’d taken the
chequered flag.
Darren finished 6th in the opening race after good battles with Tom
Chilton (Honda Civic) and Mat Jackson (BMW 320si). He started Race 2
from his Race 1 finishing position, and had moved up 3rd by the end of
the first lap. Darren made a challenge on Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)
for 2nd at the chicane on lap 10, but a subsequent lose of momentum down
the following start/finish straight saw him come under pressure from
behind and forced wide and onto the grass at the next corner. Darren
managed to steered away from the crash barrier and returned to the track
to finish 4th.
In the final race, Darren was closing in on 2nd placed Andrew Jordon
(Honda Integra) when his front left tyre deflated exiting the 130mph
Church corner on lap 10. Darren came into the pits, the team changed
both front tyres and he returned to the track to finish 16th.
 Jason
Plato (EXC/7th/1st): “It’s been a great end to a very disappointing day.
We should have been rewarded a lot more for our efforts than we have
been. Everyone in the team has worked really hard and done a great job,
but we’ve been well and truly kicked very low by what I believe was a
very poor decision by the organisers. We infringed the regulations
because we collected some damage; it was clear to see, there was no
performance advantage and we had evidence to prove that the damage had
been caused by a hit from behind by Fabrizio Giovanardi. But sometimes
you have to take the rough with the smooth, and we’ve had a lot more of
the rough than other teams this weekend. That is a real shame, because
we could have been tied on points with Fabrizio after today, and we
should be. We’ll just have to work double hard for the rest of the
year.”
Darren Turner (6th/4th/16th): “It’s been a frustrating weekend. Race
three was going really well; I was keeping Mat Jackson behind me and I
could see Andrew Jordan ahead beginning to struggle a little, so I
thought I could definitely finish on the podium and possibly give SEAT a
one-two finish when I had a tyre failure coming out of Church corner. I
had to come into the pits, which dropped us way down the order and made
it a disappointing end to race day. In all four race meetings this year
I’ve dropped points in one out of the three races, so I need to stop
doing that and start picking up points more consistently. Thruxton has
proven to be a much more difficult circuit for us than we had
anticipated, but we’ll have to leave here, regroup and come back
stronger at Croft.”
Scott Dennis, SEAT
UK Motorsport Manager: “We arrived at Thruxton, as we have done at each
circuit this year, not knowing for sure how our Leon TDI would perform.
We were quietly optimistic that the fast layout of the track would suit
our diesel package, but it soon became clear that we were in for a
challenging weekend. The team worked incredibly hard to find a set-up
that worked well, and towards the end of race day we achieved that. It’s
just been a frustrating weekend. The team can’t be blamed for the
infringement of the regulations in race one and we’ve ended on a
positive note with a win. Both Jason and Darren have had their ups and
downs this weekend, but we’ve managed to limit the damage in the
Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ standings.”
BTCC Round 10
1. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...21:34.274
2. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…21:37.211
3. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...21:38.536
4. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...21:38.861
5. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…21:40.003
6. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…21:41.136
Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…Excluded
Fastest Lap: Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...1:18.883
BTCC Round 11
1. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...27:58.042
2. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…27:58.560
3. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...27:58.896
4. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…27:59.446
5. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…27:59.603
6. Adam Jones (SEAT Leon)…28:00.724
7. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…28:01.476
Fastest lap: Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)…1:19.007
BTCC Round 12
1. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…21:37.731
2. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…21:39.277
3. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...21:40.031
4. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...21:41.142
5. Adam Jones (SEAT Leon)…21:42.628
6. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…21:43.645
16. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…22:29.535
Fastest lap: Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)...1:18.945
SEAT LEON TDI
SCORES FIRST BTCC DIESEL VICTORY
 Jason
Plato smashed the Donington Park lap record on his way to giving the
Leon TDI its first HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship race win –
and in doing recorded the first victory for a diesel engined car in the
50 year history of the series. He then finished 2nd and 3rd in the next
two races to move from 6th to 2nd in the BTCC Drivers’ Championship.
Team-mate Darren Turner had a great weekend too, running 2nd in race
one, coming from 19th to finish 4th in race two and scoring his first
victory of the season with a fabulous drive in extremely slippery
conditions in the third and final race.
SEAT Sport UK got its BTCC campaign back on track with a strong display
around the 1.96-mile National Circuit. The two race wins and four
podiums sees SEAT half the gap with Vauxhall at the top of the
Manufacturers’ Championship and move ahead of Team Halfords in the
Teams’ standings.
Race day got off to a fantastic start when Jason won an incident
filled race and smashed Yvan Muller’s 2005 lap record by 0.212 seconds
with a 1:12.677 (96.95mph). Jason fought back from 5th and took the lead
when pole-sitter Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra) ran wide at McLeans
Corner on lap 14. As Onslow-Cole, Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra) and Gordon
Shedden (Honda Civic) battled for 2nd position, Jason was able to open a
gap and eventually beat Neal to the chequered flag by 1:309 seconds.
Darren had been running in 2nd place when the intercooler air intake
hose came loose. He came into the pits, and after some repair work he
returned to the track 2 laps down. He eventually finished 20th and last,
scoring valuable Manufacturer points for SEAT in the process.
Jason’s Leon TDI was the heaviest it has ever been in race two, as the
1180kgs minimum base weight had 45kgs of success ballast and 22kgs of
fuel added, making it a super-heavyweight 1247kgs. Having started from
pole, he did superbly well to finish 2nd, 2.880 seconds behind
Giovanardi. Darren started from 19th on the grid and had to take to the
gravel at Redgate Corner as his path was blocked when Martyn Bell spun
his Astra and was hit by Stuart Oliver (SEAT Toledo) and John George
(Honda Integra). From last place, Darren launched a stunning comeback.
He was 9th after five laps and 5th after 10 and moved up to 4th with a
great overtaking manoeuvre on Neal at Coppice on lap 13.
After a great start in race three, Darren moved up to 2nd after a brave
move around the outside of Redgate and then took the lead on the opening
lap when pole-sitter Shedden slid off. A dry line appeared in the middle
sector of the race as the drizzle temporarily stopped, and this allowed
Onslow-Cole and Giovanardi to close in on Darren – until the two Vectra
drivers collided at the chicane on lap 11. This gave Darren the
breathing space he needed, and whilst others around him spun, locked up
and bounced off each other, the Leon TDI driver never put a foot wrong
and scored his first win of the season. Jason had been a strong 3rd, but
on a full wet weather set-up the dry mid sector really hurt him and
having been passed by Giovanardi he dropped back off the leading trio in
4th. But he fought back and a brilliant move on Giovanardi at McLeans
saw Jason snatch 3rd place and complete a wonderful 1st, 2nd and 3rd set
of results.
Jason Plato (1st/2nd/3rd): “It’s been a great day in the
office – for me, Darren and the entire SEAT Sport UK team. We’ve got
some direction on the car and although the set-up we’ve found is a bit
wild and makes the car tricky to drive, we know we have a theory that
we’ve now proved makes the car quick. We’ve taken some gambles with
set-up in recent weeks and it’s beginning to pay dividends. Now we have
to refine that and take some of the nervousness out of the car, because
at the moment it’s very snappy at the rear. We’ve scored a lot of points
today and I’m now only sixteen points behind Fabrizio in the Drivers’
Championship and we’ve gained ground in the Manufacturers’ and Teams’
tables. Finishing first, second and third is good in anyone’s books and
the Leon TDI has been very strong today. Everyone in the team has a
smile of their face tonight, and that’s important because even though
Darren and I get to spray the champagne, it’s been a huge team effort
and a great day for all the lads at SEAT Sport UK.”
 Darren
Turner (20th/4th/1st): “Victory is just a great way to end the weekend.
Race one was going well and then we had a technical problem, the second
race was great fun because I came from the back of the grid and finished
fourth and race three fell into my hands. I had a good start, moved up
to second early on, Gordon Shedden then made a mistake and I had the
lead for the majority of the race. I was under a lot of pressure from
the two Vauxhalls behind and I was really pleased to see the chequered
flag at the end of the race. It’s just been a great race weekend for the
team. Jason had the first win for the diesel Leon TDI in race one and
has had strong races all weekend and both cars have been competitive.
We’re honing in to where the sweet spot of the car is and I can’t wait
for the next race. Donington, Thruxton and Snetterton are all circuits
where we think the Leon TDI will be at its best. We’ve been proved right
at Donington and the whole team can’t wait to get to Thruxton to
continue from where we’ve left off here.”
Scott Dennis, SEAT UK Motorsport Manager: “SEAT Sport UK has returned to
winning form in some style and I’m so proud of the whole team. Once
again we faced the challenge on Saturday of finding the best set-up for
the Leon TDI in the limited time available and our drivers and engineers
rose to that challenge. Our results this weekend have enabled us to
close the gap in the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ Championships and we’ll
arrive at Thruxton looking to maintain the momentum we’ve built this
weekend.”
Rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the BTCC take place at Thruxton in Hampshire on
May 17/18.
BTCC Round 7
1. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…25:08.830
2. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...25:10.139
3. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...25:10.432
4. Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic)...25:12.184
5. Andrew Jordan (Honda Integra)…25:15.415
6. Steven Kane (BMW)…25:15.688
20. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…+ 2 laps
Fastest Lap: Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…1:12.677
BTCC Round 8
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...24:46.915
2. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…24:49.795
3. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...24:54.151
4. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…25:00.162
5. Tom Chilton (Honda Civic)…25:00.328
6. Andrew Jordan (Honda Integra)…25:06.585
Fastest lap: Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)…1:13.967
BTCC Round 9
1. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…21:06.582
2. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...21:08.008
3. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…21:09.585
4. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...21:10.016
5. Tom Chilton (Honda Civic)…21:10.550
6. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...21:11.994
Fastest lap: Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...1:13.967
TWO BTCC PODIUMS
GIVES SEAT A SILVER LINING
 On
a day marked by torrential rain, Darren Turner celebrated his 34th
birthday by finishing 2nd and 3rd in
the first two HiQ MSA British Touring
Car Championship races at Rockingham today, and despite ending the third
rain-soaked race in a gravel trap, it was a truly great performance by
the Leon TDI driver. Team-mate Jason Plato was also on top form, but
outstanding performances in all three races didn’t bring the rewards
they deserved. Having finished 9th in Race 1, Jason was hit by Tom
Chilton in Race 2 and had to pit. He rejoined in last place and fought
his way back to finish 9th. A 30 second stop and go penalty relegated
Jason to last place in Race 3, but another amazing drive saw him
overtake Colin Turkington on the finish line to take 6th.
As the SEAT Sport UK team continue to learn about its new Leon TDI, the
changeable weather and track conditions added to the technical challenge
of finding the right balance. The extra weight of the diesel engine,
additional success ballast and a slippery 1.94 mile International Super
Sports Car Circuit saw the team try different, and often unorthodox,
geometry settings in an effort to reduce the Leon TDI of understeer.
In
Race 1, Darren made a great start and ran in 2nd place behind Gordon
Shedden from lights to flag. Jason’s 250th BTCC race didn’t go according
to plan, as he struggled to find any grip at all. Having started 5th, he
saved two huge sideway slides to finish 9th.
Darren made another good start in Race 2 to take the lead, but his Leon
TDI was struggling in the tight and twisty infield section and on lap 10
Fabrizio Giovanardi got the nose of his Vauxhall Vectra inside at Turn
7. Darren tried to hang on, but Giovanardi forced him wide and Mat
Jackson also sneaked through, dropping Darren to 3rd. Jason was hit from
behind on the opening lap by Tom Chilton and when the Safety Car came
out on lap 2 for the marshals to recover the stranded Lexus of Stuart
Oliver, Jason came into the pits to make sure nothing at the rear of the
Leon TDI was broken. He rejoined in last position and with the car
crabbing badly and wanting to turn sharp left at every opportunity,
Jason launched an astonishing comeback and raced from 24th to finish
9th.
The start of the third and final race was delayed by a huge
thunderstorm, and all teams were allowed to change from slicks to wet
weather tyres on the reformed grid. This was unlucky for Jason, who had
already come into the pits to change to wet tyres rather than take his
place on the grid. Jason had to get from the pit lane to the grid again,
and as the team made final safety checks to Jason’s car, making sure the
windscreen wasn’t going to mist up and the doors were sealed, the
mechanics were judged to have been working on the car after the three
minute board was deployed; the punishment for which is a 30 second stop
and go penalty. This dropped Jason to last place once again and, in
heavy rain, dense spray and low visibility, he again carved his way
through the field to overtake Colin Turkington on the finish line and
claim 6th place by just 0.012 seconds.
Jason Plato (9th/9th/6th): “Sometimes you have days where everything you
do just doesn’t go quite according to plan, and this was one of those
days. It’s been a bit of a lottery, and we haven’t had much luck –
although in race two and three we’ve had some great drives back up
through the field from last place. The weekend for me was ruined by Tom
Chilton in race two. You can’t change your line in a braking area, and
coming down from 130mph into a hairpin corner he just turned left into
me. It wrecked his race as well as mine. We had to pit to check the car
over and from last position we finished ninth – and then we were a
little unlucky as the top eight was selected to start race three in
reverse order. We made a great call to change tyres before the start of
race three, but then that didn’t work to our advantage either when
everyone was allowed to do the same, and when we were doing safety
checks on the car we got a 30 second penalty. It’s just been a day full
of annoying things which haven’t worked and haven’t gone our way, but
which so nearly did. We’ve found some performance in the car and we
continue to learn about it, but in many ways it’s just been a
frustrating day to forget.”
Darren Turner (2nd/3rd/DNF): “Race one and two were really good. I made
two good starts, raced well and I was pleased to finish on the podium. I
was lucky to get to the end of the second race, as I had a good battle
with Giovanardi, but when he overtook me he hit my front wheel and took
a huge chunk out of the rim, so I was lucky I didn’t get a puncture. The
third race was very wet and I just got caught out under braking twice,
and the second time it was game over. I’ve had a good race weekend, but
it was a shame to end it on a bit of a downer. I’ve been caught out in
the rain once at Donington last year and twice here today and I need to
work out why I’m getting caught out in these conditions. It’s been a bit
of a frustrating birthday for me today, and next time out at Donington
we’ll just have to come out fitter and stronger.”
Scott Dennis, SEAT UK Motorsport Manager: “We’re getting closer to
unlocking the full potential of the Leon TDI, but frustratingly today
circumstances didn’t enable us to turn that potential into results.
Darren drove superbly in race one and two to score two excellent podium
finishes, and in very difficult circumstances Jason came from the last
to finish sixth in the third and final race. As was demonstrated last
year, every point is important to our Championship aspirations, and hard
earned points scored on a difficult day like this could prove crucial at
the end of the season.”
Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the BTCC take place at Donington Park in
Leicestershire on May 3/4.
BTCC Round 4
1. Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic)...23:28.251
2. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…23:31.275
3. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...23:31.826
4. Adam Jones (SEAT Leon)…23:33.255
5. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...23:37.329
6. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…23:38.030
9. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…23:40.506
Fastest lap: Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)…1:24.698
BTCC Round 5
1. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…28:51.807
2. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...28:53.349
3. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…29:00.670
4. Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic)...29:01.269
5. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)…29:02.397
6. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…29:02.603
9. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…29:04.990
Fastest lap: Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)…1:25.517
BTCC Round 6
1. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...31:06.261
2. Tom Chilton (Honda Civic)…31:11.175
3. Adam Jones (SEAT Leon)…31:12.046
4. Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic)...31:13.955
5. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...31:14.408
6. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…31:15.967
Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…DNF
Fastest lap: Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)…1:25.517
PROMISING DIESEL
BTCC DEBUT FOR SEAT LEON TDI
SEAT
Sport UK’s Leon TDI made a promising race debut in the HiQ MSA British
Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch today, when Jason Plato took
the series’ first manufacturer-entered diesel powered car to two podium
results and team-mate Darren Turner set the fastest lap of a race.
With time for only 150 miles of testing before the opening round of the
BTCC, SEAT Sport UK arrived at Brands Hatch with lot of untried data to
experiment with. Having qualified 4th and 6th, the team’s aim on race
day was to try and unearth a good balance, be competitive and possibly
challenge for a podium finish. Both Jason and Darren tried very
different set-ups in all three races, and the final race in particular
was a gamble, based on what looked potentially good on computer and what
the experienced drivers felt might work.
In the opening race, Jason and Darren finished line-astern in 3rd and
4th places, with Jason giving the Leon TDI a podium on its BTCC race
debut. With a heavy mid-race shower of rain making track conditions
extremely slippery, it was a challenging maiden race – and one in which
the Leon TDI showed its race winning potential.
Race 2 saw Jason again finish 3rd, while Darren set the fastest lap of
the race – his 49.491 being just 0.3 seconds short of the Brands Hatch
Indy Circuit lap record – on his way to 5th overall.
Finding it difficult to make a serious overtaking challenge on the cars
ahead, both Jason and Darren gambled on set-up in the final race – the
theory being that if it didn’t work, they’d probably not lose too much
ground anyway, and if it did work they’d have a far better chance of
achieving a better result. Unfortunately, Darren’s race was over soon
after it had begun, when Gordon Shedden hit him from behind at Druids on
the opening lap and his Leon TDI ended its race in the gravel trap.
Despite the disappointment of failing to start to season with a
points-scoring finish in all three races, Darren left Brands Hatch with
more points that he’d earned in the opening race weekend last year (15
points compared to 9). After a Safety Car period following a big crash
involving Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall), Jason had a lonely final race to
5th, maintaining a 100% finishing record.
Jason Plato (3rd/3rd/5th): “The team has done a fantastic job today. The
Leon TDI is very new, we only did 150 miles of testing before we came
here, and on its BTCC debut the car has proven to be one hundred percent
reliable. I’ve finished all three races in the points, and all things
considered, if someone had offered me two thirds and a fifth before the
racing had started I’d have probably taken them. I’ve been pretty
demanding as a driver today and changed the car an awful lot for each
race. It’s been a massive workload for the engineers and mechanics, and
everyone in the team has been extremely focused, professional and on top
of their game today. We’ve learnt a lot about the Leon TDI because we’ve
gambled on set-up and experimented far more than we’d normally dare do
on a race weekend. We know that there is good potential with the Leon
TDI, and we’re going to have to continue to work hard to unlock it.”
Darren Turner (4th/5th/DNF): “We started this weekend on the back foot a
little bit because of our limited pre-season testing, but I was very
pleased with the performance of the car and with my results in race one
and race two. Race three should have been another collection of points,
but it wasn’t to be. It’s just unfortunate that the race was over for me
before it had really begun. As a team we are very pleased with this
weekend’s performance – we’ve got a lot of work to do, but we were in
the top five fighting for position and we could have easily found
ourselves fighting for a top position. The Leon TDI has run like
clockwork all weekend, so reliability isn’t an issue and at different
stages during the weekend we have shown that we have some good pace in
the car. It’s now a case of looking at the data, doing the work and
making sure that the car works well in qualifying and in all three
races. It’s been a very encouraging start.”
Rounds 4, 5 and 6 of the BTCC take place at Rockingham Motor Speedway on
April 12/13.
BTCC Round 1
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...20:15.564
2. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…20:15.779
3. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…20:21.791
4. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…20:23.027
5. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...20:23.437
6. Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic)...20:23.994
Fastest lap: Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…59.202
BTCC Round 2
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...24:43.227
2. Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic)...24:44.169
3. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…24:44.640
4. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…24:44.898
5. Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…24.46.814
6. Tom Onslow-Cole (Vauxhall Vectra)...24:47.084
Fastest lap: Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…49.491
BTCC Round 3
1. Colin Turkington (BMW 320si)…26:35.148
2. Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…26:36.030
3. Matt Neal (Vauxhall Vectra)...26:37.447
4. Mike Jordan (Honda Integra)…26:39.194
5. Jason Plato (SEAT Leon TDI)…26:39.848
6. Fabrizio Giovanardi (Vauxhall Vectra)...26:43.411
Darren Turner (SEAT Leon TDI)…DNF
Fastest lap: Mat Jackson (BMW 320si)…49.588
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