The SEAT Leon TDI is registering success after success in the BTCC with driver Jason Plato at the wheel. The SEAT Leon TDI third win in six HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship races came at Thruxton. Jason Plato, after scoring 0 points in the first race, received the maximum points in Race 3 - scoring his 40th BTCC race win and going over 2000 career points.
The next three rounds of the BTCC will take place at Croft in North Yorkshire on May 31/1 June.
Seat Press Release:
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."
Rounds 13, 14 and 15 of the BTCC take place at Croft in North Yorkshire on May 31/1 June.
