The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) heads to the legendary Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit in Kent this weekend, as the 2012 series approaches its thrilling conclusion. The MG KX Momentum Racing team is looking for title triumph, with Jason Plato fighting to secure his third BTCC driver’s crown.
It was just a few short months ago that the Triple Eight run MG team was heading to Kent for the opening round of the 2012 BTCC season, with its brand new and un-tested MG 6GT. It is testament to the hard work and brilliance of the team that in its first season of racing the MG6, in the hands of Jason Plato, could yet be set for championship glory.
The 2012 season has been full of ups and downs for Jason and his MG KX Momentum Racing Team and last race weekend at Silverstone exemplified this. There was a brilliant fifth pole position of the season on Saturday, a solid race one win on Sunday, punctuated by an agonising retirement from the lead in the second race, before a quite incredible fight back to seal another victory in race three from the back of the grid!
Following Jason’s spectacular Silverstone Sunday, he heads into this weekend’s finale just 15 points adrift of the championship leader, Honda’s Gordon Shedden. With a maximum points haul of 67 still up for grabs at the famous Brands GP circuit, there is still everything to play for and the team will be giving its all to secure championship glory at the very first attempt.
Jason Plato (#99), BTCC Standings 2nd – 349 points:
“Well, this is it, 27 races done and just 3 to go. The BTCC Finale at Brands Hatch has been a happy hunting ground for me in the past and I hope it will be again on Sunday. It is my favourite circuit on the calendar. My tail is high in the air, I have genuine confidence that my MG will have real pace. Let the battle for the most prestigious crown in British Motorsport begin.”
Andy Neate (#44), BTCC Standings: 16th – 72 points:
“It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were heading to Brands Hatch with the brand new MG6, which I hadn’t even driven at that point! Heading back there for the season finale now it is quite amazing the journey that we have been on and the leaps forward that we have made as a team have been incredible. It goes without saying that I will do anything I can to help Jason’s title push this weekend to ensure we end the 2012 season on a high!”
Ian Harrison, Team Principal, BTCC Standings: Teams – 5th – 412 points, Manufacturers – 2nd 651 – points:
“The stakes are obviously high going into the weekend, but it will be what it will be come Sunday evening. Obviously we will be going all out for victory to help JP win the BTCC for the 3rd time. We are in with a good chance, albeit with a points gap to make up, but we have the right bloke in the cockpit and he knows how to handle the situation. Whatever the outcome, we will leave Brands with our heads held high.”
