Fans vote for Jackson in HiQ contest

British Touring Car Championship fans have voted Mat Jackson as the first winner of title sponsor HiQ's new Champagne Moment award.

HiQ asked the public which driver inspired and excited them the most in the BTCC's most recent rounds at Croft.

Jackson, thanks to his mesmerising drive from 18th to second - and almost victory - in the day's second race was a clear winner in the vote held on the www.hiqonline.co.uk website.

A total of 350 fans registered, with a whopping 67 per cent voting for Jackson - well ahead of Colin Turkington who was next up with 11 per cent of the votes thanks to his two victories.

And fans will be able to vote for their Snetterton hero on the same website once this weekend's action is complete.

Voters are also rewarded for taking part in the competition with one who nominates the winning driver being selected at random to attend the next rounds as guests of HiQ.

Indeed, this Sunday at Snetterton Jacky Perry from Wisbech who voted for Jackson at Croft will present the BMW Dealer Team UK driver with his Champagne Moment award- a bottle of bubbly. In addition, she receives a pair of tickets to a BTCC race meeting of her choice.

Jacky said: "It is brilliant to have won this award. It was impossible to vote for anyone else really. Mat was on incredible form in terrible conditions at Croft and I can't wait to present him with his prize on Sunday."

Jackson added: "It's lovely to win HiQ's first ever Champagne Moment accolade and even nicer to think that so many fans voted for me.

"It was nice to make a big impact at Croft and I want to build on it. If I had an extra half-a-lap out there in race two, then who knows? It was a great race and it's great that I will have something to remember it by."

HiQ's BTCC spokesman James Bailey commented: "We are delighted with the success of our first champagne moment. We want our sponsorship to leave a positive impression on the people that matter at the BTCC - the fans.

"There are still plenty of rounds remaining, so there are lots of opportunities for fans to get involved."

www.btcc.net