Mat Jackson has revealed to BTCC.net how he overtook 17 cars to oh so nearly win Croft's dramatic second HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship round on Sunday.

Jackson started from 18th on the grid after sliding off the track while leading race one but was in inspired form, catching and overtaking all the established big names - including Jason Plato, Fabrizio Giovanardi and Matt Neal - to finish just 0.101s behind eventual winner Colin Turkington.

And it could have been victory for Jackson on the very last lap as Turkington almost lost control of his car with a corner to go.

It was a performance that received huge applause from the appreciative crowds for the BMW Dealer Team UK driver as he toured back to parc ferme.

"I thought Colin had lost it on that last lap," Jackson told BTCC.net. "My instinct was to back off. I was right behind him and didn't want to get wiped out by a spinning car after all the work I'd done. But it just came back to him and all he had to do after that was defend into the hairpin.

"There probably was a bit of frustration inside me starting the race after what had happened in race one which I felt I should have won. Even then with full success ballast I don't think anyone would have beaten me in race two - the wet conditions help level out the weight and the team now has really got a very good handle on car set-up for those conditions."

Jackson refused to go into minute detail about his car's set-up but was clear about the methods he used to pick off the field.

"That would be telling, wouldn't it!" he joked when asked about his car's set-up. "As for the race, it's impossible to recall every passing manoeuvre. But the car felt fantastic pretty much all the way around the lap. The two obvious places were where it was at its strongest, where I could take advantage of its rear-wheel-drive traction out of corners.

"Coming through Hawthorn into the chicane and then again out of Tower corner was where I knew I had an advantage so always made sure I drove a clean line and got a good exit. Out of the hairpin is also possible but you really need the person in front to mess up on the exit if you're going to get a run on them towards Clervaux.

"I saw it was starting to dry on the out lap to grid so made sure in the opening laps I preserved my tyres which probably made a big difference in the end. I also concentrated a lot on searching for the grip as the track was changing with every lap."

Many believe that given another lap Jackson could have been able to pass Turkington for the win, but the Warwickshire driver isn't so sure.

He added: "Everyone was struggling with their tyres from mid-distance onwards and, to be honest, my tyres had really gone past their best on the last lap. I'd have been right with Colin, but whether there would have been enough left to have a proper go I don't know...

"It was earlier in the race that my chance of winning probably went out of the window, when I got stuck behind Adam Jones for a lap and a half. Most people had relented when I'd got up alongside them and started nosing ahead coming out of Tower, but he really didn't want to give up his place and I had no option but to back out of it turning through the Jim Clark Esses, although I got him on the next lap.

"But that probably cost me three seconds in total and a chance to be with Colin maybe two laps earlier."

Jackson, a favourite among many BTCC fans, says he was moved by the reaction from the packed spectator banks after he'd crossed the finish line.

The Henley-in-Arden driver said: "The slowing down lap was something else. There was a lot of language over the radio with the team - which you can't print! - and the reaction from the crowds was overwhelming. It's great to get a reception like that and everyone in the team deserved it for getting the car set-up the way they did.

"What we did probably exploded a myth as well because before the rear-wheel-drive cars haven't gone well in dry or greasy conditions - just look at Donington Park - so it was a very good result for the BMW as well."

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