17/07/2006 - Mat Increases Lead With Win Number Five
Henley in Arden's Mat Jackson more than doubled his lead at the top of the Blaupunkt SEAT Cupra Championship standings with a race victory and a second place finish in yesterday's two rounds at the Croft circuit in North Yorkshire. Mat had qualified his Jacksons Motorsport team car third and fourth fastest for the two starting grids. In race one, a series of dazzling overtaking moves in the opening two laps put the Whale Tankers-sponsored driver into a lead that he then comfortably held to the chequered flag.
Mat also earned a bonus point for setting the race's fastest lap en route to what was his fifth race win from seven starts. In race two, he was quickly into second position and harried leader Ben Winrow all the way to the line. After eight of 18 rounds, Mat now leads the standings by a solid 22 points from Winrow and Jonathan Adam who are tied for second. Mat says: "I was much quicker than Ben in race two, but he put up a stern defence - with Jonathan behind me I wasn't going to risk a do or die manoeuvre and throw away a load of points. Of course I really wanted to win race two but with so much at stake and with the competition level what it is in SEATs, it was important to drive with my head." Mat rates his race one victory as one of his best ever wins in SEATs - last year he won eight times and now he's won more than half of 2006's eight races to date. However, he still admits there's a long way to go before he can even start thinking about winning the champion's cheque for £100,000 - the biggest cash prize in UK motor sport. "I produced two very good touring car style moves to get past Ben and Fulvio Mussi and then just pushed to build up my lead," adds Mat. "Croft has some really fast sections and the SEAT's grip levels and handling made every lap great fun to drive.
It was one of the most satisfying wins I've had in SEATs, particularly as our strategy to concentrate on a race set-up paid off, even if that meant sacrificing a few places in qualifying. "We're entering the middle stages of the season - the period when championships are traditionally often won or lost - and I certainly won't be relaxing. In fact, I expect I'll need to raise my game as the others are sure to keep up the pressure." Mat is next in SEAT race action at his home circuit of Donington Park, Leicestershire on 29-30 July.
