Mat was on track in his family-run Jacksons M.Sport team BMW at the spectacular Rockingham venue for the BTCC's annual season launch and promptly set the seventh fastest time outright in official testing, only eight tenths of a second off the top time set by Italian superstar Fabrizio Giovanardi in the works Vauxhall Vectra.

Mat, last year's SEAT Cupra Champion, says: There's a lot more to come in terms of speed and time from me and the car. We were nowhere near our maximum pace and had the wrong gear ratios in the car meaning we were continually 10kms slower than we should be at the end of the straights. We were at third in the times when we stopped running so inevitable we slipped down the order during the afternoon as my best time had been set whilst filming a few laps for Maxim magazine.

There was no point in keeping pushing knowing that we had the wrong gear settings. What was encouraging is that I was matching the times of all the manufactures teams at our first test. I'm very encouraged with what our team have achieved so far and there's still more than a fortnight before the first round at Brands Hatch (31st March-1st April).

After winning last year's SEAT title Mat has stepped up to the BTCC for 2007 with the very same BMW 320si E90 driven by Andy Priaulx to last year's World Touring Car title.

At Rockingham's media day Mat's car was besieged by photographers as he along with four models from top men's magazine Maxim unveiled the car's 2007 livery. So impressed with Mat's results are Maxim that they have become his media partner for 2007 adding to support from Solihull-based Whale Tankers and BMW dealership Nick Whale. Maxim even filmed inside from Mat's car and footage will soon be up on Maxim's website www.maximmag.co.uk

Mat adds: There were hundreds of media there and even after the photoshoot we had journalists and photographers coming up throughout the whole day wanting interviews and pictures. It was a great way to really get our season going and with a bit more testing of the car planned I'm confident we'll be challenging for podium results from the first round.

Mat's arrival in the BTCC will be shown live during the year on Sunday afternoons on ITV1 and one of ITV's digital. Freeview channel Men & Motors will also show highlights of the BTCC and all races will also be shown live on subscriber sports channel Setanta Sports. TV times will become available soon.

For more information contact:Tony Jackson, tel 01564 793050 or email matjacksonmedia@hotmail.co.uk
Mat Jackson's website: www.matjackson.com