15/05/2006 - Mat Wins Again... And Meets Corrie Star!
Henley in Arden's Mat Jackson made it three wins from three starts in the Blaupunkt SEAT Cupra Championship yesterday... and walked on to the podium to receive his trophy from one of the stars of the UK's favourite television soap Coronation Street. Mat led all the way from pole position in his Whale Tankers Cupra R to win round three of the championship at Oulton Park which was packed out with a huge British Touring Car Championship crowd. It followed on from his victories in both the opening rounds at Brands Hatch in April and further extended his championship points lead. On the podium, he received his winner's trophy from none other than Simon Gregson who plays Corrie's Steve McDonald - a VIP guest of SEAT for the day. However, Mat's win had not come easy.
As at Brands Hatch, his car's performance suffered from a mystery problem that his family-run Jacksons Motorsport team at the moment cannot trace and he had to drive defensively to hold off the chasing pack. This told in the day's second race when Mat lined up an unrepresentative tenth on the grid. This led to him finishing tenth, although he still retains a nine-point championship lead. "When you're starting mid-field there's a greater chance of getting caught up in someone else's accident and that's what happened," adds Mat, who is also supported by radio show Tin Top Tuesday. "I got to the first corner and was side-swiped by another car.
That punctured a tyre and I had to crawl back to the pits for repairs. But even when I rejoined on a clear track I couldn't match the leader's pace. "In wet qualifying for the first race we were easily on pole, but when it's dry - as it was for race two qualifying - we're having a tough time. We've got the measure of anyone in the high-speed corners, but through the slow stuff we're struggling. We'll find it, sooner rather than later I hope." Mat's next SEAT rounds are on 4 June at the high-speed Thruxton circuit in Hampshire - scene of the first of his unrivalled eight race wins in 2005.
