MEGA MAT WINS ON CHEVROLET DEBUT 

BTCC ROUND TWO, THRUXTON 

26 April 2009: Warwickshire racer Mat Jackson triumphed in his first outing in a Chevrolet Lacetti at round two of the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) at Thruxton today.

The 27-year-old only secured a deal to race for the RML squad three days before the event, having sat out the first BTCC round last month, yet stormed to victory in the final of the day's three races. Overall he racked up a tally of 22 points despite having only driven the car in a brief shakedown before the event.

"Mega, just mega!" was Mat's reaction after leading race three from start to finish and setting the fastest race lap. "To come back to the BTCC with RML and do a deal just three days before and reward them with a win is phenomenal. The team has been fantastic, a really great bunch of guys, and there was no doubt that the Lacetti had the pace from the word go."

Having started the encounter from the front row of the grid, he stormed past pole sitter Paul O'Neill as the lights went out. Withstanding early pressure from Adam Jones, he steadily built a lead until another competitor crashed and the safety car was brought out and bunched the pack up. However, Mat expertly controlled the restart to maintain his advantage and take the chequered flag.

"It might have looked easy but it never is!" said Mat, who is backed by Oxfordshire-based traffic information consultancy PCC UK Ltd. "But having sat at home and watched the first round on the television, there was no way I was going to let this victory go."

The podium celebration rounded off what had been a successful first outing with RML, with Mat scoring three points in race one by finishing eighth and picking up two more points in the second encounter with a ninth-placed finish. It was the lottery draw for the final race of the day that gave him the front row grid position and he used it to maximum advantage. He now lies in eighth place in the overall drivers' championship and sixth in the independents' category.

"The next goal is to make it to Donington Park," said Mat, who is still seeking a title sponsor for his championship campaign. "Last year I finished the championship second overall and winning here at Thruxton just makes me more determined to go one better."

Fans who missed the action can watch the highlights show on ITV1 from 01.10-01.30am this Tuesday morning (28 April), which will be repeated on ITV4 on Tuesday afternoon from 4.30pm-6.00pm.

The next round takes place at Donington Park on 17 May.