Following his Thruxton race win, Mat Jackson will join Jason Plato under the Racing Silverline team banner in Donington Park's round of the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship this Sunday (17 May).

The power tools brand's name will now fully feature on Jackson's RML-prepared Chevrolet Lacetti alongside that of the Warwickshire driver's long-time backer PCC. Jackson, second in last year's BTCC, made a stunning return to the series at Thruxton three weeks ago, winning a race in his Lacetti to follow Plato's victory for the RML-run squad in Brands Hatch's opening round.

Indeed, a Jackson-Plato partnership surely makes for one of the very strongest driver line-ups on the BTCC grid, arguably rivalling that of Vauxhall pairing Fabrizio Giovanardi and Matt Neal, double champions both. Plato won the 2001 title and has a phenomenal 47 race wins to his name while Jackson finished last year as championship runner-up.

Asked by btcc.net what becoming team-mate to a driver of Plato's standing meant, Jackson joked: "It feels no different - I still have to beat the bugger!

"Seriously, it's a great chance in what is still only my third season in the BTCC. Jason is one of the BTCC's all-time great names. I'd love to go on and emulate what he has achieved in the BTCC this past decade or so. He's the perfect team-mate to have.

"One of the beauties of the BTCC is that team-mates can go out and try and beat one another so that will only spur us on further. It's a friendly rivalry that we'll enjoy. Chiefly, though, we're now fighting 100 per cent for the same cause so that can only help to progress development as well."

Jackson believes the Silverline Lacettis will be well-suited to Donington's fast, sweeping lay-out having worked through a variety of set-ups with the car at Thruxton that ultimately helped lead to his race win.

He added: "OK, the car hasn't raced at Donington but it's going to be the same everywhere. I feel as though I'll be starting on the front foot this time, though. I don't think the Chevrolet will be a million miles off at Donington - it's certainly not going to be its weakest circuit.

"It's got a very good engine and chassis and much of the lap is spent keeping up momentum through a sequence of medium to high-speed bends so that should play to the car's strengths.

"Also, I now have a race weekend under my belt working with the RML engineers and mechanics so it should be easier to go forward with developments. Hopefully that will get us closer to the front in qualifying and put us in a position to challenge for wins and podiums from the off."

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