The high-speed Snetterton circuit in Norfolk is next up for Henley-in-Arden's Mat Jackson in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (July 28th/29th).
Mat is hopeful that the Snetterton track's mixture of long straights and fast corners will play to the strengths of his #48 BMW 320si. He's currently seventh in the outright championship standings and second in the Independents championship following the latest three rounds held in the pouring rain at Donington Park.
At Donington he managed a best result of fourth place - a great testament to his family's Jacksons MSport team who, overseen by Mat's father Tony and older brother Dan, are still only six race meetings into their first season in the BTCC. They already have a win under their belt against the top race teams in Britain, achieved in the previous fixture at Oulton Park.
Mat, aged 26, says: "We'd had high hopes for Donington, but the great British weather really ruined it for us! On a wet track, the rear-wheel-drive of the BMW is at a disadvantage against the front-wheel-drive Vauxhalls. SEATs and Hondas. We have to hope that we have a normal, warm summer's day at Snetterton if we are able to fight fair.
"Provided conditions are as expected, then we will be strong. Even though we didn't have the results we wanted at Donington, we still managed to briefly lead one of the races and achieved the highest finish for a BMW with fourth. We still took a lot of satisfaction from the weekend."
Mat has always produced great results at Snetterton: last year he won there twice on his way to the SEAT Cupra title. He would also have achieved the double the year before had it not been for a mechanical problem when he was five seconds clear of the field.
"Snetterton might be flat, but it's still very challenging," adds Mat. "There are two really long straights offering overtaking opportunities under braking at the end and three really quick corners where you need a great-handling car which we've got in the BMW. What we'll need to sort out is the car's handling through the two chicanes and the fairly tight Sear corner - the exit off there dictates your speed down the long back straight. It'll be a bit of a compromise, but provided we get the balance right then we have a chance of pushing for wins.
"It's also great to see the BTCC back live on ITV1 on Sunday afternoons. That's great news for my sponsors and also everyone in the UK who follows the championship. It's also another great reason to get on the podium!"
