Team Principal David Bartrum says podiums and wins should be in Motorbase’s sights as his team prepares to make its first British Touring Car Championship appearance of the season at Snetterton.
Motorbase was forced to miss the opening five rounds of the season after a funding shortfall following the departure of title sponsor Airwaves.
But having tested extensively during their sabbatical, the team confirmed last month that they would make their return to competitive action at Snetterton, before Mat Jackson posted the quickest time during the championship’s official tyre test session at the Norfolk circuit.
And despite their enforced break from the championship, Bartrum believes the pace that Jackson showed in his Ford Focus means his squad can challenge at the front on their return to the series.
“This weekend is huge for us;” he said. “It’s a relief to finally be on the BTCC grid after all of the hard work which has been going on behind the scenes at Motorbase and everyone in the team is really looking forward to it.
“We had a great test here a few weeks ago but it’s time to get down to serious business again after a long break,” added Bartrum. “We’re under no illusions that we’ve still got a lot of work to do, but we’re really keen to get back out on track and to see where we are.
“The grid has moved on a lot in the time that we’ve been away but both Mat and James are up for the challenge, as is the whole team.
“We don’t have the championship position to worry about so we’re aiming for wins and podiums from the off; I’m looking forward to getting back out there and mixing things up a bit!”
Jackson, now in his sixth season with Motorbase, was also confident that podiums were possible from the get-go.
“It’s great to be back on the grid; I just want to get out there and ruffle up some feathers!” said the 21-time race winner. “The Dunlop test proved that we’ve got the pace in the car and we’re in a good place to be coming back to the BTCC and hopefully challenging for podiums. That’s certainly the plan and that’s what we intend to do.”
New recruite James Cole was also eager to see how his and Jackson’s testing pace stacks up during a race weekend.
“It’s great to be back on the BTCC grid again,” he said. “I’ve never jumped in mid-season before and I’m looking forward to seeing where we are compared with everyone else. We’ve spoken about it and tested etc. but you never really know for sure until you’re in the thick of it.
“I think this weekend should be very interesting!”