Motorbase Performance Team Manager Oly Collins has called Mat Jackson’s double victory in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) finale at Brands Hatch the “perfect way to finish off this year”.
Jackson took a third straight pole for the Kent-based team on Saturday, with the outfit’s pair of Ford Focus racers again enjoying a ballast-free qualifying session thanks to having joined the championship late for the second half of the season.
Jackson went on to convert his pole into victory in race one, before following it up with a lights-to-flag win again in race two, his fourth win of the season.
From seventh on the grid in race three, Jackson was up to fourth by the first corner thanks to a strong start, with the Ford racer then battling hard with Honda’s Matt Neal and MG’s Jack Goff throughout the race for a podium position.
Jackson seized his opportunity on lap 14 to pass the duo ahead, as Neal battled with Goff, allowing Jackson to slip through into second.
It is the first time that Motorbase have won twice in the same BTCC weekend and the first time that the team have finished on the podium in all three races with one of their drivers.
“That was the perfect way to finish off this year,” said Collins. “I think it’s fair to say we’ve shown everyone recently just how competitive we are. The second race win on full success ballast and soft tyres was the most rewarding and proved that we have a complete package that can win this championship given a full season.
“The impeccable reliability record again this year shows the true class of the team behind the scenes and Mat was simply in a league of his own this year.
“James [Cole] has progressed well into a regular points scorer and will continue to improve given time I’m sure.
“Congratulations to Gordon Shedden for the championship win, he was a deserved champ. Hopefully we can take it off him next year!”
Jackson praised the hard work of his team, and is hoping to be able to carry the momentum into the winter and 2016.
“What an incredible weekend to end the season on,” exclaimed Jackson. “Obviously it was an amazing start to grab our third back-to-back pole in qualifying and then to go on to capitalise on that with two race wins and a second was a brilliant result for the team.
“The whole team has been working together so well this season and this weekend was the true reward for everyone involved. Hopefully we can carry this dominance into winter testing and come back next year with a full championship challenge.”