Jason Plato endured another ‘very bad weekend’ in the British Touring Car Championship at Rockingham, with the Subaru driver relieved to have ‘at least had a race’ in the final encounter.
Although Plato qualified as the top rear-wheel drive runner on Saturday, his pace went unrewarded in Sunday’s three races.
Having got up to sixth in race one, contact from Chris Smiley dropped Plato out of contention, and he could consequently only manage 23rd come the chequered flag.
That in turn gave the 50-year-old a poor starting position for race two, where further contact hindered his progress and left Plato in 26th.
However, race three brought an upturn in fortunes for the two-time champion, as he fought his way to 11th and just his fourth points finish of the season.
“It was a weekend of promise ruined by multiple contacts from behind,” said Plato of his weekend. “I qualified well, being the top rear wheel drive car, but I was hit off from a good position in race one early doors and then hit again and that was the story of the weekend.
“In race two I was hit again and had so much damage that I had to stop to get repairs made which then resulted in us fighting at the back in race three.
“I then only made progress as everyone else was on hard tyres and the only overtaking manoeuvre was around the outside at the hairpin.”
Plato lamented the continued lack of straight-line speed in his Subaru Levorg GT, admitting that the lack of performance was testing, whilst his team-mate Ash Sutton scored yet another win having raced at the cleaner end of the field.
“Every straight I get to they just disappear; I’m in a position to overtake people, but as soon as I get on the straight again that overtake manoeuvre ceases.
“I watch every other car overtaking down the straights and I can’t so it’s really frustrating, but at least I go home having had a race.
“On my side of the garage it was yet again a very bad weekend.”