The AmDTuning.com with Cobra Exhausts team will look to bring home points for the third Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship meeting in succession when the series heads for Thruxton this weekend for the latest rounds of the season.
The West Thurrock-based team has enjoyed a solid start to the 2017 campaign, with drivers Ollie Jackson and Ant Whorton-Eales having both put points on the board at the wheel of their Audi S3s in the two meetings run so far.
Tamworth based Ollie was unlucky to come away from Donington Park last time out with just a single points finish to his name having shown strong pace throughout race day in the East Midlands.
The 33-year-old has a strong record at Thruxton in the past having scored points in four of the six races he has contested in AmDTuning.com colours – including a first points finish at the wheel of the Audi last year.
Ollie will be keen to try and add to that record this time around whilst also avoiding a repeat of the heavy accident he suffered back in 2014 at the fearsome Church corner.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the safety improvements they’ve made at Church ahead of this season, although hopefully I’ll not be making use of them!” he said. “In all seriousness, I feel confident as we go to Thruxton given the way that the season has started, and the aim is to try and bring home some points for a third successive meeting.
“We showed strong pace on the harder compound tyre that we have to use this weekend when we ran it at Donington, and hopefully that is something we can repeat and challenge for three strong results.”
Rookie team-mate Ant heads for Thruxton having broken into the points for the first time at Donington Park, where a strong drive in the second race of the weekend saw him rewarded with a twelfth place finish.
With an unfortunate puncture in race three having prevented the reigning Clio Cup UK title holder from wrapping up the Jack Sears Trophy during the second meeting of the year, Ant heads for Hampshire keen to battle for top rookie honours amongst the five first year drivers.
Further points are also the target at a circuit where the Lichfield racer has gone well in the past, having taken three victories at the Hampshire venue during the past two seasons.
“I’m heading to Thruxton taking the same approach as I did going to Donington Park,” he said. “I just want to keep improving and if I can beat the P12 I got last time out, I would be over the moon. I think that will be a lot harder this weekend, but saying that, the way we are heading with the set-up on the Audi means it should be good in terms of front tyre wear, which is very important at Thruxton.
“Had it not been for the slow puncture in race three at Donington Park, we were on to secure the Jack Sears Trophy, so getting that nailed this weekend is my main aim as it’s important for the championship that we put in a strong performance.”
Buoyed by the pace the team has shown so far this season, team boss Shaun Hollamby said he felt confident that both Ollie and Ant would be able to challenge for points at the BTCC’s quickest circuit.
“Thruxton is a proper ‘old school’ circuit, and one that always provides exciting action; it really sorts the men from the boys,” he said. “We go there in confident mood after a strong performance on race day at Donington Park and with a car that should be well suited to the high-speed challenge that Thruxton provides.
“We know we are going back to Thruxton with a much better car than the one Ollie used to score points last season, and I have no doubt that both he and Ant will be in the mix to challenge for points across race day.
“If they were able to bring home points in all three races it would be fantastic, and it would also be good for Ant if he was able to secure the top rookie honours that he deserved with his performance last time out. I’m looking forward to it.”
Photo credit to Marc Waller.
