TURKINGTON TARGETS BTCC
VICTORIES AT MONDELLO PARK
Northern Irishman Colin Turkington says he will be going
all out for victory when he races in his home rounds of the
Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at the Mondello
Park circuit on 23 April.
Turkington will arrive at the County Kildare track lying
second overall in the BTCC Drivers' standings after driving
his Team RAC MG ZS to a fourth and two seconds at Brands Hatch,
Kent last Sunday.
The Portadown driver has won at Mondello for the past two
years and a repeat performance would help him keep up the
pressure on current points leader James Thompson, in his SEAT
Leon.
"This is by far the best start I've made to a BTCC season
and I can feel from the car that we're in with a genuine shout
at the title," says Turkington. "We were on the
pace at Brands Hatch in free practice, in qualifying trim
and over all three race distances. The car just kept getting
quicker each time I drove it. It's a great reward for Team
RAC and the WSR crew which prepares the MG. Everyone's worked
really hard in the build-up to the new season and the two
podium results were really justified."
The 24-year-old adds: "I love Mondello and can't wait
to get racing there again. It's a real go-go-go kind of circuit
and the racing is always close and exciting. I've been on
the receiving end of a few knocks there, but the past two
years have been really kind to me. With the MG working so
well, I think I'll be in a position to challenge for victories."
At Brands Hatch, Turkington celebrated his 100th BTCC race.
But he says: "The team presented me with a cake just
before the start, but I didn't want to indulge until later
in the day. But after race three I needed to dash off for
my flight home so never tasted it. It looked nice, though!
Maybe I'll get another cake if I win at Mondello..."
Turkington will be one of the front-runners in three BTCC
races at Mondello Park on 23 April. He faces stiff opposition
from Thompson plus other superstar names such as SEAT's Jason
Plato, Vauxhall team-mates Fabrizio Giovanardi and Tom Chilton
and the reigning BTCC Champion himself Matt Neal, in his Team
Halfords Honda Integra.
In addition, there will be another four races from prestige
manufacturers BMW and Porsche, with their hotly-contested
Formula BMW UK and Porsche Carrera Cup GB championships, plus
the latest rounds of Ireland's very own Formula Sheane and
Dunlop Supercars series.
The event is geared around public entertainment - children
aged 15 and under are admitted free and at lunchtime adults
and children can walk the Pit Lane and meet the drivers and
teams for autographs and plenty of give-aways.
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