THOMPSON TARGETS VICTORIES AT SNETTERTON
James Thompson has warned his rivals that he expects his
SEAT team to leave Snetterton's Dunlop MSA British Touring
Car Championship rounds this Sunday (13 August) with a pair
of race winner's trophies.
Former double BTCC champion Thompson has more wins than any
driver currently on the grid, his 33 victories to date putting
him fifth in the championship's all-time winners' chart.
And the Yorkshireman will arrive at Snetterton, in Norfolk,
having also just taken the lead of the World Touring Car Championship
for SEAT's international squad after the latest rounds in
Mexico.
Although his WTCC commitments this year take priority over
his BTCC campaign - he's only contesting six of the UK series'
ten fixtures - his desire to win in front of his home crowds
is as great as ever.
Harrogate-based Thompson, aged 32, said: "In the four
meetings I've been paired with Jason we've always won or been
very close to winning.
"I see no reason why we can't have a strong weekend
at Snetterton and go away with a couple of victories."
Thompson's priority is to help score SEAT the points it needs
to win this year's Manufacturers' title - currently it leads
arch rival Vauxhall, although the British make closed up in
the most recent rounds at Donington Park.
But Thompson believes that SEAT can reassert its authority
this weekend, even if its Leon model might not be a match
for Vauxhall's Astra Sport Hatch along Snetterton's long straights.
He added: "That might be the case, but I see no reason
to be pessimistic. Jason and I work very well together as
the results show.
"Of course it will be tough. It always is in the BTCC
and just because I'm first in the WTCC doesn't mean I'm going
to rock up and blitz everyone. There are some excellent drivers,
teams and cars on the grid and the BTCC has a fantastic set
of rules that throw the racing wide open.
"The rules make it very hard for any one person to dominate
and are one of the reasons why the BTCC appeals so much to
the public.
"I think Snetterton is going to see three very exciting
races - it's always close there and the sight of the cars
slipstreaming and drawing alongside one another down the straights
will make for great entertainment for the crowds."
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