'HOME TOWN HERO' PLATO MISSING NEWCASTLE NIGHTLIFE
Jason Plato has said even a mid-week tipple in his beloved
Newcastle will be out of the question before he races at Croft
on Sunday 3 June because he’s so focused on winning
this year’s Dunlop British Touring Car title.
Plato, raised in Newcastle, currently leads the BTCC standings
and is hoping a win in front of his home crowd at Croft will
help him on to title glory.
He admits that in the past he’s often met up with old
pals in Newcastle city centre for a swift pint, but this year
he’s staying strictly tea-total.
The 39-year-old told BTCC.net: “The night life in Newcastle
is phenomenal and maybe if I was staying in town on the Wednesday
night I’d meet up with a few pals for a quick jar.
“These days though I keep my mind completely clear,
even if the race weekend doesn’t start until three days
later. Sadly, I’m not in my early 20s any more and you
start finding that the effects can last with you for more
than a day. Maybe on the Sunday night if we’ve had a
win or two, but not in the week…”
SEAT ace Plato lies second equal on the championship’s
all-time winners’ chart with 36 career wins –
four of those have come at Croft and he dearly wants to spray
more victory champagne at his home track.
Plato added: “I’m very passionate about the North-East
and miss it dearly. I love racing at Croft. It’s a great
track, the people are fantastic. We get a tremendous welcome
whenever we go back up there.
“They’re a different lot up north. They don’t
get their fair share of motor sport so when there is a big
meeting they all turn out and have a fantastic day. It’s
always one of the events I look forward to the most on the
calendar.”
The timetable includes ten races in total: the latest three
BTCC rounds plus another seven races from the supporting BMW,
Porsche, Renault and SEAT championships.
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