The SEAT Sport UK team is in high spirits as it heads to the penultimate race meeting of the 2005 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone on 17-18 September. The Drivers’ Championship may be out of reach but Jason Plato, Luke Hines and James Pickford are relentless in their determination to take as many points as possible on Rounds 25, 26, and 27 of the series - as while tensions may be running high for the Championship contenders in the closing crucial stages of the series, SEAT Sport UK has nothing to lose and will be going for glory to make sure it ends the 2005 season on a high.

Silverstone is one of the most renowned circuit in the UK and probably the circuit that all Touring Car drivers know better than most. This year’s race meeting, however, holds a few unknowns for some of the field as the BTCC will be using the 1.639 mile National Circuit instead of the more commonly used International or Grand Prix Circuits for the first time in 10 years.

Last year Jason had two podium finishes at Silverstone and is hopeful of more of the same this year, believing that the National circuit will open up the competition allowing for some really close racing.

Jason said: “It’s been a long time since I raced on the Silverstone National Circuit. It was probably back in the early nineties in Formula 3 - it’s certainly been a good while. I think the circuit should suit the Toledo Cupra and we should go well there. On the shorter track the racing will be very close and it will be very exciting, that’s for sure. There is only one aim in my mind at Silverstone and that’s to go as hard as we can and try to win. The Drivers’ Championship is long gone and now I want to win races. It will be maximum attack. Nothing else matters and we have nothing to lose.”

James has a stunning record on the National Circuit; one that even he admits would take some beating. Refreshed from his three week break he’s really looking forward to Silverstone especially now that his SEAT Toldeo Cupra is back to full health after his accident in free practice at Knockhill.

James said: “I raced on the National Circuit a couple of times before in Formula Honda and I won every race I competed in on that circuit. That’s going to be a pretty hard record to beat really but I think the National Circuit will suit our car really well. It’s more like a European circuit as it’s wide with flowing corners and I’d say it’s a bit like a smaller version of Snetterton. At Knockhill my weekend was effectively over after my accident in free practice, since then I’ve spent a lot of time with the team and the car’s one hundred percent again so I’m quietly confident for Silverstone and hopefully we’ll have some good results there.”

A successful weekend’s racing at Knockhill really boosted Luke Hines’ confidence and this coupled with a week’s holiday in Southern Spain relaxing and playing golf everyday means that he’s definitely firing on all cylinders as heads to Silverstone.

Luke said: “I’m really looking forward to Silverstone for all sorts of reasons. I had a better weekend at Knockhill and my confidence is quite high. We tested on the International Circuit at Silverstone earlier in the year and the Toledo Cupra seems to work well around there, so it should be just as good on the shorter National Circuit. I also like Silverstone a lot and I’ve had some good races there. I won both BTCC Production Class races there by miles in 2003 and last year I was just as quick as Yvan Muller there in the same car. I hope it’s wet again like it was at Knockhill because I love racing in the wet and I think we could do really well.”

The BTCC race weekend gets underway at Silverstone with two 40 minute free practice sessions on Saturday 17th September, starting at 10.05 and 12.05, followed by a 30 minute qualifying session starting at 15.30. Rounds 25, 26 and 27 of the BTCC takes place on Sunday 18th September, with three 22 lap races starting at 10.20, 13.00 and 15.55.