Poorly Mat Jackson battles to fifth

Sat 13th June 2009 Warwickshire motorsport star Mat Jackson battled a bout of food poisoning to set the fifth fastest time during qualifying for the first of tomorrow’s [Sunday’s] three HiQ British Touring Car Championship races at Croft circuit, near Darlington.

The Racing Silverline driver was quick out of the box at the North East track, setting his time of 1min26.400sec on the first flying lap in his RML-run Chevrolet Lacetti. The 28-year-old, who celebrated his birthday three days ago, had been set for a second-row slot but was pipped to fourth by a tiny margin of just 0.013sec. His third-row position is a great start for race one, however, and the Henley-In-Arden driver intends to make the most of it.

“Obviously it would have been nice to take the top slot, but given how green I’m feeling I’m happy with fifth,” he said. “It shows how important it is to set a good time early on in the half-hour session. I actually know I could have bettered it, but I was blocked by slower drivers on my last flying lap.”

Mat has pedigree around the complex circuit, having claimed his first saloon car victory here back in 2000 in the Renault Clio Cup. Furthermore, during the last BTCC round at Oulton Park he set the fastest lap of the entire meeting, proving that he knows how to wring the maximum from the Lacetti, in which he has taken one victory with so far this season.

“After the technical dramas I had at Oulton Park stopped me taking a couple of possible podiums, I said I was hoping to find a four leaf clover... instead all I found was a dodgy curry!” joked Mat. “In all seriousness though, I know Racing Silverline is going to go well here tomorrow and I can’t wait to show the fans what I’m made of. The BMWs are going to be fast off the line, so we’ll be trying to outsmart them come Sunday afternoon.”