Next up is Thruxton on 6 May, and that’s a track I think will suit the
BMW very well. The car is very stable and very good through the high-speed stuff. Rockingham didn’t really play to its strengths, with quite a lot of mid-speed corners and a tight and twisty infield which is where the SEATs excelled.
I think we’ve turned a few people’s heads in the opening rounds and made them realise we can spring a surprise or two, so hopefully we have earned a bit of respect from the big boys. I’m now fifth in the drivers’ standings, just six points behind
Matt Neal in fourth, and he’s the reigning champion.
The aim now is to keep getting on the podium, and I think race wins are definitely possible too. We are reasonably close, and I’m pretty confident we can get a win in the very near future. We may have done it at
Brands Hatch but I put it in the wrong gear, which killed us for race two. It was a similar thing at Rockingham; what happened in race one really cost us in the second one.
Ultimately, finishing in the top three overall in the championship would be very nice, but there is an awful lot of strong competition out there. The Vauxhall has proven to be quick, and SEAT obviously have a great package. The two RAC cars were quicker than us at Rockingham too, and have out-qualified us both times so far.
At the end of the day, though, the BMW is a fantastic bit of kit; it truly is amazing to drive. I also think there’s still some more to come from me in the car. It’s quite a step forward and a big learning curve, and you never stop learning.
I’ll keep you posted about how I get on at
Thruxton.
Speak soon,
Mat
To keep up-to-date on Mat's season and latest news, visit: http://www.matjackson.com
