Airwaves Racing eyes the prize at Rockingham‏ BTCC

Airwaves Racing has its eye firmly on the prize as the Motorbase-run outfit looks to close in on the Independents championship title when the 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) arrives at Northampton’s Rockingham Speedway this coming weekend (September 6/7).

The Kent-based squad heads to the oval circuit in confident mood straight off the back of the squad’s first race win of 2014 at the picturesque Knockhill circuit over the August bank holiday weekend. Having arrived at the Fife circuit on the crest of a wave after a successful weekend at Snetterton earlier in the month; Airwaves Racing further stamped its mark on the championship with Mat Jackson claiming his maiden win of the season in 'The Gary B' Mountune-powered Ford Focus ST.

Consistency has been the key so far, with points scored in all but one race to date and this performance leaves the team in a strong fighting position for the Independents’ titles; with both Mat Jackson and Airwaves Racing currently residing in second place positions in the championship standings. With only nine races remaining, the Airwaves line up is resolute in building on that recent momentum as it targets more wins and podiums to close the gap on the leaders as the BTCC enters its final stages.

Knockhill also delivered a best result to date for the Motorbase-run Crabbie’s Racing team with Jack Clarke securing two points in the last two races of the day. The BTCC rookie's hard work and tenacity during the first half of the season was justly rewarded with a P13 and P14 and the former F2 driver enjoyed some outstanding racing in the #44 Crabbie's backed Focus ST. Jack and the Crabbie’s crew now look forward to building on these results with the aim of breaking into the highly competitive top ten as the racing resumes.

Round 8 of the 2013 season takes place at Rockingham Speedway circuit on September 6/7. Live coverage of Sunday's events will be shown on ITV4, itv.com and also in HD from 10.45am – 6pm; with itv.com featuring live streaming online of Saturday's qualifying session between 3.35 and 4.10pm.

Team Manager Oly Collins said: “We’re looking forward to Rockingham as always. Knockhill was a great weekend for Airwaves Racing getting the win in race 2. It was a great boost for everyone in the team and we're hungry for more wins before the season is out.

“We were strong at Rockingham last year in the wet but equally comfortable with our dry weather pace this season. We're 2nd in the Independents Championship both in teams and drivers, and Mat's not in a bad place in the overall Championship. All we can do is keep getting the results and see what happens with our rivals.”

Airwaves Racing driver Mat Jackson said: “We’re fired up off the back of our win at Knockhill and looking forward to getting back out there again this weekend. We’ve had some great results this season, just consistently bagging the points and that has left us in a great place to challenge for the Independents’ titles as the championship heads into the closing stages.

“It’s all down to sheer determination and hard work, the Airwaves boys have done a mega job and the car’s been faultless all year. The fast corners at Rockingham should suit the Focus chassis well and I fully expect us to be at the front challenging for podiums and more wins.”Airwaves Racing driver Fabrizio Giovanardi said: “Knockhill was a tough weekend for me, particularly in the last race. But to take the positives from there, we had good pace in the car and showed this in race 2 when I made up the places. I hope to get a good qualifying result at Rockingham this weekend and to find a little more luck! If we can start in the first two lines then that is 80% of the job done for the weekend and we can build from there.

“I’ve had some good wins at Rockingham in the past and I know that the Focus can be fast here so hopefully I can get some good results for the team and help Airwaves to close in on the teams’ championship.”

Crabbie’s Racing driver Jack Clarke said:“Knockhill marked an improvement and we are going in the right direction. We didn’t luck in to too many positions and our pace on the soft tyre was very competitive and encouraging. It was a positive and enjoyable weekend and to be racing literally right in the middle of the pack is great fun.“I have never been to Rockingham before but the tracks I am unfamiliar with this year have not proved to be too much of a disadvantage in regards to pace or performance. I plan to make that little next step towards the cusp of the top ten and the shuffle for race three and there is no reason why we can’t achieve that goal next time out at Rockingham.” Event Information:Rockingham Motor Speedway, Mitchell Road, Corby, Northamptonshire, NN17 5AF Circuit length: 1.94 milesLaps: 16Race distance: 31.04 mileswww.rockingham.co.uk


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