|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
TURNER RETURNS AT KNOCKHILL AND EYES BTCC FUTURE
Darren Turner will compete in two out of the three remaining Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race meetings this year, returning to his SEAT Sport UK Leon at Knockhill (September 3rd) and Brands Hatch (September 24th). Not only is the 32-year old former McLaren Formula 1 test driver enjoying racing in the BTCC this year, it’s a title Darren would like to win in 2007.
“I’d like to do the full British Touring Car Championship next year and I’m not hiding the fact that I’m trying to make it happen,” says Darren. “All I can do at the moment is a good job for SEAT Sport UK out on the circuit and then hopefully the opportunity will come. It’s out of my hands, but if there was an opportunity to stay here next year then that would be fantastic for me.”
Super-subbing for James Thompson when the Yorkshireman is away on clashing FIA World Touring Car Championship race weekends, it’s not been easy for Darren to acclimatise to the Leon or the BTCC, as he dovetails his touring car programme with his other racing commitments – most notably with Aston Martin in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and at Le Mans. Yet with help from his SEAT Sport UK team-mate Jason Plato, the 2001 British Touring Car Champion, Darren has already shown great BTCC potential in the two race meetings he’s driven in so far.
The Banbury-based driver finished on the podium on his BTCC debut at Thruxton on June 4th, and followed that 3rd place finish up with 5th in the next race. Only an accident whilst challenging for the lead in the third and final race denied Darren a possible maiden BTCC victory. At his only other race meeting at Donington Park on July 30th, a disappointing qualifying session put the entire team on the back foot, but Darren still managed to finish all three races and score SEAT Sport UK’s best result of the day – a 4th in the third and final race.
Darren, a former McLaren/Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award Winner, will now contest his first back-to-back BTCC race weekends at Knockhill and Brands Hatch and believes those six uninterrupted races will allow him to really get tuned into the Leon and allow him to score more valuable manufacturer points for SEAT – who lead the BTCC by 99 points.
“The main priorities at Knockhill will be to have a really strong qualifying session and get some good starts, because getting off the line is probably my weakest link at the moment,” admits Darren. “Every time I do a start I lose two places. I haven’t done standing starts for such a long time and as front-wheel drive is new to me as well I’m not completely in tune with the wheel spin element of getting the right amount off the line. It’s been either too much wheel spin or not enough revs, and I hope to be able to practice some standing starts before the next race weekend.
“I’ve had two days testing and two race days, so I’m pleased that I’m always near Jason Plato’s pace. I was just behind Jason in qualifying at Thruxton and came away with a podium on race day, so I was pleased with that. Donington was disappointing for everyone because we qualified so far down on the grid, but there again Jason and I were very close – although admittedly my car was carrying nine kilos less ballast. The BTCC is not what I’m doing all year so it’s not as if I’m used to the car yet. I’m just turning up and doing a race and it could be weeks and weeks until I drive the Leon again, so I’m always pleased that it doesn’t take me too long to get back into the swing of it. I’m definitely not maximising everything at the moment, because it’s all still quite new to me, but hopefully the four race meetings I’m doing this year will give me a good foundation for next year.”
|
| |
|
