News 2012: Dominant Redstone Racing ready for Thruxton thrills
April 23rd
After a dominant display at Donington Park, Kent's Redstone Racing turns its attention to the next round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) at Thruxton, Hampshire, on 28/29th April 2012.
The Wrotham-based squad is keen to keep its nose clean and focus on consistency and points scores following Donington Park, where the Ford Focus ST outshone its competitors all weekend.
It was a rollercoaster ride in the East Midlands for Redstone Racing, however, as Mat Jackson's two victories on the road were bittersweet as he was excluded from race three due to a technical infringement. Liam Griffin's weekend proved torrid after he was involved in multiple incidents, while on-track clashes also affected Aron Smith's progress. Despite some setbacks, though, Redstone Racing departed Donington in a confident mood for the championship battle ahead.
Thruxton's fast-flowing circuit is well established as one of the most challenging venues on the BTCC calendar, and this season will offer an even greater unknown with new NGTC specification cars taking on Redstone Racing's S2000-spec Ford Focus STs.
Although the wider tyres of the NGTC machinery is expected to fare better on the demanding 2.36-mile track, Redstone Racing has the advantage of arriving at Thruxton with knowledge of the car and mileage from last season under its belt.
Redstone Racing Team Manager Oly Collins said:
"Thruxton will be an interesting weekend because balance of performance between different cars will come into play. We anticipate if the weather's fine then the NGTC cars will have an advantage in race trim due to their wider tyres, plus despite Donington Park's exclusion we are still carrying second place ballast on Mat's car. For us, Thruxton will most likely be a consolidation round in which we aim to grab as many points as possible. We may also pray for a spot of rain!"
Redstone Racing driver Mat Jackson said:
"Last time out we had big highs and lows, and it was a shame to leave on a disappointing note after being excluded from race three. At Thruxton it will be interesting to see how the NGTC cars perform with different tyres to us. It's a track that always throws a few surprises so we'll see what happens!"
Redstone Racing driver Aron Smith said:
"I had two pole positions and two wins in the Clio Cup at Thruxton last year, so the circuit holds a lot of good memories for me. After some frustrations at Donington Park, I'm hoping we can really fly at Thruxton and gain some results that reflect the true pace of the Ford Focus ST."
Redstone Racing driver Liam Griffin said:
"Donington Park was a bit of a lost cause, but we're ready to make amends at Thruxton. It's going to be a challenge; it is a fast track and I've had limited testing there, so I don't know it as well as some of the other circuits. However I just want to race cleanly and get to the finish line in a position reflective of my capabilities."
