NEWS: Airwaves Racing Set For Speedy Snetts BTCC Bash
Our pals at Airwaves Racing are all set for the return of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) as the second half of the season gets underway at Norfolk’s speedy Snetterton circuit this coming weekend (August 2/3).
It’s been a long five week break in the racing with the championship taking its annual mid-season summer hiatus, and the Motorbase-run squad is fired up and ready for battle as it looks to keep its championship challenge alive. The team says: "Although things have been quiet in the BTCC, away from the track, we've been keeping busy during the break with intense development work taking place on the Ford Focus ST’s at our Kent workshops.
"Last time out at Croft produced a mixed bag of results for the team. Mat Jackson enjoyed a successful weekend with a top three and two top ten results that saw him move up in the driver standings, whilst his Airwaves team-mate Fabrizio Giovanardi found himself at the rough end of the on-track action and the Italian was cruelly taken out of the lead during the weekend’s final race."
The Airwaves Racing squad has had a busy time in the BTCC break, with the Motorbase Performance GT squad doing two overseas visits to Belgium’s iconic Spa Francorchamps circuit where the squad celebrated a fantastic double podium in the British GT Championship before contesting its first 24 hour race in the Blancpain GT endurance series last weekend.
"Last time out at Croft produced a mixed bag of results for the team. Mat Jackson enjoyed a successful weekend with a top three and two top ten results that saw him move up in the driver standings, whilst his Airwaves team-mate Fabrizio Giovanardi found himself at the rough end of the on-track action and the Italian was cruelly taken out of the lead during the weekend’s final race."
The Airwaves Racing squad has had a busy time in the BTCC break, with the Motorbase Performance GT squad doing two overseas visits to Belgium’s iconic Spa Francorchamps circuit where the squad celebrated a fantastic double podium in the British GT Championship before contesting its first 24 hour race in the Blancpain GT endurance series last weekend.
But it's a return to BTCC this weekend – where Road Magazine will be joining them in the run up to this Sunday's racing at Snetterton.
The team say: "Snetterton has been a good circuit for us in the past with an array of race wins and podiums in recent years. Both Mat and Fabrizio have taken multiple wins at the circuit during their BTCC careers, however this weekend will be Fabrizio’s first time racing on the new 300 layout and the double BTCC champion is hoping for a change of luck this weekend and a return to winning ways in the Focus ST.
"Sunday’s second race marks Mat Jackson’s 250th appearance in the BTCC and the squad is optimistic that its hard work will be rewarded with a return to rostrum for the Airwaves man as he commemorates this impressive milestone. The circuit has a special place in the team’s history with this weekend also marking the 2nd anniversary of the unveiling of the first Motorbase designed and built touring car and the Ford Focus next generation touring car’s debut in the BTCC."
Jack Clarke joins his Airwaves Racing team-mates on track and is back in action in his eye-catching Crabbie’s Racing Ford Focus ST. The BTCC rookie enjoyed his best result to date at Croft last time out and the 26 year-old former F2 racer is looking to capitalise on this performance and bag another strong points’ finish.
The weekend’s racing gets underway at Snetterton circuit on August 2/3. Live coverage of Sunday's events will be shown on ITV4, itv.com and also in HD from 11.00am, with itv.com featuring live streaming online of Saturday’s qualifying session between 3.15 and 3.50pm.
Airwaves Racing Team Manager Oly Collins said: "It’s good to get back to the BTCC racing after our summer break. Motorbase have however been kept very busy during the break and the BTCC squad have been working with the GT squad to help them prepare for the two races at Spa.
"We have a great team at Motorbase who been busy preparing for the second half of the season, and we have one aim for the second half and that is wins. We've come close this year. We've had some good podiums and great reliability but we want to be on the top step again. Last year at Snetterton was probably our best weekend for results, but everyone has moved on since then. The first half has shown just how competitive it is this year and there is plenty to play for with half the season remaining. Hopefully we can qualify well and continue with the good race pace the Focus ST has had this year."
Airwaves Racing driver Fabrizio Giovanardi said: "Unfortunately it’s not been much of a break for me away from the racing. In Italy the summer time will start in August when I will be back in England racing again! I have good memories from Snetterton, with lots of wins there. I remember a good battle in 2009 between me, Jackson and Plato, where in the end Matt Neal won –you never know how the racing will end!
"For me, this weekend will be a big test. This is the first time I have driven on the new layout and I have a lot of work to do with my penalty from Croft meaning that I start at the back of the grid. I feel that the Focus will show a good performance here, and my aim is always the same – to win a race!"
Airwaves Racing driver Mat Jackson said: "I’m really looking forward to getting back out there after the summer break. Hopefully the car is on the button from the word go in FP1. I think that the Snetterton layout will suit the Focus and we can keep ourselves in the race for the championship.
"We’ve had some great results here in the past; the Focus made its debut here in 2012 which was the first time that Motorbase became a constructor and it was fantastic to be part of that. Hopefully we can add to those successes on Sunday. Points, points and more points is the plan for this weekend. We need to be consistently at the front in order to keep the championship in sight and that is what I will be pushing for as the second half of the season commences."
Crabbie’s Racing driver Jack Clarke added: "I have a lot of experience from Snetterton, and have had a number of wins and podiums here but this weekend will be my first time racing on the new layout. It’s obviously hard for me to make a prediction, but my experience in testing ran smoothly and I felt we were competitive in the changing conditions.
"I feel Croft was a breakthrough for me with regards to my race performance and I am feeling very confident ahead of this weekend. I’m aiming for a top 15 in qualifying if we can work the tyres harder, and then my next milestone is the top 10. If I could achieve that at Snetterton, I would be over the moon!"
"Sunday’s second race marks Mat Jackson’s 250th appearance in the BTCC and the squad is optimistic that its hard work will be rewarded with a return to rostrum for the Airwaves man as he commemorates this impressive milestone. The circuit has a special place in the team’s history with this weekend also marking the 2nd anniversary of the unveiling of the first Motorbase designed and built touring car and the Ford Focus next generation touring car’s debut in the BTCC."
Jack Clarke joins his Airwaves Racing team-mates on track and is back in action in his eye-catching Crabbie’s Racing Ford Focus ST. The BTCC rookie enjoyed his best result to date at Croft last time out and the 26 year-old former F2 racer is looking to capitalise on this performance and bag another strong points’ finish.
The weekend’s racing gets underway at Snetterton circuit on August 2/3. Live coverage of Sunday's events will be shown on ITV4, itv.com and also in HD from 11.00am, with itv.com featuring live streaming online of Saturday’s qualifying session between 3.15 and 3.50pm.
Airwaves Racing Team Manager Oly Collins said: "It’s good to get back to the BTCC racing after our summer break. Motorbase have however been kept very busy during the break and the BTCC squad have been working with the GT squad to help them prepare for the two races at Spa.
"We have a great team at Motorbase who been busy preparing for the second half of the season, and we have one aim for the second half and that is wins. We've come close this year. We've had some good podiums and great reliability but we want to be on the top step again. Last year at Snetterton was probably our best weekend for results, but everyone has moved on since then. The first half has shown just how competitive it is this year and there is plenty to play for with half the season remaining. Hopefully we can qualify well and continue with the good race pace the Focus ST has had this year."
Airwaves Racing driver Fabrizio Giovanardi said: "Unfortunately it’s not been much of a break for me away from the racing. In Italy the summer time will start in August when I will be back in England racing again! I have good memories from Snetterton, with lots of wins there. I remember a good battle in 2009 between me, Jackson and Plato, where in the end Matt Neal won –you never know how the racing will end!
"For me, this weekend will be a big test. This is the first time I have driven on the new layout and I have a lot of work to do with my penalty from Croft meaning that I start at the back of the grid. I feel that the Focus will show a good performance here, and my aim is always the same – to win a race!"
Airwaves Racing driver Mat Jackson said: "I’m really looking forward to getting back out there after the summer break. Hopefully the car is on the button from the word go in FP1. I think that the Snetterton layout will suit the Focus and we can keep ourselves in the race for the championship.
"We’ve had some great results here in the past; the Focus made its debut here in 2012 which was the first time that Motorbase became a constructor and it was fantastic to be part of that. Hopefully we can add to those successes on Sunday. Points, points and more points is the plan for this weekend. We need to be consistently at the front in order to keep the championship in sight and that is what I will be pushing for as the second half of the season commences."
Crabbie’s Racing driver Jack Clarke added: "I have a lot of experience from Snetterton, and have had a number of wins and podiums here but this weekend will be my first time racing on the new layout. It’s obviously hard for me to make a prediction, but my experience in testing ran smoothly and I felt we were competitive in the changing conditions.
"I feel Croft was a breakthrough for me with regards to my race performance and I am feeling very confident ahead of this weekend. I’m aiming for a top 15 in qualifying if we can work the tyres harder, and then my next milestone is the top 10. If I could achieve that at Snetterton, I would be over the moon!"
We look forward to meeting up with the team at speedy Snetts this weekend, and wish them well for a cracking weekend's door-to-door racing.
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