Sam Tordoff delighted with maiden podium finish
Sam Tordoff said three top-five finishes and a maiden podium at Brands Hatch was a “fantastic” reward for his first weekend with the Triple Eight MG team.
The 23-year-old is competing in his first full season in the British Touring Car Championship, after a single outing for Triple Eight at the end of 2010.
And he was rewarded with fourth, fifth and third places in the three races, after quickly establishing himself among the championship’s biggest names.
Speaking to TouringCarTimes, Tordoff said: “It is more than what we could have hoped for. I would have settled for three top 10s coming into this weekend, but to have three top-fives is fantastic really.
“It just goes to show the car is capable, and I am getting more and more comfortable every time I drive it.”
On racing against the top drivers, Tordoff added: “It is nice to be able to prove to yourself that you can compete with them. I believe in my ability, but when you actually go out there and do it on the track in front of everyone, that is very satisfying.”
Tordoff’s podium came after a entertaining battle with Adam Morgan in his Cicely Racing Toyota Avensis, which saw reigning champion Gordon Shedden slip past the pair after Tordoff had passed Morgan at Clearways.
Tordoff said: “Maybe I was a bit too robust with Adam. We had a bit of a tangle and that slowed me down. Gordon nipped past the pair of us, which was a little bit of a shame, because I thought if I got past Adam cleanly I could have maybe latched onto the back of Matt [Neal]. But I will take third.”
The series now heads to Donington Park, and Tordoff will travel there in confident mood, following his and team-mate Jason Plato’s strong showing at Brands Hatch.
He said: “I think a circuit like Brands is more of a Honda circuit than MG, and we won two races. So that just goes to show how strong MG is.
“When we get to Donington, which is a bit more suited to us, I think we should be right up there. I have got to aim for the minimum of a podium now.”
