Sam Tordoff: “No reason why I can’t beat Plato”

A bullish Sam Tordoff is heading into his second season in the BTCC in confident mood – and says there is “no reason” why he can’t beat his vastly experienced team-mate Jason Plato.

Tordoff was confirmed for a second year in the Triple Eight team last week, after successfully re-applying for a place on the KX Akademy driver mentoring scheme.

And after taking one win and five other podium finishes in his maiden season, the 24-year-old from Leeds is confident of going on to even greater heights in 2014.

Speaking to TouringCarTimes at the Autosport International Show, Tordoff said: “We had the speed in 2013, there was no doubt about that. What we lacked was consistency. Things went wrong, both from a team and a car perspective, and me making the wrong decisions.

“We can all improve, there is no doubt about that. If I can just improve my consistency we should find ourselves much closer to the championship fight.

“We have a new third car this year, as Marc Hynes has come on board. Not only is he very good, he also brings some more revenue to the team, so we can go out and develop the car more. The car will definitely be better from the first round this year.”

Looking ahead to the new season, Tordoff added: “I learnt a lot in 2013, but when I look back, half the circuits we went to I had never been there in a touring car before. A year down the line, I immediately arrive at the circuits in a much better position.

“I’m excited. I think it will be great, and with the improvements we are going to make with the car, and the improvements I feel I have made in myself, I think we should be very close to the front.

“The first thing you have got to do is beat your team-mate, and it’s not easy to do when it’s Jason Plato. At the same time, he brings a lot to me in experience.

“We are an open book at Triple Eight, so all the data is shared. If he is quicker than me, I can immediately see where and how.

“There are no excuses really – I have all the tools at my disposal, and there’s no reason why I can’t beat him.”

Tordoff has already had to work hard to help secure his seat for 2014, by re-applying for support from the KX Akademy scheme.

He said: “We are all on the KX Akademy for one year only, and at the end of the year we are all released, and have to reapply.

“I had to go through the full application process again, and I am thrilled to be back on. In many respects it is harder the second time, because you have to think of new things to write on your application form.

“It makes perfect sense being in the MG team. I want to give back a bit of what they have given me. I want to use that now to build a career in the BTCC, because that’s where I want to be.”