Jason Plato pleased with recovery from practice setback

Team BMR’s Jason Plato clocked up a second win of the season at Thruxton despite being left on the back foot by a practice shunt, and declared himself happy with his weekend’s work after taking a “pretty conservative” approach following the accident.

Plato hit the wall at the chicane after suffering a puncture on his Volkswagen CC at the end of the first session, and only completed a pair of installation laps in the repaired machine in the second.

Nevertheless, he took fourth in the first race from sixth on the grid, and again secured pole for the second race which he converted into a win after a race-long fight with Rob Collard. A seventh in race three leaves Plato 12 points off the series lead going into Oulton Park.

Assessing the weekend, Plato told TouringCarTimes: “To hit the fence in free practice one puts you on the back foot and makes you softer in your approach. My approach all weekend has been pretty conservative.

“While you may look back and think you could have got more out of the weekend, I think we did the right thing.

“I’ve gone it alone this weekend on setup – I’ve got a bit of a crazy way, and I think what we’ve found here will be really beneficial for Croft and possibly Knockhill.

“We came into the weekend 18 points behind and we’re now 12 behind – a good weekend.”

On his success in securing another fastest lap in race one, Plato added: “I’m pleased that two out of three races I’ve produced pole for race two – that’s a strategy. It’s the same for everybody but we seem to have got a handle on that.

“I should have had pole at Donington as well, but I’ve only got myself to blame for that.

“Let’s cast our mind back a few months to where BMR was at the end of last year, and look where they are now. It’s a different place.”

The Thruxton meeting also saw the double champion reach another landmark in his BTCC career, as his race two win was his 90th in the series.

He said: “I’m 10 short of 100. I won’t do that this year, but it’s only a number – when I get to 100 I will want more!”

Thoughts now turn to the next round at Oulton Park, which comes up after a four-week break.

“I’m really confident going to Oulton Park. History proves there’s no-one faster there than me and I think this car will be great. I’m really looking forward to it,” said Plato.

“We’ve got less ballast than the guys at the front, so pole has got to be looking good.”