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Jeff Smith set for double duty on Donington weekend

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Eurotech Racing’s Jeff Smith is set for a busy Easter weekend after confirming plans to compete in the opening rounds of the new MINI Challenge season alongside his outing in the second meeting of the BTCC at Donington Park.

Smith will head for Donington keen to bounce back from a tough race day at Brands Hatch, where a mechanical problem in race one of the weekend prevented him from building on a maiden pole position in the wet qualifying session that took place on the Saturday afternoon.

As if his BTCC programme wasn’t enough however, Smith will also be competing in the MINI Challenge event at Oulton Park, where racing is due to take place on Easter Monday.

Qualifying however is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, with Smith currently planning to fly from Donington Park up to Cheshire after second free practice in order to take part in the MINI session before then returning to the East Midlands in time for BTCC qualifying.

“It is tight, but providing everything runs to the timetable and the weather stays favourable it is completely viable,” he said. “I have the alternative option, and back-up plan, of starting at the back for the first MINI Challenge JCW race on Monday, but that doesn’t give me the best grid option for round one. I go into every race I compete in to win and I have qualified the JCW on the front row of the last two rounds I’ve done, so I wasn’t keen to miss out on qualifying.

“Obviously the BTCC is the number one priority and if a situation arises at Donington that means I can’t get to Oulton and back in time for BTCC qualifying, then we will react accordingly. But a double pole on Saturday would be nice!”

Smith is set to contest the majority of the MINI Challenge season as part of a three-car Eurotech entry alongside partner Jo Polley and his son Brett.

Fellow BTCC outfit Team Dynamics is also present on the grid again in 2017, running Will and Henry Neal – the two sons of triple touring car champion Matt.