|
Stockton Eager To Put On A Show At Track Where It All Started |
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, 19 June 2007 |
Chris Stockton believes he can produce his best results of the season so far when the Dunlop MSA British Touring car Championship races at his local circuit of Oulton Park in Cheshire on 24 June.
Stockton, from nearby Malpas, competes in a fully race-tuned Lexus for his own BTC Racing team. The 38-year-old, formerly a top-level National Hunt jockey and married to British three-day event team member Polly Stockton, is chomping at the bit to show what he can do in his home event.
He said: “Oulton is where I learnt how to drive racing cars and where I
had my first win. And I have to say that if you’re going to learn then
Oulton is a great place to do it because it has everything: fast and
narrow sections, blind brows, off-camber corners, trees and shadows
that can mean it’s still damp in places first thing in the morning.
It’s a massive challenge – a real driver’s circuit.
“Nothing against the crowds, but I wouldn’t mind a bit of drizzle on
race day. The rain can be a great leveller and at the moment we’re not
quite on the pace of the very top teams. But I always enjoy driving in
the rain and a wet track would enable us to get in among the big
hitters.”
Stockton is eager to build on the breakthrough points finish he
achieved in the most recent rounds, when he took a tenth-place finish
at Croft. He crossed the line to a huge cheer from his crew on the pit
wall.
He said: “Tenth place at Croft last time out was great for everyone in
the team and I could have been sixth had a certain driver in an orange
BMW not helped me off the track. We have put everything into our team
and have come on so much since we first took the step up into the BTCC
at the end of last season. To score a point at this level for a team
the size of ours is a big deal and we’re getting stronger all the time.
“At Oulton we should take another step forward in performance with the
car – we will be switching to a new brake pad supplier which should
gain us up to ten metres in some corners. That brings us closer to the
pack at the front and that’s when you can start to gauge any
deficiencies.”
For obvious reasons, Stockton wants to do well at his home circuit. He
will arrive there fresh from a visit to Germany to watch Polly compete
in an international event and she will be at Oulton to cheer him on.
Stockton added: “We’re really proud to be going to our local circuit
with our team competing in the BTCC – it’s the pinnacle of British
motor sport and one of the best-known series anywhere in the world.
“We’ll have almost a hundred corporate guests from the region coming to
this one. It’s going to be busier for me, that’s for sure, although my
main role as ever will be concentrating on my driving and working with
the engineers, going through the telemetry to improve the car. Saying
all that, there’s nothing like a bit of local track knowledge to help
you on your way…”
Ticket & Timetable Information
The track action at Oulton on 24 June begins at midday with the first
of three BTCC rounds. However, the public is advised to get there early
for the popular Pit Lane Walkabout session when the crowds are invited
into the pit lane to meet the drivers for autographs and giveaways. In
addition there will be another six races on the Sunday bill, featuring
the supporting BMW, Porsche, SEAT and Renault championships.
Race day adult ticket prices are still just £21 if purchased online at
http://www.oultonpark.co.uk/ or £22 if bought by calling 0870 950 9000
before midday on Tuesday 19 June. Admission for children aged 12 and
under is FREE, making this a great day of entertainment for the family.
For more information about the BTCC, including latest news and photos,
visit the championship’s official website http://www.btcc.net/.
|
