Maiden BTCC win MacDowalls aim at Donington
Alex MacDowall has nothing less than race victory in his sights when the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship resumes at Donington Park next weekend, 18th/19th September – the penultimate event of the 2010 season.
During last weekend’s race meeting at Knockhill in Scotland, the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) Rising Star delivered a supreme performance in qualifying by setting a brand new benchmark time for the Fife track to secure his second pole position of the year.
He went on to take the second podium of his debut season in touring cars with an excellent drive to the runner-up spot, behind experienced Knockhill local Gordon Shedden, but for the return of the BTCC to Donington just over a week from now Carlisle-based Alex wants nothing other than victory.
“It was great to be on pole position again at Knockhill but second isn’t what I want, I want to win”, said the Carlisle driver, “We’re on a real high now and I think my car is doing everything I want it to do. I’ve gone well at Donington in the past, finishing on the podium, but the top step is my goal this time for my first visit there in a touring car.”
Driving as team-mate to current championship leader Jason Plato in the Silverline Chevrolet squad, Alex has endured more than his fair share of misfortune over the course of the season – a driveshaft failure while leading at Oulton Park and a broken gear lever yards from the grid at Snetterton while on pole position are just two of the problems he’s encountered.
Equally though Alex has proven his undoubted speed and potential as a BTCC front-runner at the wheel of his RML-engineered Chevrolet Cruze, a car which the fast, flowing nature of the famous Donington Park National Circuit should suit well.
He added: “We should certainly have the most capable car at Donington, the Silverline Chevrolet Cruze thrives on fast flowing corners. It’s getting close to the end of the season so I will be treating every race like it’s my last one. My aim by the end of the season is to end up in the championship top 10, I’m currently four points off 10th place so we’ve got a great chance.”
Following the usual pair of free practice sessions on Saturday, 18th September, qualifying for the BTCC is currently timetabled to get underway at 15.25. All three Donington Park races will take place on Sunday, 19th September, at 12.05, 14.25 and 17.05 respectively and will be screened live on cable, digital satellite and Freeview channel ITV4.
2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship driver standings:
1st Jason Plato, 202pts; 11th Alex MacDowall, 67pts