SEAT confirms Turner

Darren Turner will be Jason Plato’s team-mate in SEAT Sport UK’s 2007 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship line-up, the team confirmed this morning.

Turner won the full-time position with the reigning Manufacturer champion’s squad after impressing for it in six of last year’s ten meetings. Although he was new to the BTCC, the 32-year-old from Banbury was able to use his considerable experience, ranging from Formula 1 to international sports cars, to good use and was quickly on the front-running pace. On his BTCC debut he finished third on the podium at Thruxton.

On being ‘unveiled’ as Plato’s team-mate for 2007, Turner said that a permanent slot in SEAT’s line-up will boost his chances of challenging for race wins in Britain’s premier motor racing championship.

Turner said: “Racing with SEAT Sport UK in the 2007 BTCC is a great opportunity for me career-wise and I’m really looking forward to the season ahead. Last year was my first experience of touring car racing in Britain and, although I enjoyed it, it was difficult to only do half the season and come in and out of the series. I was forever playing catch-up and with just two 40-minute free practice sessions before qualifying, you really haven’t got time to learn to drive a car during a BTCC race weekend. Now I’ve got some pre-season testing to look forward to and a full crack at the championship.”

SEAT’s Leon model, that Turner and Plato will race, last year won 11 times. The car is already built to the new FIA Super 2000 technical regulations that the BTCC is adopting in 2007 and that could give SEAT an advantage while its rivals adapt to the new type of cars.

Turner added: “With Jason driving the other Leon, the experience the team has after a full season running the new Leon in the UK and a level playing field with all the cars now S2000 specification, I think we have a great chance to retain the Manufacturers’ title for SEAT. That will be the main aim, but we’ll be trying to add the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles as well. That’s easier said than done, but winning all three titles is what we’d like to do.”

Source: www.btcc.net