Triple 8 heads to Silverstone

Signing off the Vectra at Silverstone

James Nash, Triple 8 Racing

Photo by: Pat Cranham

This weekend’s final Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) meeting of the 2011 season at Silverstone, near Towcester, Northamptonshire will be one of mixed emotion for the Triple Eight Race Engineering with Collins Contractors turbo Vauxhall team.

On the one hand the team and lead driver James Nash head the Independents standings and could, if matters go to plan leave the famous venue with their 23rd and first touring car titles respectively. Rising star Nash even has an outside chance of the overall driver’s title itself. On the other hand though, the meeting will be the final time the team races its pair of Vauxhall Vectra cars, which have been very successful over recent years.

For Milton Keynes-based Nash who enjoyed success at the Silverstone early on in his career, the journey to the circuit will be a short one, but one he is very much looking forward to as he guns for Championship glory. Once again, Nash will be joined in the Triple Eight line-up by Reigate’s Ollie Jackson who made an encouraging touring car (and front wheel drive) debut for the team at the previous round at Brands Hatch in Kent two weeks ago, just missing out on scoring a Championship point in the first race.

James Nash: ” I’m really looking forward to this weekend’s meeting. Silverstone not only is closest to where I live of all the venues we race at but it is also one of my favourites.”

“I know most eyes will be on the two Hondas and the Chevrolet at the top of the table, but in all honesty, while I might have an outside chance of the overall title myself, my own focus will be getting the job finished in the Independent’s Championship. I’m going to Silverstone to race to win as always and I will look at the points table afterwards.”

Ollie Jackson: “ I greatly enjoyed my first taste of the BTCC at Brands Hatch a fortnight ago and can’t wait to get back in the car this coming weekend. I practiced well and qualified reasonably at Brands so I know that I’ve got the pace but, touring cars are tricky beasts to get off the line and the starts killed me. I’m working on that though and I’m determined to score some points that will help the team in its Championships quest.”

Ian Harrison, Chairman Triple Eight: “ Arriving at the final round leading the independent drivers and teams, and with an excellent chance of third in the overall team’s Championship too, behind only the works Honda and Chevrolet teams is a fabulous achievement no matter how the weekend pans out. It is testament too, to the superb Vauxhall Vectra that we race for the final time and the talented engineers behind it. We’ve run the present Vectra since 2007 and during that time we’ve won three Championships with it and also maintained our record of having won at least a race every season, save our first in 1997. I think that it is still the best chassis out there. Hopefully we can send the Vectra off on another high.”