Thompson ready to ‘be a contender’ as BTCC bids farewell to ‘The Rock.’
Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rookie Bobby Thompson says that he feels capable of contending for points every time he takes his #19 Team HARD with Trade Price Cars VW CC into action in Britain’s highest profile domestic race series after his maiden career top ten finish in last month’s memorable ‘Diamond Double’ race at Snetterton.
The first stop post-Snetterton on the BTCC’s record breaking 60th anniversary season will be the Rockingham Motor Speedway for rounds 19, 20 and 21 of the 30 race series and while the championship may be paying its final visit for the foreseeable future, the reigning VW Cup Series Champion is confident that his first BTCC visit to the unique 1.94-mile ‘Roval’ has the potential to bring him another haul of championship points.
“It goes without saying that our performance at Snetterton has given everyone in the #19 GKR Ltd team a massive boost,” says the 22 year-old Hornchurch based driver, who also gained his first career top three finish in the Jack Sears Trophy standings in the Snetterton finale. “But what has given us the most optimism coming to Rockingham is that we were finally able to get the handling issues that have plagued us all year resolved and I actually feel confident to really attack every corner now.”
While the Corby circuit may not go down in history as the most evocative of venues in the storied 60 year-history of the BTCC, the part oval, part road-course layout used by the one of the most competitive touring car series in the world holds good memories for the BRDC Rising Star and there is one corner in particular that Thompson cannot wait to drive in his current mount.
“Last year we took a clean sweep in the first VW Cup race at Rockingham,” continued Thompson, whose pole position, fastest lap and dominant race win in 2017 was the first of his six race victories during his title winning campaign. “The first corner on the oval is always a thrill and to take that at full chat in the Team HARD VW is something I’m really looking forward to. We made huge progress at Snetterton and if I can get qualifying sorted and start the first race in the top 20 then I can’t see why we can’t score points in every race.”
Thompson’s distinctive #19 GKR Ltd backed entry is enjoying added support this weekend with the official arrival of Stratis Platform and Powell Systems as associate sponsors for the rest of the 2018 campaign.
“I am so glad that we are still gaining sponsors as the season progresses as it is crucial to my career in the BTCC that I keep the level of support I am getting this year. Stratis Platform and Powell Systems have seen what being in the BTCC can do for their brands and I feel like I am in a great position to get them closer and closer to the front for the rest of the season.”
Here are all the times that fans of team BT19 need to keep in their diaries for the weekend.