Fine Balance for SEAT Sport UK at Mondello
Park
04
June 2004
It's going to be a fine balancing act
for SEAT Sport UK when it races at Mondello Park for the
first timeon June 12/13, as circumstances make it advantageous for
its drivers, Jason Plato and Rob Huff, to push hard – even though they
haven’t any great knowledge of the twisty Irish circuit.
The revised ETCC-spec weight regulations which affect the Toledo Cupra
will see SEAT Sport UK’s two race cars at there lightest at the
beginning of the Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship race
weekend. Sunday (13 June) race day success will depend on the track
knowledge gathered during the two free practicesessions on Saturday
(12 June) and how the team turns that data into technical setupfor
the crucial qualifying session.
As if to add extra intrigue to this
brainteaser, SEAT Sport UK’s work will start with a clean sheet
of paper, Plato has only raced at Mondello once (in 2001), Huff has
never been to Ireland before and the team will have just 2 hours between
free practice and qualifying to come up with a pole-setting solution!
Situated
25miles west of Dublin near Naas in Co. Kildare, the tight and twisty
2.25 mile Mondello Park circuit will also play host to a
large contingent of SEAT UK dealer guests, who will be there on race
day to see the Toledo Cupras in action. So no pressure on the SEAT
Sport UK drivers then...
Jason said: "I’ve only raced at
Mondello Park once and that was back in 2001. It’s a tricky technical
circuit and difficult to set a car up for, so what we find out in free
practice is going to be critical. While some parts of the circuit will
suit the Toledo Cupra very well, I’m not so sure about other
sections, so we have a lot of work to do. The racing will be very exciting
because there are lots of overtaking opportunities, so you can do well
from almost anywhere on the grid if the car’s set up properly.
I can’t remember the circuit in great detail, but what does stand
out is the fantastic party atmosphere, the great welcome from the fans
and the wonderful Irish hospitality. I’m really looking forward
to racing there again."
Huff said: "I’ve never been
to Ireland before, not even on holiday, so I know absolutely nothing
about Mondello Park – I haven’teven been able to find it
on PlayStation or Xbox! To be fair I love racing at new circuits and
I’ve always been able to learn a new circuit really quickly.
Last year I raced in the final round of the Spanish Supercopa series
at Barcelona. I’d never been to the Circuit de Catalunya before
and we were all in identical Leon Cupras, but after two practice sessions
I qualified4 th on the grid, just 0.2 seconds off pole. Free practice
at Mondello will be very important, but I’m confident we can
get a good qualifying and race set up and be back on the pace."
Scott
Dennis, SEAT UK Motorsport Manager, said: "The two free practice
sessions at Mondello Park will be the most critical of the season for
us. We’re a new team contesting the BTCC for the first time,
so we don’t have any technical data from any circuit we go to
until after the first free practice session, but at Mondello our drivers
also have little experience of the track. If we get Saturday right
we have a good chance of racing at the front on Sunday."
The
BTCC race weekend at Mondello Park begins with two 40 minute free
practice sessions on Saturday 12 th June, starting at 10.35 and 12.40,
followed
by a 30 minute qualifying session starting at 15.30. Rounds 13, 14
and 15 of the BTCC take place on Sunday 13 th June, with the three
14 lap races starting at 10.55, 13.55 and 16.40.
See series calendar for British
Touring Car Championship 2004
Related Story 12.04.2004 - Race
Victory sees SEAT Sport UK Make Dream BTCC Debut
