Full Circle as Jackson takes Race Win and SEAT Cupra Title

15 October 2006

Mat Jackson (Whale Tankers/Jackson Motorsport) led the first race and won the final round of the 2006 Blaupunkt SEAT Cupra Championship and was crowned Champion in front of 33,000 cheering fans at Silverstone. Jackson won the opening round of the season at Brands Hatch in April, the final round today and nine more in between and led the championship for the entire season. With his title, he takes a prize of £100,000 and a test in SEAT's Leon British Touring Car.

Alan Blencowe (Triple R) finished third in the first of the two races, which was enough to claim second in the championship, as Jonathan Adam (Total Control Racing) was tapped into a spin. Despite a fine second place in race two, Adam was unable to finish higher than third. The fourth and final place in the touring car test went to Fulvio Mussi (Total Control Racing), who finished both races ahead of rival Ben Winrow (CMS Motorsport), who took the final prize of £10,000.

The first of the day's two races was another example of the close competition which has made the series famous this year. As the lights went out, it was Mussi who got the better start from second on the grid and led the field into the first corner. Mat Jackson edged ahead of Blencowe while Carl Breeze (CMS Motorsport) also improved on his sixth grid-slot, passing Neil Waterworth (Total Control Racing) off the line. Breeze then immediately managed to squeeze past Blencowe to take fourth as the field completed the first lap.

Mat Jackson was also on a mission and exiting the Complex, was side by side with Adam. The pair drag-raced down the start/finish straight but it was Jackson who maintained the advantage, as he had the inside line for the following corner and so took third.

By this point, Blencowe was pushing Breeze hard, who in turn was piling the pressure on Jonathan Adam. Jackson was also challenging Mussi at every opportunity for the lead but the young Essex driver resisted all his moves. However, with such close racing, something was bound to happen, and it did. As the field went through the right-hander onto the back straight at Beckett's, Jackson lifted, which caused a chain reaction behind him, with Carl Breeze hitting the back of Jonathan Adam, causing him to spin out. Adam rejoined last and eventually finished 9th.

Next time around, Fulvio Mussi, having defended so well, ran slightly wide and this allowed Jackson to take the position at the front of the field and he began to open a slight gap. This left Mussi next in Breeze's sights and when Mussi ran slightly wide again, Breeze was able to get alongside and hold the inside line along the main straight toclaim the position.

Blencowe was now pushing Mussi hard but try as he might, he couldn't find a way past. Ben Winrow had now closed up onto Blencowe's tailgate but again, could not find a way past to close on Mussi, his main rival for fourth in the championship. With just a handful of laps left, it looked like a foregone conclusion, until Jackson slowed on the back straight and pulled into the pits. A bolt had worked its way out of the exhaust manifold and the escaping gases had melted part of the wiring loom, ending his race.

This handed the lead and the eventual race win to Breeze, with Mussi second and Blencowe third. With Winrow fourth and Jonathan Adam ninth, it meant the fight for fourth in the championship would realistically be between Mussi and Winrow in the final race.

The start of the second race saw Jonathan Adam get away best, from second on the grid. However, on even more of a mission was Jackson, who simply drove round the outside of Adam and tried to get alongside Carl Breeze, starting from pole. Jackson took the inside line for the tight right-hander at Beckett's and he and Breeze went through side by side, holding a similar formation up the back straight. Entering the Luffield corner, Jackson was now on the outside and he and Breeze touched, sending Jackson wide. Then, on the next lap, Breeze spun at the first corner, Copse and rejoined in last place, with Jackson assuming the lead.

Behind them, Ben Winrow and Alan Blencowe were having a huge battle, with the pair side by side until Winrow ended up claiming the position. He then closed up on Jonathan Fildes and tried several times to get past and close the gap to title rival Fulvio Mussi, who was holding fourth position. However, Winrow was unable to get past Fildes. Winrow then went on to lock his rear tyres on the way into Luffield but he had a sufficient cushion to Blencowe to keep the position.

Back at the front, Jackson had resisted the pressure that Jonathan Adam was piling on him throughout the race to take the win, with Neil Waterworth taking a well-deserved third and making his debut on the podium this season.

Accepting his cheque for £100,000 from Scott Dennis, Motorsport Manager for SEAT UK, Jackson was understandably delighted; "It's awesome - what more could you ask for? Eleven wins from eighteen starts is fantastic - I couldn't be happier. This season has been the first time we've been in a position where we've had the championship to lose. Before, we've always been playing catch-up and that requires a very different approach. Our lead rose and fell a little through the season but of course, the important thing is the have it at the end. It's been a fantastic championship to be involved in; I think it's certainly the most important in the UK, with the prize fund, the touring car test and the support of SEAT Sport UK. I have to thank them and of course, my sponsors; Whale Tankers, Bosch, Flexlink and the Bank of Dad!"

Second in the championship and leaving Silverstone with a cheque for £40,000 was Alan Blencowe. "The result in the first race meant that the pressure was off for the second and I could afford to relax a little; useful with my qualifying position! There was lots going on in both races but I was able to do what I needed to do, while a bit of bad luck for Jonathan also helped my cause. I've had a great season and I'm delighted with second. I've had 10 podiums, six fastest laps and now, second in the championship."

Despite spinning out of the first race and as a result, not being able to clinch second, Jonathan Adam was pleased with third and the £30,000 that goes with it. "The spin this morning was very frustrating, as it cost me second in the championship. But the second race was excellent; clean and very quick - just how it should be. But overall I'm happy - at the start of the season, I said I wanted to finish in the top three and I've done that. I've also claimed one of the touring car test slots and that was one of the main motivating factors for me."

Fourth and taking the last touring car test, as well as £20,000 was Fulvio Mussi. "The first race was great for me. I planned to make a break but that wasn't possible. But I knew that if I finished in front of Ben, I would be in with a chance, as I was three places ahead of him on the grid for the second race. I'm absolutely delighted; I wanted the touring car test so badly and I'm delighted I was able to do it and get the chance to drive in front of the SEAT team bosses."

Fifth and claiming the final £10,000 prize was Ben Winrow, who despite not claiming a place at the test, was happy with fifth and the opportunity the championship as a whole had given him. "I'm a bit disappointed to lose fourth and the test but I'm pleased with the way the season has gone. We've been competitive all season and the car is quick, as we showed in the last race, getting fastest lap. My sponsors have also been happy with the way the season has gone and with the championship itself and things are looking good for next year."

See series calendar for SEAT Cupra Championship 2006

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