SEAT Confirms Defence of its BTCC Title in 2007

04 January 2007

SEAT will enter a two-car team in the 2007 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, with the main aim of defending its Manufacturers’ title.

The Northampton-based SEAT Sport UK team will field a pair of race-prepared SEAT Leon touring cars. The new Leon, which made a title-winning debut in 2006, scored 11 wins and 24 podium finishes in the 30 races to beat Vauxhall to the Manufacturers’ title by 44 points.

Since it made its BTCC debut in 2004, SEAT Sport UK has contested 90 BTCC races – winning 24, achieving 60 podium results and scoring 1622 points.

Jason Plato will race for SEAT Sport UK in 2007 – his fourth consecutive season in competition with the team. Jason, the 2001 Champion, made his BTCC race debut in 1997 and since then has contested 216 races – winning 33 and scoring a career total of 1624 points. His success ratio of one win per 6.54 races and 7.52 points per race makes Jason the most successful BTCC driver in the series.

Jason is the only driver currently under contract with SEAT Sport UK for 2007, and his team-mate will be announced in due course.

Only teams and drivers running to the FIA Super 2000 formula, which the SEAT Leon already does, will be eligible to fight for the two major awards in 2007 – the BTCC Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles. The base weights of all S2000 cars will be increased in 2007 by 30kgs to bring them in line with FIA regulations that apply in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

The resurgence of the BTCC was evident in 2006, making it was most watched and entertaining motor racing tour in the UK. Ten new teams joined the series in 2006 and over a quarter of a million fans watched the racing trackside –including a crowd of 33,000 spectators at the final race meeting at Silverstone. The series enjoyed 15 hours of prime-time ITV1 coverage, plus approximately the same amount again in late-night repeats on ITV1, with a viewing audience of around 20 million in the UK alone.

Jason said: “We had hardly any time to test the new Leon in the UK before the start of the 2006 season, yet we proved that we could still be competitive at most of the circuits. With a full season of racing the Leon in the BTCC under our belts, and all cars challenging for the BTCC running to S2000 regulations, we will start the 2007 season in a much stronger position. The aim is to successfully defend the Manufacturers’ title for SEAT and I want to be Drivers’ Champion again. I have no doubts that if we work hard and do a good job, we will win.”

Scott Dennis, SEAT UK Motorsport Manager, said: “SEAT Sport UK has a very short history in the BTCC, but already we have chalked up some impressive statistics and won our first championship. The aim for 2007 will be to defend that championship and mount consistent challenges for both the drivers’ and teams’ championships. The new regulations mean that a number of new cars will enter the BTCC in 2007 which is essential for the continued growth of the championship and we look forward to the challenges this presents. The BTCC is really on the up at the moment and Alan Gow and his team deserve a pat on the back, they’ve done a great job. I’m convinced that the BTCC offering for 2007 will deliver a memorable season for the growing number of spectators”

SEAT

Related Images: BTCC, Donington Park, 29-30 July 2006 Photography by and Copyright of D.Stokes for Factor41Media

See series calendar for British Touring Car Championship 2007

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