Andrew Jordan’s recent announcement that he will switch to race an MG for the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship came as a surprise to many. Having won the prestigious drivers’ crown in dramatic fashion in 2013 for the family-run Eurotech driving a Honda Civic, the familiar livery will now adorn the side of a manufacturer-backed MG6.
“I think it looks great,” said Jordan. “We’ve taken the fantastic Pirtek Racing livery and made the MG look the part!”
Despite the news only breaking a couple of weeks ago, it turns out that the 25-year-old had been in discussions with Triple Eight Racing team boss Ian Harrison since the middle of last year.
“Ian Harrison actually approached me on the Friday of the Oulton Park meeting last June,” continued Andrew. “He asked me to come to the truck, kicked everyone else out of the office and basically asked if I’d be interested in driving for Triple Eight!
“It was a very surprising conversation. We discussed how we could achieve it – my priority was to bring Pirtek with me, I already had the contract with them for this year [2015] anyway so I needed to make sure. We thrashed a few different ideas out and finally got to where we are now.
“We were talking on and off throughout the season but once it was all over we kicked it up a gear and were chatting most days and it all came together pretty fast. I actually really enjoy the negotiation side of things!”
While Jordan’s BTCC car is a change, the Pirtek backing remains as strong as ever. “Myself and my dad went down to Pirtek’s offices, we sat with the directors and marketing managers and presented the options we had on the table and they said that whatever we decided was best they’d back,” explains Jordan. “That’s what a long term relationship gets you – to have trust like that is a really nice feeling and they are fully behind it. They’ve grown from a very small sponsor to now being a primary sponsor on a works car – it’s a big step for them.”
While Jordan raced for Triple Eight in 2009, the move marks a departure from a five-year stint at Eurotech. Speaking about the move, he explains, “If I’m honest it’s given me new motivation and a different sort of motivation. I’m taking myself out of the comfort zone of the family team and some people might question why that is. I discussed it a lot with my dad as you can imagine, and I feel like the time is right for everything.
“Ultimately the decision came down to what was going to give us the best chance of winning the championship. Whether that had meant staying with Eurotech or making the move, that’s what it came down to.”
The 14-time BTCC race winner is confident that he can bring a wealth of experience from his time racing the proven Honda Civic package, and concludes, “I’ve got my race engineer and number one mechanic coming with me to Triple Eight Racing so there will be people I know there. I already know Ian [Harrison] well and the technical director from when I raced there before. It’s my job to go in there to see what changes I can make, what information I can bring from the Honda to this car.
“Let’s face it, this was the quickest front-wheel drive car last year. I think the BMWs are going to be pegged back a bit this year and I think our aim is to make the weaker circuits stronger, especially with my knowledge around places like Thruxton where the Honda has always been strong I can make a real difference. If I didn’t think I could win the championship in the MG I wouldn’t be driving it.”
