MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square travels to Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk for the second event of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, following a sensational start to the season last month.
The opening race weekend, at Thruxton in May, yielded one of the team’s most successful weekends to date, with Jake Hill taking his #24 Ford Focus ST to a trio of third-place finishes from three races and Ollie Jackson commanding his #48 through the field in a valiant comeback effort to finish the weekend inside the top ten.
As a result, Motorbase Performance heads to Snetterton leading the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ Championship with 101 points, whilst Hill enters the weekend leading the Drivers’ Championship for the very first time in his career, leading BTC Racing’s Josh Cook by a solitary point.
The Snetterton 300 layout marks a unique challenge for drivers, with two of the UK’s longest straights juxtaposed with a series of corners that draw inspiration from some of the world’s best-known racetracks such as Monza’s Parabolica and the hairpin at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal.
For Jackson, Snetterton holds a fond memory as the scene of his second BTCC race win in the third of the weekend’s races in 2020. The Brit also put on an overtaking exhibition, climbing ten places in just two laps during the second race.
Trialled last season, Snetterton will also see the return of the new top ten qualifying shootout format on Saturday afternoon, further adding to the drama and intrigue that the BTCC is renowned for.
Weather conditions couldn’t be further polarised from Thruxton just one month ago, with the sun set to dominate the day on Sunday as temperatures are expected to soar to 28ºC. It will also mark a joyous moment as the series’ dedicated fanbase are set to descend on the circuit for the first time in more than 18 months.
“I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel here at Snetterton,” said Jackson. “I know the circuit very well having lived locally in Attleborough for five years when I worked at Lotus and have some really special memories with the win here last year. Thruxton wasn’t the ideal start, with the unavoidable contact early on in the weekend putting us on the back foot, so this is where my season can really kick-off and I’ll be looking to score a decent haul of points.”
“Snetterton is always exciting but this weekend will be particularly special as we see the fans back at the track,” added Hill. “Their support means so much to us so I’ll be giving it my all to put on a good show for them. We had an amazing start to the year at Thruxton, with three trips to the podium and the championship lead, so hopefully we can carry that on this time around. It’ll be a new experience for me as the driver everyone else is chasing but I’m looking forward to it!”
“Firstly, it’s brilliant that we can welcome fans back to the track for the time since 2019, the atmosphere just isn’t the same without them,” said Sporting Director Mark Blundell. “For us, our aim is to carry on as we started at Thruxton. The hot weather conditions will provide a challenge for everyone as we work our way through the weekend but we’re quite confident of another strong showing this weekend.”
