Reflections: Thruxton - 20th May, 2018

Each round so far of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship has seen a first (in more than one sense of the word) for Power Maxed TAG Racing.



As the saying goes, “good things come in threes.” Brands Hatch saw our first win, in spectacular fashion, at the hands of Senna Proctor. Josh Cook brought his A-game to the following round at Donington Park, taking his first ever win, along with our first Pole as a team. So, we wondered, what would Thruxton bring?

As it turned out, it’d be the first time both drivers would be on the podium in the same meeting. Josh took a spectacular victory in Race 2, battling his way valiantly through the pack, lapping more than half a second quicker than his nearest competitors, setting a blistering Fastest Lap that came close to breaking the outright lap record. Senna drove consistently across the entire weekend, not dropping below P7 from the outset; a fantastic feat from the Driffield based 19-year-old, who rounded off the day with a P3, giving him another trophy for his rapidly growing collection.

Thruxton is almost unique within the BTCC with the challenges it poses to the teams. With a notoriously aggressive surface, exacerbated by the consistently high track temperatures, it’s the only circuit on the calendar that Dunlop only allocate one compound to. Which meant that across the weekend, all teams only ran on the Hard compound tyre, levelling the playing field across all 3 races.

The successful weekend has allowed us to not only keep but extend our lead in both the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ standings, and sees Josh Cook just one point behind the leader in the Drivers’ standings, with Senna in a fantastic P7.

Team Manager and Technical Director, Martin Broadhurst, is understandably proud of what the team have achieved this season to date: “The effort the team has put since the start of our BTCC program has been phenomenal, and I’m proud to work with every one of them. We’ve all worked exceptionally hard to get the cars to where they are, and both Josh and Senna are working them to perfection. I’m incredibly proud of the way both drove this weekend; the times Josh was putting down in the Astra were exceptional, and Senna drove as solidly as I’ve seen from anyone.”

Adam Weaver, Power Maxed TAG Racing Team Principal and Power Maxed CEO stated “The entire programme, from the drivers, through the engineers to the Commercial team is exactly where we want it to be. TAG Industries have been an integral part since the start of the season, and since Media Day, Sam Cowan and his team have been celebrating with us in the Garage at every opportunity. We couldn’t ask for better joint partners, and we’re looking forward to more celebrations with them , and indeed all of our Partners, as the season progresses.”

“I think it’s testament to the work by Martin and the Power Maxed TAG Racing team that in just 3 rounds I’ve had a Pole, two wins, two Fastest Laps and a podium,” says Josh Cook. “There won’t always be weekends where we’re winning, but when there’s a sniff of an opportunity, I’ll take it. The car was absolutely on fire, as the times show, and I’m so glad I’ve been able to do Euro Repar, Glide Parking, Helix Clutches and AST Suspension proud this season. As with all the drivers, winning at my local track makes it even more special. We’ve got our eyes firmly set on the championship, and this just strengthens my resolve for consistent points.”

“After the unfortunate early retirement during Race 3 at Donington, I’m over the moon to have come away from Thruxton with some more silverware. Being sat in P7 in the biggest championship in the UK is an amazing feeling, and I’m really chuffed with both mine and the team’s consistency over the weekend. The car handled amazingly considering the conditions, and the multiple bottles of water that I consumed didn’t seem to slow us down too much.

I’m more excited than ever for Oulton Park, and want to give my sponsors (Proctor Plant, Bee Health, LAPD and Matrix Motorsport) another win,” said Senna Proctor.