Jason Plato ready to ‘rock and roll’ after recent two car test

Jason Plato heads into this weekend’s Snetterton event with renewed confidence after completing a two-car test with Ashley Sutton at Donington Park last week.

Cutting a frustrated figure at times this season, the Team BMR driver has endured a rollercoaster campaign with a heavy crash into the Brands Hatch pit wall hobbling his Subaru Levorg.

Since then the all-time BTCC race winner has languished towards the lower points paying positions, with a turn in performance coming at Croft where he bagged a maiden podium.

“You could say it’s a weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Plato in his Adrian Flux blog. “And it’s a relief that everybody else within the team has some understanding as well – not just the high level engineers, but the mechanics as well.

“The cars were set up identically and there was clearly a difference in the chassis and the way they were reacting on track, and there should not be, they should be the same.

“There were quite large differences in feel. I liked the feeling on the front of his car, he likes that mine’s a bit lively on the rear, but he didn’t like the lack of grip at the front.

“His gear changes are completely different to mine in the way it exits a corner, and it should be the same.

“Basically, the cars were reacting differently in the same points of the track, no matter which driver was at the wheel. So it was a very useful test and the main thing is we can start drilling down and taking driver style out of it.

“With slightly different styles we were getting the same reaction. We know where the differences of the car are and we can now start exploring and digging a bit deeper rather than scratching our heads.”

Heading to a circuit which has proved to be a happy hunting ground down the years for him, the double champion is in a buoyant mood of getting amongst the podium places on a regular basis.

He added: “We performed very well there last year. All things being equal we know what set ups work there and we should be at the sharp end.

“We now start the second part of the season, so let’s get after it. I’m energised and ready to rock and roll.”