Jordan ready for BTCC opener

Press release date: 31 March 2009

Pirtek's Andrew Jordan will face the most important race weekend of his career when the 2009 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship starts at Brands Hatch this weekend.

Andrew, who will still be just 19-years old when the 2009 BTCC campaign begins, will be racing for Vauxhall VX Racing team alongside Fabrizio Giovanardi and Matt Neal.

"It's a huge opportunity and I intend to make the most of it," says Andrew. "To be involved with a works team is fantastic. I had a huge amount to learn last year and this season will give me the opportunity to hone my skills still further."

Running with the two most successful drivers on the BTCC grid is a great place to learn, and pre-season testing showed that he is trading times with his team mates. "We're all very close on times, but testing is different to the first race meeting, so we'll see at Brands," he adds, with a note of caution.

Just how close things are going to be in the 2009 BTCC was illustrated last Tuesday when all the leading teams tested on the Indy circuit at Brands. The top eight cars, comprising three Vauxhalls, four BMWs and a Honda, were separated by less than four-tenths of a second, with Andrew ending the day seventh fastest and just over a tenth of a second behind team mate Matt Neal.

A return to the BTCC podium will be a priority for the new season and Andrew is realistic about a debut BTCC victory. "I definitely want to win races this year and I’m certainly with the right team and in the right car to make this happen. The challenge will be staying ahead of what is an extremely talented field."

Of course, landing one of the best seats on the BTCC grid does bring its own pressures, but Andrew is ready for that. "I put more pressure on myself than anyone else. You've just got to soak it up and get on with it."

The first three BTCC rounds of 2009 will be at Brands Hatch on Sunday 5 April and all the race action will be broadcast live on ITV4.

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