BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan is hoping to conclude his first British Touring Car Championship season in rear-wheel drive machinery with ‘at least’ a podium at Brands Hatch this weekend.
Jordan has had a mixed season in 2017 that has seen him stand on the top step of the podium three times already, but a pair of poor weekends early in the year cost him dearly in the title fight.
The WSR driver heads into the final meeting of the season eighth overall in the drivers’ championship standings, and the 28-year-old is aiming to end his first season with WSR by scoring at least a podium result.
“It doesn’t seem like five minutes since we were at Brands Hatch for the opening round of the season,” said Jordan. “I think it’s fair to say that this year has been a bit of a rollercoaster for me but I think that I’ve settled in well with the team and that has been reflected in the fact that I’ve taken three wins over the course of the season.
“Obviously I hoped to be going into the final rounds in the mix for the title, but luck hasn’t always been on our side this season and it means that we haven’t always been able to pick up the results that we were capable of.
“The GP circuit at Brands Hatch is one of the best on the calendar and one that is particularly rewarding as a driver. I’m confident that the BMW will be a strong package this weekend and I’m aiming for at least a podium finish to end the year on a high.”
WSR Team Principal Dick Bennetts believes that Jordan’s relative lack of success ballast – with 21 kg on board he is the lightest of the BMWs – will give him a strong car with which to help BMW to secure the outright Manufacturers’ championship honours.
“BMW Pirtek Racing have had some incredible highs this year with three wins for AJ in his first season racing a rear-wheel-drive touring car,” said Bennetts. “There’s been some bad luck too with results lost as a result of bad driving from others, but we’ll use all our experience to try and make sure we avoid that this weekend.
“The Brands Hatch GP circuit has historically been a track where front-wheel-drive cars have an advantage, but with 21 kg success ballast, AJ’s car isn’t especially heavy, so we’ll be working hard to finish as high as we can and help BMW secure the Manufacturers’ Championship.”