BLUNDELL HEADS TO DONINGTON PARK FOR ROUND TWO

Mark Blundell’s debut campaign in the British Touring Car Championship continues this weekend as the former Formula One star heads to Donington Park. Having enjoyed a point-scoring debut weekend, Blundell and the Trade Price Cars Racing team travel to the Leicestershire track buoyed by a positive display in the opening round of the season.

The season opener at Brands Hatch offered the 53-year-old his first taste of competitive action in the UK’s premier motor racing championship and, despite a long and varied career, his first real experience of both front-wheel drive and touring car competition. Despite getting his campaign off to a positive start, Blundell is under no illusions on the challenge that lies ahead.

“This weekend will be different because I am going into it with an understanding of what a BTCC weekend actually looks and feels like as a driver. The opener felt a little like going in blind but now my eyes are wide open as to how I have to play catch-up against the others up and down the grid.”

“It was great to score some points and get off to a positive start but the majority of these guys have years, even decades in some cases, of experience and I’ve got a single week! The team did a great job at Brands Hatch and that bodes well for the year ahead. We all still feel like there is a little more we can extract from the car but there’s no doubting it is still going to be a learning experience for us this weekend!”

Blundell’s first outing in the #8 HP Audi S3 this weekend comes on Saturday with two forty-minute practice sessions commencing at 09:30 and 12:35 respectively before qualifying begins at 15:15. Sunday’s showpiece action kick starts with race one at 11:35 before afternoon races at 14:30 and 17:15 respectively, all shown live on ITV4.