Silverline Chevrolet star Alex MacDowall is looking for nothing less than a win as he heads to Donnington Park next weekend for the penultimate meeting of the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. The youngster is gunning for a victory in Rounds 25, 26 and 27, as he looks to end a frustrating debut season in style.
Last time out, north of the border at Knockhill, the Carlisle based driver delivered a master class in qualifying, snatching pole position from local hero Gordon Shedden, in the process setting a new qualifying lap record for the Scottish circuit.
Shedden got the better of him in the race, but the BRDC Rising Star came home in a great second place. He went on to finish ninth and seventh in the final two races to cap a solid weekend for the Chevrolet star. Now, as the BTCC returns to Donnington next week, Alex is looking to build on this and secure a maiden win in the series.
“It was great to be on pole position again at Knockhill but second isn't what I want, I want to win”, said MacDowall, “We're on a real high now and I think my car is doing everything I want it to do. I've gone well at Donington in the past, finishing on the podium, but the top step is my goal this time for my first visit there in a touring car.”
While his Silverline Chevrolet team mate Jason Plato is currently topping the championship standings, Alex is languishing in a disappointing 11th place, after a frustrating season jammed full of misfortune. This includes a driveshaft failure while leading at Oulton Park and a broken gear lever yards from the grid at Snetterton after starting on pole.
However Alex has shown great speed throughout the season, with two pole positions so far making him one of only two drivers outside the Team Aon team to record a pole position this season. His second place last time out at Knockhill, as well as a third place at Silverstone earlier this season, has shown he has the potential to be a BTCC front-runner for years to come. Alex will be hoping to put the bad luck behind him and continue showing his potential at Donnington, a track that should suit his RML-engineered Chevrolet Cruze.
He added: “We should certainly have the most capable car at Donington, the Silverline Chevrolet Cruze thrives on fast flowing corners. It's getting close to the end of the season so I will be treating every race like it's my last one. My aim by the end of the season is to end up in the championship top 10, I'm currently four points off 10th place so we've got a great chance.”
