Oulton Park driver quotes - round 19

21 September 2003

James Thompson - VX Racing - 1st

Well, I've done the best that I can. I had a slim chance, I took pole, I won the race in quite easy fashion - not that Yvan was pushing me hard - I led from the first corner all the way through the race. I've been really pleased with the car.

"Yvan's done a better job than me in the races and deserves to be champion.”
James Thompson

I've had a great season, I've had six pole positions after qualifying but as I've said before I've not always converted that into race wins. That's why I've not won the championship, Yvan's done a better job than me in the races and deserves to be champion.

I was really confident with the car, and I thought that if I could get to the first corner first then I'd be in with a chance. But he showed me a clean pair of heels. We tried something new this weekend, we had nothing to lose. I was really looking forward to the race whatever happened. It was always likely that Yvan would win the championship but I wanted to at least win the race.

It was a cracking race, I enjoyed it. I'm disappointed to be second in the championship but I think that for a trophy which has so many great names on it then it would be a shame if Yvan's name wasn't on there. I think that's a fair reflection of the situation - nobody's going to think less of me because he's beaten me this year. That's just the way it goes.

Alan Morrison - Honda Racing - 2nd

I just realised that I've actually got a chance of third place in the championship now! It would be great to get the third for sure, but if Matt gets it at least we take away a place from the Vauxhalls. Matt's starting from near the back for the second race but he'll be nice and light. Maybe Yvan and James will help me to third!

I won the final round last year but I was really light then, this time I'm carrying a lot more ballast but at I'm starting from the front row. If I can make the sort of start I've been making the last few races I can get past James - maybe he'll give me a race win if he's nice!

Yvan Muller - VX Racing - 3rd

I feel light. Just light. I'm pleased of course, it was a long season and a good fight with Jimmy. For the last two years I've finished second but now I've won, I think overall this is a perfect result. A victory in the race would have been nice but it didn't happen.

My strategy in this race was just to score the six points I needed, I tried to get a point for leading but Alan stopped too late so I couldn't. Just before the pit stop I was a bit worried because I had a small misfire, but it didn't increase. That was the 25 longest laps of my career for sure.

I can't say there was much pressure on me but I was a bit fed up with people saying I must win, and I'm especially pleased because maybe now the comments will be different. My life will not change at all. Maybe the money will! James, did your money change when you won?!

On the start I was very careful, I was looking to the front, to the side, everywhere. Paul was behind me but a bit slower. When I was in fifth place I thought, "that's a good result, stay here and see what happens later". Then Paul stopped, the two MGs were being me but a bit slower. I stayed out on the track and got third. That's it really!

"Hughes was a gentleman - not like his team mate!”
Yvan Muller

When Hughes was behind me I was defending my place because the fifth place car was quite far behind but I thought that if we don't lose too much time fighting then I will fight, and if we start to lose time then ok I'll let him pass and settle for 4th place. But Hughes was a gentleman - not like his team mate! - and didn't try anything stupid, and on the last three laps he just seemed to give up.

The second race? I will enjoy that one. I didn't enjoy the first one! I will lose a bit of ballast, and take a bit more risk in the setup to try to win. We will try to help Paul to third place but he is starting from the back so has a lot of work to do.

Alan Blencowe - Barwell Motorsport - production winner

Early in the race there were some incidents in the hairpin so I was able to duck through and follow Boardman. Immediately I saw at Druids that Bentwood made a desperate attempt to get through, I don't know why when he's already lost the championship. The tourers kept breaking us up. Then three quarters of the way into the race Tom had a problem and went off and that was it - that was the last I heard. I could afford to drop my lap times a bit to save the car and bring it home for my first win this year.

Luke Hines - Barwell Motorsport - 2nd in production

"I won the production championship - I think Bentwood would have won a stock car championship! ”
Luke Hines

I think that Bentwood has got a problem with me. He's spreading a lot of nonsense about me and telling everyone who will listen that there's lot of amateurs about. But people are beating him, so really it's the wrong thing to say. I won the production championship - I think he would have won a stock car championship!

He hit me up the back in a very bad place, spinning me around. You'll see it on TV, the viewers will make up their mind. At Druids, turning in with the back light, he hit me in a very dangerous place. If I'd hit that grass I could have been barrel rolling, it could have cost a lot of money and could have hurt me. After the race he came up to me and was threatening me for the next race. It's not a nice way of doing it. Of course we're going to have words but he shouldn't make threats, that's just stupidity.

There's good drivers in the production class and for him to say that we're all amateurs is doing the image of touring cars harm. It's just bad news.



Text by Dave Brockman. This page © 2003 www.BTCCinfo.co.uk.