It’s the fastest circuit of the season, a brutal speedbowl where the cars twitch and dance round long, sweeping bends at up to 130mph.

The slightest error can have car-crippling, race-ending consequences, but Jason Plato is relishing the “brilliant challenge” of Thruxton this weekend as he bids to get his BTCC season up and running.

Plato, who has six touring car wins at the Hampshire circuit, has been hamstrung up to now by his Subaru Levorg’s lack of pulling power, but believes the high-speed corners and long straights of Thruxton could negate the car’s torque deficit.

“Thruxton is the best circuit for us to go to right now…”

“Thruxton is not as much about grunt,” he said. “It’s more about the chassis and it’s about the momentum, so I think we could go well.

“At Donington we were quicker through the corners, but accelerating out of slow corners up a straight we were nowhere.

“While there are some drags out of slowish corners at Thruxton, you spend much more time at high speed, so I think our engine issues won’t be as obvious or as impactful there as at other circuits.

“Thruxton is the best circuit for us to go to right now. It gives us some more time to get the engine sorted.”

The front wheel drive Hondas and Fords are expected to set the pace, but Plato is relying on the forecast warm weather to play to his rear wheel drive Subaru’s advantage in the latter stages.

“The circuit probably favours front wheel drive cars providing you get the set up right, but tyre wear is always an issue round there, particularly for front wheel drive cars,” said the double BTCC champion.

“Hot weather will definitely swing the balance again back towards rear wheel drive from mid-race onwards.

“After the first four laps the front wheel drive cars really hurt their tyres and it’s a downward spiral from there. Rear wheel drive comes into its own and that could swing things in our direction.

“I’m really pleased we’ve got a direction and a handle on my car now. I’ve got the feel in the car that I want so I’m looking forward to this weekend to see what we can do.”

A circuit all the drivers look forward to…

And if there’s one place where having the perfect feel in the car is all-important, it’s Thruxton, a circuit that can bite, and bite hard, if the car is not set up just right.

“There’s nothing better than having your car really well set up around somewhere like Thruxton,” he said.

“When you get it right, it’s epic. But if it’s hard work, if it’s got a bit of a bite to it, it’s very tough all weekend, and you can’t relax in the car, you’re on edge all the time.

“If it’s trying to throw you off the circuit and is over-nervous, over-twitchy, your natural human instinct is ‘I don’t want to do that’. You don’t attack as much as you would do. You can only attack Thruxton if you’ve got the car right.

“If it’s not quite right it’s ugly, the risk goes up considerably – including the risk of going off and smashing it to bits, which has a big impact on your weekend.

“On the tight, twisty, technical circuits, the penalty for trying to find that extra bit is much less. But at Thruxton if you take to the grass, which is not like a billiard table, in a 1200kg car at 130mph it takes a long time to gather it all up!

“You can set your car up to be bolted to the ground, to make it relatively easy to drive round there, but you’re going to kill your tyres. It’s about preparing it just like a racehorse – on its toes, a bit twitchy and nervous, but not too much.”

Corners that go on for a long time…

It’s a circuit that demands total concentration, a thrilling white-knuckle ride, and one that Plato says all the drivers look forward to.

“You know you are awake! You definitely know you are alive going round there,” he added. “The corners go on for a long time and you’re constantly adjusting the car, but only by small amounts, your foot’s always moving on the throttle trying to get the thing on the edge.

“Most of the other circuits might only have one corner like that. But once you’re out of the first complex, for the rest of the lap you are on the edge, getting quicker and quicker and quicker.

“The car is dancing on the track for the best part of a mile. It’s a brilliant challenge. Everybody loves it, but if everybody was honest they would all say you have to give some respect to the place.”

Qualifying is live on ITV.com/BTCC from 3pm on Saturday, with racing live on ITV4 from 11.15am on Sunday.

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