Alex MacDowall graced the third step on the podium following his third place finish in race 25 of the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, the first time since the first race at Snetterton.

“It’s good to come back with a good clean result after getting slapped on the wrist over the last few races,” said MacDowall.

The 20-year old started the race from the second row of the grid and a good start meant that the Silverline Chevrolet driver was up to second after the first lap of the race but a reported vibration hampered the youngsters race.

“I managed to hold onto the back of Jason [Plato] for much of the race but he’s been in the game for so long he knows how to look after his tyres and towards the end I just couldn’t hang on.” MacDowall went on to say, “The team told us that [Matt] Neal had a puncture so I just backed off. As soon as [Mat] Jackson caught up with me I was doing two seconds a lap slower as I thought I had a puncture so I just let him past. He’d have passed me with his turbo anyway so I think it was the right call. In the end I didn’t have a puncture but when you have a vibration going 150mph through Hawthorn it can be a bit daunting.”

Alex MacDowall is out of the championship race but that doesn’t mean that he’s not trying as he seeks his fifth BTCC podium finish of his career. “If I can make a good start then there’s no reason why I can’t have another good result in race two. Jason had 27kgs in the first race, which is what I’ll have in race two, so we know that the car can perform with that weight.”

“I think the race should come to us as the race goes on as the turbo’s struggle with the heat and tyre wear.”

Photo Credit: Pete Mainey (www.psmmotorsportimages.co.uk)

James Mappin is the editor-in-chief covering the British Touring Car Championship. You can contact him at james@btcccrazy.co.uk, on twitter @BTCCCrazy or on his personal twitter account @jamesmappin.