Tordoff to join mentor Plato at Triple 8 MG team

Sam Tordoff has been confirmed in the second MG KX Momentum Racing MG6, built by multiple champions Triple 8, racing as he replaces the departing Andy Neate for the 2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Tordoff will partner KX Academy mentor and two times BTCC champion Jason Plato. The 23 year old is one of 7 drivers to be part of the KX academy programme for 2013 and will benefit with funding from the energy drink, as well as mentoring from Plato and becomes the first driver to join the series from the scheme.

Tordoff has been part of the BTCC package now for several years, competing in first the Clio Cup and then the Porsche Carrera Cup GB both which take part on the same weekend as the BTCC. During this time Tordoff has enjoyed a lot of success and was a race winner on his debut year in the Clio cup in 2009. He followed that up with finishing 3rd in the championship, taking 2 wins and a further 12 podium finishes, before switching to the Porsche Carrera cup for 2011. Tordoff then stayed with Porsches for 2012, where he emulated his finishing position from the Clio cup ending the season in 3rd place taking 4 victories along the way.

KX Academy driver Sam Tordoff on far right speaking on the microphone

Photo by: XPB Images

This however won’t be the first time that Tordoff has competed in the BTCC itself, as he raced a one off race ironically for Triple 8 in an S2000 Vauxhall Vectra during the final round of the championship at Brands Hatch in 2010. Tordoff put in an impressive display during the weekend qualifying a fine 8th and finished race 3 inside the top 10.

Now the man from Leeds is set to complete a full season driving for one of the best teams within the series. He is understandably delighted saying, “I'm absolutely ecstatic. It has taken a lot of hard work to get here but the timing is right and everything is in place for me to show what I can do. I've been racing on the TOCA package for four years now and reaching the BTCC was always the sole intention. But to sign for the best team, with the best car and to have the best team-mate is just unbelievable. I'm just thankful to MG and KX for the opportunity.”

Despite this being his debut full season, Tordoff is under no illusions what is expected of him and expects to be instantly on the pace especially in a car which took 5 wins last season and finished by saying, “I haven't set any targets as such, but then I won't be making any excuses just because it's my first season. The team proved this car could win races in its first year, so I expect to hugely competitive.”