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James Thompson has won the 2004 Green Flag MAS British Touring Car
Championship and has completed the triple for VX Racing.
Thompson lifted the drivers' trophy at Donington Park today after an
intense battle with his VX Racing team mate Yvan Muller.
The fight for victory laurels went right down to the wire and the
final race weekend of the season, but it was the Yorkshireman who
emerged as champion after finishing third, and claiming an extra
point for the fastest lap in the final race. The drivers'
title will be added to the manufacturers' and team titles also won
by Vauxhall and VX Racing, securing the triple win for the fourth
year in a row.
Thompson is ecstatic with the win, "I am made up, what can I
say? It is so good to be champion, and to do it for the second
time is very special. The battle between me and Yvan was very
close all season, he was just a few points ahead of me right up
until Snetterton, and then I just edged ahead. With just four
points between us at the start of the weekend it could have gone
either way.
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Everyone at VX Racing has worked very hard and I
would like to thank the team.
Thompson adds, "It has been a hard year for us, the competition has been
really tough and we were not getting the results in the middle of the season.
I think it is partly due to advances made by the other teams, but also due to
the rules and the reverse grid for the second race. We had the pace early
on and then from Mondello we struggled for the next few races. But we
kept at it and the hard work paid off. I am so happy to be champion
again."
After ten years of competing in British touring cars, and having experienced
the highs and lows of winning in 2002 and being runner-up in 2003, Thompson
eclipsed the opposition with strong performances every race weekend this
season. Thompson, set to leave VX Racing, goes out on a high with the
second BTCC title of his career, but sadly, will not return to defend his title
in 2005.
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