BTCC legend Jason Plato to retire

The 54-year-old, who has won one race since 2017, announced he would bring an end to a career that will have taken in 23 full seasons by the time it ends as he confirmed he will race for BTC Racing in 2022.

Plato made his BTCC debut for the factory Williams Renault team back in 1997, achieving two victories in his first year in the championship. Since then, he has raced in all but three seasons and has won races in all but two.

He took a sabbatical during the Covid-19 affected 2020 season, before returning for 2021 when he raced a Vauxhall Astra with Power Maxed Racing. He took a single podium in 2021 on his way to finishing 14^th in the championship.

Oxford-born Plato is now the series’ record holder for wins and took a pair of championship titles, his first with Vauxhall in 2001 and a second with Chevrolet in 2010. He has also raced in the second most races, only bettered by rival Matt Neal in total entries, and his 26 wins at Brands Hatch is a record for most wins at a single circuit.

Away from the BTCC Plato has raced in V8 Supercars as a guest driver in the early 2000s and raced three times in the World Touring Car Championship in 2005 with Seat.

He has announced that while 2022 will be his final season in the BTCC it will not be the end of Plato’s motorsport career. He will race at Goodwood at the 79th Goodwood Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport this weekend.

He joins the BTC team to drive a Honda Civic alongside Josh Cook and Jade Edwards. The BTC team took six wins in 2021.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.