Andrew Jordan believes MG 'fully' in BTCC title fight

The 2013 champion scored two podiums in the first nine races but struggled to extract pace from the MG6 GT, with both second-place finishes coming in the reverse-grid encounters.

Jordan left Oulton Park's round earlier this month 13 points behind Jason Plato, having started the weekend 15 from the summit, and said his proximity to the top was now the result of genuine speed after spending the opening weekends fighting to pick up good points.

"The first three rounds might well be key," he told AUTOSPORT. "We've made a good job of collecting points until now.

"Now we're fully in the hunt and that really excites me. I feel we can challenge on pace for wins."

Jordan left his family-run Eurotech Racing team for Triple Eight this year, the second time he has made that switch in his career having had a difficult 2009 with the team.

Though MG has struggled to match BMR and Honda for race-winning pace, he said his performance at Oulton, where he bagged fourth, third and second, would help silence critics of his start to life as a factory driver.

"I needed that weekend," Jordan added. "It's been a tough start to the year and people asked all sorts of questions, and it amuses me.

"Most of it was bollocks but we're where we should be now."