Jason Plato has won more races than any other driver in the history of the BTCC.

Making his debut with Williams-Renault in 1997, Plato sent shockwaves down the pit-lane by taking pole position at his very first attempt at Donington Park, going on to finish third overall in his maiden BTCC season.

He remained with the Renault squad until it withdrew from the championship at the end of 1999.

After moving to the factory Vauxhall outfit alongside Yvan Muller, Plato secured his first title in 2001 before leaving the series for two years.

Returning in 2004 with new manufacturer SEAT, he continued to notch up victories at an impressive rate but could not convert them into a second championship for his employer – although he did become the first driver to win a BTCC race behind the wheel of a diesel-powered car in 2008.

Driving an RML/Racing Silverline Chevrolet, Plato finally tallied his second BTCC title in 2010 before signing for the Triple Eight-run MG squad in 2012.

He finished third in the championship in 2012 and 2013 and helped MG to win the coveted Manufacturers’ title in 2014 as he placed runner-up in the Drivers’ classification.

For 2015, Plato joined the fledgling and ambitious Team BMR, piloting a Volkswagen CC to second overall once again.

In 2016, he stayed with BMR as the outfit switched to a factory-backed Subaru Levorg GT.

The team started slowly but came into its own as the new package began to gel.

Plato achieved a podium hat-trick at Oulton Park and a rostrum double at Croft.

He was one of eight drivers in contention to win the overall Drivers’ title heading into the final weekend of the season but ultimately fell short, finishing seventh.

Plato continued with Adrian Flux Subaru Racing in the Levorg for 2017 and endured a tumultuous campaign, though he did score a victory and his 50th BTCC pole position at Knockhill.

He returned with the outfit in 2018 but once again struggled to make an impact.

For 2019, Plato switched to Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing and its front-wheel drive Vauxhall Astra, having secured his maiden BTCC title with the Luton-based manufacturer back in 2001.

He finished seventh in the Drivers’ standings, scoring a single victory in the final round of the season at Brands Hatch.

Plato remained with Power Maxed Car Care Racing for the 2021 campaign following a 12-month sabbatical from the series, with race one at Thruxton marking his 600th BTCC race start.

The 2022 campaign sees Plato move to Rich Energy BTC Racing, partnering Josh Cook and Jade Edwards in a Honda Civic Type R.