JASON Plato believes age is no bar to success and says the proof is in his results on the track.

Newcastle-raised driver Plato is currently second in the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship which motors into Croft Circuit, near Darlingtion, this weekend.

He has finished runner-up in three of the past four seasons and has never been off the podium at the North-East circuit since his team, SEAT, joined the championship in 2004.

Now 40, Plato believes he is driving better than ever.

"I've got 36kgs of success ballast on my car, but still got my second win of the year at Thruxton, I've got a team-mate who is younger and arguably fitter than me - a Le Mans 24 Hours winner no less - and I'm ahead of him and pushing for the title," he said.

"I think I'll let the results speak for themselves."

That win at Thruxton was the 40th of Plato's BTCC career and only the legendary Andy Rouse has more, with 60.

Plato started out with Renault in 1997 and since that time has racked up more than 2,000 points from 258 races, giving him one of the best ratios in the sport.

Despite that, Plato says he still gets nervous ahead of race day.

"I don't think you ever stop getting that kind of feeling and the day you do it's time to finish. But I do think you learn how to harness that energy and use it," he said. "You never stop learning and finding out new little things.

I'm certainly more relaxed in the car than I ever have been. I think the balance I've got and my style is good."

Plato's Leon TDI - the first time such a car has featured in the championship - has surprised many people and he is hoping he can continue to shake-up the normal world order at Croft.

"We've got a great record at Croft," he said. "One which we can justifiably be proud of, but that won't help us when we arrive this year with our new Leon TDI.

"There is a great variety of corners at Croft, but there are some key corners which you just have to get right. If we can get the Leon TDI to work well in those, we'll be very strong."