WINS FOR CHILTON, HINES & HOWELYoung drivers Tom Chilton, Luke Hines and Gareth Howell were the winners of Sunday's  three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at Silverstone in Northamptonshire. Howell's victory, shown live on Britain's biggest terrestrial television channel ITV1, was the first of his BTCC career and he also becomes the ninth different winner so far this season.But the title fight between Matt Neal and Yvan Muller will go down to the wire at the BTCC's final round at Brands Hatch on 2 October. Neal, who has never won the title, will arrive at Brands leading 2003 champion Muller by 30 points with a maximum of 52 available. Their title showdown will also be shown live by ITV1.Vauxhall has all but clinched a fifth consecutive crown for manufacturers, while Team Halfords is close to winning the teams' championship.Race 1, 24 laps (39.34 miles)Weather / Track: Cool / DryChilton Wins Race 1, Muller Closes On NealTeam Halfords' Gareth Howell might have started from the first BTCC pole position of his career, but it was 20-year-old Tom Chilton who moved into the lead at the first corner and stayed there to take his fourth win of the season in the Arena Motorsports' Honda Civic.Completing the podium in second and third were the SEAT Sport UK Toledos of James Pickford - equalling his best result so far - and Jason Plato, who set the race's fastest lap as he fought his way through from seventh on the grid. The first race also instantly justified the BTCC's decision to return to racing on Silverstone's short National circuit, with non-stop action - and, on occasion, four-abreast racing - for the crowds.In the title race, Yvan Muller was fourth in his Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch to cut the gap to series leader Matt Neal from 30 to 24 points. Neal was only ninth in his Team Halfords Honda Integra. Howell slipped to fifth, just ahead of Luke Hines who made it three SEATs in the top six - an important result for the Spanish make as it sought to keep up the pressure on rival Vauxhall in the manufacturers' title race.Meanwhile, Team Halfords' Dan Eaves, the title outsider, saw his championship hopes suffer a setback when he slid out of the race. His accident caused a brief safety car period that extended the race distance by two laps.Result:1. Tom CHILTON (GBR), Arena Motorsports/Honda Civic, 25m26.083s2. James PICKFORD (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/Toledo Cupra, 25m27.588s3. Jason PLATO (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/Toledo Cupra, 25m29.461sFastest Lap: Plato, 1m00.927sRace 2, 22 laps (36.10 miles)Weather / Track: Cool / DryHines Inherits Win After Officials Exclude Plato Plato led home team-mate Luke Hines in a SEAT Sport UK 1-2, but was later excluded for an incident with early race leader Tom Chilton. Plato's exclusion meant 23-year-old Hines inherited his first win of 2005, while Vauxhall's Gavin Smith and Eaves were promoted to second and third positions ahead of series leader Neal.Plato had tangled with Chilton at high speed and the latter span down to an eventual eighth position. After reviewing the incident, BTCC officials excluded Plato, put four points on his competition licence and handed him a six-place grid penalty at Brands Hatch in two weeks' time.While Smith celebrated his first BTCC podium finish, Neal's fourth place - following a spin in a collision with Rob Collard's WSR MG ZS - meant he increased his championship lead over Muller to 32 points. Muller retired from the race when his car suffered a mechanical failure. Also out of luck was Howell who looked to be on course for second behind Plato - which would later have become victory - until his car broke down.Inheriting a best-ever fifth in a race of attrition was the BTCC's first bio-ethanol-powered car, Tech-speed's Vauxhall Astra Coupe driven by Fiona Leggate.Result:1. Luke HINES (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/Toledo Cupra, 22m57.278s2. Gavin SMITH (IRL), VX Racing/Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch, +0.663s3. Dan EAVES (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Integra, +0.809sFastest Lap: Howell, 1m00.983sRace 3, 25 laps (40.98 miles)Weather / Track: Cool / Dry  First BTCC Race Win For HowellHowell celebrated his first BTCC race win after a superb drive from 12th on the grid after his race two retirement. The 24-year-old, who also set the race's fastest lap, moved past Collard following a safety car period to take the lead before driving on to victory.Collard just held off Chilton and Eaves to take second while, behind, Muller kept Plato at bay as they finished in fifth and sixth. Seventh was Neal, after he had run off the circuit while lying third.The result means that Neal leads Muller by 30 points at the top of the championship as the BTCC now looks forward to what will be the title-decider around Brands Hatch's famous Grand Prix circuit on 2 October. Eaves remains third in the standings, but his title hopes are now over. Chilton's strong performances at Silverstone have moved him up to fifth in the championship, just seven points adrift of fourth-placed Plato.Vauxhall now looks certain to make it five manufacturer titles in a row and, barring a disaster at Brands Hatch, the Luton marque will surely be crowned champion ahead of SEAT. Likewise, Team Halfords looks to be on course for the teams' title - it is 106 points clear of Vauxhall's competition arm VX Racing with just 111 points available at Brands.Result:1. Gareth HOWELL (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Integra, 27m16.356s  2. Rob COLLARD (GBR), WSR/MG ZS, +1.687s3. Tom CHILTON (GBR), Arena Motorsports/Honda Civic, +1.974sFastest Lap: Howell, 1m01.191sLeading BTCC Points After Silverstone: Drivers:1. Matt NEAL                   291pts2. Yvan MULLER              261pts3. Dan EAVES                 238pts4. Jason PLATO               182pts5. Tom CHILTON              175pts6. Colin TURKINGTON      165ptsManufacturers1. VAUXHALL                  708pts2. SEAT                          583ptsTeams1. Team Halfords              534pts2. VX Racing                    428pts3. SEAT Sport UK            279pts