Jason Plato and Matt Neal shared the victories in today's (Sunday) three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rounds at the high-speed Snetterton circuit. Reigning champion Neal leaves the Norfolk venue having extended his championship lead to 27 points over nearest challenger Colin Turkington, but overall Plato has emerged the biggest winner - victories in races one and two have moved him back up to third in the title race which now moves to the Knockhill circuit in Fife, Scotland on Sunday 3 September.

Despite his lead, Team Halfords driver Neal remained cautious about his chances of becoming the first driver in 20 years to achieve back-to-back BTCC titles. Indeed, he was reminded of how quickly fortunes change in race two when his Honda Integra span at the final bend in a controversial collision with Plato's SEAT Leon. Neal's race three win, therefore, was vital in him re-asserting himself at the top of the table.

Neal, aged 39 from Droitwich, said: "It's not quite gone to plan today, but I've still come out clear of Colin and with a slightly bigger lead. But 27 points is not a lot - there are still 140 points to be won in the final nine rounds. I had a similar lead this time last year, but the pressure is definitely on.

"Looking ahead, Knockhill will be tough. Last year there it rained and we had a great weekend, but I'm not relying on that this year. Plus, my car will have maximum ballast on it so lugging that lot up the hills is going to be very hard work."

Team RAC MG driver Turkington, who retired from today's first race before salvaging third and fifth place finishes, believes Knockhill will be crucial to his title hopes. The 24-year-old from Portadown, aiming to become the BTCC's youngest ever champion, added: "Considering I had one non-finish today, I'm not that disappointed - I only lost five points to Matt and he appears to be fairly unsteady at the moment and quite rattled.

"The MG has always been well suited to Knockhill and I see it as a good opportunity to take some big points off of Matt. I'm not going to lie down - I'm going to take the fight all the way. Jason will still be trying to win it as well. I know he's ruled himself out of the championship, but today he's taken a load of points out of me and Matt so can never be discounted. It's always going to be a three-way fight."

In addition to Plato's pair of wins, three second place finishes for team-mate James Thompson has enabled SEAT to increase its lead over Vauxhall in the Manufacturers' championship. SEAT Sport UK has also dramatically closed on Team Halfords in the Teams' standings. Neal and Team Halfords continue to lead the Independent Drivers' and Teams' tables respectively.

Round 19, 18 laps (35.136 miles)Weather/Track: Overcast/Drying

Plato wins dramatic race onePlato led all the way from pole position to take his fourth win of the season in a race that was full of high drama. Thompson followed in second to give SEAT a dream 1-2 result.

He took the position when Vauxhall's Gavin Smith damaged his Astra while lapping a backmarker. Smith, with a bonus point for setting the race's fastest lap, continued in his crabbing car but eventually fell to fourth behind team-mate Fabrizio Giovanardi and at the line only just held off Mike Jordan's fast-closing Team Eurotech Racing with John Guest Honda in fifth.

Giovanardi had held second for much of the race but span his Astra in a tangle with Thompson's Leon at the chicane.

In the title race, Neal survived collisions with two drivers - including arch rival Turkington - to bring his battered Team Halfords Honda home in sixth. The result extended his series lead to 27 points over Turkington who retired his MG with mechanical problems while he was in front of Neal.

Meanwhile, Gordon Shedden lost third in the standings to Plato when his Halfords Honda and Tom Chilton's Vauxhall collided and span out of sight together into a crop field.

Result:

1. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, 23m48.514s2. James Thompson (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, +0.383s3. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing/Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch, +17.392sFastest Lap: Gavin Smith (IRL), VX Racing/Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch, 1m17.568s

Round 20, 21 laps (40.992 miles)Weather/Track: Sunny/Dry

Plato takes controversial win The outcome ultimately came down to one final moment of controversy when race-long leader Plato and Neal collided at the final corner. The pair had already tangled half way around the last lap and at the chicane their cars rubbed panels again, Neal, who had made up four seconds on Plato before launching a late bid for victory, spinning down to an eventual eighth.

Plato escaped for his second win of the day and once more was followed across the line by team-mate Thompson who this time had needed to make up places after running off the track in a brush with Giovanardi.

Turkington came home in third after a great drive through the field from the back of the grid that also netted him a bonus point for setting the fastest lap. The result enabled him to close to within 19 points of Neal while Plato, having arrived at Snetterton 54 points adrift of the series leader, was now just 29 behind.

Jordan followed up his strong race one result with an even better fourth. Next up, having also started from lowly grid positions, were Team RAC's Robert Collard and Shedden. Tenth and earning a point was Eoin Murray - a fine reward for his Quest Racing team which had worked hard to get his Alfa Romeo ready on time after it was damaged in race one.

Result:1. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, 28m22.073s2. James Thompson (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, +1.650s3. Colin Turkington (GBR), Team RAC/MG ZS, +3.406s

Fastest lap: Turkington, 1m13.252s

Round 21, 18 laps (35.136 miles)Weather/Track: Sunny/Dry

Neal fights back with victoryNeal put the disappointment of his race two result behind him with a trouble-free victory. Team-mate Gareth Howell had been drawn on pole position and Neal second, but it was Chilton, spectacularly squeezing his car between them at the start, who led into the first corner from third on the grid.

Neal, though, was quick to home in on Chilton and once past quickly built up a lead. In the closing stages, Thompson, having made up positions from eighth on the grid, started to close in but Neal was too far ahead.

Chilton followed in third ahead of Turkington and Shedden, who after numerous attempts finally slipped past Plato to grab fifth.

Result:1. Matt Neal (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Integra2. James Thompson (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, +0.657s3. Tom Chilton (GBR), VX Racing/Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch, +4.681s

Fastest lap: Gordon Shedden (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Integra, 1m12.679sLeading BTCC points after Snetterton (provisional):

Drivers:

1. Matt NEAL 207pts2. Colin TURKINGTON 180pts3. Jason PLATO 167pts4. James THOMPSON 150pts5. Gordon SHEDDEN 142pts6. Tom CHILTON 101pts 7. Gavin SMITH 95pts8. Fabrizio GIOVANARDI 93pts9. Mike JORDAN 76pts10. Robert Collard 67pts

Manufacturers:1. SEAT 448pts 2. Vauxhall 349pts

Teams: 1. Team Halfords 334pts2. SEAT Sport UK 325pts 3. VX Racing 250pts4. Team RAC 240pts