Jason Plato, Fabrizio Giovanardi and Matt Neal were the winners of yesterday’s (Sunday) three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rounds at the Knockhill circuit in Scotland. Giovanardi’s victory in race two not only ended Vauxhall year-long victory drought but also heralded the British manufacturer an historic 100th race win in the BTCC. In the title race, Neal’s win in race three means he leaves the Fife track having virtually doubled his championship lead over chief rivals Colin Turkington and Jason Plato with just six rounds to go – the first three of which will take place at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent on 24 September.
Team Halfords Honda driver Neal, the reigning champion and seeking a second consecutive title, has seen his lead over Turkington, who endured a rotten day in his Team RAC MG, go up from 27 points prior to Knockhill to 53. His victory aside, Plato was also out of luck in his SEAT Leon, failing to score in either race two or three. He remains third in the standings, three points behind Turkington.
In the chase for the BTCC’s coveted Manufacturers’ title, SEAT continues to lead Vauxhall. Team Halfords has extended its lead in the outright Teams’ championship ahead of SEAT Sport UK. Neal and Team Halfords have also pulled further ahead in the Independents Trophy’s Drivers’ and Teams’ standings respectively.
Round 22, 27 laps (34.325 miles)Weather/Track: Overcast/Wet
Plato dominates in the rainIn soaking wet conditions, Plato led all the way from pole position to take his sixth win of the season in a race that was twice interrupted by safety car periods. Team-mate Darren Turner, standing in for World Touring Car Championship-tied James Thompson, followed in a best-ever second, but was later demoted to tenth with a 20-second penalty by the officials for failing to keep within five cars’ lengths of the driver ahead – Plato – at the re-start after the first safety car period.
That elevated Neal to second and, to third, his team-mate Gareth Howell who had battled hard to get past Giovanardi who took fourth. Fifth, after starting from the back of the grid, was a determined Mike Jordan in Team Eurotech Racing with John Guest's Honda Integra.
Scotland’s home hero Gordon Shedden, delayed by two pit stops and a pit lane drive-through penalty, took advantage of the two safety car periods to keep up with the field and come through to finish sixth. He also scored a bonus point for setting the race's fastest lap.
Result:
1. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, 29m34.436s2. Matt Neal (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Integra, + 1.865s3. Gareth Howell (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Integra, +2.554s
Fastest Lap: Gordon Shedden (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Integra, 57.966s
Round 23, 26 laps (33.054 miles)Weather/Track: Overcast/Dry
Giovanardi secures Vauxhall its 100th winGiovanardi produced a masterful, defensive drive to secure Vauxhall its magical 100th race win in the BTCC. Italian Giovanardi took the lead from Plato in the early stages and held on to the end for what was also his first win in the BTCC.
He was under pressure virtually throughout from Turner who himself had put in a stunning drive from tenth on the grid after his penalty from race one. However, Turner was again out luck, this time being excluded by the officials after they found his car to be under weight.
This promoted Vauxhall’s Gavin Smith to second to give the Luton marque a celebrated 1-2 result. Dave Pinkney was a best-ever third, rewarding his Motorbase Performance crew after it worked miracles to ready his Honda Integra which had been heavily damaged in race one. There was also a career-best fourth for Jason Hughes in his bio-ethanol-powered Kartworld MG.
Smith, Pinkney and Hughes had all gained positions on the final lap when a multiple pile-up eliminated both Plato and Vauxhall’s Tom Chilton. Neal was also in the thick of this, but recovered to finish fifth ahead of Mark Proctor, enjoying a best-ever sixth in his Fast-Tec Honda Civic.
Behind, Turkington was ninth, having lost a lap in the pit lane while his team checked over his car after it was involved in a collision with Howell earlier in the race. Once he rejoined, Turkington set a new lap record. Shedden, meanwhile, this time retired in a crash two laps from the end.
Result:1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing/Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch, 24m39.414s2. Gavin Smith (IRL), VX Racing/Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch, +4.306s3. Dave Pinkney (GBR), Motorbase Performance/Honda Integra, +5.616s
Fastest lap: Turkington, 53.745s
Round 24, 27 laps (34.325 miles)Weather/Track: Overcast/Dry
Neal wins to extend leadNeal led home team-mates Shedden and Howell to record his seventh victory of the season in a dream 1-2-3 result for the Team Halfords squad. Proctor had been drawn on pole position, with Neal starting second. And it was the reigning champion who led into the first corner to lead the early stages.
Turkington, though, had quickly carved his way through to second and at mid-distance moved past Neal into first position… only for his MG to retire almost immediately with mechanical problems. By now, Shedden, bettering Turkington’s earlier lap record, had moved up to second and he too briefly moved past Neal.
But Neal was not to be denied, re-taking the position ahead of Shedden and the following Howell, their three cars crossing the line together in a formation finish to the delight of their crew on the pit wall. With Turkington retiring and Plato's SEAT Leon too badly damaged to start after its race two accident, Neal’s victory will be seen a huge boost to his title aspirations.
Turner, having started from the back of the grid, took a well-earned fourth ahead of Smith and Giovanardi who completed the top six.
Result:1. Matt Neal (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Integra, 25m34.880s2. Gordon Shedden (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Integra, +0.144s3. Gareth Howell (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Integra, +0.646s
Fastest lap: Shedden, 53.311s (NEW RECORD)
Leading BTCC points after Knockhill (provisional):
Drivers:
1. Matt NEAL 241pts2. Colin TURKINGTON 188pts
3. Jason PLATO 185pts
4. Gordon SHEDDEN 162pts
5. James THOMPSON 150pts6. Fabrizio GIOVANARDI 122pts
7. Gavin SMITH 113pts
8. Tom CHILTON 101pts9. Mike JORDAN 82pts
10. Robert COLLARD 71pts
Manufacturers:1. SEAT 488pts2. Vauxhall 396pts
Teams: 1. Team Halfords 393pts2. SEAT Sport UK 352pts 3. VX Racing 299pts
4. Team RAC 252pts
5. Eurotech/John Guest 83pts6. Synchro Motorsport, 66
