Jason Plato has won the second of today’s three title-deciding HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship races at Brands Hatch.
Plato passed early leader Tom Chilton’s Team Aon Ford Focus in the closing stages to take his second win of the day in his Racing Silverline Chevrolet.
Finishing second was Vauxhall’s Fabrizio Giovanardi and in a vital third Team RAC BMW driver Colin Turkington after fighting his way through from eighth on the grid.
In a nail-biting finale and for the first time since 2000, all three drivers - Turkington, Giovanardi and Plato - will go into this afternoon’s last race of the season separated by just eight points with 15 available for the race win.
The points situation entering the race will be Turkington (262), Giovanardi (258), Plato (254).
Adding to the unpredictability, Giovanardi's VXR team-mate Matt Neal has been picked to start race three from pole position as the top eight finishers in race two are reversed at the front of the grid.
Race 2P/ No/ CL/ Driver/ Car/ Laps/ Gap/ Best
1 3 I Jason Plato Chevrolet Lacetti 18 -- 1m34.611s 2 1 Fabrizio Giovanardi Vauxhall Vectra 18 +1.317s 1m34.645s 3 4 I Colin Turkington BMW 320si E90 18 +1.486s 1m34.479s 4 11 I Robert Collard BMW 320si E90 18 +1.981s 1m34.415s 5 12 I Jonathan Adam BMW 320si E90 18 +2.338s 1m34.544s 6 10 I Tom Chilton Ford Focus ST 18 +4.828s 1m34.787s 7 29 I Paul O'Neill Honda Integra 18 +5.516s 1m34.670s 8 5 Matt Neal Vauxhall Vectra 18 +6.004s 1m34.029s 9 6 I Tom Onslow-Cole Ford Focus ST 18 +15.304s 1m34.087s 10 52 I Gordon Shedden SEAT Leon 18 +15.525s 1m34.516s 11 44 I Stephen Jelley BMW 320si E90 18 +15.636s 1m34.604s 12 2 I Mat Jackson Chevrolet Lacetti 18 +15.830s 1m34.661s 13 17 I Harry Vaulkhard Chevrolet Lacetti 18 +16.245s 1m34.907s 14 55 I David Pinkney Honda Civic 18 +18.355s 1m34.783s 15 50 I John George Honda Integra 18 1m15.120s 1m35.922s 16 77 Andrew Jordan Vauxhall Vectra 18 1m26.548s 1m34.996s
Not Classified - 45 I Johnny Herbert Honda Civic 15 +3 Laps 1m35.172s - 14 I Anthony Reid BMW 320si E90 13 +5 Laps 1m34.521s - 15 I Martyn Bell Honda Integra 0 +18 Laps -- - 98 I Matt Hamilton Honda Civic Type R 0 +18 Laps --
