Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal made it a dream 1-2 result for their Honda Racing Team in the second of today’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at Croft.
Scottish ace Shedden effectively led all the way, generously handing Neal the lead for a lap towards the end (so the latter could score a bonus point) before re-asserting himself at the front for his second win of the day.
Chevrolet’s Jason Plato, who had held second early on until being passed by Neal entering the Sunny In corner, finished third while the fastest lap was set by fourth-placed Paul O’Neill in his Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Honda Integra.
As a result, Neal has pulled out a nine-point lead over Plato at the top of the standings heading into today’s third race. Shedden is now just a further 12 points adrift in third.
O’Neill has also resurrected his Independent drivers’ title hopes – he is now up to third, just three points behind Team Aon’s Tom Onslow-Cole and Airwaves BMW Steven Kane who are tied for the lead. O’Neill’s fourth place came courtesy of a cheeky move down the inside of Onslow-Cole’s Ford Focus at the final bend – much to the latter’s annoyance – while Kane retired from the race with radiator damage.
However, the race’s big talking point was an incident involving Neal, O’Neill and WSR BMW driver Robert Collard. O’Neill was attempting to pass Collard for third into Tower Bend just as Neal was diving down the inside of him. It appeared that Neal and O’Neill collided with the Sunshine driver’s car then knocking Collard into a spin.
Collard, whose damaged driver’s side door later needed to be crow-barred open by his mechanics, dropped to last but then valiantly fought his way back up to eighth – a sign of what might have been.
Behind Onslow-Cole in sixth was Tom Boardman – a great result from 12th on the grid after having had his Special Tuning UK SEAT Leon ‘roughed up’ in race one. Andrew Jordan finished seventh in his Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra. And that has become pole position for race three after number seven was picked in the reversed grid draw.
Ninth behind the seething Collard came Plato’s team-mate Alex MacDowall whose Cruze, after twice swiping the chicane’s tyre barriers, crossed the line minus both its front wings. Collard’s team-mate Andy Neate completed the top ten after holding off Aon’s Tom Chilton.
Martin Depper gave the fledgling Forster Motorsport team its best result yet with 12th – in front of both Triple Eight-run Vauxhall Vectras driven by James Nash and Daniel Lloyd, so impressive in race one but who this time ran off the track together after banging panels at the hairpin.
Martin Johnson’s Boulevard Vauxhall Astra got the nod over Shaun Hollamby’s AmD Milltek Racing.com VW Golf in a thrilling littler battle for 15th while Lea Wood completed the classified runners in 16th, a lap down after pitting to replace a punctured tyre.
Adding to Airwaves’ agony, its other driver Mat Jackson retired as well, with suspension damage. Also missing at the end were Depper’s and O’Neill’s respective team-mates Arthur Forster and John George.
Croft Race 2 Results
1 52 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic 15 -- 1m27.112s 2 4 Matt Neal Honda Civic 15 +0.742s 1m26.814s 3 2 Jason Plato Chevrolet Cruze 15 +6.350s 1m27.154s 4 29 I Paul O'Neill Honda Integra 15 +9.958s 1m26.809s 5 21 I Tom Onslow-Cole Ford Focus ST 15 +10.909s 1m26.818s 6 22 I Tom Boardman SEAT Leon 15 +17.408s 1m27.796s 7 77 I Andrew Jordan Vauxhall Vectra 15 +17.599s 1m28.236s 8 6 I Robert Collard BMW 320si E90 15 +17.789s 1m27.526s 9 20 Alex MacDowall Chevrolet Cruze 15 +18.343s 1m28.234s 10 44 I Andy Neate BMW 320si E90 15 +19.331s 1m28.707s 11 23 I Tom Chilton Ford Focus ST 15 +21.169s 1m28.220s 12 30 I Martin Depper BMW 320si E90 15 +25.065s 1m28.751s 13 14 I James Nash Vauxhall Vectra 15 +25.248s 1m27.967s 14 25 I Daniel Lloyd Vauxhall Vectra 15 +25.987s 1m27.800s 15 27 I Martin Johnson Vauxhall Astra Coupe 15 +43.894s 1m29.038s 16 99 I Shaun Hollamby VW Golf MK5 15 +44.286s 1m29.876s 17 43 I Lea Wood Honda Integra 14 +1 Lap 1m28.744s
Not Classified - 37 I Arthur Forster BMW 320si E90 11 +4 Laps 1m29.226s - 11 I Steven Kane BMW 320si E90 10 +5 Laps 1m27.362s - 28 I John George Honda Integra 9 +6 Laps 1m28.823s - 5 I Mat Jackson BMW 320si E90 4 +11 Laps 1m27.372s
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