Mat Jackson has won a thrill-a-minute opening Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Donington Park.
It was Robert Collard who led the opening five laps after a quite sensational start in his eBay Motors BMW took him from fifth on the grid into first place at the opening bend.
On the sixth lap the chasing Jason Plato’s MG KX Momentum Racing MG6, which had started from pole position, finally looked set to overtake him under braking for the chicane.
But the MG received a minor tap from Jackson’s closely following Redstone Racing Ford Focus ST. This delayed both Plato and in particular Collard and allowed Jackson (pictured) through into the lead, followed by the Honda Yuasa Racing Team Honda Civics of Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal.
This is how it would stay to the finish with Jackson, who also set the race’s fastest lap, running out the winner by less than a second from Shedden. Neal was able to take third after spending the rest of the race skilfully holding back the frustrated Plato.
Warwickshire’s Jackson becomes the fourth different winner in as many races and his victory is his second at his home circuit in 12 months. He said: “I was a bit surprised how early Jason braked for the chicane and that’s why there was contact – the back end of my car was out of shape as I was trying to miss him. But that opened the door and I was through. I’m really pleased with this result because to hold off one of the factory Civics really shows how we’ve moved the Focus on.”
Shedden added: “The incident with Mat, Rob and Jason worked in my favour but after that, as much as I tried, I couldn’t quite get on terms with Mat. He made one error with a couple of laps to go at the chicane and I closed up but he drove the two last laps very well. Still, a clean run to second is good considering what happened two weeks ago at Brands Hatch.”
Neal commented: “Jason was on to me like a rash after he’d been delayed and I really had to drive on my mirrors. When it’s like that you’re on the defensive the whole time so I couldn’t get after Mat and Gordon, but a ‘2-3’ for our team is a good start to the day.”
eBay Motors’ Tom Onslow-Cole took fifth after just staying ahead of Andrew Jordan’s Pirtek Racing Honda Civic on the dash to the line. Dave Newsham, always in the fight, was seventh in his Team ES Racing.com Vauxhall Vectra ahead of Redstone’s Aron Smith and Frank Wrathall in his Dynojet Toyota Avensis – both of whom got by the struggling Collard in the closing laps.
There was drama further down the order, too, as Pirtek’s Jeff Smith took 13th after a tangle with Tony Gilham’s Team HARD. Civic and Adam Morgan’s Speedworks Toyota Avensis – which had been ahead of both – at the final bend.
Meanwhile Andy Neate’s factory MG recovered to take 16th after a couple of spills and Ollie Jackson and Rob Austin retired their AmD Tuning.com VW Golf and Rob Austin Racing Audi A4 respectively in the pit lane with engine-related problems. The opening bend also accounted for Redstone’s Liam Griffin and Lea Wood’s BINZ Racing Vauxhall Vectra, both touring back to the pits with collision damage to their cars. Tony Hughes last only a lap longer before retiring his car after its suspension was broken in a collision with team-mate Morgan!
For full race results at
http:/www.btcc.net/html/raceresults_detail.php?race_id=98&season_id=55
