Plato wins Silverstone BTCC opener

Jason Plato has won the first of todays three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at Silverstone but only after Mat Jackson cruelly retired from the lead with just a few laps to go.

These two dominated the race with Platos KX Momentum Racing MG6 leading until lap 11 when Jacksons Redstone Racing Ford Focus moved in front into Brooklands Corner.

In the closing stages, Jackson, with a new lap record to his name, looked to have the win in the bag only for his car to suddenly stop with throttle failure exiting Becketts Corner. Jacksons retirement also means he can no longer win the drivers title

Meanwhile Plato, whod started from pole position, was left clear for his fifth win of the season ahead of the battling Dave Newshams Team ES Racing.com Vauxhall Vectra and Redstones Aron Smith who, thanks to team-mate Jacksons retirement, achieved the first podium result of his BTCC career.

Championship leader Gordon Shedden salvaged seventh place after starting only 19th in his Honda Yuasa Racing Team Civic while team-mate Matt Neal retired with turbo boost problems.

Shedden continues to lead the standings by the increased margin of 12 points from Neal but Plato is now only a further seven adrift having started the race some 32 behind the Scot.

Significantly Andrew Jordan was another high-profile retirement, his Pirtek Racing Honda spinning off the track after contact with Platos team-mate Andy Neate. The incident has severely affected Jordans outright championship chances (he remains fourth overall) and has halted his charge to the Independent drivers crown as well.

Oxfords Plato commented: Mat drove a great race and there was no point fighting him when he made his moveI wanted us to get away from the rest and then sort it out later. In the end it was gifted to me but nevertheless its a great result.

Newsham, from Inverness, added: I had no answer to Jackson and Plato so played for third but Aron gave me a real battle to the line. It means a lot of ballast in the car for race two which weve not run with in the dry before.

And said ecstatic Dubliner Smith: Its a great shame my first podium result has come at the expense of my team-mate but its also overdue. Its also a bit of a monkey off my back. It feels great.

Elsewhere Robert Collard finished fourth in his eBay Motors BMW having initially challenged Plato for the lead before falling away. Completing the top six and finishing nose-to-tail were Rob Austin (RAR Audi A4) and Collards team-mate Nick Foster. Shedden was seventh after surviving a robust attack from Howard Fullers Team HARD. Honda and then fending off Lea Wood whose BINZ Racing Vectra eventually took ninth behind Jeff Smiths Pirtek Civic. Tom Onslow-Cole was tenth - a great recovery drive after his eBay Motors team had speedily replaced a broken driveshaft on his BMW in the pit lane which had forced him to start from the pit lane in last...

In addition to Jackson, Neal and Jordan another five drivers failed to finish. Dynojets Frank Wrathall stopped in the pit lane after his and Speedworks Motorsport driver Adam Morgans two Toyota Avensis collided at Brooklands while fighting over sixth. Joining him was Daniel Welch whose Welch Motorsport Proton Persona developed mechanical problems while looking good for a top six finish.

Newshams team-mate Chris James stopped his Vectra at the side of the track with suspension damage after colliding with Fullerthis requiring a safety car period to retrieve his stricken car. Tony Gilham spun Thorney Motorsports Vauxhall Insignia off the track while trying to make up lost ground after serving a pit lane drive-through penalty for jumping the start. Liam Griffins Redstone Focus was out after a lap after a scrape with Woods Vectra.


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