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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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mail your news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk TURKINGTON BECOMES 2009 CHAMPION AS PLATO MAKES IT THREE WINS IN A DAY
Three drivers - Turkington, Fabrizio Giovanardi and Jason Plato - all went into the race with a chance of lifting the title. But second place for Team RAC BMW driver Turkington behind Plato was sufficient for the 27-year-old from Portadown to clinch the first BTCC Drivers' crown of his career. Plato's win, incidentally, means he becomes only the second driver in history to win all three races in a day - the result means he has beaten Giovanardi to second in the final Drivers' standings. Watching Turkington win his title were four generations of his family, including grand father Harry and baby son Lewis. In beating former title-winners Giovanardi and Plato, Turkington's name is now etched on to the coveted BTCC Champion's trophy - one of world motor sport's most prized pieces of silverware - alongside those of other great past champions such as Jack Sears, Jim Clark, Andy Rouse, John Cleland and Alain Menu. "It's everything I've worked for," said the elated Turkington," but I couldn't relax at all. The pressure coming into the day was already immense. Then after the first two races the emotion inside me was something else - I knew I was close but that it could still be taken away from me. After leading the season for so long I don't think I could have taken that. "It was the race of my life. I had to get past Matt (Neal, Giovanardi's team-mate) because he was holding me up, backing me into Fabrizio and if he'd got past me I knew it would be over. So I went for it and got the lead. Jason then got us all with a great move, but so long as I was where I was I knew I was in the right place. I concentrated on driving the best two laps of my life at the end and then, when my team confirmed it over the radio, I just burst into tears. To have my family and so many more supporters come over from Ulster to be here makes it so special." Racing Silverline Chevrolet driver Plato, who won the BTCC title in 2001, said: "Colin has driven fantastically well. He did everything right today in keeping his nose clean and attacking at the right moments. All I could do was try and win races and then hope something might happen behind, but you simply can't take anything away from Colin - he is a truly worthy Champion." Vauxhall's outgoing champion Giovanardi, who won the 2007 and 2008 titles, added: "I have no hard feelings. It was just great to be in such an exciting fight to finish and even though it did not come my way this time I still really enjoyed that last race because at least I went down fighting. But Colin really deserves to be the Champion." Elsewhere, Vauxhall's 20-year participation in the BTCC has drawn to an end and, although the Drivers' title has eluded it, the British make and its VX Racing team still leave with the much-prized Manufacturers/Constructors trophy. VXR has also achieved the outright Teams' title. Meanwhile, Turkington and Team RAC have won third consecutive Independent Drivers' and Teams' crowns respectively.
JELLEY & PLATO SHARE ROCKINGHAM WINS, TURKINGTON RETAINS LEAD AHEAD OF BRANDS HATCH TITLE-DECIDER Stephen Jelley and Jason Plato were the winners of Sunday's three HiQ MSA British Touring CarChampionship races at the sun-soaked Rockingham circuit in Northamptonshire. It was undoubtedly the best day of Leicester-based Jelley's career: he took his first-ever win in the series in race one and then added to it with another victory in race three, in doing so becoming the eighth different race-winner in the BTCC this season... However, all eyes are now on his Team RAC BMW team-mate Colin Turkington who will go into Finals Day at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit on Sunday 4 October leading the championship standings and still on course for his first BTCC first Drivers' title. But he will arrive at Brands Hatch under intense pressure from two of the most successful names in the sport - Vauxhall's reigning champion, the Italian Fabrizio Giovanardi and 2001 winner Plato in his Racing Silverline Chevrolet. Northern Irishman Turkington appeared to struggle to tenth and fourth position in the first and second race while Giovanardi finished them in sixth and third and Plato second and first. Suddenly his lead over Giovanardi was down to just five points with Plato only 20 adrift having arrived at Rockingham 42 behind. But in race three the tide turned back in Turkington's favour as he survived being pushed into a half-spin by Plato to finish fourth. In contrast, Plato needed a pit stop for quick repairs to his car and finished out of the points. Incredibly, so did Giovanardi whose car limped across the line with damage from a bash with former F1 star Johnny Herbert's Team Dynamics Honda Civic. Herbert was one of several star performers in the third race - the other being Tom Chilton who gave his Team Aon squad's new Ford Focus its first top-three result in the BTCC with a third-place finish. Significantly, it is the first time that the Ford name has appeared on the BTCC podium since 2000. Up front, though, Turkington will go to Brands Hatch's title-deciding final round with a 13-point advantage over Giovanardi while Plato now has 28 points to make up. Turkington, aged 27 and who has led the championship since mid-season, said: "For a moment in race three it looked like I'd be leaving Rockingham no longer the leader - it was a bit of a heart-in-mouth moment in the incident with Jason as the outcome could have been very different. But this time a bit of luck was with me while it was Jason's and Fabrizio's turn to suffer a bit of misfortune. So now this is it - just the final hurdle to clear but it's a very high hurdle. Jason and Fabrizio are world class drivers so I'll need to be at the top of my game to keep them where they are." Giovanardi, champion these past two years and going for a third straight title, added: "I said before Jason could still come into it and here he is! I don't mind too much the gap to Colin - I am still quite close and he is maybe going to experience some new emotions. But he will be supported by his team-mate Jelley who has hit strong form at the right moment for his team. It is also good that there are three drivers who can win at the final round as it keeps it very exciting for everyone involved." And said Oxford-based Plato: "I really thought I was right out of it before Rockingham and I still believe 28 points is too much to make up. Realistically, it is Colin's and Fabrizio's to lose - all I can do is try and win races on the day and the rest is up to them." Meanwhile, today's double race-winner Jelly commented: "Crikey, what a day I've had! Awesome. I'm really proud because I achieved both my wins the hard way by catching and passing people. Days don't get much better than this..." Elsewhere, Turkington has provisionally won a third consecutive Independent Drivers' title - Plato can still equal his points tally but will lose out on the number of privateer wins (he has four compared to Turkington's nine). However, the fight for the outright and Independent Teams' championships will very much go to the wire. VX Racing leads Team RAC in the outright Teams' table by 58 points with a possible 81 to be scored at Brands Hatch. And Team RAC leads the Independent Teams' standings by 38 points with a maximum of 45 to be had at the season finale. Vauxhall/VX Racing has already secured Manufacturer/Constructor honours.
JACKSON & PLATO SHARE WINS AT SILVERSTONE AS TURKINGTON RETAINS SLENDER CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD Chevrolet drivers Mat Jackson and Jason Plato shared the wins in today's drama-filled HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship races at the Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire. Thanks to three strong points finishes, though, it is still Northern Ireland's Colin Turkington who leads the Drivers' standings by the slightly increased margin of 11 points from Italian Fabrizio Giovanardi as the championship stays in Northamptonshire for its penultimate round at the Rockingham circuit on Sunday 20 September. The day's first race produced an historic result - the first Chevrolet 1-2-3 finish in the BTCC (pictured above) since the final round of the 1975 season - as Jackson led Racing Silverline team-mate Plato and RML's young charge James Nash across the line. Oxford-based Plato then won a rain-affected race two, but only just from Giovanardi's rapidly closing VX Racing Vauxhall Vectra with Jackson in third. Jackson then took a hard-fought victory in race three by fending off the Airwaves BMW of Robert Collard in a thrilling finish. It was the second meeting in a row that Jackson had finished all three races on the podium. His win also meant the Racing Silverline team had taken victory in all three races. Behind, Turkington finished race three in third and, with Team RAC BMW team-mate Stephen Jelley also muscling past Giovanardi to finish fourth, it is a result that could prove crucial. Indeed, it means the Ulsterman keeps hold of the championship lead that he has held since the season's fifth round. Only Rockingham and Brands Hatch Kent (Sunday 4 October) now stand in the way of what would be a first BTCC Drivers' title for Turkington. Many eyes today were of course on former Formula 1 star Johnny Herbert, making his debut in the BTCC in Team Dynamics' Honda Civic. Herbert scored points with an eighth place finish in race two and in race three was running as high as fourth until forced to retire after being knocked off the track by Plato. But for Warwickshire's Jackson it was a dream day that has elevated him to fifth in the standings - he was a lowly 11th just two rounds ago - and to within striking distance of Matt Neal's fourth place. Jackson said: "These are fantastic results made even sweeter because it's the second successive race weekend I've had three podiums on the trot. The Chevrolet has been exceptional here and it was down to me to make the most of it. I'm so happy, although Collard really made me work for it in the last few laps of race three." Turkington, aged 27 from Portadown, added: "That third place in race three was a really important result. I briefly had Fabrizio attacking me before Stephen came and got involved. He did me a real favour getting between us as it helped me stick a few more points on Fabrizio. I still prefer to be the man in front, but I suspect these final two rounds we're going into, at Rockingham and Brands Hatch are going to become very intense." Superstar Giovanardi, aiming for what would be an historic third consecutive Drivers' title having lifted the crown in both 2007 and 2008, said: "I'm really enjoying this fight with Colin. I thought after race two today I was closing up on him some more but then in race three he finds something else with his team-mate! But I had the same help from my team-mates in the previous round so it's all OK. It's how it works at this stage of the season. Rockingham and Brands Hatch... I think our cars will be quite even so it's going to be a very close." Elsewhere, Vauxhall/VX Racing has provisionally won the Manufacturers/Constructors crown while VXR remains comfortably on course for a seventh outright Teams' trophy. Turkington and his Team RAC squad continue to lead the Independent Drivers' and Teams' points tables, although both have had their advantages trimmed slightly by Plato and Racing Silverline respectively.
WINS FOR PLATO, GIOVANARDI & JACKSON AT KNOCKHILL Jason Plato, Fabrizio Giovanardi and Mat Jackson shared the wins in todays three highly-charged HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship races at the spectacular Knockhill circuit in Scotland. But it is still Northern Irelands Colin Turkington who leads the Drivers standings, albeit by the reduced margin of just nine points from reigning champion Giovanardi as the championship battle now heads to the world-famous Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire for its next three races on Sunday 30 August. Plato dominated the days first race in his Racing Silverline Chevrolet Lacetti. And the day just got better for the team as Jackson then went and won race three followed home by Plato in second after what will stand as one of the BTCCs all-time classic drives from the back of the grid. A retirement for Plato in race two, though, has severely dented his title hopes. But Jackson, whod previously suffered a miserable run of results at Knockhill, was this time ecstatic having preceded his victory today with third and second places finishes in the two earlier races hes suddenly up to seventh in the standings and now has fifth in his sights. Vauxhall superstar Giovanardis win came in race two following some world-class overtaking moves. Fifth in the days first race, he then followed up his race two win with third in race three. Compared to Team RAC BMW driver Turkingtons results of fourth, third and fifth, it means the Italian has cut what was a 17-point gap to the Portadown man down to just nine points as the title race surely now between these two moves south to Silverstone for a Bank Holiday weekend showdown. Turkington, aged 27, said: It can be a rough ride at Knockhill and I very nearly got the measure of Fabrizio in race three. But even though he just kept ahead of me in that one Im still very happy with my results here. Sure, hes closed the gap, but Ive limited the damage and next come what, on paper, are slightly more predictable circuits with Silverstone, Rockingham and Brands Hatch. Fabrizio and I have moved that wee bit further ahead of the rest again, but Im still not ruling out Jason and Matt (Neal) coming back into it. Giovanardi, the man from Modena aiming this year for a third consecutive BTCC Drivers crown, added: I think now it is between us two. Jason I saw parked at the side of the road in race two and Matt crashed out of race one whereas Colin and I managed to get strong results in all three races. Colin, you know he is putting up a very good fight, very mature for his age, and he is going to be very hard to beat. I think we are quite even in performance on the track and today he raced very hard but fair with me. The last three rounds are going to be very exciting but its what Im sure we both want and its the same for the crowds and TV! Meanwhile, it proved to be a day of mixed fortunes for the two home Scottish drivers. Gordon Shedden (Dalgety Bay) finished the days first race in second. He also briefly led race two in his Cartridge World SEAT Leon but fell to ninth and then crashed out of race three. Jonathan Adam (Kinghorn) finished the first two races in fifth and seventh but then retired from race three when his Airwaves BMWs fire extinguisher went off in his face. Elsewhere, Vauxhall/VX Racing is seemingly romping to the Manufacturer/Constructor crown as is VXR to what would be its seventh outright Teams title. Turkington and his Team RAC squad also hold commanding leads in the Independent Drivers and Teams points tables.
RACE WINS FOR GIOVANARDI & SERIES LEADER TURKINGTON AT SNETTERTON Italian Fabrizio Giovanardi and Northern Irishman Colin Turkington shared the race wins in Sunday's three HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship races at the Snetterton circuit in Norfolk. Turkington, who inherited his victory in race three after provisional winner James Nash was excluded from the results, continues to lead the table as the title race now heads to Scotland for its next round at the Knockhill circuit in Fife (Sunday 16 August). Italian Giovanardi won the day's first two races in his VX Racing Vauxhall Vectra to move past team-mate Matt Neal into second in the standings and close to within 14 points of Turkington who had arrived at Snetterton holding a 25-point lead. Turkington finished races one and two in fifth and second places but had been lucky to get away with a spin in the first - caused by a clash with Jason Plato as they fought for the lead. With Giovanardi eating into his lead he really needed to finish in front of the man from Modena in race three and this he did, crossing the line in second with Giovanardi behind in third. But Nash's exclusion then elevated Turkington to first - his sixth win of the season - and means he leaves East Anglia with his lead back out to 17 points ahead of reigning Champion Giovanardi. Neal and Plato remain third and fourth but have lost touch slightly thanks to a dismal day for each. Plato in particular had all looked set for a big points haul after heading Saturday's qualifying session, but instead came away with just one third place finish to show for his efforts. Turkington said: "I'm really happy with my results today particularly considering I had a spin in race one and I never quite perfected the balance of my car. But I think it's too early to call it a two-horse race between Fabrizio and myself. Sure, we've broken away slightly but it can turn around so quickly. Just think if I'd not recovered from that spin in race one - there could have been a very different look at the top of the championship tonight." Giovanardi, chasing a third consecutive Drivers' title in 2009, added: "Colin is right. Matt and Jason are still in this and there is still a lot of hard racing to be done. But I am very happy today. We discovered a problem with our car in the previous round before the summer mid-season break and we've started to make improvements again. I'm always motivated, but now I am really motivated!" Elsewhere, Vauxhall/VX Racing has moved further ahead in the BTCC's Manufacturers/Constructors Championship as has VXR in the outright Teams' standings. Turkington and his Team RAC squad are also edging further ahead of their rivals in the Independent Drivers' and Teams' trophies respectively.
TURKINGTON MOVES INTO CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH TWO VICTORIES AT CROFT Colin Turkington and Fabrizio Giovanardi shared the wins in Sunday's three HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship races at the Croft circuit in North Yorkshire. Turkington won the opening two races and, heading into the mid-season break, has taken over the championship lead - and comfortably so - from Matt Neal who suffered a tough day which ended in controversy in a clash with old foe Jason Plato. Just as at Oulton Park two weeks previously, Northern Irishman Turkington was again in near-unstoppable form in his Team RAC BMW, this time dominating both of the first two races from pole position. Each time he was followed across the line by team-mate Stephen Jelley to give the Team RAC squad a pair of dream 1-2 results. Jelley then added a third place in race three to give himself three podium results - before Croft he had never finished in the top three in the BTCC. Vauxhall driver Giovanardi's win came in the day's third race as hot weather was replaced by heavy rain. It is a result that keeps the Italian maestro firmly in the title hunt as he seeks a third consecutive BTCC Drivers' crown in 2009. Neal, meanwhile, could manage only a pair of sixth-place finished in races one and two and eighth in race three after briefly being spun around in his Vectra in a collision with Plato's Racing Silverline Chevrolet Lacetti. The two-point lead that Neal had held over Turkington arriving at Croft has therefore turned into a 25-point deficit. Giovanardi is close behind in third while Plato is also very much in touch with the top of the table. Turkington, aged 27 from Portadown and who celebrated his 200th start in the BTCC in today's second race, said: "I'm delighted with the way it's going, obviously, but I am a bit surprised we were so much quicker than the Vauxhalls today - I thought they'd be closer. But we're no fools. We know they will return in August really strong so we have to try to keep this momentum going. To have the advantage I've got is a real bonus, but we've still got half the season still to go." Worcestershire's Neal, like Giovanardi seeking a third title this year having won the 2005 and 2006 championships, remained stoic despite his difficult day. The 42-year-old added: "I've still scored decent-ish points and managed to at least salvage something out of race three, no thanks to Jason. When I came back onto the track I just got my head down and got what I could as every point is going to be crucial. The BMWs we knew would be strong here, but Snetterton is next and that's a circuit where we traditionally perform well. There's a long way to go yet..." Elsewhere, Vauxhall/VX Racing has further increased its lead in the Manufacturers/Constructors championship, as has VXR in the outright Teams' standings. Turkington continues to head the Independent Drivers' championship (that he has won the past two seasons), while Team RAC has stretched its advantage at the top of the Independent Teams' table.
TURKINGTON & THOMPSON WIN AT OULTON PARK AS NEAL SEES POINTS LEAD SLASHED Colin Turkington and James Thompson shared the victories in Sunday's three HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship races held at Oulton Park. But it is Matt Neal who continues to lead the Drivers' standings, albeit by the greatly reduced margin of just two points, from Turkington as the championship heads to the Croft circuit in North Yorkshire for its fifth round of 2009 on Sunday 14 June. Northern Irishman Turkington dominated the day's first two races, even though his Team RAC BMW was carrying substantial success ballast. By mid-afternoon those two wins had moved Turkington past Neal to the top of the Drivers' standings - the first time in his eight years in the BTCC that he had led the championship. But a non-score by Turkington in race three and a vital third place for Neal - that followed seventh and fourth places in the first two races - was sufficient to move the Vauxhall driver back to the head of the table. Neal's Bid to win a third BTCC title, to add to those he achieved in 2005 and 2006, remains on course but he knows that his task is far from over. The 42-year-old said: "I actually feel a bit shellshocked. I seem to have been in the middle of it all day and certainly the racing is becoming very intense. We've been on the back foot a bit here and these have been three very tough races, plus we're heading to Croft next which is again BMW territory. We've just got to keep grinding out the results wherever possible." Turkington, aged 27 from Portadown, added: "I got hit so many times in that last race I don't even know who it was hitting me! But I'm certainly not disappointed to have fallen back behind Matt. It's actually a slightly preferable position to be because being second means my car will be slightly lighter than his with success ballast going to Croft, just as it was coming here. I'm not saying we can repeat today's results there but I'm feeling very confident with the way the team has got the BMW working." Yorkshireman Thompson's race three victory, meanwhile, means he maintains a very competitive sixth overall in the standings behind Vauxhall's reigning Champion, Fabrizio Giovanardi, Racing Silverline's Jason Plato and Airwaves BMW's Robert Collard. Elsewhere, Vauxhall/VX Racing has increased its lead at the top of the Manufacturers/Constructors championship, as has VXR in the outright Teams' table. Turkington has slightly increased his Independent Drivers' lead - over new second-placed challenger Plato - and having fallen a point behind Airwaves BMW in the battle for Independent Teams' honours two weeks ago at Donington Park, the RAC squad now finds itself back in front by a point.
WINS FOR THOMPSON & COLLARD AT DONINGTON PARK AS NEAL INCREASES POINTS LEAD OVER TURKINGTON Team Dynamics' James Thompson and Airwaves BMW's Robert Collard were the winners in Sunday’s three HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship races at the Donington Park circuit in Leicestershire. But it is Vauxhall driver Matt Neal who continues to lead the championship, by an increased margin, as the UK's top race series next heads to the Oulton Park circuit in Cheshire on Sunday 31 May. Yorkshireman Thompson romped to wins in both the first and second races, held in wet and dry conditions respectively, in his Honda Civic. His first victory made BTCC history for it meant the first seven races of 2009 had all been won by different drivers, breaking the previous record of six in a row. In race two, Thompson, a double BTCC Champion, then became the first driver this season to achieve two wins before Collard added his second victory of the year in race three - a result that has reignited his title bid. Neal, though, remains the man on top. The 2005 and 2006 Champion was second in race one and third in race two to briefly go 22 points clear of nearest championship challenger Colin Turkington. But Team RAC BMW driver Turkington, who had spun out of race one, pegged the gap back to just 13 points when he finished second in race three. Collard's race three win has catapulted him up to third equal in the standings with Neal's team-mate, the reigning Champion Fabrizio Giovanardi who's best result of the day was a third place finish, in race two. Worcestershire's Neal said: "I'd built myself a pretty tidy buffer over Colin by the end of race two but race three shows just how quickly it can all turn around. My car is working really well at the moment, but the next two circuits, at Oulton Park and Croft, will be strong for the BMWs so we've got a big fight ahead of us. Plus James in that Honda is looking very handy as are the Chevrolets. Seven different winners in seven races underlines just how competitive the BTCC is." Northern Irishman Turkington, meanwhile, was relieved to have kept Neal in his sights. The 27-year-old from Portadown added: "I said before if I could leave Donington with a hand still on Matt's back I'd be happy. It could have been a better situation if I'd not been spun out in race one, but I'm still relatively satisfied, particularly as I know Oulton and Croft will be two of our strongest circuits." Meanwhile, there were strong performances from a number of other teams and drivers. In Saturday's qualifying session, Vauxhall's Andrew Jordan, aged just 19 years and 358 days, had set a record as the youngest driver in history to take pole position for a BTCC race - ahead of Harry Vaulkhard in the new Tempus Sport team's Chevrolet Lacetti, who qualified a best-ever second fastest. Both also showed great pace in all three races today but, Thompson and Collard aside, perhaps the biggest smiles were to be found in the Team Aon pit garage as Tom Chilton gave its new Ford Focus ST - heavily revised for Donington - a first-ever points finish. Elsewhere, Vauxhall/VX Racing has extended its lead in the BTCC's Manufacturer/Constructor championship, as has VXR in the Teams' standings. Turkington continues to lead the Independent Drivers' standings but now from Collard who has moved into second. Collard's race win has also helped Airwaves BMW move one point ahead of Team RAC at the top of Independent Teams' table.
GIOVANARDI, TURKINGTON & JACKSON WIN AT THRUXTON TO MAKE IT SIX DIFFERENT WINNERS FROM SIX RACES Fabrizio Giovanardi, Colin Turkington and Mat Jackson shared the wins in Sunday's second round of the HiQ MSA British Touring Ccar Championship, held at Thruxton circuit in Hampshire - making it six different winners from the first six races of 2009. However, it is Matt Neal who continues to lead the Drivers' points table - just, from Turkington - as the UK's premier motor racing series next heads to the Donington Park circuit on the Leicestershire-Derbyshire border on Sunday 17 May. Reigning Champion Giovanardi struck first today at Thruxton, leading all the way from pole position in race one for his first win of the season. The Italian led home Vauxhall team-mates Neal and Andrew Jordan in their Vectras to give the VX Racing team a dream 1-2-3 result - its first in five years. Northern Irish star Turkington won race two with what he later described as one of the best drives of his career after taking on - and passing - first Neal and, on the last lap, Giovanardi for a classy victory and on a circuit not expected to suit his Team RAC BMW. Then it was Jackson's turn to taste the victory champagne. The Warwickshire driver, 2008's series runner-up but who missed this year's opening round, had returned in an RML Chevrolet Lacetti and took full advantage of a strong starting position on the reversed grid to lead from start to finish. Neal, though, with second to Giovanardi in race one and then third and seventh place finishes in races two and three, has maintained his championship lead. He leaves Hampshire six points clear of Turkington at the top of the standings. Worcesterhire-based Neal, who won the BTCC title in 2005 and 2006, said: "It's been another very strong day, but I'm a little disappointed to have lost points in race three - I started the last lap in fourth and was going for third, but found myself muscled down the order. The main thing is my lead is still intact and it's my home circuit next, Donington, where I've had some of my greatest races. I'm really enjoying the way my season is going." Turkington added: "I'm hugely encouraged by what we've done today. This is the circuit we were looking forward to least and yet we've still been very competitive and kept up the pressure on the Vauxhalls. You know you're up against real class when you're dicing with the likes of Matt and Fabrizio and to go and beat them both in race two... that has to go down as one of my best. Now it will be important to capitalise as we move towards circuits that should be better suited to the BMW." Notably, today's three races again underlined the BTCC's great strength in depth. Once more they received tremendous live television coverage - six and a half hours in total - on ITV4, while the entry list was arguably at its most competitive in over a decade with 11 different race winners, among them four past and present champions (Neal, Giovanardi, Jason Plato and the returning James Thompson), on the grid. Other names also made their mark, chiefly Adam Jones who gave the new Cartridge World Carbon Zero Racing team a maiden podium result with second in race three in its SEAT Leon. Paul O'Neill was another to star in the small Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport team's Honda Integra - fifth in race one, he was as high as second in race three, ahead of Jones, until being cruelly denied by a punctured tyre. Elsewhere, Vauxhall/VX Racing has stretched its lead in the Manufacturers/Constructors' championship, as has VXR in the outright Teams' table. Turkington has done likewise in the Independent Drivers' standings, while Team RAC has taken over the lead of the Independent Teams' Trophy.
WINS FOR NEAL, COLLARD & PLATO IN BTCC BRANDS HATCH SEASON-OPENER Matt Neal, Robert Collard and Jason Plato shared the wins in the weekend's opening three rounds of the new HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship season at Brands Hatch. And with his VX Racing team-mate and reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi suffering a day of disaster it is Neal who leaves the Kent circuit leading the Drivers' standings ahead of Team RAC BMW driver Colin Turkington as the BTCC now moves on to Thruxton in Hampshire on Sunday 26 April. Neal won race one but only by fighting back through the order after losing his pole position advantage at the start. Collard's victory in race two - the first-ever in the BTCC for his Airwaves BMW team at, of all places, its home track - was achieved following a fierce tussle with Turkington. Plato's win in race three then came after officials demoted Airwaves' new signing Jonathan Adam, who had crossed the line first, back to second following an incident between the pair during the opening laps. Notably, Plato's victory marked the first for the Chevrolet name in the BTCC for the first time since 1975! Nobody, however, was as consistent as Neal - in addition to his race one win he collected third place finishes in races two and three. But by picking up three strong results himself with third, second and fourth, Turkington is just six points behind with Collard only a further three adrift. Giovanardi is a lowly seventh after two non-scores from the three races, but Neal is far too experienced an operator to become complacent. Neal, from Worcestershire, said: "OK, Fabrizio has had a bit of a stinker today, but he's normally the master of steering clear of trouble so if it can happen to him it can happen to any of us. Furthermore, it's not just him I need to worry about - there are at least another six drivers who are genuine title contenders. Just look at how strong those BMWs were today. For now, I'm just really pleased with how my season has started and with the Vectra's performance." Although he lost the chance of a win in race two to Collard, Northern Irishman Turkington was still satisfied with his results. The 27-year-old, from Portadown, commented: "It would have been nice to win that race but most importantly we've taken a healthy dose of points and we're leaving Brands with the strongest start to a season I can remember." Collard, meanwhile, saw his own opportunity to perhaps come away ahead of Neal dashed in race three when he lost valuable places - and points - in a tangle with Turkington's team-mate Stephen Jelley. But the Hampshire man remained upbeat as the calendar moves to his home circuit in three weeks' time. "Sure, I could have been right up there with Matt on points had the incident in race three not happened, but it's been a tremendously strong start for the team. I feel we are right in the hunt and obviously I'll be looking for similar results in front of my home crowd at Thruxton." For Plato, the 2001 champion, fourth position in the championship is perhaps much more than he expected at this stage, considering he only struck a deal to race the RML team's Chevrolet four days ago. The 41-year-old from Oxford said: "Last Wednesday morning I'd resigned myself to the fact I'd be spending today fitting a new bathroom in my house! But then came 'the call' and I was suddenly packing my race kit into my bag. The RML team has worked miracles all weekend and we're still figuring out what really makes the car tick. We've had zero testing before this weekend so to get a win is beyond what we ever realistically thought was possible. It's a cracking result and gives us a huge lift as we look ahead." Elsewhere, in the Manufacturer/Constructor Championship, Vauxhall/VX Racing has stolen the early initiative from the new Ford/Team Aon squad. It is the VX Racing name that also heads the outright Teams' table. The top three in the Independents' Trophy are Turkington, Collard and Plato, while Airwaves BMW, Team RAC and RML lead the way in the Independent Teams' standings.
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Northern
Ireland's Colin Turkington is tonight celebrating becoming the 2009 HiQ
MSA British Touring Car Champion following a nail-biting final race of
the season on the world-famous Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit today.