Race 2: Plato again amid controversy

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Jason Plato has won the second of today’s three Dunlop MSA british Touring Car Championship races in controversial style after clashing with series leader Matt Neal at the final bend.

Neal’s Team Halfords Honda span as he and Plato’s SEAT Leon collided. Plato went on to cross the line first while Neal was a recovering eighth.

SEAT’s James Thompson was second to give the Spanish manufacturer another 1-2 result. Team RAC driver Colin Turkington, who started at the back of the grid, came through to finish third. He also earned a bonus point for setting the race’s fastest lap.

The result means that Turkington, second in the championship, has now cut back Neal’s lead on him to 19 points heading into this afternoon’s third race that is scheduled to start at 14.50.

With victory in race one, Plato, third in the standings, has also begun cutting into Neal’s lead and is now 29 points adrift.

Mike Jordan followed up a strong fifth in race one with fourth position in his Team Eurotech Racing with John Guest Honda. He headed Team RAC’s Robert Collard and Team halfords’ Gordon Shedden who had both moved through from lowly grid positions.

There was also a well-earned point for Eoin Murray in tenth. The result was excellent reward for his Quest Racing team which had worked miracles to repair his Alfa Romeo in time after it was damaged in race one.

Source: www.btcc.net