It’s taken me a while to think of what to write in my blog about what happened in Las Vegas last weekend. I’m not going to sit here and say that I’m an intense follower of the IndyCar series, because I’m not, but I have a good idea of what’s going on mainly through Twitter feeds and magazine articles.
I remember reading about this year’s Indy 500 race and feeling so proud to be British because Dan Wheldon had won in an emotional victory. I’d heard about the final of the series heading to Las Vegas and read about Wheldon’s quest to win from the back of the field for a large sum of money, which was to be shared between himself and a competition winner.
After an exciting day, having watched the Korean Formula One race and the finale of the BTCC at Silverstone on the TV, I settled down to write some reports on what had gone on during the day – never expected to be writing this one four days later.
When I’d heard through Twitter that there had been a horrific crash in Las Vegas, my heart sank. I quickly found a live feed to watch the aftermath and to ensure that the drivers involved were all okay – that was the factor I was most concerned about.
When confirmation broke of Dan Wheldon’s condition after the accident, I waited and hoped for any glimmer of light from the ABC commentators – who were doing a great job in holding the broadcast together in a time of somewhat desperation.
The wait seemed endless...
Nearly two hours after the event and a dodgy connection on my internet I was forced to close down my laptop and I asked my Twitter followers to keep me updated on Dan’s condition. At that time, nobody really knew what was going on, only that something wasn’t right.
Just before going to sleep, my phone flashed. I don’t really know how I felt when I picked it up to see what the news was - something inside of me was telling me that something bad had happened I just didn’t want to envisage it.
When I found out that the world had lost Dan Wheldon, it didn’t sink in. I thought that someone had made a mistake; a miscommunication somewhere along the line. But no, it was true – this was really happening. Dan Wheldon had been killed.
The next morning, I woke in hope that all of this was some awful nightmare. But again, no; it had happened and the motorsport community was in shock.
I watched the five lap salute held by the drivers on YouTube – the saddest five laps you’ll probably ever see.
Everyone that is a fan of motorsport has been affected by Dan’s passing in some way. The world has lost a legend, but he will always be remembered for what he did best. We should all spare a thought about the family that have been left behind after this terrible tragedy.
“Racing drivers never die. Their spirits are too strong and they never go away.” – Jackie Stewart.
Goodbye Dan Wheldon – Rest in Peace.
Thursday 20 October 2011
Monday 17 October 2011
Matt Neal takes his third BTCC title for Honda Racing in the final race of the day at Silverstone
The reverse grid, as chosen by former BTCC driver John Cleland, saw Alex MacDowall starting on pole in front of Team Aon driver of Tom Chilton and team mate Jason Plato. The Honda’s of Neal and Shedden would be starting from 8th and 9th respectively. How would it all pan out as the end of the 2011 championship drew ever closer?
A disappointing weekend for James Thompson saw him not starting on the grid, but from the pit lane.
A good start from Chilton saw him take the lead as Jason Plato took second ahead of Silverline Chevrolet team mate Alex MacDowall. Matt Neal leads ahead of Gordon Shedden – the two Honda Racing drivers in 7th and 8th place respectively before heading into Maggots and Beckets complex. Neal had 9 kilos less ballast that Shedden going into race three – could this help the Worcestershire driver to his third title?
Dave Newsham, who ran so well in the first two races of the day for Special Tuning Racing, pulled off from ninth position on the grid with a problem and later retired from the race, leaving team mate Boardman to battle it out with the leaders.
Andy Neate was the next car to enter the pits whist team mate Tom Chilton was still holding the lead to Silverline Chevrolet’s Jason Plato. The third Aon driver Onslow-Cole was running down in sixth position ahead of the two Hondas.
Despite starting from the pit lane and lying in eighteenth position, James Thompson on his one off return to the BTCC saw him set the first fastest lap of the race with a one minute lap around the National Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire.
Mat Jackson, who was giving everything in the Airwaves Ford Focus after the day’s earlier calamities, was running down in thirteenth place ahead of WSR’s Rob Collard, who’d rejoined the track having done some off-roading after contact with Wrathall’s Toyota Avensis.
Back with the Hondas, and Shedden was now 0.4 seconds behind team mate Matt Neal in the battle for seventh place – the Scot needed to make a move on Neal in order to be in contention for winning his first championship. Up front, Silverline Chevrolet’s Jason Plato was starting to put some pressure on Tom Chilton for the lead.
Rob Austin in the NGTC Audi A4 was flying behind the two Hondas – could a move by the Worcestershire based driver be a factor in the title decider? Both Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden were also now getting closer to the back of Onslow-Cole’s Global Ford Focus.
The first of the black and white warning flags to be shown in race three were for James Thompson and Andrew Jordan – who was lying in a lonely fifth place on the grid. James Thompson was soon given a drive through penalty by track stewards for exceeding track limits.
Newly crowned Independents Champion James Nash tried to make a move stick on the Audi, but was unable to gain enough momentum to take the place, whilst behind the Triple 888 Vauxhall Vectra, Jackson was preparing a fight. A quick burst in the Ford saw Jackson take the place however a mistake from Jackson saw Nash regain his place on the circuit. A few seconds later and Mat Jackson made a daring move into Abbey and took the place again from rival Nash – despite damage to the bonnet of his car.
Rob Austin managed to separate the Hondas after Shedden went very wide going into Copse corner – this move gave Matt Neal a bigger margin in terms of the championship going into the final stages of the race.
James Nash, currently sitting in eleventh, was the second driver to be handed a drive through penalty of which he took immediately. Up front, Chilton was still leading the race ahead of Jason Plato and team mate Alex MacDowall.
Another brilliant move by Rob Austin saw him take seventh place from Matt Neal, and was now lying behind Tom Onslow-Cole. This was a good result from the NGTC giving the team’s earlier catastrophes. The only way that Gordon Shedden would be able to win the championship at this stage of the race would be by finishing in fourth position or better.
Frank Wrathall was now coming up to the back of the Hondas, and was looking to make a move on Gordon Shedden for seventh place. Contact between Tom Onslow Cole and Rob Austin saw the Audi driver take fifth from the Aon driver in the closing stages of the race.
The chequered flag saw Chilton win the final British Touring Car Championship race of the year ahead of the two Chevrolet team mates Jason Plato and Alex MacDowall. A fourth place finish for Matt Neal saw him take his third BTCC championship for the Honda Dynamics team, with team mate Gordon Shedden finishing a close second in the standings.
Speaking about winning the championship after the race, Neal said to ITV4, “It’s surreal. I never thought it was going to happen.”
Both the Manufacturers and HIQ Teams Championship also went to Honda Dynamics, whilst the Independents Team Championship went to Triple 8 Racing.
An exciting years racing drew to a close as the sun set at Silverstone Circuit; the home of British motor sport. Roll on 2012.
A disappointing weekend for James Thompson saw him not starting on the grid, but from the pit lane.
A good start from Chilton saw him take the lead as Jason Plato took second ahead of Silverline Chevrolet team mate Alex MacDowall. Matt Neal leads ahead of Gordon Shedden – the two Honda Racing drivers in 7th and 8th place respectively before heading into Maggots and Beckets complex. Neal had 9 kilos less ballast that Shedden going into race three – could this help the Worcestershire driver to his third title?
Dave Newsham, who ran so well in the first two races of the day for Special Tuning Racing, pulled off from ninth position on the grid with a problem and later retired from the race, leaving team mate Boardman to battle it out with the leaders.
Andy Neate was the next car to enter the pits whist team mate Tom Chilton was still holding the lead to Silverline Chevrolet’s Jason Plato. The third Aon driver Onslow-Cole was running down in sixth position ahead of the two Hondas.
Despite starting from the pit lane and lying in eighteenth position, James Thompson on his one off return to the BTCC saw him set the first fastest lap of the race with a one minute lap around the National Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire.
Mat Jackson, who was giving everything in the Airwaves Ford Focus after the day’s earlier calamities, was running down in thirteenth place ahead of WSR’s Rob Collard, who’d rejoined the track having done some off-roading after contact with Wrathall’s Toyota Avensis.
Back with the Hondas, and Shedden was now 0.4 seconds behind team mate Matt Neal in the battle for seventh place – the Scot needed to make a move on Neal in order to be in contention for winning his first championship. Up front, Silverline Chevrolet’s Jason Plato was starting to put some pressure on Tom Chilton for the lead.
Rob Austin in the NGTC Audi A4 was flying behind the two Hondas – could a move by the Worcestershire based driver be a factor in the title decider? Both Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden were also now getting closer to the back of Onslow-Cole’s Global Ford Focus.
The first of the black and white warning flags to be shown in race three were for James Thompson and Andrew Jordan – who was lying in a lonely fifth place on the grid. James Thompson was soon given a drive through penalty by track stewards for exceeding track limits.
Newly crowned Independents Champion James Nash tried to make a move stick on the Audi, but was unable to gain enough momentum to take the place, whilst behind the Triple 888 Vauxhall Vectra, Jackson was preparing a fight. A quick burst in the Ford saw Jackson take the place however a mistake from Jackson saw Nash regain his place on the circuit. A few seconds later and Mat Jackson made a daring move into Abbey and took the place again from rival Nash – despite damage to the bonnet of his car.
Rob Austin managed to separate the Hondas after Shedden went very wide going into Copse corner – this move gave Matt Neal a bigger margin in terms of the championship going into the final stages of the race.
James Nash, currently sitting in eleventh, was the second driver to be handed a drive through penalty of which he took immediately. Up front, Chilton was still leading the race ahead of Jason Plato and team mate Alex MacDowall.
Another brilliant move by Rob Austin saw him take seventh place from Matt Neal, and was now lying behind Tom Onslow-Cole. This was a good result from the NGTC giving the team’s earlier catastrophes. The only way that Gordon Shedden would be able to win the championship at this stage of the race would be by finishing in fourth position or better.
Frank Wrathall was now coming up to the back of the Hondas, and was looking to make a move on Gordon Shedden for seventh place. Contact between Tom Onslow Cole and Rob Austin saw the Audi driver take fifth from the Aon driver in the closing stages of the race.
The chequered flag saw Chilton win the final British Touring Car Championship race of the year ahead of the two Chevrolet team mates Jason Plato and Alex MacDowall. A fourth place finish for Matt Neal saw him take his third BTCC championship for the Honda Dynamics team, with team mate Gordon Shedden finishing a close second in the standings.
Speaking about winning the championship after the race, Neal said to ITV4, “It’s surreal. I never thought it was going to happen.”
Both the Manufacturers and HIQ Teams Championship also went to Honda Dynamics, whilst the Independents Team Championship went to Triple 8 Racing.
An exciting years racing drew to a close as the sun set at Silverstone Circuit; the home of British motor sport. Roll on 2012.
Sunday 16 October 2011
Shedden takes the win for Honda Racing in the penultimate race of the season
The scene was set. In order for Plato to remain in the championship hunt, he would have to finish race two in sixth place with rival Matt Neal failing to score any points. If Neal wins the race, team mate Shedden will have to finish in 3rd place in order to keep his championship dreams alive. Would the 2011 Championship be decided in this race?
After the incident at the start in race one, Tony Gilham was on the grid in his brightly coloured BMW. The Geoff Steel Racing driver sharing the back of the field with Rob Austin, James Thompson, Mat Jackson and Jason Plato, both of whom had a disastrous start to the day.
At the start, Neal ran very wide going to Copse, which saw team mate Shedden take the lead, whilst Team Aon driver Tom Onslow-Cole had a brilliant start and took advantage of Neal’s mistake to take second. WSR driver Rob Collard also had a great start from 8th on the grid.
Contact midfield at Brooklands saw Frank Wrathall’s Toyota Avensis passenger door swinging open. The Dynojet driver was soon given the black mechanical flag and pitted to sort out the problem.
Tony Gilham was struggling out on track, whilst back at Airwaves, another devastating weekend for Mat Jackson saw him pit early on in the race with his second puncture of the day. This is not the way the Airwaves team wanted to end the season.
Further down the field, Jason Plato was dicing with Chris Swanick in the second Rob Austin Racing Audi for track position, trying desperately to defend his championship, whilst up front Shedden still led from Onslow-Cole and team mate Neal.
A horrid weekend for GoMobileUK saw Paul O’Neill have to pit in his Chevrolet Cruze, whilst a wide move from Tom Onslow-Cole saw him slip back behind Neal, leaving the championship leader to chase team mate Shedden.
Running 15th on track, Jason Plato set the pace with the fastest lap, whilst Dave Newsham was having a strong race for Special Tuning racing, running fourth behind the leaders. Despite running wide through Copse, Plato took a place from now crowned Indie Champion James Nash in the Triple 8 Vectra.
Matt Neal was now flying at Silverstone and was closing in on his Honda Racing team mate in first place, whereas down the field contact was made with Jeff Smith and Rob Austin with both drivers losing track position.
Now running in twelfth behind team mate MacDowall, Plato was looking strong after his first race dramas however the Chevrolet driver was not in a point scoring finish just yet. Having lapped Martin Byford, Plato made his move stick on MacDowall for eleventh, and was soon in tenth after a battle with Liam Griffin’s Airwaves Racing Ford Focus at Brooklands.
Shedden was still leading up front to Matt Neal, whilst contact for Dan Welch and Nick Foster saw Plato shoot up to eighth place. A spin for Nick Foster on the start/finish straight after his tangle with Welch saw him leave debris all over the track - after being collected by James Thompson - and brought out the safety car. There was no clear path on track for cars to make their way through the debris, so all drivers were treading carefully and were cautious about picking up punctures.
A good restart from Shedden saw him maintain a good lead over Matt Neal, who was being chased by Tom Onslow-Cole, with Newsham defending fourth from Andrew Jordan.
James Nash was jostling with Liam Griffin but was unable to maintain the move, meanwhile Aon driver Andy Neate was on a charge – a battle which saw Nash slightly tapped by Griffin and losing position.
Gordon Shedden was the Honda driver to shine, and came across the line in first place followed closely behind by Matt Neal and Tom Onslow-Cole, who brought home a terrific result for Team Aon. Jason Plato managed to finish in seventh place, however was too far behind the Hondas, meaning the Chevrolet driver was mathematically out of the hunt.
Another great race for Special Tuning Racing saw Newsham finishing in 4th place and Tom Boardman in a strong 6th.
With six points separating the two Honda drivers, the championship will be decided during a nail biting final race of the day. Which man will come out on top come the end of the day?
After the incident at the start in race one, Tony Gilham was on the grid in his brightly coloured BMW. The Geoff Steel Racing driver sharing the back of the field with Rob Austin, James Thompson, Mat Jackson and Jason Plato, both of whom had a disastrous start to the day.
At the start, Neal ran very wide going to Copse, which saw team mate Shedden take the lead, whilst Team Aon driver Tom Onslow-Cole had a brilliant start and took advantage of Neal’s mistake to take second. WSR driver Rob Collard also had a great start from 8th on the grid.
Contact midfield at Brooklands saw Frank Wrathall’s Toyota Avensis passenger door swinging open. The Dynojet driver was soon given the black mechanical flag and pitted to sort out the problem.
Tony Gilham was struggling out on track, whilst back at Airwaves, another devastating weekend for Mat Jackson saw him pit early on in the race with his second puncture of the day. This is not the way the Airwaves team wanted to end the season.
Further down the field, Jason Plato was dicing with Chris Swanick in the second Rob Austin Racing Audi for track position, trying desperately to defend his championship, whilst up front Shedden still led from Onslow-Cole and team mate Neal.
A horrid weekend for GoMobileUK saw Paul O’Neill have to pit in his Chevrolet Cruze, whilst a wide move from Tom Onslow-Cole saw him slip back behind Neal, leaving the championship leader to chase team mate Shedden.
Running 15th on track, Jason Plato set the pace with the fastest lap, whilst Dave Newsham was having a strong race for Special Tuning racing, running fourth behind the leaders. Despite running wide through Copse, Plato took a place from now crowned Indie Champion James Nash in the Triple 8 Vectra.
Matt Neal was now flying at Silverstone and was closing in on his Honda Racing team mate in first place, whereas down the field contact was made with Jeff Smith and Rob Austin with both drivers losing track position.
Now running in twelfth behind team mate MacDowall, Plato was looking strong after his first race dramas however the Chevrolet driver was not in a point scoring finish just yet. Having lapped Martin Byford, Plato made his move stick on MacDowall for eleventh, and was soon in tenth after a battle with Liam Griffin’s Airwaves Racing Ford Focus at Brooklands.
Shedden was still leading up front to Matt Neal, whilst contact for Dan Welch and Nick Foster saw Plato shoot up to eighth place. A spin for Nick Foster on the start/finish straight after his tangle with Welch saw him leave debris all over the track - after being collected by James Thompson - and brought out the safety car. There was no clear path on track for cars to make their way through the debris, so all drivers were treading carefully and were cautious about picking up punctures.
A good restart from Shedden saw him maintain a good lead over Matt Neal, who was being chased by Tom Onslow-Cole, with Newsham defending fourth from Andrew Jordan.
James Nash was jostling with Liam Griffin but was unable to maintain the move, meanwhile Aon driver Andy Neate was on a charge – a battle which saw Nash slightly tapped by Griffin and losing position.
Gordon Shedden was the Honda driver to shine, and came across the line in first place followed closely behind by Matt Neal and Tom Onslow-Cole, who brought home a terrific result for Team Aon. Jason Plato managed to finish in seventh place, however was too far behind the Hondas, meaning the Chevrolet driver was mathematically out of the hunt.
Another great race for Special Tuning Racing saw Newsham finishing in 4th place and Tom Boardman in a strong 6th.
With six points separating the two Honda drivers, the championship will be decided during a nail biting final race of the day. Which man will come out on top come the end of the day?
Honda domination in an action packed Race One at Silverstone
This is what we’ve been waiting for all year; the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship finale 2011. With 52 points up for grabs and five drivers still in contention of winning the overall championship, the atmosphere at the National Silverstone Circuit can only be described as electric.
A change to the overall grid saw Tom Onslow-Cole drop two places, allowing both Tom Boardman and Frank Wrathall to move up to order. James Thompson – making a one-off return to the BTCC with Airwaves Racing – also had his fastest time from yesterday’s qualifying session disallowed due to yellow flag infringements; however there is no change in track position.
John Thorne would be making his BTCC debut – albeit from the back of the back - in the Vauxhall Insignia with its distinctive livery. The Thornely Motorsport driver pulled into the pits on the formation lap and would not be taking part in the race.
Speaking to ITV4’s Simon Hill on the grid before the start of the race, championship leader Matt Neal said, “I’m nervous, but it’s a nice nervous.” The pressure would be on for all the drivers still in contention.
A chaotic start saw Rob Austin squeeze Airwaves Racing’s Liam Griffin on the start finish straight, causing the Audi to spin off the track, collecting Triple 8 Racing’s Ollie Jackson in the process. Further contact saw Tony Gilham in the freshly built turbo powered Geoff Steel Racing BMW into the wall and out of the race.
Up front, Matt Neal pulled out a good lead over Mat Jackson in second with Honda Racing team mate Gordon Shedden following closely behind in third. Unsurprisingly, a safety car was deployed for the start line incident in order to clear the track of debris.
A disappointing start to the race saw James Thompson in the pits at the end of the first lap with broken suspension on his Motorbase Ford Focus.
A flying restart from Matt Neal saw him take a lead over Jackson, who wasn’t giving up his championship hopes just yet. With Tom Chilton gaining time on James Nash, the Aon driver’s Ford Focus was coming up to the back of Nash’s Vauxhall through Maggots and Beckets.
Carrying 45 kilos of ballast on board, the question being asked was how long could Neal hold on to the lead from Jackson – the Airwaves driver was looking extremely quick and was beginning to close on Neal for the top step of the podium.
Having jostled with Team Aon team mate Tom Onslow-Cole for 8th position, Andy Neate was shown the black and white warning flag for exceeding track limits at Copse corner.
Disaster for Plato saw him slow right down on the track with a puncture on his Chevrolet Cruze. Could this be the end of his championship fight for 2011? Plato pits having to drive a whole lap to get some fresh rubber before rejoining the track at the back of the field.
Both Alex MacDowall and Jeff Smith were also shown the black and white flag during the race for exceeding track limits. The rules state that drivers are allowed to run wide three times at Copse corner – anymore and they will receive a drive through penalty.
James Nash – who was looking to secure the Independents Championship ahead of Mat Jackson – was continuing to come under pressure from Tom Chilton in fifth position. Nash could breathe a sigh of relief however when alongside Chris James, Chilton was handed a drive through penalty for exceeding track limits. Further disaster for Jason Plato saw him in the pits again.
Paul O’Neill was also having a disappointing weekend in his GoMobileUK Chevrolet, and ended his race by parking the Cruze at Copse corner, whilst Alex MacDowall passed Neate for 6th place.
The tension was also heating up at the front of the pack with only 0.2 seconds covering the distance between Matt Neal and Mat Jackson as they came up to lap Jason Plato and Chris James.
Boardman was in the pits with broken rear suspension, having suffered from contact during the race. Martin Byford was also in the pits with the AmD Miltek Golf with a drive shaft failure.
Amidst all this, Tom Onslow-Cole was running well in fifth position, whilst Jeff Smith was also given a drive through penalty with two laps of the race to go.
Running in second, Mat Jackson lost some time by running wide around Maggots and Beckets, allowing Shedden to take the place behind team mate Neal. A front right puncture for Jackson saw his championship hopes dwindle before his eyes, as James Nash and Onslow-Cole move up the order.
Nothing could stop the Hondas at Silverstone, and a one-two finish for Neal and Shedden respectively saw the championship battle growing ever closer. A fight to the line between Rob Collard and Andy Neate saw all three drivers place within the top ten, finishing 8th, 9th and 10th.
Speaking to ITV4 after the race about the championship, Matt Neal stated that “It’s not over until the fat lady sings”. Who would be hailed as championship come the end of the weekend is still very much unknown.
A third place finish for James Nash saw him provisionally crowned the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Independents Championship ahead of rival Mat Jackson in the Triple 8 Racing Vauxhall Vectra. After a strong year, the team deserve this result.
Jason Plato classified in 25th position overall, however mathematically is still not out of the hunt.
As is always the way with the British Touring Car Championship – anything can happen in the final two races of the season – bring it on!
A change to the overall grid saw Tom Onslow-Cole drop two places, allowing both Tom Boardman and Frank Wrathall to move up to order. James Thompson – making a one-off return to the BTCC with Airwaves Racing – also had his fastest time from yesterday’s qualifying session disallowed due to yellow flag infringements; however there is no change in track position.
John Thorne would be making his BTCC debut – albeit from the back of the back - in the Vauxhall Insignia with its distinctive livery. The Thornely Motorsport driver pulled into the pits on the formation lap and would not be taking part in the race.
Speaking to ITV4’s Simon Hill on the grid before the start of the race, championship leader Matt Neal said, “I’m nervous, but it’s a nice nervous.” The pressure would be on for all the drivers still in contention.
A chaotic start saw Rob Austin squeeze Airwaves Racing’s Liam Griffin on the start finish straight, causing the Audi to spin off the track, collecting Triple 8 Racing’s Ollie Jackson in the process. Further contact saw Tony Gilham in the freshly built turbo powered Geoff Steel Racing BMW into the wall and out of the race.
Up front, Matt Neal pulled out a good lead over Mat Jackson in second with Honda Racing team mate Gordon Shedden following closely behind in third. Unsurprisingly, a safety car was deployed for the start line incident in order to clear the track of debris.
A disappointing start to the race saw James Thompson in the pits at the end of the first lap with broken suspension on his Motorbase Ford Focus.
A flying restart from Matt Neal saw him take a lead over Jackson, who wasn’t giving up his championship hopes just yet. With Tom Chilton gaining time on James Nash, the Aon driver’s Ford Focus was coming up to the back of Nash’s Vauxhall through Maggots and Beckets.
Carrying 45 kilos of ballast on board, the question being asked was how long could Neal hold on to the lead from Jackson – the Airwaves driver was looking extremely quick and was beginning to close on Neal for the top step of the podium.
Having jostled with Team Aon team mate Tom Onslow-Cole for 8th position, Andy Neate was shown the black and white warning flag for exceeding track limits at Copse corner.
Disaster for Plato saw him slow right down on the track with a puncture on his Chevrolet Cruze. Could this be the end of his championship fight for 2011? Plato pits having to drive a whole lap to get some fresh rubber before rejoining the track at the back of the field.
Both Alex MacDowall and Jeff Smith were also shown the black and white flag during the race for exceeding track limits. The rules state that drivers are allowed to run wide three times at Copse corner – anymore and they will receive a drive through penalty.
James Nash – who was looking to secure the Independents Championship ahead of Mat Jackson – was continuing to come under pressure from Tom Chilton in fifth position. Nash could breathe a sigh of relief however when alongside Chris James, Chilton was handed a drive through penalty for exceeding track limits. Further disaster for Jason Plato saw him in the pits again.
Paul O’Neill was also having a disappointing weekend in his GoMobileUK Chevrolet, and ended his race by parking the Cruze at Copse corner, whilst Alex MacDowall passed Neate for 6th place.
The tension was also heating up at the front of the pack with only 0.2 seconds covering the distance between Matt Neal and Mat Jackson as they came up to lap Jason Plato and Chris James.
Boardman was in the pits with broken rear suspension, having suffered from contact during the race. Martin Byford was also in the pits with the AmD Miltek Golf with a drive shaft failure.
Amidst all this, Tom Onslow-Cole was running well in fifth position, whilst Jeff Smith was also given a drive through penalty with two laps of the race to go.
Running in second, Mat Jackson lost some time by running wide around Maggots and Beckets, allowing Shedden to take the place behind team mate Neal. A front right puncture for Jackson saw his championship hopes dwindle before his eyes, as James Nash and Onslow-Cole move up the order.
Nothing could stop the Hondas at Silverstone, and a one-two finish for Neal and Shedden respectively saw the championship battle growing ever closer. A fight to the line between Rob Collard and Andy Neate saw all three drivers place within the top ten, finishing 8th, 9th and 10th.
Speaking to ITV4 after the race about the championship, Matt Neal stated that “It’s not over until the fat lady sings”. Who would be hailed as championship come the end of the weekend is still very much unknown.
A third place finish for James Nash saw him provisionally crowned the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Independents Championship ahead of rival Mat Jackson in the Triple 8 Racing Vauxhall Vectra. After a strong year, the team deserve this result.
Jason Plato classified in 25th position overall, however mathematically is still not out of the hunt.
As is always the way with the British Touring Car Championship – anything can happen in the final two races of the season – bring it on!
Thursday 6 October 2011
Honda take a one-two victory in a Race Three turn around.
The reverse grid for race three of the day at Brands Hatch Race Circuit in Kent saw Nick Foster start from pole position for the second time in 2011. Behind the WSR racer would be Team Aon driver Andy Neate and Gordon Shedden – would be looking to secure some solid points to maintain his championship fight. Championship leader Jason Plato would start the race at the tail-end of the top ten.
The opening lap saw Nick Foster have a great start off the line, Shedden and Neal were running fourth and fifth respectively, whereas Tony Hughes had a disappointing end to his race as he went off at Paddock Hill Bend.
With Foster still holding on the lead, Neal and Shedden slot into second and third, having taken places from Andy Neate. It didn’t take long for Foster to lose his lead to Matt Neal, as Shedden and Neate both went through to take the remaining top three places.
Back with the championship leader, having made a bad start, Jason Plato was now down in eleventh and closing in on Tom Boardman’s Special Tuning Seat. With Nick Foster now down in seventh, Jackson was now fighting hard for the position – making up for his lack of points at the previous meetings.
Having had some good results recently, Brands Hatch came as a disappointment to the family run Dynojet team, as Frank Wrathall retired from race three having paid a visit to the gravel trap at Graham Hill Bend.
Paul O’Neill was running well in fifth position for the GoMobileUK team and was soon jostling with James Nash up ahead, however for Alex MacDowall, he was out of the race for the second race in a row.
The black and white flag was out again for race three, this time for Nash, who was exceeding track run off limits at Graham Hill Bend.
Despite having an off earlier on in the circuit, John George was still running in the race, though the same couldn’t be said for team mate O’Neill – the GoMobile Chevrolet suffering a drive shaft failure resulting in early retirement from the race.
Up front, it was still a Honda 1-2 with Neate holding third place in the Global Ford Focus. In the latter stages of the race Gordon Shedden was allowed to pass his team mate in order to gain one extra point for leading the race, before giving the place back.
Disappointment for Andy Neate saw him enter the gravel trap coming through Sheen Curve and into Stirlings, coming back across the track in front of Tom Boardman nearly causing a big impact.
Turning around their somewhat disappointing weekend, Honda came home to score maximum points in a one-two finish for the team, followed behind by James Nash. Matt Neal took his first race win in ten races and also retook the lead of the championship.
The fight for the championship will go right down to the wire at Silverstone in two weeks time. But who will take the trophy come the end of the season – nobody knows.
The opening lap saw Nick Foster have a great start off the line, Shedden and Neal were running fourth and fifth respectively, whereas Tony Hughes had a disappointing end to his race as he went off at Paddock Hill Bend.
With Foster still holding on the lead, Neal and Shedden slot into second and third, having taken places from Andy Neate. It didn’t take long for Foster to lose his lead to Matt Neal, as Shedden and Neate both went through to take the remaining top three places.
Back with the championship leader, having made a bad start, Jason Plato was now down in eleventh and closing in on Tom Boardman’s Special Tuning Seat. With Nick Foster now down in seventh, Jackson was now fighting hard for the position – making up for his lack of points at the previous meetings.
Having had some good results recently, Brands Hatch came as a disappointment to the family run Dynojet team, as Frank Wrathall retired from race three having paid a visit to the gravel trap at Graham Hill Bend.
Paul O’Neill was running well in fifth position for the GoMobileUK team and was soon jostling with James Nash up ahead, however for Alex MacDowall, he was out of the race for the second race in a row.
The black and white flag was out again for race three, this time for Nash, who was exceeding track run off limits at Graham Hill Bend.
Despite having an off earlier on in the circuit, John George was still running in the race, though the same couldn’t be said for team mate O’Neill – the GoMobile Chevrolet suffering a drive shaft failure resulting in early retirement from the race.
Up front, it was still a Honda 1-2 with Neate holding third place in the Global Ford Focus. In the latter stages of the race Gordon Shedden was allowed to pass his team mate in order to gain one extra point for leading the race, before giving the place back.
Disappointment for Andy Neate saw him enter the gravel trap coming through Sheen Curve and into Stirlings, coming back across the track in front of Tom Boardman nearly causing a big impact.
Turning around their somewhat disappointing weekend, Honda came home to score maximum points in a one-two finish for the team, followed behind by James Nash. Matt Neal took his first race win in ten races and also retook the lead of the championship.
The fight for the championship will go right down to the wire at Silverstone in two weeks time. But who will take the trophy come the end of the season – nobody knows.
Plato takes his second win of the day - and regains his championship lead!
With the sun still shining down on the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, everyone was ready for the second race of the day get underway.
Having found and fixed the Vectra’s electrical issue, Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan would be starting from the back of the grid, whist a disastrous race for Honda saw their drivers starting from rows nine and ten. However, with no extra ballast on board the question was asked as to whether Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal could make up any places in order to salvage their weekend.
A good start from Plato and MacDowall saw that they kept their lead going into the first lap, with Jordan trying to make up grid position further down the track. Bumper damage to Rob Collard saw him lose a couple of places, whereas the Honda boys were living up to their expectations and were making strong progress - Neal now up to tenth place and Shedden up to 12th by the end of lap one.
Tom Onslow-Cole who’d had a cracking start was up to fourth and pressuring Mat Jackson for third position, meanwhile Shedden had made his move on Nick Foster stick and was now up 11th with team mate behind up ahead in ninth. Not long after this, Shedden has made his way up into the top ten having passed WSR racer Rob Collard.
Team Aon driver Andy Neate was running well in eighth position close behind fellow driver whilst upfront, Jason Plato was still leading ahead of Airwaves driver Mat Jackson.
With Neal closing up the Team Aon due of Neate and Chilton, the black and white flag was waved for debut driver Chris Swanick in the second Rob Austin Racing Audi for using too much of the run off areas around the circuit. This wouldn’t be the first time the black and white flag would be shown in the duration of this race as Andrew Jordan, Tony Gilham and Martin Byford were all shown the flag.
Having lost some places early on in the race, MacDowall was now coming under pressure from Paul O’Neill in a replica Chevrolet Cruze. Having lost the place to Paul O’Neill, the engine of the Silverline Chevrolet driver spectacularly blew up on the circuit, losing its oil and leaving the track in a plume of smoke.
Although running in much higher track positions than race one, the Honda Civics of the Dynamics team still seemed to be struggling at Brands Hatch – both Shedden and Neal were in 7th and 8th but seemed unable to improve.
Going into the latter stages of the race, Jackson running wide on the circuit gave Tom Onslow-Cole the chance to push for third – a position he took from the Airwaves racer. Paul O’Neill was too catching the Team Aon driver as they entered the second to last lap.
James Nash who was running well in fifth, was starting to struggle with the performance of his Triple 8 Vauxhall Vectra, allowing Chilton to take the place - the Honda Civic of Matt Neal was too far back to take advantage of this move.
In his second BTCC meeting, Michael Caine took a battle with Frank Wrathall right to the chequered flag, with Jason Plato leading the pack across the line followed by Mat Jackson in the Airwaves Racing BMW and Tom Onslow-Cole – achieving his best result of the season so far. Andrew Jordan made his way through the pack, crossing the line in 16th place.
With Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden finishing overall 7th and 8th respectively, they were in contention of a good reverse grid for the third race, but it did leave Neal slipping down the championship standings to second – 7 points behind Jason Plato.
Having found and fixed the Vectra’s electrical issue, Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan would be starting from the back of the grid, whist a disastrous race for Honda saw their drivers starting from rows nine and ten. However, with no extra ballast on board the question was asked as to whether Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal could make up any places in order to salvage their weekend.
A good start from Plato and MacDowall saw that they kept their lead going into the first lap, with Jordan trying to make up grid position further down the track. Bumper damage to Rob Collard saw him lose a couple of places, whereas the Honda boys were living up to their expectations and were making strong progress - Neal now up to tenth place and Shedden up to 12th by the end of lap one.
Tom Onslow-Cole who’d had a cracking start was up to fourth and pressuring Mat Jackson for third position, meanwhile Shedden had made his move on Nick Foster stick and was now up 11th with team mate behind up ahead in ninth. Not long after this, Shedden has made his way up into the top ten having passed WSR racer Rob Collard.
Team Aon driver Andy Neate was running well in eighth position close behind fellow driver whilst upfront, Jason Plato was still leading ahead of Airwaves driver Mat Jackson.
With Neal closing up the Team Aon due of Neate and Chilton, the black and white flag was waved for debut driver Chris Swanick in the second Rob Austin Racing Audi for using too much of the run off areas around the circuit. This wouldn’t be the first time the black and white flag would be shown in the duration of this race as Andrew Jordan, Tony Gilham and Martin Byford were all shown the flag.
Having lost some places early on in the race, MacDowall was now coming under pressure from Paul O’Neill in a replica Chevrolet Cruze. Having lost the place to Paul O’Neill, the engine of the Silverline Chevrolet driver spectacularly blew up on the circuit, losing its oil and leaving the track in a plume of smoke.
Although running in much higher track positions than race one, the Honda Civics of the Dynamics team still seemed to be struggling at Brands Hatch – both Shedden and Neal were in 7th and 8th but seemed unable to improve.
Going into the latter stages of the race, Jackson running wide on the circuit gave Tom Onslow-Cole the chance to push for third – a position he took from the Airwaves racer. Paul O’Neill was too catching the Team Aon driver as they entered the second to last lap.
James Nash who was running well in fifth, was starting to struggle with the performance of his Triple 8 Vauxhall Vectra, allowing Chilton to take the place - the Honda Civic of Matt Neal was too far back to take advantage of this move.
In his second BTCC meeting, Michael Caine took a battle with Frank Wrathall right to the chequered flag, with Jason Plato leading the pack across the line followed by Mat Jackson in the Airwaves Racing BMW and Tom Onslow-Cole – achieving his best result of the season so far. Andrew Jordan made his way through the pack, crossing the line in 16th place.
With Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden finishing overall 7th and 8th respectively, they were in contention of a good reverse grid for the third race, but it did leave Neal slipping down the championship standings to second – 7 points behind Jason Plato.
Wednesday 5 October 2011
Jason Plato takes his seventh win of 2011 in a disastrous race for Honda.
With the circuit packed to the rafters and the October sunshine beating down over Kent, it was Jason Plato sitting on pole for race one at the penultimate round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.
Pirtek Racing driver Andrew Jordan, who put in a strong performance in Saturday’s qualifying session, was unable to start from his second place grid slot due to an electrical problem with the Vectra.
With 28 drivers taking to the track, Plato led after a great start off line, closely followed by team mate Alex MacDowall who slotted into second place. Matt Neal was close behind in third place having made up some places due to a bad start by Triple 8 Racing’s James Nash.
Further down the field, Rob Collard had got himself up into the tail-end of the top ten after an early jostle with the Seat of Tom Boardman. Dan Welch was running well in the Proton in the early stages of the race - having had his best qualifying session of the year – defending from competitors midfield.
By lap three, Jason Plato was half a second up on team mate MacDowall – showing that the Silverline Chevrolet Cruze was at the top of its game at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit.
In the midst of the action, Frank Wrathall was battling with WSR racer Rob Collard for twelfth place on the grid. However Collard’s rear-wheeled BMW was struggling early on in the race.
More disappointments for Pirtek Racing saw Andrew Jordan’s team mate Jeff Smith retiring from the race on lap 3 with a broken gear lever. Meanwhile up front a battle between Airwaves Racing’s Mat Jackson and Honda racer Gordon Shedden was brewing for fourth place. A move by Shedden going into Graham Hill Bend saw the championship contender slide off the track in dramatic style. Despite returning to the track, the Scot lost several places and was now down in ninth place.
Dan Welch’s positive luck ended mid way through the race, when a broken steering rack saw him limp back to the pits and out of the race. AmD Miltek driver was also in the pits with a problem. The question was being asked whether the soaring temperatures were affecting the performance of the cars out on the circuit.
Going into lap nine, it was still a Chevrolet 1-2 with Matt Neal closely following behind in third place while James Nash, Mat Jackson and Paul O’Neill were all now fighting for fourth place.
After his earlier debacles, Shedden was now in eighth place and catching Team Aon driver Tom Chilton for seventh. A left front puncture for team mate Matt Neal saw the Worcestershire driver’s race in tatters, leaving him to pit for fresh rubber and on the back foot for the remainder of the race.
Simultaneous retirements also saw Lea Wood pull off to the side of the track with a problem along with Special Tuning driver Dave Newsham – a small fire in his Seat saw his race come to a halt.
With Gordon Shedden still putting Chilton in the Global Ford Focus under pressure, the star of the show was undoubtedly Chevrolet – with both drivers still leading the pack. Mat Jackson, who was looking to save his championship dreams, was now running in third place having overtaken Triple 8 Racing’s James Nash during Matt Neal’s calamities.
Tom Onslow-Cole was having his best run of the season since his switch back to Team Aon, taking fifth place from GoMobileUK driver Paul O’Neill.
Having struggled early o in the race, Rob Collard was now battling with Tom Boardman for ninth place – the rear wheeled drive BMW coming to its own in the latter stages of the race.
Further disasters for Honda Racing saw Gordon Shedden also fall at the final hurdle with a left front puncture. With both championship contenders out of the points, the question was asked about Honda’s seemingly aggressive race set-up. Could this mistake by the team prove fateful come the end of the season?
Contact between Rob Collard and the Toyota Avensis of Frank Wrathall saw the Dynojet driver out of the race with the rear suspension broken. Having performed strongly in the last meetings at Knockhill and Rockingham, the beginning of the weekend was disappointing to the family run team.
Struggling for grip on worn tyres, Silverline Chevrolet driver Alex MacDowall fell behind and was now in third place behind Mat Jackson. Desperately wanting a podium finish, MacDowall was defending his position hard from James Nash who was following close behind.
Into the final lap and Boardman too was out of the race with a puncture, whilst Jason Plato took his seventh win of the season ahead of Mat Jackson and team mate MacDowall. Plato took maximum points of the race, gaining a point for fastest lap, leading the race and pole position – putting him and Chevrolet right back into the title hunt. The Honda boys limped home near the back of the field in 18th and 19th position. Debutant drivers Oliver Jackson and Chris Swanick both finished 11th and 17th respectively.
Jason Plato is now six points behind the Honda drivers in the main championship standings, whereas in the Independent standings, James Nash still leads with Mat Jackson closing the gap in second place.
Pirtek Racing driver Andrew Jordan, who put in a strong performance in Saturday’s qualifying session, was unable to start from his second place grid slot due to an electrical problem with the Vectra.
With 28 drivers taking to the track, Plato led after a great start off line, closely followed by team mate Alex MacDowall who slotted into second place. Matt Neal was close behind in third place having made up some places due to a bad start by Triple 8 Racing’s James Nash.
Further down the field, Rob Collard had got himself up into the tail-end of the top ten after an early jostle with the Seat of Tom Boardman. Dan Welch was running well in the Proton in the early stages of the race - having had his best qualifying session of the year – defending from competitors midfield.
By lap three, Jason Plato was half a second up on team mate MacDowall – showing that the Silverline Chevrolet Cruze was at the top of its game at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit.
In the midst of the action, Frank Wrathall was battling with WSR racer Rob Collard for twelfth place on the grid. However Collard’s rear-wheeled BMW was struggling early on in the race.
More disappointments for Pirtek Racing saw Andrew Jordan’s team mate Jeff Smith retiring from the race on lap 3 with a broken gear lever. Meanwhile up front a battle between Airwaves Racing’s Mat Jackson and Honda racer Gordon Shedden was brewing for fourth place. A move by Shedden going into Graham Hill Bend saw the championship contender slide off the track in dramatic style. Despite returning to the track, the Scot lost several places and was now down in ninth place.
Dan Welch’s positive luck ended mid way through the race, when a broken steering rack saw him limp back to the pits and out of the race. AmD Miltek driver was also in the pits with a problem. The question was being asked whether the soaring temperatures were affecting the performance of the cars out on the circuit.
Going into lap nine, it was still a Chevrolet 1-2 with Matt Neal closely following behind in third place while James Nash, Mat Jackson and Paul O’Neill were all now fighting for fourth place.
After his earlier debacles, Shedden was now in eighth place and catching Team Aon driver Tom Chilton for seventh. A left front puncture for team mate Matt Neal saw the Worcestershire driver’s race in tatters, leaving him to pit for fresh rubber and on the back foot for the remainder of the race.
Simultaneous retirements also saw Lea Wood pull off to the side of the track with a problem along with Special Tuning driver Dave Newsham – a small fire in his Seat saw his race come to a halt.
With Gordon Shedden still putting Chilton in the Global Ford Focus under pressure, the star of the show was undoubtedly Chevrolet – with both drivers still leading the pack. Mat Jackson, who was looking to save his championship dreams, was now running in third place having overtaken Triple 8 Racing’s James Nash during Matt Neal’s calamities.
Tom Onslow-Cole was having his best run of the season since his switch back to Team Aon, taking fifth place from GoMobileUK driver Paul O’Neill.
Having struggled early o in the race, Rob Collard was now battling with Tom Boardman for ninth place – the rear wheeled drive BMW coming to its own in the latter stages of the race.
Further disasters for Honda Racing saw Gordon Shedden also fall at the final hurdle with a left front puncture. With both championship contenders out of the points, the question was asked about Honda’s seemingly aggressive race set-up. Could this mistake by the team prove fateful come the end of the season?
Contact between Rob Collard and the Toyota Avensis of Frank Wrathall saw the Dynojet driver out of the race with the rear suspension broken. Having performed strongly in the last meetings at Knockhill and Rockingham, the beginning of the weekend was disappointing to the family run team.
Struggling for grip on worn tyres, Silverline Chevrolet driver Alex MacDowall fell behind and was now in third place behind Mat Jackson. Desperately wanting a podium finish, MacDowall was defending his position hard from James Nash who was following close behind.
Into the final lap and Boardman too was out of the race with a puncture, whilst Jason Plato took his seventh win of the season ahead of Mat Jackson and team mate MacDowall. Plato took maximum points of the race, gaining a point for fastest lap, leading the race and pole position – putting him and Chevrolet right back into the title hunt. The Honda boys limped home near the back of the field in 18th and 19th position. Debutant drivers Oliver Jackson and Chris Swanick both finished 11th and 17th respectively.
Jason Plato is now six points behind the Honda drivers in the main championship standings, whereas in the Independent standings, James Nash still leads with Mat Jackson closing the gap in second place.
Saturday 1 October 2011
Plato takes pole position at Brands Hatch in a high-action BTCC qualifying session.
Soaring temperatures at the Brands Hands Grand Prix circuit in Kent could only mean one thing – the penultimate qualifying session of the year was underway.
A bumper line up of 29 drivers headed to the track to set their best times to decide their grid positions for tomorrow’s opening race. Two drivers will be making their touring car debut this weekend; Ollie Jackson will be taking the wheel of Triple 8 Racing’s second Vauxhall Vectra whilst Chris Swanick will be joining forces with Rob Austin Racing a second Audi A4.
Martin Byford in the AmD Miltek Golf set the fastest time early on in the session, before momentarily being knocked off the top spot by the Chevrolet of Jason Plato. Matt Neal in the turbo charged Honda Civic maintained good pace to jump onto the top of the times.
Fellow Honda driver Gordon Shedden also set a fast lap, followed closely by both James Nash and Andrew Jordan, demoting Plato into fifth position. The Chevrolet driver responded by posting a flying lap – three tenths of a second ahead of Gordon Shedden in the Civic.
Chris James was off into the barrier at Hawthorn’s Bend due to his front right wheel coming off on track. James was unscathed in the incident which brought out the red flag – stopping the session for several minutes.
Paul O’Neill, who’d had good pace in the earlier practise sessions, was looking set to put in a flying time; however the red flag left him with nowhere to go but the pits.
The restart to the race saw Frank Wrathall begin his first flying lap with clear air ahead of him, putting the Dynojet driver in a strong tenth position. Having performed so well at Rockingham two weeks ago, the team would be looking to improve on the lap time.
With Jason Plato still sitting pretty on the top spot, Matt Neal came straight from the pits to deliver a fast lap, putting the Worcestershire driver up into second place in a Chevy Sandwich ahead of Alex MacDowall in third.
A disappointing start to the weekend for Tony Hughes saw him end his session half way through due to an over-heating issue with his Toyota Avensis.
A second red flag was needed during the session after Frank Wrathall took too much kerb going into Clearways, resulting in his NGTC Toyota beached in the gravel. With Jason Plato still in provisional pole ahead of Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal, the marshals quickly cleared the circuit and the action resumed.
Despite blocking the safety vehicle in the pit lane – all cars made it out on track to set a competitive lap time with thirteen minutes of the session remaining. Mat Jackson, who was looking to recover from a disappointing few rounds had delivered a strong lap and was soon up into seventh position.
With the clock still ticking down, MacDowall put in an outstanding lap putting him in second place behind team mate Jason Plato who was still holding off that top spot with a time now of 1:31.8. The question of whether he could maintain the position until the end of the session was yet to be answered.
Paul O’Neill, who was running well before the red flags, had now improved his lap time and was now sitting in sixth place. Meanwhile, Matt Neal was on a flying lap, however running very wide at Graham Hill Bend leading to him losing time saw the Honda Racing driver abort the lap he was on.
A bolt from the blue in the session saw Dan Welch in the Proton running fantastically well and was up into the top ten with only a few minutes of the session remaining.
Despite early promise, James Nash looked to only be able to manage 11th in his Vauxhall Vectra. However, a late lap in the session saw the Triple 8 Racing driver fly into third position behind Andrew Jordan in Pirtek’s rival Vauxhall, who had a good qualifying session and lay in second place when the chequered flag fell.
But it was Jason Plato who took his fourth pole position of the season ahead of the two Vauxhalls, whilst championship rivals Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal are fifth and sixth on the grid - the turbo-powered Honda Civics seeming to struggle with the rising temperatures.
Despite an early setback, Wrathall ended up in 14th place, whilst debutants Ollie Jackson and Chris Swanick managed 15th and 27th respectively.
Team Aon’s weekend started on a positive note, with Tom Onslow-Cole and Tom Chilton rounding out the top ten; however team mate Andy Neate struggled with the interruptions of the red flags and also traffic on track to finish in 16th ahead of Jeff Smith in the Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra.
A bumper line up of 29 drivers headed to the track to set their best times to decide their grid positions for tomorrow’s opening race. Two drivers will be making their touring car debut this weekend; Ollie Jackson will be taking the wheel of Triple 8 Racing’s second Vauxhall Vectra whilst Chris Swanick will be joining forces with Rob Austin Racing a second Audi A4.
Martin Byford in the AmD Miltek Golf set the fastest time early on in the session, before momentarily being knocked off the top spot by the Chevrolet of Jason Plato. Matt Neal in the turbo charged Honda Civic maintained good pace to jump onto the top of the times.
Fellow Honda driver Gordon Shedden also set a fast lap, followed closely by both James Nash and Andrew Jordan, demoting Plato into fifth position. The Chevrolet driver responded by posting a flying lap – three tenths of a second ahead of Gordon Shedden in the Civic.
Chris James was off into the barrier at Hawthorn’s Bend due to his front right wheel coming off on track. James was unscathed in the incident which brought out the red flag – stopping the session for several minutes.
Paul O’Neill, who’d had good pace in the earlier practise sessions, was looking set to put in a flying time; however the red flag left him with nowhere to go but the pits.
The restart to the race saw Frank Wrathall begin his first flying lap with clear air ahead of him, putting the Dynojet driver in a strong tenth position. Having performed so well at Rockingham two weeks ago, the team would be looking to improve on the lap time.
With Jason Plato still sitting pretty on the top spot, Matt Neal came straight from the pits to deliver a fast lap, putting the Worcestershire driver up into second place in a Chevy Sandwich ahead of Alex MacDowall in third.
A disappointing start to the weekend for Tony Hughes saw him end his session half way through due to an over-heating issue with his Toyota Avensis.
A second red flag was needed during the session after Frank Wrathall took too much kerb going into Clearways, resulting in his NGTC Toyota beached in the gravel. With Jason Plato still in provisional pole ahead of Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal, the marshals quickly cleared the circuit and the action resumed.
Despite blocking the safety vehicle in the pit lane – all cars made it out on track to set a competitive lap time with thirteen minutes of the session remaining. Mat Jackson, who was looking to recover from a disappointing few rounds had delivered a strong lap and was soon up into seventh position.
With the clock still ticking down, MacDowall put in an outstanding lap putting him in second place behind team mate Jason Plato who was still holding off that top spot with a time now of 1:31.8. The question of whether he could maintain the position until the end of the session was yet to be answered.
Paul O’Neill, who was running well before the red flags, had now improved his lap time and was now sitting in sixth place. Meanwhile, Matt Neal was on a flying lap, however running very wide at Graham Hill Bend leading to him losing time saw the Honda Racing driver abort the lap he was on.
A bolt from the blue in the session saw Dan Welch in the Proton running fantastically well and was up into the top ten with only a few minutes of the session remaining.
Despite early promise, James Nash looked to only be able to manage 11th in his Vauxhall Vectra. However, a late lap in the session saw the Triple 8 Racing driver fly into third position behind Andrew Jordan in Pirtek’s rival Vauxhall, who had a good qualifying session and lay in second place when the chequered flag fell.
But it was Jason Plato who took his fourth pole position of the season ahead of the two Vauxhalls, whilst championship rivals Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal are fifth and sixth on the grid - the turbo-powered Honda Civics seeming to struggle with the rising temperatures.
Despite an early setback, Wrathall ended up in 14th place, whilst debutants Ollie Jackson and Chris Swanick managed 15th and 27th respectively.
Team Aon’s weekend started on a positive note, with Tom Onslow-Cole and Tom Chilton rounding out the top ten; however team mate Andy Neate struggled with the interruptions of the red flags and also traffic on track to finish in 16th ahead of Jeff Smith in the Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra.
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