Thruxton Race Three: Shedden makes it two out of three in a Honda Racing one-two

Gordon Shedden has raced to victory in a Honda 1-2 in the final Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship round at Thruxton – despite the weather still ruling the roost.

      With Murray Walker on hand, it was Tony Gilham chosen to start on pole position in his Team HARD Honda Civic, in front of Aron Smith and Rob Collard. The majority of drivers would be starting the race on full wet tyres, while a handful decided to go with a mixture of slicks and wets – including Dave Newsham and Aron Smith.
     Gilham led off the line and continued to lead going into Allard, with Collard making a flying start in his eBay Motors’ BMW to get into second, closely followed by Frank Wrathall in third. The Honda team mates of Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden were second and fourth respectively.
     Starting on lap two and Tony Gilham was still leading in his pink and green machine, and the rain was starting to get heavier yet again. Those drivers on a mix of slick and wet tyres would struggle in the developing laps.
     Mat Jackson and Jason Plato were having their own battle for sixth and seventh on the grid, whilst the Team HARD Civic was running beautifully and strongly defending Shedden who was now up into second place. Gilham unfortunately couldn’t hold on from the strength of the Hondas, as both Shedden and Neal went through and took the lead.
     Tom Onslow-Cole and Lea Wood were again fighting for position, this time for ninth and tenth, whilst Dave Newsham – who was struggling with his choice of tyres – was down in eighteenth in the ES Racing Vauxhall.
     A late braking manoeuvre from Gilham into the complex led to the Honda Civic locking its front wheels – and leaving the HARD driver heading for the barriers. Despite managing to get back on track, Gilham had to retire from the race – much to the disappointment of his team looking on in the garage.
     Having started ninth on the grid, Gordon Shedden was now in the lead ahead of team mate Matt Neal. Andrew Jordan was in sixth behind Mat Jackson – the two independent drivers would be looking for all the points they could get in this final race of the day. 0.2 seconds separated the two young drivers, whilst Shedden had 1.5 second over Matt Neal going onto lap nine.
     Frank Wrathall was holding on to third position, however the KX Momentum Racing MG of Jason Plato was catching the Toyota’s tail. Jordan got through in his Pirtek Racing Honda Civic at Campbell to take fifth from the Redstone Racing red devil.
     The two Honda drivers made a switch on track, with Matt Neal taking the lead to gain an extra point for leading, with Shedden re-taking his rightful position at Goodwood.
     The Dynojet racer was still holding onto his third position – and would be looking to keep it in the closing stages of the race, for a first podium for the team this season. Despite a wiggle from Wrathall and Plato getting ever closer, Frank managed to maintain the gap.
     But it was Gordon Shedden leading the field as he took the chequered flag ahead of team Matt Neal in the first Honda Racing 1-2 of the year, while Frank Wrathall drove a solid race to finish in third position.
     There was a drama whilst the leaders were crossing the line, whilst trying to make a move on Lea Wood for seventh, they made contact within the braking area and collided off the race track. Although slightly dishevelled, both drivers crossed the line in seventh and eighth respectively, and stopped their cars and the first corner to spare the cars of any further damage.
     Rob Austin managed to salvage a point scoring position from the weekend, whilst Ollie Jackson also finished within the points for the third time in succession.

Final Results:
1) Gordon Shedden
2) Matt Neal
3) Frank Wrathall
4) Jason Plato
5) Andrew Jordan
6) Mat Jackson
7) Rob Collard
8) Lea Wood
9) Jeff Smith
10) Tom Onslow-Cole
11) Nick Foster
12) Liam Griffin (handed a one second time penalty for gaining an advantage)
13) Rob Austin
14) Aron Smith
15) Ollie Jackson

Fastest Lap – Gordon Shedden – 1:23:167 – Lap 5

Thruxton Race Two: Gordon Shedden takes the win for Honda Racing

Gordon Shedden has won the second race of the day of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton. Having had a nightmare in qualifying, this is just the result that the Honda Yuasa Racing team needed.

     After his race one incident, Andy Jordan would be starting from the back of the grid, joined by the likes of Rob Austin and Liam Griffin – whose mechanics had done a mighty job over the lunch break to get the Ford Focus back out after a serious shunt at the end of race one.
     The safety car went into the pits at the end of lap two, and the drivers were notably weary getting up to full racing speeds in the conditions under foot. Jackson had made a good start and was leading the pack, with the grounds around the complex of the circuit looking a bit better than the start of the day.
     Tom Onslow-Cole was continuing his battle from race one with Lea Wood for eighth and ninth on the grid, whilst Gordon Shedden was storming through the field, having taken Frank Wrathall on the restart and was now passing Rob Collard through the complex. Having been fastest in both free practise sessions on Saturday morning, the speed of the Scot was now shining through.
     Shedden’s Honda Racing team mate Matt Neal was down in eighth and was battling with Tom Onslow-Cole in the eBay Motors’ BMW for eighth, taking the place on the start-finish line.
     Mat Jackson was still leading from Dave Newsham and Gordon Shedden, who had made his way through to third after passing Jason Plato through the complex – and was now on form to challenge Newsham for second. The Scot finally took the place on lap six.
     Although no rain falling, the track wasn’t getting any drier for the drivers, making conditions tough – restricting visibility for the drivers. Andrew Jordan was in sixteenth place having started from the back, and was battling from Chris James for fifteenth.
     Mat Jackson, who was running with maximum success ballast after his race one win, was beginning to struggle with the weight, and it wasn’t long before Shedden took the lead. Chris James went straight on at the chicane and hit the barrier – abruptly ending his race.
     A close battle was developing between Tom Onslow-Cole, Lea Wood and Tony Gilham, whilst Rob Austin had got himself into seventeenth, with Liam Griffin a place down in eighteenth.
     Some great driving from Wood and Gilham saw Gilham take the BINZ Vectra in a fantastic manoeuvre for tenth. The HARD Honda Civic was having a great run despite the conditions at Thruxton.
     Jason Plato, who gained a second on lap twelve, was getting closer to Mat Jackson, whose success ballast was beginning to hurt the Ford Focus, with the KX Momentum MG taking second from Jackson on lap thirteen. Meanwhile, Andrew Jordan was making good progress, and had just taken tenth from Lea Wood. Matt Neal was now into fifth ahead of Dave Newsham, with the track looking like it was drying out with two racing laps remaining.
     On the final lap, the third place battle for Mat Jackson and Frank Wrathall, with the Dynojet Toyota pushing the Ford, with Jackson managing to hold on to the chequered flag.
     Shedden took the victory to Jason Plato and Mat Jackson, with Matt Neal finishing up in fifth. A great effort by the Honda team mates after a disappointing Saturday.
     Rob Collard seemed to struggle with his tyres in the conditions, and finally finished in seventh, having started in fourth.

Final Results:
1) Gordon Shedden
2) Jason Plato
3) Mat Jackson
4) Frank Wrathall
5) Matt Neal
6) Dave Newsham
7) Rob Collard
8) Aron Smith
9) Tony Gilham
10) Andrew Jordan
11) Jeff Smith
12) Lea Wood
13) Tom Onslow-Cole
14) Nick Foster
15) Ollie Jackson

Fastest Lap – Gordon Shedden – 1:23:598 – Lap 7

Thruxon Race One: Mat Jackson battles to victory in a rain-fuelled first race at Thruxton

Redstone Racing’s Mat Jackson has taken his second win of the year in monsoon like conditions in the first race of the day of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship in Hampshire.

     Visibility was at the forefront of the drivers’ minds at the start of this race, as battering winds and rains continued to fall at the start line.
     Pirtek Racing’s Andy Jordan started on pole, and had a good start, however at the first corner, getting onto some standing water coupled with some light contact with Jason Plato led to the Pirtek Honda sliding onto the grass and into the barrier. The aftermath of this saw Plato also on the grass, whilst Mat Jackson came powering through into the lead, closely followed by Frank Wrathall in the Dynojet Toyota in second.
     With Dave Newsham closing to Frank Wrathall, taking the position through Noble, it was Tony Hughes who paid a visit to the barrier after a spin on some standing water off the racing line. After this first lap dilemmas, Jason Plato was now in fifth behind eBay driver Rob Collard – who was running in a slightly different race to the London Marathon he competed in just seven days before.
     Crossing the line into lap two, at Mat Jackson was leading Newsham by just under three seconds, whilst Aron Smith was running in 6^th place and jostling for position with the second eBay BMW of Tom Onslow-Cole.
     Gordon Shedden, who had his fastest times removed from qualifying on Saturday due to a technical infringement, was now up to fourteenth having started from the rear of the grid. Team mate Matt Neal, who crashed out of qualifying was in twelfth.
     Lea Wood in the BINZ Racing Vauxhall Vectra was running well in eighth, whilst Tony Gilham was also having a strong race in tenth.
     With Collard now in fifth having been passed by Jason Plato in the MG, the eBay Motor’s driver was trying to make his move for fourth on Frank Wrathall. With the puddles offline, Collard kept tight going through the Chicane – with visibility getting worse and worse for the drivers on track.
     Back with the leaders, and Mat Jackson was still leading to Dave Newsham, who was maintaining a now 2.3 second gap in his ES Racing Vectra. Meanwhile Gordon Shedden – who by now had some heavy damage to his Honda - was now battling with Tony Gilham in Gordon’s 2011 race winning Civic for ninth place.
     Rob Austin, whose team had been working throughout the early hours to repair the damage to the Audi A4 after a serious impact in qualifying – was in the pits and had disappointingly retire from the race.
     The battle between Rob Collard and Frank Wrathall for fourth was heating up – with Wrathall pushing hard to take the place. A near-off for Frank after hitting a puddle allowed Rob to make a gap. Gordon Shedden was now into seventh place after passing Lea Wood for eighth, and was now on the tail of Tom Onslow-Cole in the eBay Motors’ BMW.
     Liam Griffin got onto some standing water on lap eleven of sixteen at Allard and had a serious impact with the tyre barrier – leaving a lot of damage to the front of the Redstone Racing Ford Focus. Just as Gordon Shedden past Onslow-Cole for sixth, having started from eighteenth, the safety car came out to collect the leaders. This would be a blow for the leaders as their gaps would be decreased upon the restart.
     The safety car remained out for a number of laps, with the lights finally going out on lap fourteen – with the race now increased to a nineteen lap race. However, just as the lights went out, they came back on again as Liam Griffin’s car was still in a dangerous position – with the recovery vehicle stuck in the mud and unable to move.
     The red flag was eventually brought out, which meant Mat Jackson took the win to Dave Newsham in his best ever finish in the BTCC – and the second podium for ES Racing in 2012 – with Jason Plato in third.
     The damage to Shedden’s car was from an incident on track, first with Rob Austin, who left the Honda Civic almost stranded on the track, when contact from Andy Neate’s KX Momentum Racing MG allowed him to get started again. Andy Jordan’s Civic also had some serious suspension damage after his first lap shunt.
     Tony Hughes did manage to get started again after his earlier incident, however ended his race on lap ten. Adam Morgan and Dan Welch also retired early on in the race.

Final Results:

1) Mat Jackson

2) Dave Newsham

3) Jason Plato

4) Rob Collard

5) Frank Wrathall

6) Gordon Shedden

7) Aron Smith

8) Tom Onslow-Cole

9) Lea Wood

10) Matt Neal

11) Tony Gilham

12) Ollie Jackson

13) Jeff Smith

14) Nick Foster

15) Chris James

Fastest Lap - Gordon Shedden - 1:24:565 - Lap 7

Qualifying: Jordan leads the pack in a dramatic Thruxton qualifying session.

Andrew Jordan has taken his first pole position of the year in a spectacular qualifying for tomorrow’s first race at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire. In drying conditions, the times tumbled throughout the session, with the track getting quicker and quicker with every flying lap.
     Matt Neal was first to set a quick lap time with a 1.22 minute lap, which was quickly beaten by Redstone Racing’s Mat Jackson, until the Honda Civic retook the at the front of the field.
    The eBay Motors’ BMW of Tom Onslow-Cole was the third driver to pop up in provision pole on the timing sheets, as he set a 1.20.243 with twenty-four minutes of the session remaining. With the damp conditions on track, the rear-wheeled drive BMWs looked to be in a good position going into qualifying.
     The three Redstone Racing red devils were all running in the top ten, with Mat Jackson sitting in third, Aron Smith in fifth and Liam Griffin in 8^th. Meanwhile, Rob Collard had his fastest time removed by track officials for exceeding track limits, dropping the eBay Motors’ driver back down to third behind team mate Onslow-Cole. This wasn’t uncommon, as the rest of the session was littered with time removals left, right and centre.
      Jason Plato put in a great lap time with his KX Momentum MG to put him on provisional pole position, ahead of Honda Racing’s Gordon Shedden second. The Scot’s team mate Matt Neal was at that time down in twelfth with work to do in his Honda Civic.
     With the lap times falling, it was Andrew Jordan setting the time sheets alight, as the Pirtek Racing Honda flew into provision pole with a lap time of 1.17.389. Gordon Shedden and Rob Collard were still close behind in second and third respectively. Whilst on another flying lap, Jordan was closing up to Dave Newsham, who went wide when trying to get out of the way of the fast-moving Honda.
     Upfront, Frank Wrathall was beginning to shine as he set a superb lap time to get into third position with his Dynojet Toyota Avensis. Meanwhile, whilst trying to rectify twelfth place, Matt Neal got it all wrong at the first corner and span out on track, just managing to keep the Civic out of the barrier. However, damage to the rear wheel meant that was the end of his session. Meanwhile team mate Flash set a mighty time of 1.16.894 to now put him in provisional pole position for tomorrow’s first race.
     Frank Wrathall was still holding onto third place, with Mat Jackson close behind in fourth with his Redstone Racing Ford Focus, with Jason Plato now in sixth. Rob Austin, whose new engine had only been returned from Lichtenstein early on this morning, was battling down in 20^th place with less than fifteen minutes of the session remaining.
     More drivers who were losing their fastest times were Dan Welch, Andy Neate and Lea Wood amongst others. Tom Onslow-Cole would soon also lose his fastest time, leaving him and his BMW down in eleventh place.
     The Team ES Racing drivers of Dave Newsham and Chris James were running in a consistent sixth and eighteenth place respectively, before smoke bellowed from the rear of Newsham’s Vectra, forcing him into the pits
     With eleven minutes of the session remaining, it all kicked off on track. Whilst entering Church – one of the fastest corners in British motorsport – his Triple Eight MG swapped around on him leaving him with nowhere to go but off the track. This brought out the red flag on the session. The speed he was travelling could be seen from his finishing position – in some hedges off of the track perimeters. Luckily, Plato was unharmed and travelled back to the pit lane in the doctor’s vehicle, where he spoke to the team and roaming pit lane commentator Alan Hyde about the incident. Jason was lying in second position before the incident, but the question being asked, was where he would end up come the end of the session.
     While under the red flag conditions, the MG of Jason Plato and the Honda Civic of Matt Neal were both cleared from the track, back in the pit lane, Gordon Shedden had his lap times deleted due to a boost issue – similar to that of Mat Jackson that caused him to lose his race three victory at Donington Park last time out. This meant that upon the session restart, it would be Andrew Jordan in provisional pole with eleven minutes remaining.
     The green flag was waved for the re-start, and it was Team HARD driver Tony Gilham who was the first man out of the pit lane to start a warm-up lap. Following the pink and green Civic was Redstone Racing’s Aron Smith, who was having a bad day. A clutch problem earlier in the day scuppered the Irishman’s appearance in free practise two with the team also having to take the engine out twice during the morning through issues. Despite all this, Aron was running well in seventh, with his team mate still up at the front in fourth with Liam Griffin rounding out the top ten.
     Despite his off, Jason Plato’s time was still good enough for second place, with Andrew Jordan leading, and Frank Wrathall 0.9 seconds off pole in third. Gordon Shedden was going in and out of the pits, and had yet to set a valid qualifying lap time with only five minutes of the session remaining.
     At Goodwood corner, Tony Hughes span off onto the grass, whilst elsewhere on track, Jeff Smith was also pirouetting his Pirtek Honda on the damp surface. Dan Welch who had been running consistently through the session had to retire with a drive shaft problem.
     Wrathall, who was trying to improve his lap time, was caught up in the traffic of the eBay Motors BMW’s as they were starting their quick lap to see if their times would be improved. Back with the leaders, and Andrew Jordan improves his lap time to 1.16.983, whilst Gordon Shedden was pushing his Civic to get a lap time – taking out an advertising board in the process.
     Waved yellow flags for Andy Neate, who went off with his Triple Eight at MG at Goodwood would mean that no lap time improvements would be made by the rest of the drivers on track. Rob Austin’s awful day came to a shuddering halt when he too went off at Goodwood, and ended up hitting the barrier backwards, causing more significant damage to the Audi A4. This brought the red flag out again – and ended the session.
     Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan will start tomorrow’s opening race from Thruxton Circuit in pole position, ahead of Jason Plato – who manage to keep hold of his second place time despite his incident – and Frank Wrathall who will start in third. This result will be the Dynojet racers best ever BTCC qualifying finish.
     The Honda team mates Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal finished the day in 18^th and 19^th respectively, and will be looking up to make up some important places tomorrow.

Final Results:
1) Andrew Jordan – 1.16.983
2) Jason Plato
3) Frank Wrathall
4) Mat Jackson
5) Dave Newsham
6) Rob Collard
7) Aron Smith
8) Lea Wood
9) Liam Griffin
10) Tom Onslow-Cole
11) Nick Foster
12) Tony Gilham
13) Ollie Jackson
14) Adam Morgan
15) Chris James
16) Andy Neate
17) Rob Austin
18) Gordon Shedden
19) Matt Neal
20) Tony Hughes
21) Jeff Smith
22) Dan Welch

Donington Park Race Three: Gordon Shedden promoted to victory after a controversial final race

Despite not taking it on track, Gordon Shedden has been handed the race three victory after a somewhat controversial end to the day at Donington Park. A move on Shedden at the end of the race saw Jason Plato handed a two-second penalty, which moved the Scot up to second place. A further exclusion for Redstone Racing driver Mat Jackson for  a boost issue promoted Shedden to first place.
     Starting the race under the reverse grid draw, it was the Pirtek Racing drivers Jeff Smith and Andrew Jordan starting on the front row, ahead of Dave Newsham’s ES Racing Vectra and race one winner Mat Jackson.
     A chaotic start saw Jeff Smith get off the line badly, with Mat Jackson making a charge and taking the lead. Drama going into the Craner Curves saw Rob Collard going up against team mate Tom Onslow-Cole, which left both of them with bodywork damage. Whilst all the action at Craner Curves was falling into place, Andy Neate in the second KX Momentum MG6 had had a big impact with the wall on the start finish straight – ending his race in dramatic style.
     Lap two started with similar drama. Slight contact between Matt Neal and Andrew Jordan saw the Pirtek Honda Civic go into a slide, whilst the identical Civic of Neal ended up in the gravel – and out of the race. In the midst of all this, Chris James and Liam Griffin rekindled their on-track relationship, with yet more contact between the two, leaving significant damage to the front of Griffin’s Redstone Racing Ford Focus.
     Naturally, the safety car was brought out on to the track, whilst the stricken Honda of Matt Neal was cleared from the track. By this time, Jason Plato – who’d started at the very back of the grid after a disappointing race two – had made his way through the field and got into ninth position.
     Despite saving his slide after contact with Matt Neal, Andrew Jordan said to ITV4 commentators Toby Moody and Tim Harvey, “Something feels wrong with the back end of the car, so I’m not sure how it’s going to go.”
     A good restart by Jackson saw him leading from Newsham and Rob Collard – who’d managed to salvage a result after the first lap incident. Tony Gilham was running in a strong fifth place. A late lunge from Frank Wrathall at the Old Hairpin saw him take eighth place from Jeff Smith, with Andrew Jordan shortly following suit.
     Tom Onslow-Cole was having a good battle with Adam Morgan for twelfth, whilst upfront, Gordon Shedden was pressuring Dave Newsham for second place. The Scot eventually took the position from the ES Racing Vectra through the Craner Curves.
     Tony Gilham in the ex-Honda Racing Honda Civic was running in a superb fifth position however was now coming under threat from Jason Plato. Despite defending well, Plato took the place on the Dunlop Straight.
     eBay Motors’ Rob Collard was still running in second place, despite bodywork damage to the BMW, whilst Jason Plato was making another lunge, this time on Dave Newsham. Whilst taking the position from Newsham over the Esses, Plato drove over the red kerb that has caught out a lot of drivers through the support series over the weekend. Luckily, Newsham gave Plato enough room to drive cleanly through without causing any contact.
     Wrathall was also having a strong race in the Dynojet Toyota Avensis, and passed Tony Gilham for sixth in the latter stages of the race, whilst behind them, Pirtek team mates Andy Jordan and Jeff Smith were fighting for their own track positions.
     Some great driving from Shedden saw him gaining on Collard in second place, and eventually took the place going through the Craner Curves, with Jackson still leading up ahead. Someone else flying through the field was Triple 8 Racing’s Jason Plato – who was now up close and personal behind Rob Collard, taking the place from the eBay BMW at the Old Hairpin. Wrathall had unfortunately been demoted back down to eighth after getting out of shape at the chicane, losing track places in the process.
     Going into lap seventeen of the final race, and it was becoming clear that his was going to be a three car race to the chequered flag. With Shedden hunting down Jackson for the lead and Plato looking fiery in third – with just one second covering the top three.
     With Jackson’s lead being reduced to just 0.45 and struggling slightly on used rubber starting the final lap, Shedden was defending heavily from the MG6 of Jason Plato, who was trying every trick in the book to make a move.
     As Jackson went to cross the line for what would have been his second victory of the day, a hit from behind from Jason Plato left Shedden with nowhere to go but over the chicane, losing his second place and having to settle with third. However, the Scot was furious with Plato’s manoeuvre and showed his displeasure on the slow-down lap and during the post-race interviews.
     Matt Neal, who went into the third race leading the championship finished the race with no points to add to his tally. Other retirements of the race came from Andy Neate, Adam Morgan and Dave Newsham who pulled into the pits on the penultimate lap with an problem.
     The change in positions now mean that Gordon Shedden takes full points, with Jason Plato in second – meaning he goes into Thruxton leading the overall championship. It also means the maiden third place finish for Tony Gilham in the Team HARD Honda Civic.


Update:
After all the action from the day had simmered down, later on in the day, the officials of Donington Park penalised a few other teams and drivers for incidents that happened during the day.
     MX Momentum Racing, Thorney Motorsport and Rob Austin Racing were all given verbal warnings due to moving their vehicles back into the garages without permission before the session had come to an end. Jeff Smith, Dave Newsham and Andrew Jordan were too given verbal warnings by officials for their various on-track incidents. Chris James was given an official reprimand plus two penalty points on his race license for the incident during race one. Later on, James was handed a further three more penalty points and a £1000 fine for using abusive language/behaviour within the venue.

Final Results:
1) Gordon Shedden
2) Jason Plato
3) Tony Gilham
4) Rob Collard
5) Jeff Smith
6) Andrew Jordan
7) Frank Wrathall
8) Dan Welch
9) Tom Onslow-Cole
10) Lea Wood
11) Aron Smith
12) Nick Foster
13) Chris James
14) Liam Griffin
15) Tony Hughes

Fastest Lap: Jason Plato – Lap 9 – 1:11:013

Donington Park Race Two: Gordon Shedden takes his first win of 2012 in a Honda 1-2 at Donington Park

Gordon Shedden has taken victory at the second race of Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park ahead of team mate Matt Neal. Race one winner Mat Jackson held off ES Racing’s Dave Newsham to claim the last podium place.
     Engine gremlins certainly took charge to a number of teams over the weekend, with RAR and AmD Tuning both having to abruptly end their races through various problems. Lea Wood, having sustained some damage in the first race of the day, would be starting from the pit lane.
     Mat Jackson started the race with maximum success ballast, whereas Andrew Jordan in the Pirtek Racing NGTC Honda would be 27kg lighter – and looking for a podium finishing position.
     A great start to the race for Mat Jackson saw him pull out a big lead ahead of the two Hondas – in which Matt Neal made another poor start off the line. Jason Plato put pressure on second place man Gordon Shedden going through the Craner Curves, yet despite a moment for the Scot at McLeans, managed to hold off from the Triple Eight MG.
     The Donington Blues hit home for a second year in concession for Jason Plato, when after a tangle with Rob Collard coming out of the Esses, a spin coupled with contact with the barrier looked set to end his race.
     With Jackson leading to Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal, the safety car was called out on track to pick up the leaders. Plato has managed to get his KX Momentum MG running again, and was making his way to the pits.
     A restart after just a lap under safety car conditions, saw Dave Newsham come over the line in sixth, with Aron Smith in seventh and Frank Wrathall, who was running well in the Toyota, in eighth.
     A good battle was beginning with Dan Welch and Jeff Smith in the midfield, whilst upfront, Mat Jackson was clearly struggling with the success ballast on his Redstone Racing Ford Focus, as it didn’t take long for the Honda of Gordon Shedden to take the lead of the race.
     Jason Plato did rejoin the race, despite being two laps down after his earlier incident, whilst near the front of the grid, a jostle for position between eBay Motors’ Tom Onslow-Cole and Andrew Jordan started. Although some contact to Jordan’s Honda Civic from a chasing Dave Newsham, resulted in the Lichfield local losing out, whilst Newsham took the two positions – and was now running in fourth place.
     Matt Neal was hounding down Mat Jackson, and soon did a similar move on the Ford Focus to make it a Honda 1-2 going into the final stages of the race, while Jordan finally took fifth place from the BMW of Tom Onslow-Cole.
     A good fight between Andy Neate and Adam Morgan for fourteenth was breaking out in the midfield, whilst just around the corner, the action heated up.
     With Chris James running slightly wide after getting involved in the Neate/Morgan battle, Liam Griffin saw a gap and went for a position, however contact between the two drivers left them with nowhere to go but in the gravel – and out of the race.
     Running now in third position, Mat Jackson seemed to be trying his hardest to hang on the back of Neal’s Honda Civic, whilst Dave Newsham was pushing hard behind in fourth. Aron Smith, who was having a very good weekend at Donington, took eighth position from Nick Foster, putting him in a solid point scoring position.
     Jeff Smith, Tom Onslow-Cole and Tony Gilham were all mingling with each other on track for point scoring positions in the top ten – with Tony Gilham soon taking seventh from Tom Onslow-Cole.
      Gordon Shedden flew over the line in his NGTC Honda Civic, followed behind my team mate Matt Neal for the first Honda Yuasa Racing Team 1-2 of the season. Mat Jackson hung on to finish in fourth position behind Dave Newsham in fourth and Andrew Jordan in fifth.
     Adam Morgan brought the Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Avensis home in thirteenth – the best ever finishing position for the team. Whilst team mate Tony Hughes just missed out in the points, finishing in sixteenth.
     Andy Neate drove well to finish in twelfth, however his team mate Jason Plato ended up a numerous amount of laps down – and will start at the back of the field in the final race.
     Dan Welch also failed to finish the race, along with Chris James and Liam Griffin after their earlier on track confrontation.

Final results:
1) Gordon Shedden
2) Matt Neal
3) Mat Jackson
4) Dave Newsham
5) Andrew Jordan
6) Jeff Smith
7) Tony Gilham
8) Rob Collard
9) Aron Smith
10) Tom Onslow-Cole
11) Nick Foster
12) Andy Neate
13) Adam Morgan
14) Frank Wrathall
15) Lea Wood

Fastest Lap: Tom Onslow-Cole – Lap 4 – 1:11:267

Donington Park Race One: Mat Jackson takes his Red Devil to victory in the first race of the day at Donington Park

Mat Jackson has taken the first Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race win today at Donington Park. He fought off the likes of Honda Racing’s Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal to be the first across the line.
     A poor start for Matt Neal saw Rob Collard take an early lead going into Redgate corner, whilst things were all kicking off in the mid-filed with both Lea Wood and Liam Griffin heading across the grass going into the infamous Craner Curves.
     Third place Jackson started pressuring pole starter Jason Plato for second place, whilst behind them, the two works Honda’s of Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal were lying fourth and fifth. Meanwhile further down the field, Adam Morgan and Andy Neate – who’d had a rotten day yesterday in qualifying – also took a trip across the grass.
     The battle was heating up at the front of the pack, with Rob Collard still leading, but with a significant decrease in time to Jason Plato, Mat Jackson was looking for a way through the KX Momentum MG to take second.
     Heading into Coppice Corner, Plato made his move for the lead, but was unsuccessful against the eBay Motors BMW of Rob Collard. Mat Jackson saw an opportunity heading into the Esses and made a lunge for the lead from third. Rob Collard was pushed out onto the grass by Plato, and lost more places to the two Hondas of Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden – leaving him in fifth place going over the start finish straight.
     Meanwhile, Dave Newsham was running in seventh position, and was catching up the touring car train, whilst Andrew Jordan was in eighth and Redstone Racing’s Aron Smith in ninth. Further disappointments for Rob Austin saw him head into the pits with the RAR Audi A4.
     With on-track rivals Matt Neal and Jason Plato jostling for third position, Rob Collard, who looked fast at the start of the race, lost another two places to Dave Newsham and the NGTC Honda Civic of Andrew Jordan with six laps left to run. Tom Onslow-Cole, who’d been caught out by the rain in qualifying, was now up to fifth position behind Jason Plato.
     With Mat Jackson still leading the race in the Redstone Racing Ford Focus, team mate Aron Smith was running in a strong ninth position, whilst Liam Griffin retired early on in the race with damage issues. Aron Smith was displaying his driving skills on track, by taking eighth from Rob Collard going into Coppice Corner.
     With Shedden starting to get closer to the Ford Focus of Mat Jackson, Frank Wrathall was trying to make his move on Collard’s eBay Motors BMW for ninth. Despite a few swaps and changes to the position, Frank held on to take the position, putting his Toyota in the top ten.
     With just over a lap and a half remaining of the first race of the day, Shedden was looking fast behind Mat Jackson, whilst Neal and Plato were still battling for third position. Although trying to take the place at Craner Curves, the MX Momentum MG stayed in fourth place.
     Jackson led across the line followed closely behind by the NGTC Honda of Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal while a fight for the last three point scoring positions across the line between Adam Morgan, Jeff Smith and Tony Gilham ended the race in style.
     Talking to ITV4 after the race, Jackson said “Brands was disappointing for us, but we really kicked up a gear this weekend.”
     Rob Collard ended up finishing in tenth position despite a positive start to the race. Tom Onslow-Cole having started from twelfth on the grid, finished in a strong fifth position whilst Rob Austin, Ollie Jackson, Liam Griffin and Lea Wood all failed to finish.

Final results:
1) Mat Jackson
2) Gordon Shedden
3) Matt Neal
4) Jason Plato
5) Tom Onslow-Cole
6) Andrew Jordan
7) Dave Newsham
8) Aron Smith
9) Frank Wrathall
10) Rob Collard
11) Nick Foster
12) Dan Welch
13) Jeff Smith
14) Adam Morgan
15) Tony Gilham

Fastest lap: Mat Jackson – Lap 8 – 1:11.005

BTCC Donington Qualifying Catch-Up

Here is the top ten starters in today's opening BTCC race at Donington Park...

1. Jason Plato

2. Gordon Shedden

3. Matt Neal

4. Andrew Jordan

5. Rob Collard

6. Mat Jackson

7. Dave Newsham

8. Rob Austin

9. Jeff Smith

10. Aron Smith

Additional notes:

• Having set the fastest first sector time earlier on in the session, a problem for Rob Austin saw him abort his quick lap, leaving him lying in eighth place.
• A rain shower caught out a few drivers, with Adam Morgan and Chris James both having excursions off tack.
• A differential issue for Jason Plato's team mate Andy Neate saw him unable to set a time leaving him at the back of the field for the start of the race.
• John Thorne will not be racing in the Vauxhall Insignia this weekend, after the team admits there are too many problems to get out on track.

Interview: Shaun Hollamby

Credit: Bob Knightley.

Shaun Hollamby is the team principal of the AmDtuning.com Racing team - running for another year in the British Touring Car Championship, with driver Ollie Jackson at the reigns of the Volkswagen Golf.

Here is Shaun's view of the season ahead....

After a strong start to the 2012 season at Brands Hatch, what are your expectations heading into Donington?
Miss the oil from other cars?! Seriously, I was pleased that the team achieved it's aims for the 2012 BTCC season; improved reliability, more competitive straight line speed and top ten finishes. If we keep those as our target, then opportunities such as the Race 3 pole position will come our way again

Come the end of the season, what would you have hoped to have achieved during that time?

At the start of the AmDtuning.com BTCC programme, our aims were to present a team and car which looked like it should belong in the BTCC paddock and that the team performed on par with the other experienced BTCC teams. I can say that we are achieving those targets most of the time - everything else is a bonus!

Words of wisdom - Shaun gives some last minute advice to Ollie Jackson.
Photo credit: Bob Knightely.

What would you say is the most rewarding aspect of being a team principal within the BTCC?

Still being here three years later! This was always a three year plan and there were plenty of time when it would have been easier to call it quits. But the drive and enthusiasm shown by Chris Tweed, our team manager, keeps pushing us on.

What is your favourite part of a race weekend?
I have always been amazed by the enthusiasm of the BTCC fans and was delighted when I was awarded the 'BTCC Forum Fans Trophy' in our debut season. This is one of the reasons that the Race Day Autograph Session is such a buzz and brings the stress levels back down!

Who would you say is your biggest inspiration during your career in motorsport?
That is a difficult one as the thing that I like most about motorsport is the diverse and driven characters that fill a Paddock at all levels. Driver wise it's Gille Villenueve - when I was at school, and covering my books in Autosport magazine covers! Villenueve used to feature strongly - I don't think my teachers approved though! Frank Williams will always be a source of inspiration after stopping for a photo in the Brands Hatch paddock at the 1980 Grand Prix. Obviously, to have achieved what he has achieved, despite all the obstacles, is bloody amazing.

And finally, where do you see yourself and the team, motorsport wise, in five years time?
What has shocked me about running a team in the BTCC is how addictive it is! I feel the introduction of NGTC rules would allow a manufacturer to come into the BTCC on a relatively small budget compared to previous 'works' efforts. I think MG/888 proved that last weekend with an amazing team effort. We're on our way to achieving our three year plan, so the five year plan has to be fore AmDtuning.com to work with a manufacturer and get on the top step of the podium. But if it was as easy as just talking about it, then everyone would be doing it!

Photo Credit: Bob Knightley.

You can follow the progress of AmDtuning.com during the season through these mediums;

• AmD Tuning Facebook Page
• AmDessex Twitter Page
• AmD Tuning Website

Brands Hatch Indy - Race Three: Jason Plato comes up trumps in a chaos fuelled final race

Jason Plato, who came into this weekend with no expectations of his freshly built MG6, has won the third race of the day at Brands Hatch. Jason Plato managed to hold off the Honda of Andrew Jordan to take the MG to its first ever victory, despite it not having completed any miles of testing.
     2011 driver Paul O’Neill was ready and waiting to select the driver who would be starting on pole for the race – and it was Ollie Jackson for AmD Miltek who was chosen. Jeff Smith would start behind him in second, with Rob Collard and Rob Austin sharing the second row.
     After his dramatic exit from Race Two, Nick Foster would not be starting the third race due to the damage it sustained. Meanwhile, Speedworks Motorsport had fixed the Toyota of Adam Morgan, which allowed the 2011 Ginetta GT Supercup champion to compete in the final race. Dynojet had also solved the gearbox issues for Frank Wrathall’s car, allowing him too to compete.
     A bad start from Ollie Jackson saw him lose the lead early on to Rob Collard, with Pirtek driver Jeff Smith also falling back. With Collard now leading, he was followed by Mat Jackson, who’d made a great start in his Redstone Racing Ford Focus and Rob Austin in the NGTC Audi. Dave Newsham, for the second race in concession, was making good progress through the field.
     Dan Welch and Tom Onslow-Cole continued their battle from the second race for tenth on the grid, while Gordon Shedden’s weekend continued to go downhill as another electric cut-out in his NGTC Civic caused him to fall down the order.
     As is the way with the BTCC, chaos is always just around the corner...
      With Ollie Jackson lying in fourth position, his Volkswagen Golf slid into Druids and hits the barrier, closely followed by Tom Onlsow-Cole, Tony, Gilham, Adam Morgan, Dan Welch and finally Tony Hughes in a huge pile-up. Oil had been spewed on to the track after Mat Jackson went wide coming out of Clearways, resulting in his front splitter breaking and letting the oil spread across the braking line of Druids. The red flag was brought out so that the track could be cleared.
     Of the cars that had been involved, Tony Gilham and Tony Hughes were able to restart the race, whereas for the other five drivers, their weekend came to an abrupt halt. With the cars now in Park Ferme conditions on the grid, teams were not allowed to do any work on the cars. Dave Newsham’s Vauxhall Vectra was seen to be being taped up by the ES Racing crew, something that the stewards of the course had given the go-ahead to.
     For Gordon Shedden, it looked like this weekend was over, but after visiting the pits, he was ready to restart after a lengthy delay to proceedings.
     The race was restarted after the drivers and done a two lap warm up, with Collard pulling out another good start off the line. Matt Neal ran wide at Paddock Hill Bend, whilst Dave Newsham was making up the places he had lost.
     Jeff Smith was having a good fight with Lea Wood for sixth place, whilst Jason Plato – who made a bad start in the MG was looking to find a way past Newsham. A slight lock-up from the Vauxhall Vectra, allowed Plato through for fourth place.
     Rob Collard was still leading the race, with Rob Austin in a strong second place and Andrew Jordan in third, who was now challenging the Audi for second. Going into Paddock, Jordan took the place, leaving Austin – who had more bodywork damage – in the clasps of Jason Plato. Plato was on the ball, and took third place shortly after.
     Gordon Shedden was doing well with his Civic’s issues and was running ninth place, with team mate Matt Neal down in 11^th after his incident at the restart. Running with 35 kilos of success ballast having finished the second race in second position, takes the lead from Rob Collard on lap 9 of the race, leaving the eBay Motors driver to defend from Jason Plato, who goes onto to take the position – and off to fight for the lead. A handful of laps later and Dave Newsham moves up the field again to take third from Collard – could the ES Racing driver be on for his first BTCC podium?
     Going into Druids, Jason Plato was getting closer and closer to the NGTC spec Honda Civic of Jordan, and was leading coming out of Graham Hill Bend, with Jordan fighting back going into the final stages of the race.
     The battle for fourth was heating up between Collard, Jeff Smith, Gordon Shedden and Rob Austin. A slide from Collard’s BMW allowed Jeff Smith and Gordon Shedden to pass. Smith was now under pressure from the Scot, who took fourth from the identical Honda in a head to head encounter.
     The MG of Jason Plato seemed to be managing its tyres and was now leading by 1.1 seconds entering the final laps. A quiet last lap saw Jason Plato take the chequered flag – the first win for MG on its return to the championship. He was followed over the line by Andrew Jordan and Dave Newsham – who drove a great race to achieve Team ES Racing’s first podium finishing position.
     Gordon Shedden drove a great race despite his issues to finish in fourth position. However, a little later on in the day, he was disqualified from the final result, as his Civic has been worked on in park ferme conditions during the red flag. This promoted Jeff Smith to his best ever finishing position, ahead of Rob Austin and Rob Collard.
     Matt Neal recovered from his earlier skirmish to finish in 7^th – taking into account Shedden’s disqualification – and Tony Gilham, who was involved in the Druids pile-up, finished in a strong 10^th place in his Team HARD Honda Civic.
     Jason Plato now leads the championship with 52 points going into the Donington outing in two week’s time, behind Matt Neal with 48 and Andrew Jordan with 45.

Final results:
1) Jason Plato
2) Andrew Jordan
3) Dave Newsham
4) Jeff Smith
5) Rob Austin
6) Rob Collard
7) Matt Neal
8) Aron Smith
9) Lea Wood
10) Tony Gilham
11) Liam Griffin
12) Chris James
13) Frank Wrathall
14) Andy Neate
15) Tony Hughes

Fastest Lap: Jason Plato – 49.083 – Lap 6

Brands Hatch Indy - Race Two: Momentous win for Matt Neal in the second race of the day at Brands Hatch

Defending champion Matt Neal has taken the first full spec Next Generation Touring Car to its first ever victory in the second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race of the day at Brands Hatch.

     The start of the race saw race one winner Rob Collard make another superb start in his eBay Motors BMW, with Jason Plato also making a great start from fourth on the grid. Matt Neal remained in second place whilst Collard pulled out an astonishing lead.
     Dave Newsham, who started near the back of the field after his race one misfortune, was making good progress through the field, whilst Mat Jackson and Andrew Jordan were again battling for track position, this time for fifth.
     A lunge from Plato saw him take third position from Tom Onslow-Cole, who momentarily lost a second place after a tap from the second NGTC Honda of Gordon Shedden.
     The ES Racing Vauxhall Vectra was advancing through the field well, and was now behind his team mate Chris James. Contact between the two saw James’ Vectra struggle throughout the remainder of the race, whilst Newsham changed a set of tyres in the pits and continued through the race.
     Neal began pressuring Rob Collard for the lead of the race, and made his move approaching Druids. Having to settle for second, some oversteer from Rob Collard allowed Plato through, demoting the BMW to third.
      The safety was brought out for the second race in concession, after Nick Foster spectacularly rolled his BMW at Graham Hill Bend and crashed into the tyres having put a wheel on the grass. Fortunately, the eBay Motor’s driver was unharmed in the incident, but there was significant damage to the car. Questions were asked as to whether it would be repaired for the third and final race of the day.
     The race was restarted on lap 14, with the number of laps until the chequered flag extended to twenty-seven. Matt Neal still lead the race, but with his fiercest competitor Jason Plato beginning to loom in the Civic’s mirrors.
     Starting lap 16, Andrew Jordan made his move on Rob Collard down the start/finish straight for third. Collard left the door open slightly going into Paddock, allowing Mat Jackson and Rob Austin, who had some bodywork damage to his Audi A4, to both come through.
     Jason Plato in the KX Momentum Racing MG was starting to hunt down Matt Neal for the lead of the race, and finally got the break on lap 18 to go through into the lead. A tap from the Civic into Druids didn’t affect the position, but a slight jostle led to Plato going wide allowing Neal to re-take his leading status, leaving the MG back in second and with some rear bumper damage.
     The AmD Miltek Golf of Ollie Jackson was in a strong eighth position, just behind the second Pirtek Racing Honda Civic of Jeff Smith. Having been handed a drive through penalty for jumping the start, Tom Onslow-Cole was quite a way down in the pecking order, and was fighting for position with Redstone Racing’s Liam Griffin.
     With just four laps of what had been a somewhat chaotic race, Andrew Jordan took second place from the MG of Plato, which was now struggling to cope on its tyres, while Collard was now running in sixth. Lea Wood, who was running in a exceedingly strong seventh position in his BINZ Racing Vectra, was also handed a drive through penalty for a constant exceeding of track limits. Despite this, he managed to clinch the final point on offer and finished fifteenth overall.
     With the chance of starting in a good position with the help of the reverse grid, Dan Welch, Tom Onslow-Cole and Dave Newsham were all fighting for tenth place, in the hope of being on pole for the final race of the day.
     Nothing could stop Matt Neal, and he finally took the first win for the NGTC Civic, followed closely behind by Andrew Jordan and Jason Plato – giving MG and Triple Eight their first ever podium. Honda team mate Gordon Shedden failed to finish having gone into the pits earlier in the race, the team still baffled by the Scot’s electrical gremlins.
      Dave Newsham, who started the race from the back end of the field, finished in an astonishing ninth overall, and was now in contention for a pole position in the reverse grid draws. Tom Onslow-Cole recovered after his drive through penalty to finish tenth ahead of Dan Welch’s Proton.
     Gearbox issues for Frank Wrathall forced him to sit out race two, whilst the damage sustained to Adam Morgan's Toyota Avensis was too much for the Speedworks Motorsport team to fix before the start.

Final Results:
1) Matt Neal
2) Andrew Jordan
3) Jason Plato
4) Mat Jackson
5) Rob Austin
6) Rob Collard
7) Jeff Smith
8) Ollie Jackson
9) Dave Newsham
10) Tom Onslow-Cole
11) Dan Welch
12) Liam Griffin
13) Tony Gilham
14) Andy Neate
15) Lea Wood

Fastest lap: Jason Plato – 48.943 – Lap 4

Brands Hatch Indy - Race One: Collard wins an emotional victory for eBay Motors in the first race of 2012

Rob Collard has taken the first win of the 2012 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season. The eBay Motor’s racer, who had to have the clutch changed on his BMW overnight, held off the likes of Matt Neal and team mate Tom Onslow Cole to take victory at Brands Hatch in Kent.
     Having made a good start off the line, Collard soon got up into second ahead of Honda Racing’s Matt Neal. Slight contact between the BMW and the Vauxhall Vectra of Dave Newsham, who was leading going into Paddock Hill Bend having started in pole position, allowed Collard to take the lead. Jason Plato, having started in sixth, had got up to fourth position after the first corner in the Triple 8 Racing MG.
      Adam Morgan didn’t have the start he would have wanted in his first ever BTCC race, when a big shunt on lap one at Paddock Hill Bend, put him out of the race and brought out the safety car. During the safety car period, a gearbox issue for Frank Wrathall, saw him bring his Dynojet Toyota Avensis into the pits.
     With the track now clear, the race restarted on lap six, and Rob Collard made a superb start, while near the back of the crocodile, John Thorne had an excursion even before reaching the start/finish line.
     Andrew Jordan, having dropped down the order, was lying in sixth with damage to his bodywork after some incidents during the first lap. Gordon Shedden, who was hopeful of having a better day after a woeful qualifying session, was running behind Jordan in seventh. Meanwhile upfront, Collard was still leading ahead of Matt Neal and Dave Newsham, with the fight for the lead closing up. The MG of two—time champion Jason Plato was still lying in a strong fourth position. Making up the five car train was the eBay Motors BMW of Tom Onslow-Cole, who was looking quick and not giving up a fight for a podium finishing position.
     The Honda Yuasa Racing Civic of reigning champion Matt Neal made its move for the lead going over the start finish line, leaving Newsham to settle for second. Tom Onslow-Cole began moving up the field, firstly taking fourth place from Plato.
     Midfield of the pack, Tony Gilham had a slight spin from 16^th place on the grid, whilst a spin for Tom Onslow-Cole led to Jason Plato taking back his track position of fourth, with Honda Civic of Gordon Shedden now getting in the mix. Shortly after, Plato brought the MG in a podium finishing position of third on lap 13, while up front with the leaders, 0.3 seconds all the stood in between Neal and Newsham and the battle for the lead.
     With an interesting scuffle breaking out between Andrew Jordan and Mat Jackson for fourth place, the drama at the front of the field was about to bring the season to life. With Newsham making his mark on the race and going for the lead, Jason Plato saw an available gap, and in the process of moving up the field, made contact with the yellow ES Racing Vectra, pushing Newsham out of contention – and out of the race.
     Lap 15, and Rob Collard was still holding onto the lead from Matt Neal, whilst Aron Smith went off the circuit at Druids after contact with Rob Austin’s Audi under braking. This brought the safety car out for the second time.
     After the marshals had cleared the Redstone Racing Ford Focus, with some interesting techniques, the race began for a third time, with Collard pulling out another great start heading into the final stages. John Thorne, who’d been struggling to get to grips with his Vauxhall Insignia all weekend, was the third car to have an incident at Paddock Hill Bend over the duration of the race.
     Last lap excitement saw Matt Neal try and make a late lunge for the lead, but Collard managed to hold off Neal’s works Honda, taking the eBay BMW to victory, with a photo finish for Tom Onslow-Cole and Jason Plato over the line, saw the second eBay driver take the last podium place. All in all, a fantastic first race for the MG, a suitable payback for the Triple 8 team who had pulled out all the stops to get both cars out for the weekend. Plato’s team mate Neate had a quiet race, but finished in a point scoring twelfth place. Gordon Shedden struggled with his electrical problems to finish in fifth ahead of Andrew Jordan, who limped home in sixth, having battled a broken front splitter.
     This win was Collard’s first since the Donington outing in 2009, and he celebrated on the track, impressing the fans with his doughnutting skills. Down in the pit lane, WSR team owner Dick Bennett’s shed a tear at the hard work of the team, saying that they didn’t expect a win in their first outing.
     Later on in the day, Collard was given a fine and three penalty points on his licence for his celebratory actions, while Jason Plato was also fined £750 and given three penalty points because of his move on Dave Newsham, which put him out of the race.

Final results:
1) Rob Collard
2) Matt Neal
3) Tom Onslow-Cole
4) Jason Plato
5) Gordon Shedden
6) Andrew Jordan
7) Mat Jackson
8) Rob Austin
9) Nick Foster
10) Jeff Smith
11) Lea Wood
12) Andy Neate
13) Ollie Jackson
14) Liam Griffin
15) Chris James

Fastest Lap: Tom Onslow-Cole – 48.948 – Lap 7