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!
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