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.
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
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
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