WINS FOR MULLER & EAVES AT OULTON PARK
Yvan Muller and Dan Eaves shared the victory honours in today's
(Sunday) three Green Flag MSA British Touring Car rounds at
Oulton Park, Cheshire. Reigning champion Muller won twice
to draw level with Vauxhall team-mate James Thompson for the
championship lead and on number of race victories so far this
season - each now has three wins to his name. Eaves' win,
in his Computeach Racing with Halfords Honda Civic, was his
first in the BTCC. He becomes the seventh different winner
from 12 rounds.
Thompson had dominated Saturday's activity, setting record
lap times in both practice sessions and then qualifying to
secure pole position for the first of the three races. Muller,
though, made a better start from second on the grid and took
an immediate lead. Thompson pressurised his team-mate throughout,
setting a new race lap record en route, but the Frenchman
held on for victory to lead home a Vauxhall 1-2.
Behind, Eaves' team-mate Matt Neal wriggled free of the chasing
pack to take third position and victory in the HarrierZeuros
Independents Trophy. Colin Turkington, in WSR's MG ZS, was
next up with fellow privateers Rob Collard (Vauxhall Astra)
and James Kaye (Synchro Motorsport Honda) completing the top
six.
Collard and Kaye each enjoyed their most competitive weekend
of the season so far and will be hungry for outright podium
finishes when the BTCC arrives at Mondello Park, Ireland for
rounds 13, 14 and 15 in three weeks' time.
The battle for tenth position - and ultimately pole position
for the second race thanks to the BTCC's top ten reversed
grid rule - fell the way of WSR's Anthony Reid, but only just.
Reid, recently voted the BTCC's 'villain' by viewers of ITV1's
Speed Sunday motor sport show, was one of eight drivers to
have fought over the position during the middle stages of
the race and the action kept Oulton Park's crowd on its feet
with excitement. By the end of the race, the rear of Reid's
car had taken a severe mauling from the following drivers
as they all tried to take the hallowed tenth place. "The
front of my car was pristine at the end of the race - the
back looked like an aircraft accident," said Reid.
Reid, however, saw his hopes of a first victory in 2004 dashed
at the first corner of the second race as Eaves, starting
second on the grid, snatched the lead from him. Eaves then
kept a cool head as he led all the way for his first BTCC
race victory.
"This feels fantastic - it's been a long time coming,"
said the delighted Eaves. "I got a good start off the
line and seized my chance into the first corner. I could see
there was a fight behind me so got my head down and pushed
hard to make a break."
The race's middle stages were run behind the safety car after
Collard and SEAT's Robert Huff crashed out together in a high-speed
collision. Officials needed to keep the two drivers apart
as they climbed from their battered cars. "Collard wrecked
both our races and our cars," fumed Huff. "His attempt
to pass me was far too optimistic. It was an amateur's mistake
on his part," replied Collard.
Collard had just been passed by Huff's team-mate Jason Plato
who also came out ahead of Reid for a strong second place
finish. Reid just held off Neal - the driver he infamously
collided with a fortnight ago at Silverstone - to take third.
"This time it was hard but fair racing," said Neal.
Thompson, having started from ninth on the grid, overcame
the fact his Astra was carrying considerable ballast to finish
fifth. Muller, carrying maximum ballast, was eighth.
The third race of the day was another nail-biting affair,
particularly in the opening laps as Plato, his SEAT now laden
with ballast, fought to keep Muller, Neal and Thompson behind
him. Eventually, all three slipped past and remained in this
order until the chequered flag. Collard, having brilliantly
fought his way through from 17th on the grid, also passed
Plato for fourth position before the SEAT driver retired in
the pits. Reid never started the race after his MG suffered
engine problems on the grid.
The result means Muller leaves Oulton equal on points with
Thompson at the top of the table. Neal, meanwhile, has passed
Reid for third in the championship, but is a considerable
way behind the duelling Vauxhall team-mates.
"These two victories are very important to me,"
said Muller. "I have always had good results at Oulton
Park and to be back on level terms with James is good news
for me and the championship. The three-race format with reversed
grids, though, means we still have a lot of hard racing ahead
of us and anything can happen. Although we have a strong lead
over Neal and the others, there is no way we are safe yet."
Despite his failure to start the third race, Reid holds on
to his lead in the HarrierZeuros Independents Trophy. Neal
has overtaken team-mate Eaves for second in the standings
and is now just seven points adrift of Reid. Vauxhall and
its competition brand VX Racing remain in command of the Manufacturers
and Teams championships. In the Manufacturers, however, Vauxhall
faces a stiff challenge from Honda who, in addition to official
driver Tom Chilton, also has scoring for it Neal and Eaves.
The Japanese manufacturer is just 45 points behind the Luton
marque
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