EAVES MAKES BTCC HISTORY WITH VICTORY HAT-TRICK AT THRUXTON
An historic three wins in a day at Thruxton today (Sunday)
have catapulted Dan Eaves into the lead of the Dunlop MSA
British Touring Car Championship. With Eaves’ team-mate
Matt Neal, the leader before Thruxton, finishing in the top
four in all three races, their Team Halfords squad has extended
its lead in the Teams’ title race. Defending champion
Vauxhall, meanwhile, leaves the Hampshire circuit just ahead
of SEAT in the Manufacturers’ points standings.
There was also plenty of controversy at Thruxton as arch
rivals, SEAT’s Jason Plato and Vauxhall’s Yvan
Muller, clashed on the track. Indeed, today’s three
races produced some truly memorable BTCC action and will make
for spectacular viewing when they are shown on ITV1 next Saturday
7 May.
Eaves, in his Honda Integra, overtook Plato to win the first
race after early leader Tom Chilton – returning to the
BTCC in Arena Motorsports’ Honda Civic – needed
a pit stop to change a tyre. Plato finished second, just ahead
of Neal, who would go into the day’s second race still
leading the standings, but by a reduced margin of just five
points over Eaves. Muller, Neal’s closest rival arriving
at Thruxton, trailed in a distant sixth so now fell behind
Eaves in the points table. Chilton, with a new tyre fitted
to his car, rejoined the race in tenth and set the fastest
lap.
Eaves’ win meant he started the second race from pole
position and from there he romped away to his second win of
the day, setting the fastest lap time en route. This was all
the more impressive considering his Honda was now carrying
maximum success ballast. But it was the action behind that
captured the huge crowd’s attention. Plato’s Toledo
and Muller’s Astra Sport Hatch collided at high speed
under braking for the tight Club chicane. Muller’s car
was sent into an enormous slide but the French driver –
drawing rapturous applause from the packed grandstands –
steered it back into line, still ahead of Plato.
Muller’s and Plato’s fighting allowed Neal to
close in and within a couple of laps he had picked off the
pair of them with brave moves at the super-fast Goodwood corner
and was able to follow home Eaves in a 1-2 finish for their
team. Plato, when passed by Neal, lost momentum and by the
end of the lap had fallen to an eventual fifth position behind
inspired rookie SEAT team-mate James Pickford.
The result meant that heading into the day’s third
and final race Neal and Eaves were now sensationally tied
on points at the head of the championship. The starting order
for the race was decided by the finishing order of the second
but with the top ten positions reversed. This meant Eaves
would start tenth, Neal ninth, Muller eighth and so on. At
the front of the grid, thanks to finishing tenth in race two,
would be Vauxhall’s Gavin Smith.
But Irishman Smith’s joy was short-lived. As Smith
entered the first corner he and Chilton were eliminated from
the race as their cars collided. Turkington was also delayed
in the incident and dropped to last with a damaged car –
the catalyst for a great comeback drive. At the front, SEAT’s
Luke Hines had inherited first position as the BTCC’s
Safety Car was sent onto the track to lead the field while
marshals cleared Smith’s and Chilton’s stranded
cars.
Behind, Plato had passed Muller for second but officials
judged he had done so illegally when the Safety Car was on
track. Later, Plato was ordered to serve a drive-through pit
lane penalty and this he did having passed Hines for the lead
after the Safety Car period was over. This cost Plato dear
for it dropped him to the tail of the field. But timing it
to perfection was Eaves who, as Plato headed into the pit
lane, swooped past Hines and Turkington in one move and into
the lead. From there he moved clear once again for an amazing
third victory – the first driver in BTCC history to
win all three races in a day. Eaves and the Team Halfords
squad have also extended their lead in the Independents Trophy’s
Drivers’ and Teams’ championships.
A delighted Eaves said: “I’m just stunned. Half
way through the third race there was no way I thought I would
win but suddenly everything started playing into my hands
and I took advantage. Three wins and the championship lead
… it’s just a dream come true but it’s also
the result of a great team and a great car. Based on the racing
today, Brands Hatch is going to be something else.”
The fight for second in the third race went all the way to
the finish line. Turkington, having spent the race recovering
from his first lap delay, somehow came out ahead to claim
the place. Team-mate Muller then nosed ahead of Neal in the
sprint to the finish line for third. The recovering Plato
took a fighting fifth and the race’s fastest lap, while
poor Hines, having come to blows with the charging Neal shortly
after the Safety Car period, slumped to eighth.
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