WINS FOR SHEDDEN & PLATO AT WET DONINGTON PARK
Team Halfords’ Gordon Shedden and SEAT’s Jason
Plato shared the race wins in today’s three Dunlop MSA
British Touring Car Championship rounds at a rain-lashed Donington
Park circuit in Leicestershire. For Plato, victories in both
races two and three have enabled him to turn a one-point deficit
into a sizeable 25-point lead at the top of the championship
over Vauxhall driver Fabrizio Giovanardi as the BTCC next
heads for the Snetterton circuit in Norfolk on 29 July.
Notably, Plato’s victory in today’s third race
– shown live on terrestrial television channel ITV1
– was one of his finest and his success was made all
the sweeter when Giovanardi finished out of the points.
Plato, who had also finished fifth and ahead of Giovanardi
in race one, said: “On a dry day, Donington was also
going to be our bogey circuit, but the rain played into our
hands and we took advantage. It’s a dream set of results.
As for the rest of the season… we won twice at Snetterton
last year, but still need to be on our guard. If we can leave
there still ahead by a decent amount then we’ll go into
two of our strongest circuits, Brands Hatch and Knockhill,
in very good shape.”
Having gradually erased a 24-point gap to Plato during the
season’s opening half and moved a point clear, Giovanardi
suddenly finds himself with it all to do again. The Italian
added: “It’s going to be like the first half of
the season all over again, except this time I will have only
four race weekends to catch Plato, not five. Of course today
is a big disappointment. I should have scored points in race
three but my windscreen wiper failed and I could not see the
track and went off. But I won’t give up. I still believe
we have a chance.”
Vauxhall has at least held onto its lead in the Manufacturers’
table over SEAT, although it is the latter’s SEAT Sport
UK squad that has taken over at the top of the Teams’
championship. Mike Jordan and Team RAC remain leaders of the
Independents Drivers’ and Teams’ championships
respectively. Jordan today celebrated his fourth outright
podium finish in as many meetings, while fellow independent
Adam Jones also starred.
BTCC points after Donington Park, rds16, 17 & 18 (provisional):
Drivers:
1. Jason PLATO, 188 points
2. Fabrizio GIOVANARDI, 163
3. Matt NEAL, 129
4. Gordon SHEDDEN, 115
5. Colin TURKINGTON, 105
6. Mike JORDAN, 94
7. Mat JACKSON, 93
8. Darren TURNER, 92
9. Tom CHILTON, 91
10. Tom ONSLOW-COLE, 61
Manufacturers:
1. Vauxhall, 384 points
2. SEAT, 370
Teams:
1. SEAT Sport UK, 266
2. VX Racing, 243
3. Team Halfords, 233
4. Team RAC, 155
5. Eurotech/John Guest-Speedfit, 92
6. Jacksons MSport, 91
Race reports…
Round 16, 19 laps (37.1887 miles)
Weather/Track: Overcast/Wet
SHEDDEN ROMPS TO VICTORY
From pole position in his Honda Civic, Shedden was unstoppable
as he romped to his second victory in as many meetings. The
Scot initially had to give second best to Mat Jackson’s
fast-starting BMW into the first corner, but was soon back
in front and on his way to a comfortable win.
Adam Jones displayed great skill in his Team Air Cool SEAT
Toledo as he splashed his way to an excellent second –
his first BTCC podium result – ahead of Shedden’s
team-mate, the reigning champion Matt Neal. Fourth, having
made up ground after falling off the track, was Jordan with
Plato in fifth and Matt Allison a career-best sixth in his
Motorbase SEAT Toledo.
Giovanardi, who had started 15th after mechanical problems
in qualifying, was eighth and, as a result, fell two points
behind Plato in the title race. Both Jackson and SEAT’s
Darren Turner, who had held second behind Shedden in the early
stages, fell back to ninth and 12th after slipping off the
track in the treacherous conditions.
Result:
1. Gordon Shedden (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, 30m19.346s
2. Adam Jones (GBR), Team Air Cool/SEAT Toledo, +6.881s
3. Matt Neal (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, +7.221s
FASTEST LAP: Neal, 1m26.348 s (81.60mph)
Round 17, 16 laps (31.3168 miles)
Weather/Track: Overcast/Wet
PLATO WINS TO DRAW CLEAR
After the opening lap, it appeared as if Shedden was on course
to repeat his victory double at Donington from 2006. He had
again pulled out a decent lead but, suddenly, having moved
through from fifth, Plato was up to second and beginning to
close. Shedden smartly resisted the SEAT driver for several
laps but, once past, Plato quickly moved away for a decisive
victory.
Shedden took a lonely second ahead of Giovanardi who had
climbed from eighth to finish third. But the result meant
that Plato, who also set the race’s fastest lap for
a bonus point, now had a nine-point advantage at the top of
the championship.
Neal, Jones and Turner came through several battles in the
spray to complete the top six.
Result:
1. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, 23m17.182s
2. Gordon Shedden (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, +5.876s
3. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra, +7.288s
FASTEST LAP: Plato, 1m25.172s (82.72mph)
Round 18, 16 laps (31.3168 miles)
Weather/Track: Overcast/Wet
WIN ‘TREBLES’ PLATO’S LEAD
A second win for Plato and a shock non-score for Giovanardi
effectively trebled the Briton’s series lead in one
fell swoop. With the leading positions reversed on the starting
grid, Plato started ninth in a SEAT Leon carrying maximum
success ballast thanks to its race two win but, clearly enjoying
its handling, the former champion was again quickly on the
rise and closed up to leaders Jordan and Turner.
Swiftly he disposed of them, although Jordan momentarily
regained the initiative before Plato again struck back to
re-take the lead and with it another controlled victory. Only
on the final lap was he denied the fastest race lap, by the
chasing Neal who finished in second.
Jordan held on to third, although in the closing stages was
under pressure from Jackson, Shedden and Colin Turkington
who took sixth – his best result of the day –
in his Team RAC BMW after starting from pole position. Turner,
having looked good at one stage for a podium finish, fell
to an eventual ninth.
But at least he was in the points; back in 11th was Giovanardi.
The Italian had been in sixth when his car’s windscreen
wipers failed and, with limited visibility, he had run off
the track. In a moment his deficit to Plato had increased
from a manageable nine points to a daunting 25. He has also
seen what had been a 53-point advantage over third-placed
Neal come down to 34.
Result:
1. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, 23m17.182s
2. Matt Neal (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, +1.489s
3. Mike Jordan (GBR), Eurotech-John Guest-Speedfit/Honda Integra,
+8.626s
FASTEST LAP: Neal, 1m25.122s (82.77mph)
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