WINS FOR SHEDDEN, GIOVANARDI & ONSLOW-COLE AT SNETTERTON
 Team
Halfords’ Gordon Shedden, Vauxhall’s Fabrizio
Giovanardi and, for the first time in his career, Team RAC’s
Tom Onslow-Cole shared the wins in today’s three Dunlop
MSA British Touring Car Championship rounds at a hot and sunny
Snetterton circuit in Norfolk. Onslow-Cole’s victory
– which makes him the eighth different winner so far
in 2007 – was shown live on ITV1. Notably, though, Giovanardi’s
victory, plus fifth and third place finishes have enabled
him to reduce the gap to series leader, SEAT’s Jason
Plato from 25 points to just 14 as the title race heads next
to the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent on Sunday 19 August.
After finishing behind Giovanardi in races one and two with
eighth and third places, Plato looked to have his Italian
rival beaten in race three, but their cars controversially
collided and ran off the track with the Vauxhall driver rejoining
a place ahead.
Plato said: “It’s been a very frustrating day.
I was whacked off the track in race one and had to fight back
from 17th, managed a podium in race two and thought I had
a chance of winning in race three when I was second, but got
tangled up with Fabrizio and Mat Jackson. It was a bit of
a crazy moment, but at least I kept going and scored points.
That was vital, as I’m still a decent amount in front
and Brands Hatch and then Knockhill, two of the SEAT’s
strongest circuits, are next up. We’re still in the
stronger position.”
Giovanardi, whose race two win put him equal with Plato on
six victories so far in 2007, added: “After everything
went wrong for us at Donington Park two weeks ago, today things
have gone quite well. We finished all three races in front
of Plato, took a victory in really good style and now we’re
back in the sort of position I really like – chasing
the leader and putting on the pressure. It’s going to
be very close between the pair of us now until the end of
the season and I’m sure very exciting for the crowds
and television viewers.”
Vauxhall has more than doubled its lead over SEAT at the
top of the Manufacturers’ table, although it is the
latter’s SEAT Sport UK squad that continues to head
the Teams’ standings, albeit by a reduced margin over
VX Racing. Despite a difficult day in his Eurotech Honda,
Mike Jordan has held on to his Independents drivers’
championship lead, while Team RAC has tightened its grip on
the Independents Teams’ trophy.
BTCC points after Snetteron, rds19, 20 & 21 (provisional):
Drivers:
1. Jason PLATO, 209 points
2. Fabrizio GIOVANARDI, 195
3. Matt NEAL, 154
4. Gordon SHEDDEN, 139
5. Colin TURKINGTON, 113
6. Mat JACKSON, 111
7. Tom CHILTON, 108
8. Darren TURNER, 107
9. Mike JORDAN, 98
10. Tom ONSLOW-COLE, 95
Manufacturers:
1. Vauxhall, 459 points
2. SEAT, 430
Teams:
1. SEAT Sport UK, 302
2. VX Racing, 290
3. Team Halfords, 278
4. Team RAC, 194
5. Jacksons MSport, 109
6. Eurotech/John Guest-Speedfit, 96
Race reports…
Round 19, 18 laps (35.136 miles)
Weather/Track: Sunny/Dry
SHEDDEN WINS AFTER TURKINGTON EXCLUDED
Shedden was declared the winner after Colin Turkington’s
Team RAC BMW 320si, which crossed the line in first, was later
found to be under weight. Turkington had started from pole
position, his third of the season, but was led in the early
stages by team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole before re-asserting himself
in front.
Shedden also passed Onslow-Cole to take second, but Turkington
resisted his pressure to take what looked like his third win
of 2007, only for him to be then excluded. This promoted Onslow-Cole
to second and Vauxhall’s Tom Chilton, who set the race’s
fastest lap, to third.
Behind, Jacksons MSport BMW driver Mat Jackson, Giovanardi
and SEAT’s Darren Turner completed the top six, but
Plato was only eighth after tumbling to 17th in a first corner
collision with reigning champion Matt Neal’s Team Halfords
Honda. As a result, Giovanardi slightly narrowed the gap to
Plato to 22 points.
Elsewhere, there were welcome points finishes for Motorbase
SEAT Toledo driver Tom Ferrier in ninth and Jason Hughes,
tenth in his Kartworld MG.
Result:
1. Gordon Shedden (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, 22m05.923s
2. Tom Onslow-Cole (GBR), Team RAC/BMW 320si, +0.809s
3. Tom Chilton (GBR), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra, +1.211s
FASTEST LAP: Chilton, 1m12.636s (96.74mph)
Round 20, 21 laps (40.992 miles)
Weather/Track: Sunny/Dry
GIOVANARDI WINS, NEAL STARS IN SECOND
Giovanardi took full advantage of the fight behind him for
second to record his sixth win of the season – a result
that moved him six points closer to Plato who finished third.
The Italian muscled by leader Shedden early on and thereafter
was never headed. Shedden had then looked to be on course
for second but, cruelly, retired with mechanical problems
just two laps from home. This appeared to have handed the
place to Turner, but on the final lap he was passed by both
Neal and Plato who finished second and third. Turner, Jackson
and Onslow-Cole completed the top six.
Neal, way back in 18th on the grid after his race one problems,
had made a sensational start and then gradually picked off
drivers ahead of him while also cannily taking advantage of
two safety car periods to keep in touch with the leaders.
The first safety car period came after Fiona Leggate’s
Kartworld MG had dramatically flown up in the air in a start
line collision with Chris Stockton’s BTC Racing Lexus.
Meanwhile, Eoin Murray showed what he and his Quest Racing
Alfa Romeo are capable of with a fine seventh place finish
– his best result of the season so far. Local, Norwich-based
driver Matt Allison also scored a handy point with tenth in
his Motorbase SEAT.
Result:
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra,
32m08.399s
2. Matt Neal (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, +1.198s
3. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, +1.677s
FASTEST LAP: Neal, 1m12.784s (96.54mph)
Round 21, 18 laps (35.136 miles)
Weather/Track: Sunny/Dry
FIRST WIN FOR ONSLOW-COLE
Drawn on pole position for race three’s reversed grid,
Onslow-Cole drove impeccably to resist pressure from Jackson
and then Plato for the first win of his BTCC career.
The 20-year-old led all the way and ultimately was left with
an easy win when Jackson, who had lost second to Plato early
on, attempted to regain the place with three laps to go. Their
cars collided and both were delayed, allowing Giovanardi to
draw alongside them. Then Plato’s and Giovanardi’s
cars collided and, rubbing wheels, both veered off the track.
Jackson, needing to take evasive action, also ran wide over
the graqss allowing an opportunistic Neal, following in fifth,
to swoop past all three drivers and into second place.
Giovanardi recovered to finish third ahead of Plato in fourth,
while Shedden, who set the race’s fastest lap, and Turkington
completed the top six. A disgruntled Jackson took seventh.
Result:
1. Tom Onslow-Cole (GBR), Team RAC/BMW 320si, 22m07.246s
2. Matt Neal (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, +02.701s
3. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra, +3.252s
FASTEST LAP: Shedden, 1m12.398s (97.06mph)
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