GIOVANARDI TAKES RACE ONE VICTORY AT THRUXTON
Fabrizio Giovanardi has won the first of today’s (Sunday)
three title-deciding Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship
rounds at the Thruxton circuit in Hampshire.
Vauxhall driver Giovanardi finished ahead of title rival,
SEAT’s Jason Plato who took second. Heading into this
afternoon’s second race, Plato now leads the championship
by the reduced margin of just five points over Giovanardi.
Plato had been on course to finish the race in fourth but
both of Giovanardi’s team-mates Tom Chilton and Alain
Menu suffered punctured tyres in the final moments. Plato’s
own team-mate Darren Turner also suffered a similar plight.
Taking third at the line was Team Halfords Honda driver Gordon
Shedden. But Menu struggled home in fourth to give Vauxhall
valuable points in its fight with SEAT for the Manufacturers’
title.
BTCC Race 1 result Thruxton (provisional):
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing, Vauxhall Vectra,
21m33.994s (104.87mph)
2. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, +1.004s
3. Gordon Shedden (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, +5.204s
4. Alain Menu (SUI), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra, +5.662s
5. Matt Neal (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, +6.329s
6. Colin Turkington (GBR), Team RAC/BMW 320si, +6.744s
TITLE RACE COMES DOWN TO FINAL ROUND AFTER GIOVANARDI WINS
THRUXTON RACE TWO
Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi will go into today’s
final round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship
dramatically separated by just one point.
Vauxhall driver Giovanardi has just won the second of the
day’s three races at Thruxton, Hampshire to add to his
victory in race one. Finishing second, just as in race one,
was SEAT driver Plato.
Their cars twice made contact while fighting for the lead
and at one stage were completely off the road, but Giovanardi
held on to win.
It effectively means that whichever of them finishes ahead
in race three will be crowned the new 2007 BTCC Champion.
The race is due to start at 4.20pm and will be shown live
on television on the ITV1 channel.
Fittingly, outgoing champion Matt Neal finished the second
race third in his Team Halfords Honda Civic after also challenging
for the victory.
BTCC Thruxton race 2 result (provisional):
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra,
21m35.623s
2. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, +0.833s
3. Matt Neal (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, +1.729s
4. Colin Turkington (GBR), Team RAC/BMW 320si, +7.600s
5. Mat Jackson (GBR), Jacksons MSport/BMW 320si, +8.369s
6. Alain Menu (SUI), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra, +9.015s
GIOVANARDI CROWNED 2007 CHAMPION
Fabrizio Giovanardi has today been crowned as the 2007 Dunlop
MSA British Touring Car Champion.
The Vauxhall driver finished the season’s final round
at Thruxton, Hampshire in second position to score the points
he needed to overcome SEAT’s Jason Plato and win the
title. Plato, driving in pain from burns he suffered in the
week, finished the race back in fourth having gone into it
leading the championship by just a point.
Jacksons MSport BMW driver Mat Jackson won the race which
was stopped early because of an accident further down the
field.
Italian Giovanardi said: “This is incredible. It has
been an amazing fight all year and Jason has always kept ahead
until this, the last race. I have won touring car titles before
but this is the toughest.
“Even on the last lap I knew Jason was close. It’s
been like this all year. He has been a great rival and what
he has done today with the injuries he suffered in the week
was really brave – a really fighting spirit. I’m
really pleased we had this battle.”
Vauxhall, in its first year with its new Vectra model, has
regained the Manufacturers’ title from SEAT, but it
is the Spanish make’s SEAT Sport UK squad which has
lifted the Teams’ trophy. Team RAC BMW driver Colin
Turkington has been crowned the Independents’ Champion.
BTCC Thruxton race 3 result (provisional):
1. Mat Jackson (GBR), Jacksons MSport/BMW 320si, 17m33.434s
2. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra,
+2.659s
3. Tom Chilton (GBR), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra, +3.463s
4. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, +4.322s
5. Matt Neal (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, +4.644s
6. Darren Turner (GBR), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra, +4.897s
Final BTCC points (provisional):
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), 300 points
2. Jason Plato (GBR), 297
3. Gordon Shedden (GBR), 200
4. Matt Neal (GBR), 195
5. Colin Turkington (GBR), 184
6. Darren Turner (GBR), 160
More to follow...
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