Brands Hatch race report

Matt Neal has won the first of today’s (Sunday) three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at Brands Hatch, Kent – a result that has moved him past team-mate Dan Eaves into the series lead. Neal led all the way from pole position but fellow Team Halfords driver Dan Eaves crashed out in his Honda Integra.

Vauxhall drivers Colin Turkington and Yvan Muller finished in second and third positions with SEAT’s Jason Plato fourth. Turkington drove an attacking race to get past Muller having started from sixth on the grid.

Race-winner Neal said: “I didn´t like it when I saw Colin had got past Yvan – he was looking feisty but my lead was enough, although he got very close on the last lap.”

Turkington said: “We seem to have hit a very good set-up on the Astra since qualifying and Brands is my kind of circuit. Hopefully, I can go one better in race two.”

Team-mate Muller, though, was disappointed, having come under pressure in the closing stages from the fast-closing Plato. “I am not happy with my result,” added Muller. “I think it is the best I could have hoped for, considering the success ballast I started the race with, but we need to improve. I made one mistake in the race and that was enough for Colin to pass me.”

Race two of three is scheduled to start at 13.25 with the starting grid positions decided by race one’s results. That means Eaves will have to start from the back of the grid.

Matt Neal has won the second of today’s (Sunday) three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at Brands Hatch, Kent.

Neal again led all the way from pole position in his Honda Integra to add to his victory from the day’s first race. The result extends his championship lead over Team Halfords team-mate Dan Eaves.

Neal later admitted his second win of the day was not without problems: “I suddenly got a big clattering noise coming from underneath my. I didn´t know what it was but carried on pushing just in case it held together. It did and it worked out happily.”

SEAT’s Jason Plato finished second after getting the better of several dramatic place swaps in the closing stages. Eaves finished third having started from last on the grid.

Race three will be shown live by ITV1 from 16.05. The starting grid order for race three will be the result of race two, but with the top ten positions reversed. That means Ian Curley, making his BTCC debut this weekend with local Kent-based team HPI Racing with Friends Reunited, will start from pole position in his Lexus.

Yvan Muller has won the third of today’s (Sunday) three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at Brands Hatch, Kent.

Vauxhall driver Muller overtook early leader James Pickford’s SEAT and was never headed thereafter.

Finishing second and pressuring Muller in the closing stages was Team Halfords’ Dan Eaves. Third was SEAT’s Jason Plato.

After taking his second win of the season, Muller said: “This morning I did not think we could win a race here so this is a really nice result. It gives the team more confidence for the next races.”

Eaves, meanwhile, was disillusioned with not having been able to push Muller more over the final laps. Eaves said: “My car´s throttle stuck open a few times during the race which was quite scary. Then it seemed to cure itself and I could catch back up, but by then my tyres were past their best and Yvan decided to be a very stubborn Frenchman!”

As a result, Eaves has closed to within seven points of championship leader, his team-mate Matt Neal, who finished the race sixth. Neal won the day’s first two races.

Frenchman Muller is third in the standings and Plato fourth as the BTCC heads to Oulton Park, Cheshire in two weeks’ time, 18-19 June. The event, like today’s, will receive live coverage from ITV1.