Photo: BTCC Media

Rockingham race 1: Giovanardi leads VXR 1-2

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Fabrizio Giovanardi and Tom Chilton have given Vauxhall a 1-2 finish in the first of today’s (Sunday) three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rounds at the Rockingham circuit in Northamptonshire.

Giovanardi led all the way to give Vauxhall’s new Vectra model its first win in the BTCC. The Italian driver also set the race’s fastest lap.

Chilton (Reigate) finished second after overtaking SEAT’s championship leader Jason Plato (Oxford) when the latter slithered over a trail of oil laid on the track by another car and lost momentum.

Plato’s team-mate Darren Turner (Leamington-Spa), who had qualified on pole position, failed to start the race after his SEAT suffered mechanical problems on the grid.