Fab start to the season for Giovanardi

In a result impossible to predict just a few days ago, Fabrizio Giovanardi inherited Round One victory as tyre problems struck his rivals. Polesitter Gordon Shedden led initially, but his race ended on lap nine in the tyre wall after suffering a left front puncture, allowing the Italian to take the lead and a comfortable victory.

With Shedden’s Honda teammate Matt Neal also disappearing from third on the same lap with a similar problem, Jason Plato stepped to give the Chevrolet Cruze a debut BTCC podium, with Mat Jackson taking third.

There were also strong debut touring car performances from Phil Glew and Alex MacDowall, with both scoring points in sixth and seventh positions respectively.

A number of other drivers also fell victim to tyre failure as Thruxton’s fast right handers took their toll on the tyres, with both Aon Focus’ dropping out of good positions. Tom Chilton in particular exiting in spectacular fashion as his tyre failed at the high-speed Church corner resulting in an impact with the barriers.

Shedden initially maintained his advantage at the start, with Neal pressurising Giovanardi at the Complex on lap one, but staying in third with Plato behind before a gaggle of cars led by the extraordinarily fast starting Tom Onslow-Cole.

Under pressure from behind, Onslow-Cole ran wide at the Complex on lap four allowing the following cars to bunch up, with Rob Collard dropping out following contact with Paul O’Neill in the ensuring melee.

A lap later and Onslow-Cole hooked a wheel on the grass giving Jackson and Andrew Jordan a run on him, but the Focus was able to pull away on the straights before being caught again at the corners.

Jackson eventually found his way past the Team Aon car on lap seven, with Onslow-Cole on the dirt at the Complex allowing the Airwaves BMW man through, though the recovering Focus clattered into the side of Jordan sending the Vectra off onto the outfield.

All was settled at the front until Shedden exited stage left at high-speed at Church with teammate Neal trailing back to the pits with a similar puncture on his Civic. This left Giovanardi with over a ten second lead, and while a combination of the Italian backing off and Plato reeling him in saw the lead decrease to three seconds, but not beyond.

Thirteen was unlucky for Chilton, as he followed Shedden into the Church tyre wall, promoting O’Neill into fifth, which became fourth a lap later as Onslow-Cole limped back to the pits with a puncture.

Lower down the order there was some last lap drama, with Andy Neate pipping Martin Johnson for tenth and the last point at the chicane, while ahead John George got his season off to a good start by securing points, something he failed to do throughout 2009.