Jason Plato takes title and equals Rouse

Nine years on from securing his first BTCC title at Brands Hatch, Jason Plato took his second with a flourish as he equalled Andy Rouse’s win record. Plato’s second lights-to-flag victory of the day gives him an unassailable championship lead over Matt Neal with one race still to go and also sees him draw level with Rouse on 60 career BTCC wins, a record which could still be broken in the final race of the day.

Another perfect start saw Plato convert pole to the race lead, which he held through an early brief safety car period, and maintained throughout, never letting second placed Neal within a second of him, as he kept the Civic at arms length.

Behind Neal could only finish second, unable to take the championship battle to the final race of the season, while the third remaining driver in the title fight Gordon Shedden pulled into the pit lane at the end of the green flag lap with driveshaft problems. Shedden did make it back out on track again, but ended up four laps down and out of the running.
There was some recompense for Neal and Shedden however, with the news before the race that Honda Racing had sealed the Team Championship.

Just as in race one, both Chevrolet’s made excellent starts, with McDowell slicing through the gap left by the departed Shedden to slot in front of Neal. McDowell’s advantage lasted as long as Druids, whereupon he was swiftly eased to one side by Neal, which resulted in a rather lurid slide across the grass for the Cruze.

Further round the lap James Kaye and Arthur Forster came together at Clearways with both cars sliding into the gravel, Kaye’s permanently, bringing out the safety car and bunching the field back up.

Plato though jumped clear on the restart, powering well clear of Neal along the top straight giving the Honda man no chance of a move into Paddock Hill Bend. That was the closest Neal would get for the remainder of the race, until Plato eased up for the final couple of corners to savour victory.

Behind McDowell, fighting back from his lap one off, had a coming together with Lea Wood, but the pair re-joined after a bumpy trip through the gravel.

Also exploring the Hailwood Hill gravel was Rob Collard, who was in close attendance behind Neal in third, but ran wide out of Paddock Hill Bend and off the circuit. Such was the advantage of the leading trio though that although Paul O’Neill closed up on the WSR BMW, he couldn’t make it past and onto the podium.

The race though, like the title, belonged to Plato, his 60th British Touring Car Championship win. Behind Neal and Collard came O’Neill followed by Independent title competitors Tom Chilton and Steven Kane in fifth and sixth.

Taking seventh, which was converted to pole thanks to James Thompson on ITV4, was Andrew Jordan.
Just out of the points but putting in two good performances were BTCC debutants Sam Tordoff and Ben Collins, with the youngster getting the better of the BMW man during their battle over the closing laps.