Andrew Jordan doubles up at Rockingham to extend lead
Andrew Jordan converted pole position into victory in the final race of the day at Rockingham, leading every lap and further extending his lead in the standings.
The Eurotech Racing driver made a perfect start in his Honda Civic and after fending off Sam Tordoff’s Triple Eight MG after a safety car period, he gradually drew away from the pack.
West Surrey Racing’s Colin Turkington held off several strong challenges from Tordoff’s team-mate Jason Plato to take second, while Mat Jackson capped a strong weekend in fourth in his Motorbase Performance Ford Focus.
Honda Racing Team’s Gordon Shedden was fifth ahead of a fading Tordoff, with Matt Neal, Dave Newsham, Rob Austin and Jeff Smith completing the top 10. Title contender Neal battled back from 24th on the grid to bag a solid haul of points.
The race also saw the first piece of championship silverware handed out. Lea Wood made it three from three in the Jack Sears Trophy in his JWT Performance Vauxhall Vectra, taking an unassailable seven-win lead in the standings. He finished 16th overall.
At the start, Jordan led into Deene, while Turkington had his customary fast launch, moving up into second.
Turkington was passed by Sam Tordoff’s Triple Eight MG into Chapman Curve, before the race was neutralised by a safety car on the first lap for the second time today.
Jeff Smith got sideways in front of the pack heading towards Gracelands, and Jack Goff lost control trying to avoid him in his Vauxhall Insignia.
Goff was collected by Rob Collard, putting the West Surrey Racing BMW 125i out on the spot, while the Tony Gilham Racing machine crawled back to the pits and into retirement.
The safety car peeled off into the pits at the start of lap five, after which Tordoff challenged Jordan hard into Deene. The Honda man resisted, while Plato heaped the pressure on Turkington behind.
Having held off Plato, Turkington passed Tordoff at Deene on lap 12, and held off the closing Plato to the flag, despite a last-lap attempt from the double champion at Deene.
Tordoff continued to fall down the order, being passed by Plato, Jackson and Shedden at Tarzan on consecutive laps.
Elsewhere, a race-long battle between front row starter Newsham and race two winner Austin ended when the Audi A4 hit the Toyota Avensis at Brook on the penultimate lap.
Austin allowed Newsham back past on the last lap, and Neal passed them both to take crucial points in the title battle.
But the weekend was undoubtedly Jordan’s. He now leads by 30 points from reigning champion Shedden, with six races left in the season.
