Photo: PSP Images

Debris caused Jason Plato’s race two puncture

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Jason Plato missed out on what was set to be certain victory in the second race at Brands Hatch, after debris caused a puncture on his front-left tyre heading into Paddock Hill Bend on lap 21, three laps from the finish.

The two-time champion had almost a four second lead over the battling pair of Gordon Shedden and Andy Priaulx, in their Honda and West Surrey Racing BMW respectively, when the puncture occurred, forcing Plato’s Team BMR Volkswagen off of the track and into retirement in the gravel trap at the first corner.

Plato had started from pole position after having set the fastest lap in race one. The grid for race two has been set by the result of race two, with the top ten reversed after a draw made by series director Alan Gow, after the result of the first draw was disputed, even though the result was the same. Plato will start 24th of the 26 runners in race three, and will be on the soft tyre, but drops 57kg of ballast after his retirement.