Photo: PSP Images

Andy Priaulx wins dramatic race two at Silverstone

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West Surrey Racing’s Andy Priaulx took his second win of the season in the second race at Silverstone, heading home Jack Goff and Aron Smith, while poleman Mat Jackson lost out on a possible podium with a puncture.

Motorbase Performance’s Jackson led Priaulx away from pole and the BMW 125i followed at close quarters until lap eight, when he dived through at Becketts after a strong run through Copse.

It looked as if Priaulx may have put all four wheels off the circuit in making the move, but talk of any possible penalty was rendered redundant later in the race. Jackson was able to hang on to the coat-tails of Priaulx until lap 15, when a front-left puncture ended his charge, and he finished 27th after pitting for a new tyre.

The Ford’s demise allowed the duelling pair of Triple Eight Racing’s Goff and Team BMR’s Smith to move forward and complete the podium, after a fierce battle which saw contact at the end of the Wellington Straight on lap six.

Behind the top three, Honda Yuasa Racing’s Gordon Shedden took another big step forward in his title bid in fourth, extending his lead over Jason Plato to 25 points. He benefited from cruel luck for Triple Eight Racing’s Andrew Jordan, who lost the position with a puncture on the last lap and crawled home 19th.

Shedden’s team-mate Neal was next home in fifth ahead of West Surrey Racing’s Sam Tordoff, with Plato, Colin Turkington, Rob Collard and James Cole rounding out the top 10. It was a career-best finish for Cole, and to add to his joy, he was drawn on pole for the final race of the day.

Despite losing ground to Shedden it was an impressive performance from Team BMR’s Plato, not least a decisive move around the outside of team-mate Turkington at Brooklands on lap 14.

In a race of high attrition, Power Maxed Racing’s Dave Newsham ground to a halt at the end of the Wellington Straight on lap 11. Rob Austin parked his Audi A4 in the pits as team-mate Hunter Abbott went for a spin on circuit, while Stewart Lines also stopped with a puncture and Nicolas Hamilton went off backwards into the wall at Copse.