Fabrizio Giovanardi was able to extend his championship lead
Race 1
Jason Plato moved another ten points closer to championship leader Fabrizio Giovanardi with his eighth win of the season in a wet opening race at Silverstone. While the Seat Sport UK driver led from start to finish, the series leading Italian had to settle for a safe fifth place after starting only 11th on the grid. The pair are now separated by 30 points with five rounds remaining...
With rain starting to fall just as the cars lined up on the grid, all the teams were forced to make a last minute change to grooved, wet weather tyres. Plato and team-mate Darren Turner took advantage of their front row starting positions to lead the early exchanges from the fast starting BMW 320si of Steven Kane (Motorbase). Kane, however, spun off at the end of the second lap and the Safety Car was deployed while the stricken BMW was recovered.
The two SEAT Leon TDis maintained their advantage after the re-start but their stranglehold came under increasing pressure from Mat Jackson. The BMW Dealer Team UK ace was revelling in the tricky conditions and charged through the pack from his lowly 14th starting position. On the 19th of the 25 laps he slipped past Turner to take second place and put Plato under increasing pressure during the final few laps. The SEAT driver, though, held his nerve to win, taking the chequered flag to score the Spanish manufacturer's 100th BTCC podium since entering the series in 2004.
A late charge took Colin Turkington (Team RAC) into fourth place ahead of the Vauxhall Vectra VXRs of Giovanardi and Matt Neal. Stephen Jelley came home seventh ahead of an impressive Adam Jones (Team Air Cool) who recovered strongly after dropping to the back of the field following a pit-stop under the Satey Car for new tyres.
"I'm pleased with that," reported a delighted Plato. "It was a shame the Safety Car came out as I had pushed hard on the opening laps and built up a decent lead. Mat was a bit quick towards the end but I was driving carefully and always just about in control. I've now got to keep taking points out of Fabrizio in the next two races."
Jackson was thrilled with his second place finish; a result that moves him up to equal third with Turkington in the Drivers' Championship and closer to Turkington in the race to be top Independent. "It's a fantastic result," he enthused. "After qualifying so far back, we were praying for rain. The car was awesome in the conditions and sometimes things just fall your way. I'd like to have won but the most important thing for me is to keep finishing in front of Colin."
BTCC Silverstone, Race 1 result (provisional):
1. Jason Plato (GBR, SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon TDi, 25 laps in 30m29.829s
2. Mat Jackson (GBR), BMW Dealer Team UK/BMW 320si, +0.545s
3. Darren Turner (GBR) SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon TDi, +6.194s
Fastest lap: Jackson, 1m08.144s (86.58mph)
Mat Jackson's race 2 did not go to plan...
Race 2
Fabrizio Giovanardi got his title defence back on track by winning the second wet race of the day at Silverstone. Jason Plato had cut the Italian's series lead to 30 points with victory in the opening race but Giovanardi fought back to score his fifth win of the season, and his first since Croft in early June, to re-establish a 42-point advantage with four rounds now remaining. The victory also provisionally gives Vauxhall its seventh BTCC Manufacturers' Championship in eight years.
Giovanardi's win, though, was far from straight-forward. The reigning champion survived clashes with both Darren Turner (SEAT Sport UK) and early leader Mat Jackson (BMW Dealer Team UK) and then had to pass Plato on his way to the chequered flag.
"We changed the set up from after this morning's race and the car was much faster," said the Vauxhall Vectra VXR driver. "It was difficult to follow Jason and I was pushing to the maximum as I can't afford to keep finishing behind him. For sure I had contact with both Turner and Jackson but that's racing and I have to win!"
After an early dice with Jackson, Plato seemed set for his second win of the day despite a Safety Car period following various incidents in the opening laps left cars stranded in dangerous positions. The Englishman's hopes of a second win disappeared, however, just after half distance when tyre issues caused his diesel-powered Leon TDi to drop back through the pack to eventually finish seventh.
"We went for a full wet set up and we're not quite sure why the tyres went off. The car lost grip and there was nothing that I could do," admitted a disappointed Plato who will have a chance to make amends in race three, which will see the top ten cars starting in reverse order.
As the SEAT dropped back Colin Turkington (Team RAC) battled his way through to second place and Independent honours with Adam Jones (Team Air Cool) overcoming former champion Matt Neal (VX Racing) to take the final place on the podium.
The drive of the race, though, came from Steven Kane (Motorbase). The Ulsterman started from the back of the grid after spinning out of the opening race. This time Kane made no mistakes as he carved his way through the field to take an impressive fifth place.
Silverstone race two results (provisional):
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra VXR, 25 laps in 30m59.002s
2. Colin Turkington (GBR), Team RAC/BMW 320si, +2.768s
3. Adam Jones (GBR), Team Air Cool/SEAT Leon, +3.806s
Fastest lap: Giovanardi 1m08.869s (85.67mph)
...but his race 3 did
Race 3
Mat Jackson made up for his disappointments in race two to win the third and final of three exciting races held in front of a 27,000 crowd at a wet Silverstone. But while the BMW Dealer Team UK driver was celebrating, Fabrizio Giovanardi (VX Racing) was was the big winner. The defending champion finished third behind Jackson and Adam Jones (Team Air Cool) to move closer to capturing back-to-back BTCC titles.
With arch rival Jason Plato (SEAT Sport UK) only finishing fifth, Giovanardi now holds a 44-point advantage with only 52 points available at the season finale to be staged at Brands Hatch, Kent on Sunday 21 September. Earlier in the day Vauxhall provisionally had clinched its seventh Manufacturers' Championship in eight years to add to the Teams' Championship it sealed at the previous BTCC event in Scotland.
"There's just one title to go," grinned Giovanardi. "You never know in motor racing but I'm pretty confident going to Brands Hatch only needing a handful of points."
The reverse grid saw Mike Jordan (John Guest Racing) and Robert Collard (Motorbase) lining up at the front but both were quickly passed by some of the faster cars starting behind. Gordan Shedden (Team Halfords) grabbed an early lead but he was swiftly overtaken by Plato.
The SEAT Leon TDi made its getaway as a fierce battle raged for second place between Tom Onslow-Cole (VX Racing), Colin Turkington (Team RAC), Jones, Giovanardi and Jackson, who had started in a lowly 13th position after being spun out of race two.
Turkington's hopes were dashed when he spun following contact with Onslow-Cole and Jackson was quickly up to second, and closing on the leader who's car was starting to suffer from tyre troubles. Then, on the 17th of 22 laps, Jackson was through into the lead. Worse was to follow for the struggling Plato as he dropped behind the on-form Jones, Giovanardi and the recovering Turkington in the closing laps.
"There was nothing I could do," he shrugged. "The tyres went off and I had neither any grip in the corners nor could I put the power down."
Jackson was understandably thrilled with his well-deserved third win of the season - a result which moves him back into contention for the Independents title as well as for third place in the overall championship.
"I love these wet conditions," he grinned. "I wish every race could be wet but, sadly even here in Britain, that isn't the case!"
Further down the top ten, Michael Doyle (In-Tune Racing) produced a stirring drive in the tricky conditions to finish a career-best eighth in his elderly Honda Civic.
Silverstone race three results (provisional):
1. Mat Jackson (GBR), BMW Dealer Team UK/BMW 320si, 22 laps in 26m3.875s (83.00mph)
2. Adam Jones (GBR), Team Air Cool/SEAT Leon, +3.254s
3. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra VXR, +4.303s
Fastest lap: Plato, 1m09.464s (84.94mph)