Two wins for Plato in BTCC opener

Seat's Jason Plato won a pair of races in the opening round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch on Sunday, but Matt Neal's latest-shape Honda Civic triumphed in the third race despite having barely turned a wheel before qualifying.


The new E90 BMW 320si's of Team RAC scored well with a couple of second places for Colin Turkington, and the new Vauxhall Vectras grabbed a third in Race Two with Tom Chilton and a second in Race Three with Fabrizio Giovanardi.

BTCC new boy Mat Jackson scored a great third in Race Three, but it was Matt Neal's Civic that stunned the field with a win.

Plato leads the drivers' championship with Neal second.

In the constructors' championship, a steady run of results from the new Vectras sees Vauxhall top the chart.

Nick Trott

BTCC Drivers Championship standings:
1. Jason PLATO, 41 points
2. Matt NEAL, 32
3. Colin TURKINGTON, 25
4. Tom CHILTON, 19
5. Fabrizio GIOVANARDI, 17
6. Adam JONES, 15
7. Mat JACKSON, 14
8. Mike JORDAN & Tom ONSLOW-COLE, 11
10. Darren TURNER, 9

BTCC Drivers Manufacturers standings:
1. Vauxhall, 67 points
2. Seat, 52

BTCC Brands Hatch Round 1:
1. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, 24m57.801s
2. Colin Turkington (GBR), Team RAC/BMW 320si, +1.237s
3. Matt Neal (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, +3.956s

BTCC Brands Hatch Round 2:
1. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon, 20m27.095s
2. Colin Turkington (GBR), Team RAC/BMW 320si, +2.659s
3. Tom Chilton (GBR), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra, + 4.141s

BTCC Brands Hatch Round 3:
1. Matt Neal (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, 23m48.564s
2. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra, +1.148s
3. Mat Jackson (GBR), Jackson MSport/BMW 320si, +1.236s

© Source: article on topgear
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