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Colin Turkington has won the third of today’s (Sunday) three HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship rounds at Brands Hatch.
Team
RAC’s Turkington spent the whole race fending off rival BMW driver Mat
Jackson (BMW Dealer Team UK) and as they exited the final corner their
cars were side-by-side as Jackson attempted a round-the-outside move.
Ultimately, Jackson was squeezed wide over the kerbs and, as he
fought his car, Turkington's extra momentum carried him across the line
first. Jackson at least earned a bonus point for setting the race's
fastest lap.
Following them in third was former
double champion Matt Neal in his Vauxhall Vectra VXR after he muscled
his way past Mike Jordan's John Guest Honda Integra.
Jason
Plato, unable to hold on to this pair in his diesel-powered SEAT Leon
TDI, took a lonely fifth ahead of reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi
in sixth. Giovanardi's two wins earlier in the day mean he leaves
Brands holding a slender two-point lead over Jackson in the Drivers'
standings. Plato is third and Turkington - thanks to his race three win
- fourth.
Meanwhile, race three required two
safety car periods – the first following a big accident involving
Neal’s VXR team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole who emerged uninjured after his
car crashed heavily into the barriers.
Also in the
wars were Gordon Shedden who retired his Halfords Honda Civic after
sliding into the barriers and Plato's team-mate Darren Turner who spun
out on lap one after contact from another car.
The
top ten was completed by Halfords' Tom Chilton, Matt Allison - giving
his Robertshaw Racing team vital points in its first event with its new
Chevrolet Lacetti - and BTCC debutants Andrew Jordan (John Guest Honda)
and Stephen Jelley (RAC BMW 320si).
BTCC Round 3 Result (provisional):
1. Colin Turkington (GBR), Team RAC/BMW 320si, 27 laps in 26m35.148s
2. Mat Jackson (GBR), BMW Dealer Team UK/BMW 320si, +0.882s
3. Matt Neal (GBR), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra VXR, +2.299s
Fastest lap: Jackson, 49.588s
For full times click on this link :
Drivers’ championship positions (provisional):
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), 37 points
2. Mat Jackson (GBR), 35
3. Jason Plato (GBR), 26
4. Colin Turkington (GBR), 20
= Matt Neal (GBR), 20
6. Gordon Shedden, 17
7. Darren Turner (GBR), 15
8. Mike Jordan (GBR), 10
9. Tom Onslow-Cole (GBR), 9
10. Tom Chilton (GBR), 6
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