BTCC title battle hots up

Vauxhall's Yvan Muller is now within 12 points of series leader Alain Menu - with a maximum of 33 available from a race meeting. The Frenchman is a mere seven points shy of second placed Anthony Reid, Menu's team mate.

"I'm very happy with this result. It puts me right back in the championship," said Muller after his win in the feature race. "I am quite happy with the balance of my car now and I hope to keep it like this. The championship is still wide open and for sure anything can happen."

This situation appeared highly unlikely at the beginning of the season, when the Ford Mondeos seemed set to carry all before them. However, technical clarification to curb the Ford's adventurous interpretation of aerodynamic rules, plus progress by the Honda and Vauxhall squads, have left Vauxhall's number one driver within striking distance of the once-dominant Fords.

Rickard Rydell's appalling weekend in the third Ford Mondeo undoubtedly boosted the Vauxhall title bid - the double pole-sitter was forced to pit in the Sprint race due to a loose bumper, and was excluded from the feature due to a technical ineligibility issue - thought to refer to alleged discrepancies in the rear wing of the Swede's Mondeo.

Ford is set to appeal against this decision, so the results of round 12 remain provisional. If Rydell were to regain his points for second place in the feature, he would leapfrog Vauxhall number 2 driver Jason Plato, and sit within two points of Muller - wiping out the third placed man's cushion over the next driver at a stroke.

In addition, a coming together between James Thompson and Vincent Radermacker - due to be considered at the next meeting at Croft - could alter the championship standings if either driver is docked points for the incident.

Drivers' points:
1 Menu Ford 110
2 Reid Ford 105
3 Muller Vauxhall 98
4 Plato Vauxhall 85
5 Rydell Ford 84
6 Tarquini Honda 75
7 Kristensen Honda 66
8 Thompson Honda 49
9 Radermecker Vauxhall 48
10 Neal Nissan 40

Manufacturers' points:
Ford 288
Vauxhall 233
Honda 199