BTCC Rockingham: Jason Plato denies Tom Ingram maiden win

Plato took his 93rd win in the BTCC from Ingram and Colin Turkington, after a race-long battle that had the three cars nose-to-tail throughout.

Ingram led from pole position for the reversed-grid race, with Turkington getting the jump on second-placed starter Jack Goff, only to leave the door open for Plato into Deene.

Speedworks Motorsport driver Ingram put a small amount of breathing space between his Toyota Avensis and Plato's Team BMR Volkswagen CC on the opening lap, but it took Plato until the end of the next tour to be locked onto the bumper of his former KX Akademy protege.

It seemed as though it would be a matter of when, not if, Plato could pass Ingram, but after rebuffing an attempt from Plato at Deene on lap four the sophomore racer wised-up to the challenge.

He held a defensive line into the hairpin at the start of the next few laps, and was largely untroubled until the first of two safety cars was called to deal with Mike Bushell's Ford Focus, which was in the gravel on the exit of Deene.

When racing resumed two laps later Plato tapped the rear of Ingram's car at Deene, but leader gathered up his sideways Avensis and held onto the place into Yentwood.

Two laps later Plato looked like he'd made the decisive move with a bold pass at Deene, and made it stick through Yentwood.

But he ran slightly wide through Chapman, allowing Ingram to cut back underneath him into Pif Paf and regain the lead into Gracelands.

The pressure never relented though, and eventually it told - Deene always looked like being the decisive corner and Plato showed why with another successful dive to the inside with three laps to go.

Ingram had no rebuttal, but he survived a second restart - the safety car was required again for Jeff Smith's stricken Eurotech Honda Civic at Tarzan - to claim his first BTCC podium, with second.

Third place went to Turkington, who shadowed Plato throughout Ingram's time in the lead but only ever had one half-chance to get past.

Matt Neal managed the soft tyres on his Honda Civic Type-R to clinch fourth, while Sam Tordoff passed Aron Smith on the final lap to end a difficult weekend for WSR on a relative high.

Two-time Rockingham race winner Rob Austin survived opening-lap contact with Goff - who was spun to the back of the field at Deene - and a later incident with Josh Cook to finish seventh in his Audi A4.

Gordon Shedden got the better of Mat Jackson on the final lap to battle to eighth with 75kg of ballast and soft tyres, preserving his championship lead.

RACE THREE RESULT

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: