Silverstone BTCC: BMR's Colin Turkington wins to boost title bid

The Team BMR driver was third on the grid in his Volkswagen CC but followed Rob Collard past the slow-starting James Cole and then nailed the WSR BMW to lead at the end of the opening lap.

A safety car, required to recover the stricken machines of Hunter Abbott and Dan Welch, was called on lap two, but when it returned to the pits Turkington had no trouble establishing a lead.

He eased clear of the chasing BMWs of Collard and Sam Tordoff to record his fourth win of the season, and cut his deficit to Gordon Shedden in the championship to 30 points with 68 on offer at Brands.

Collard finished second, though he spent the second half of the race in third after Tordoff, quicker in the middle phase, appeared to be waved past to chase after Turkington.

He cut the gap to 1.3 seconds heading onto the final lap, but with no attack for the lead forthcoming Collard regained the place heading to the Brooklands for the last time.

Jason Plato held off Shedden to take fourth and salvage something out of a difficult weekend, and trails the Honda man by 24 points with three races remaining.

Matt Neal chased team-mate Shedden over the line, having kept Mat Jackson at bay for most of the race.

Race-one winner Jackson had a stunning first lap, rising from 24th to 12th, and after the safety car progressed to seventh - but his progress ended there thanks to Neal's stern defence.

Adam Morgan, poleman Cole - who was biffed out of fourth by Plato early on - and Aiden Moffat completed the top 10.

RESULTS - 25 LAPS:

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: