Thruxton race 2: Sato champion

Making it a big day of celebration for the Carlin Motorsport squad, Sato's team mate Anthony Davidson drove to his fifth win of the season despite a controversial incident with James Courtney (for which Davidson was roundly condemned) in the closing stages of a race red-flagged two laps early due to a sudden downpour.

Sato's problem struck on the first lap as he sat behind Davidson, allowing Jaguar Racing's Courtney to outbrake him into the chicane. From then on the Japanese was going backwards, even dropping out of the points at one stage as the gremlin - strangely similar to that which struck him at Castle Combe two months ago - cost him 6mph on the long flat-out sections of the Hampshire temple of speed.

But the problem cleared as the race wore on and Sato managed to battle back into his eventual eighth place.

Courtney put pressure on Davidson early on before the traditional safety car to clear up errant Scholarship Class runners. At the restart Davidson got away well and really put the hammer down to stretch away from Courtney before rain started to fall lightly.

With Davidson running first on the road he was having to feel his way in the slippery conditions, allowing Courtney to close. Then the leader was horrendously baulked exiting the complex by the slow Rowland Kinch and Courtney was in his tow.

One lap later Courtney tried to draw alongside Davidson exiting Church Corner, but the Briton moved across to defend, putting the Australian on the grass and into a wild spin. The closely following Derek Hayes, who had shadowed the leading duo, just missed the spinning car as Courtney dropped down to eighth.

But, with the race red-flagged on the following lap, Courtney recovered his second place on laps countback and may even inherit the win if Jaguar's protest on Davidson's driving is upheld.

"He's an idiot," declared Courtney. "He just turned into me and hit me. I was hoping it wasn't going to dig in and roll over."

And Davidson's version? "I was ready for him and moved over. Then he tried it again and just stayed there. I could see his race number in my right mirror as he went onto the grass. But we didn't touch. That is absolute fact."

A furious Hayes, who was involved in yesterday's horrific accident which left a spectator injured, pointed out: "It's lucky it wasn't me going over the top of someone at 155mph this time. It's the most dangerous thing I've ever seen."

Mark Taylor and Matt Davies both drove storming races, in which they had a tough battle with each other before Taylor prevailed under braking for the complex. Gianmaria Bruni was also involved with these two but spun at the chicane. Andy Priaulx and Andre Lotterer got into this scrap too before taking sixth and seventh from the fast closing Sato.

Michael Keohane charged up the order from a lowly grid position to overcome Scholarship Class leader Robbie Kerr and win the B-division with a move made just after the safety car interlude.

Anthony Davidson (Carlin Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) 17 laps in 20m52.884s
James Courtney (Jaguar Racing Dallara-Mugen) +0.252s
Derek Hayes (Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) +2.820s
Mark Taylor (Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) +4.017s
Matt Davies (Team Avanti Dallara-Opel) +4.401s
Andy Priaulx (Alan Docking Racing Dallara-Mugen) +5.007s
Andre Lotterer (Jaguar Racing Dallara-Mugen) +5.707s
Takuma Sato (Carlin Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) +6.805s
Ryan Dalziel (Duma Racing Dallara-Mugen) +7.313s
Atsushi Katsumata (Promatecme Dallara-Mugen) +11.946s

Fastest lap Davidson 1m07.367s

Scholarship Class Michael Keohane (Meritus Racing Dallara-Toyota); Robbie Kerr; Mark Mayall; Matt Gilmore; Robert Doornbos; Ernani Judice.

Points: Sato 297; Davidson 210; Hayes 208; Courtney 191; Lotterer 132; Bruni 129; Priaulx 124; Davies 112; Taylor 69; Jouanny 59.
Scholarship Class: 1 Kerr 310; 2 Gilmore 270; 3 Keohane 232; 4 Mayall 198; 5
Doornbos 164; 6 Judice 131.