Brands Hatch BTCC: Double for Honda as Neal wins race three

The three-time champion produced a controlling performance to triumph in a race that featured race-one winner Rob Collard being turfed into the gravel at the start, race-two winner Gordon Shedden pitting with a mechanical problem and 2014 champion Colin Turkington spinning early on.

Poleman Rob Austin held his advantage at the start as Neal made what would prove to be a crucial pass on Goff for second off the line, before a safety car was required to deal with the extraction of Collard's stricken WSR BMW 125i M Sport.

At the restart Goff attacked Neal, but was rebuffed, and the duo quickly turned its attentions to pressuring Austin, who gamely fought them off until the final third of the race.

Neal got his Civic Type-R inside the Audi A4 through Clark Curve and made the pass stick into Paddock, before Goff slipped by Austin at Druids.

They then eased clear to engage in a close battle for the lead, which Neal won to go top of the BTCC points, level with Goff but ahead by virtue of the victory.

As they duked it out, Austin slipped back into the clutches of the charging Aron Smith, who was the top Team BMR Volkswagen in qualifying and race one and starred as he rose from the sixth row of the grid.

His progress was aided by a spin for Turkington at McLarens a couple of laps after the restart and Smith needed Austin and Andrew Jordan's MG to clash at Clearways to take the final podium spot.

That incident gave Jordan a puncture, forcing him to pit, while Austin dropped behind Smith and Sam Tordoff's WSR BMW, although he stayed ahead of Tom Ingram, who bagged another fine result for the Speedworks Motorsport team despite its Toyota Avensis managing just three laps of pre-season testing.

It was a tough race for Jason Plato, who started last following the left-front puncture that robbed him of the win in race two.

He was caught up in a multi-car incident at Druid on the opening lap, which also featured Derek Palmer Jr, Kieran Gallagher and Stewart Lines, before ending up 16th after a mid-race issue dropped him back down the order having fought through to the lower points position.

RACE THREE RESULTS - 27 LAPS:

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS