Brands Hatch BTCC: Jason Plato wins after Colin Turkington tangle

Turkington's WSR BMW jumped Plato off the line and was ahead when the safety car appeared after Alain Menu crashed his BMR Volkswagen CC at Paddock Hill Bend.

Plato attacked Turkington after the restart and on lap four made a move into Paddock. The MG went across the grass and tapped the BMW into a spin, firing Turkington into the gravel and out of the race.

As Plato was delayed by the incident, the Motorbase Ford Focus of Mat Jackson hit the front, but he then dropped it on his own at Hawthorns.

Plato backed off to avoid the spinning Ford, allowing Rob Collard's soft-tyre-shod BMW into the lead. Collard was thus ahead when the safety car appeared again to allow the retrieval of Turkington's car.

After the restart, Adam Morgan's Ciceley Mercedes got by third-placed Sam Tordoff at Druids and immediately moved onto Plato's rear bumper.

The MG in turn was pressing Collard, who struggled more and more on the soft rubber as the race wore on.

Plato made several attempts, with Morgan just behind, before having a small wiggle through Paddock with four laps to go.

That allowed Morgan to make a fine move up the inside into Druids and at the end of the lap he thrust the nose of the Mercedes inside Collard out of Clearways.

Morgan snatched the lead and was followed through by Plato as Collard fell into the clutches of Tordoff and the soft-tyred Andrew Jordan (Eurotech Honda Civic), up from row five.

Morgan looked set to score the first BTCC win for a Mercedes, but - with just over two laps to go - he made a mistake at Sheene, got onto the grass, and allowed Plato back through.

Plato therefore took his seventh win of 2014 and secured the manufacturers' crown for MG, with Morgan scoring his first Mercedes podium.

Tordoff secured the final podium spot after overcoming the struggling Collard, who just held off a charging Jordan on the line.

Gordon Shedden starred on a difficult day for Honda, coming through from 25th to finish seventh.

Team-mate Matt Neal was one of three non-starters after the incidents of race one.

RESULTS - 17 LAPS: