Collard gives Motorbase first win
Rob Collard took Motorbase Performance's maiden British Touring Car Championship victory in race two at Brands Hatch today
Collard made a great start in his BMW 320si to move up from fourth on the grid to second by the first corner. Then, after following the similar WSR machine of Colin Turkington for most of the race, nosed inside his rival at Druids on the penultimate lap.
The victory was the third of Collard's career and his first for four years - the last one coming, ironically, for WSR at the same circuit.
Turkington finished on Collard's tail to seal his second podium of the day, while Matt Neal, who started from pole position in his Vauxhall, added to his race one victory by taking the final spot on the podium, maintaining his championship lead in the process.
Neal trailed his Vauxhall team-mate Fabrizio Giovanardi for most of the race, but the Italian suffered a left-front puncture with five laps to go and, after pitting for new rubber, emerged a lap down in 16th place.
Stephen Jelley finished right on Neal's tail in a career-best fourth place. The WSR driver had lost ground early in the race when he put two wheels in the gravel at Clark Curve while trying to fend off the advances of Giovanardi.
Andrew Jordan and Gordon Shedden both put in tremendous performances after race one retirements left them down in 16th and 17th places on the grid. The Vauxhall and Team Dynamics Honda drivers ended up fifth and sixth, ahead of Adam Jones and Dan Eaves in the Clyde Valley Racing SEATS.
Jonathan Adam - another to start near the back - came home ninth in the second Motorbase car, while RML Chevrolet driver Jason Plato completed the top 10, having had a brief trip into the gravel at Clearways after contact with Shedden.
Pos Driver Car Time 1. Rob Collard BMW 20:10.761 2. Colin Turkington BMW +1.026 3. Matt Neal Vauxhall +3.258 4. Stephen Jelley BMW +3.654 5. Andrew Jordan Vauxhall +15.464 6. Gordon Shedden Honda +18.714 7. Adam Jones SEAT +19.218 8. Dan Eaves SEAT +19.552 9. Jonathan Adam BMW +23.022 10. Jason Plato Chevrolet +24.790 11. Harry Vaulkhard Chevrolet +25.023 12. Martyn Bell Honda +26.540 13. David Pinkney Honda +30.180 14. Tom Chilton Ford +32.097 15. Alan Morrison Ford +41.430 16. Fabrizio Giovanardi Vauxhall +1 lap 17. Nick Leason BMW +1 lap Retirements John George Honda 16 laps Liam McMillan SEAT 6 laps Martin Johnson Vauxhall 3 laps Fastest lap, Neal 49.324
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