Giovanardi gives Vauxhall 100th win

The Italian, in his first season in the BTCC, passed race one winner Jason Plato with a late move at the hairpin following a safety car restart on lap six to take a lead he would never relinquish despite significant pressure.

Initially, Plato led the challenge, only to be forced into the gravel at Clark's after Neal hit his SEAT Leon with a late dive up the inside. Both rejoined, although they slipped behind Gordon Shedden's Team Dynamics Honda Integra-R and Mike Jordan's independently-run example. Jordan then hit the back of Shedden going into McIntyre's a lap later, with the Scot being fired onto the infield at the exit.

On the next lap, Plato, who had rejoined seventh after his clash with Neal, was passed by Collard on the start/finish straight after a massive dust-up at the hairpin. The pair entered Duffus Dip side-by-side, but through the left hander at the bottom of the hill Plato came across on Collard and forced him onto the grass. Collard spun across the exit of McIntyre's, narrowly avoiding collecting Plato, and plunged into the gravel.

All this left the SEAT of Darren Turner leading the chase of Giovanardi with Neal in hot pursuit. The Italian remained steadfast despite struggling with tyre wear, and several times Turner and Neal swapped positions in his wake.

By lap 19, it had become a top five, with the Vauxhalls of Gavin Smith and Tom Chilton getting involved in the fight, soon to be joined by the recovering Shedden. On lap 24, the leading battle, which by now had been joined by Plato, was closed up by Giovanardi's slow run through the chicane, with Smith pushing Shedden heavily into the wall.

On the 26th and final lap, Giovanardi still held the lead, but his running slowly through Clark's again closed up his pursuers. Turner attempted a move, clipping the back of Giovanardi, while Neal spun after being nudged from behind, apparently by Plato. Both Jordan and Chilton was eliminated in the ensuing pile-up, while Plato's attempt to bring his crabbing SEAT across the line ended when he was flung into the gravel at the hairpin. Despite not taking the flag, he salvaged a point for tenth as the best of the lapped cars.

This left Giovanardi to take a well-deserved first win ahead of Turner and Smith, with Dave Pinkney's Motorbase Performance-run Integra equalling his career-best finish with fourth. Behind him, Jason Hughes was another to improve on his personal best, taking fifth in his independent MG ZS ahead of Neal.

Mark Proctor took seventh on what promises to be his final BTCC outing in his family-run Honda Civic Type-R, with Martyn Bell taking ninth in his Schnitzer-built BMW 320i.

CLASSIFIED:

Pos  Driver               Make                        Time
 1.  Fabrizio Giovanardi  Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch  24:39.414
 2.  Gavin Smith          Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch  +   4.306
 3.  David Pinkney        Honda Integra               +   5.616
 4.  Jason Hughes         MG ZS                       +   8.125
 5.  Matt Neal            Honda Integra               +   8.640
 6.  Mark Proctor         Honda Civic Type R          +  11.386
 7.  Gareth Howell        Honda Integra               +  11.811
 8.  Martyn Bell          BMW 320i E46                +  35.536
 9.  Colin Turkington     MG ZS                       +   1 lap

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

     Driver               Make                        On Lap
     Jason Plato         SEAT Leon                    25
     Tom Chilton         Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch   25
     Mike Jordan         Honda Integra                24
     Gordon Shedden      Honda Integra                24
     Robert Collard      MG ZS                         9
     James Kaye          Honda Civic Type R            2
     Adam Jones          Lexus IS200                   2

EXCLUDED: Darren Turner, SEAT Leon

Fastest Lap: Colin Turkington, 53.745 on lap 19