Giovanardi wins on BTCC return

The double champion, who only signed his one-off deal with the Triple 8 Vauxhall team two days ago, started on the front row of the grid and ran second for the opening six laps while polesitter Gordon Shedden led the way in his Honda.

The Honda challenge soon fell away though as Shedden crashed heavily at the high-speed Church corner following a left front puncture and Matt Neal, who had been on Giovanardi's tail, slowed with the same problem.

With the Triple 8 signalling to Giovanardi that he should look after his tyres, the Italian eased his pace, but was still able to win by 3.260 seconds from Jason Plato's new Chevrolet.

Tom Osnlow-Cole had rocketed up to fifth at the start, but the Arena Ford driver soon began to hold up a queue of cars behind him. Mat Jackson passed him at the Complex, but as Onslow-Cole attempted to regain the racing line, he and Andrew Jordan collided, sending the Eurotech Vauxhall onto the grass.

While Motorbase BMW driver Jackson's fifth place became third after the Hondas ran into trouble, the Arena team was about to suffer.

First Tom Chilton suffered a left-front puncture of his own at Church and ploughed into the tyre barrier. Then Onslow-Cole suffered an identical problem at Goodwood, although the side-effect was limited to a grassy off and a pitstop.

All of that allowed Paul O'Neill to take a brilliant fourth place for the Tech-Speed Honda team. Tom Boardman was an excellent fifth on his BTCC debut for the Special Tuning UK SEAT squad, while another series rookie, Phil Glew, followed him home for Triple 8.

Alex MacDowall was eighth for Chevrolet on his BTCC debut, ahead of David Pinkney's Pinkney Vauxhall - which scored the first points for a car powered by the TOCA turbo engine - John George's Tech-Speed car and WSR driver Andy Neate, who held off Martin Johnson's Boulevard Vauxhall for the final point by 0.186s.

WSR had earlier lost Rob Collard after he collided with O'Neill and knocked his right-front wheel askew, while Motorbase driver Steven Kane failed to start due to a driveshaft problem. He got going 10 laps later.

Pos  Driver               Team           Time/Gap
 1.  Fabrizio Giovanardi  Vauxhall     21m35.259s
 2.  Jason Plato          Chevrolet      + 3.260s
 3.  Mat Jackson          BMW            + 6.456s
 4.  Paul O'Neill         Honda          + 6.865s
 5.  Tom Boardman         SEAT           + 9.387s
 6.  Phil Glew            Vauxhall       + 9.739s
 7.  Alex MacDowall       Chevrolet     + 14.766s
 8.  David Pinkney        Vauxhall      + 24.711s
 9.  John George          Honda         + 32.548s
10.  Andy Neate           BMW           + 36.496s
11.  Martin Johnson       Vauxhall      + 36.682s
12.  Matt Neal            Honda       + 1m07.624s
13.  Tom Onslow-Cole      Ford            + 1 lap
14.  Andrew Jordan        Vauxhall        + 1 lap

Retirements:

     Tom Chilton          Ford        12 laps
     Matt Hamilton        Honda       10 laps
     Gordon Shedden       Honda       7 laps
     Steven Kane          BMW         6 laps
     Shaun Hollamby       Volkswagen  5 laps
     Rob Collard          BMW         3 laps