Plato takes important win

The SEAT Leon driver comfortably held the lead from pole position, and retained a cushion to the finish while title rivals Matt Neal and Colin Turkington hit trouble behind him.

James Thompson, back in the second Leon after returning from World Touring Car Championship duty, came home second after surviving a clash with Vauxhall's Fabrizio Giovanardi, to complete a SEAT one-two.

Despite his victory, Plato is cautious about his chances in race two, which he will also start from pole position.

"As we've seen in the past at Snetterton, if you can get away and break the tow you can have it easy," he said. "But if we don't get away and have to drive a defending race it will be a lot harder, because we're still down on the straights."

Giovanardi survived his 12th lap clash with Thompson, when the pair came together while the SEAT was up the inside of the Italian into the chicane, to hold on to third place despite a late-race excursion exiting Coram.

Giovanardi wasn't the only Vauxhall in the wars. Gavin Smith had been on course for second place, and was confident that he might have been able to pressure Plato in the closing laps, before hitting the Tech-Speed Motorsport Vauxhall Astra Coupe of Fiona Leggate while lapping her in the chicane.

The resulting damage to the right-rear of his car left Smith's car crabbing desperately, but the Irishman somehow managed to shuffle the car home fourth despite a spin in the Esses.

The third Vauxhall of Tom Chilton was also in line for a top four finish before he collided with the Team Dynamics Honda Integra-R of Gordon Shedden at Riches on lap 10. The pair were disputing fifth place, and Shedden, who held the inside line, made contact with Chilton, putting both into the corn field.

Shedden's team-mate, championship leader Matt Neal, somehow survived a clash with title rival Colin Turkington's MG in the Esses on lap nine to finish sixth. Neal piled into the tyre stack behind the apex of the right hander in the Esses and was collected by Eoin Murray's Team Quest Alfa Romeo 156.

The impact put Murray out on the spot, but Neal rejoined out of the points and was able to take sixth place off the third Dynamics Integra of Gareth Howell, making his seasonal BTCC debut, on the final lap. Turkington survived the impact, but was forced to retire later in the race with an engine problem.

Mark Proctor claimed eighth after one of his best BTCC drives, passing the Synchro Motorsport Honda Civic Type-R of James Kaye on the final lap.

Behind the pair, the final point went to Jason Hughes, who passed ailing fellow MG ZS driver Rob Collard, who completed the race on wets, on the line.

Another driver to fade during the race was David Pinkney, who hauled his Motorbase Performance Integra into the points in the early stages despite starting at the back of the grid, but slipped back as the drivers running slicks on the front came to the fore.

Results

Pos  Driver               Make                 Time
 1.  Jason Plato          SEAT Leon       23:48.514
 2.  James Thompson       SEAT Leon         + 0.383
 3.  Fabrizio Giovanardi  Vauxhall Astra   + 17.392
 4.  Gavin Smith          Vauxhall Astra   + 20.512
 5.  Mike Jordan          Honda Integra    + 20.621
 6.  Matt Neal            Honda Integra    + 48.780
 7.  Gareth Howell        Honda Integra    + 49.285
 8.  Mark Proctor         Honda Civic      + 58.636
 9.  James Kaye           Honda Civic      + 59.025
10.  Jason Hughes         MG ZS            1:04.942
11.  Robert Collard       MG ZS            1:04.968
12.  David Pinkney        Honda Integra    1:05.590
13.  Fiona Leggate        Vauxhall Astra    + 1 LAP
14.  Martyn Bell          BMW 320i E46      + 1 LAP

NOT CLASSIFIED:

     Colin Turkington     MG ZS              D.N.F.
     Erkut Kizilirmak     Vauxhall Astra     D.N.F.
     Tom Chilton          Vauxhall Astra     D.N.F.
     Gordon Shedden       Honda Integra      D.N.F.
     Eoin Murray          Alfa Romeo 156     D.N.F.
     Mark Smith           Alfa Romeo 156     D.N.F.