Plato Takes Silverstone Race 2

The SEAT ace, who started third after making the podium in the first race of the day, took the lead in controversial fashion after a clash with race one winner Tom Chilton's Honda Civic Type-R on the run to Brooklands corner on the fifth lap. Plato hit the back of Chilton's machine, sending it into a high-speed spin from which he was fortunate to escape without hitting the pit-wall or collecting another car.

This left Plato leading from the Team Dynamics Honda Integra-R of Gareth Howell, who had made the most of the fraught early stages of the race to move up from fifth on the grid. Howell had already lost time earlier in the race after contact with Plato in Luffield, and tracked the race leader for much of the race before slowing with an engine problem in the closing stages.

This ultimately gave SEAT a one-two, with Luke Hines following home Plato in second, although it wasn't easy for the former works Vauxhall driver. Hines held off concerted challenges from Dan Eaves' Integra, before the Vauxhall of Gavin Smith claimed the final podium position in the closing stages. It was Hines' first podium of the season, and the first of Smith's BTCC career.

Smith's Vauxhall teammates Yvan Muller and Colin Turkington both retired, with the Frenchman losing crucial ground to Championship leader Matt Neal, who claimed fifth despite a high speed spin on the run out of Luffield after contact with the MG of Rob Collard. Muller, whose driveshaft failed while set for a solid third place.

Fiona Leggate claimed a career-best sixth place in her bio-ethanol Vauxhall Astra Coupe, run by Tech-Speed Motorsport, with SEAT's James Pickford dropping back in the closing stages to ensure a second-row starting position for the reverse grid third race.

Chilton also dropped back in the closing stages, although lost out to independent Mark Proctor in the battle for pole position for race three. This all benefited Richard Williams and the HPI Racing Lexus team, handing them a valuable eighth place.

CLASSIFIED:

Pos  Driver            Make                   Time
 1.  Jason Plato       SEAT Toledo Cupra      22:46.155
 2.  Luke Hines        SEAT Toledo Cupra      +  11.123
 3.  Gavin Smith       Vauxhall Astra         +  11.786
 4.  Dan Eaves         Honda Integra          +  11.932
 5.  Matt Neal         Honda Integra          +  14.207
 6.  Fiona Leggate     Vauxhall Astra Coupe   +  33.682
 7.  James Pickford    SEAT Toledo Cupra      +  37.230
 8.  Richard Williams  Lexus IS200            +  44.686
 9.  Tom Chilton       Honda Civic Type-R     +  53.320
10.  Mark Proctor      Vauxhall Astra Coupe   +  54.811
11.  Rob Collard       MG ZS                  +  1 Lap
12.  Ian Curley        Lexus IS200            +  2 Laps

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

     Driver            Make                   On Lap
     Gareth Howell     Honda Integra            19
     Yvan Muller       Vauxhall Astra           13
     James Kaye        Honda Civic Type-R       10
     Colin Turkington  Vauxhall Astra            3

Fastest Lap: Jason Plato, 1:00.976 on lap 7