Plato wins race one at Knockhill

Plato, who started second on the grid, beat his SEAT teammate Darren Turner into the first corner and resisted strong pressure from Vauxhall's Tom Onslow-Cole throughout the race before eventually taking the chequered flag by 1.6 seconds.

Onslow-Cole's effect on the race was significant. He managed to control a major sideways moment at Duffus Dip on the first lap, but while recovering he forced Turner wide, leading to contact between the pair that sent the SEAT through the gravel at Scotsman corner.

After that, he piled the pressure on Plato but, after failing to make it by the former champion, allowed his own teammate Fabrizio Giovanardi through to second before the finish. That enabled the Italian to keep his championship lead over Plato at an only slightly reduced 39 points with eight races remaining.

Behind Onslow-Cole, who completed the podium, were local hero Gordon Shedden in his Team Halfords Honda and the BMWs Colin Turkington and Mat Jackson. The latter pair were also the top two finishers in the Independents class.

Rob Collard took advantage of a late-race scrap between Andrew Jordan and Adam Jones to pass both for seventh while Tom Chilton - who was involved in an incident with Turner that sent the SEAT into the tyres - completed the top ten.

There were two safety car periods early in the race, the first when Martyn Bell made contact with Chris Stockton Clark's and ended up in the tyres, and the second when Jason Hughes and Michael Doyle crashed exiting the chicane.

The other significant incident befell Matt Neal, who suffered a right-front puncture at Duffus Dip on lap five and was forced to pit for new rubber, dropping him to a lapped 16th by the flag.

Pos Driver                  Car                 Gap
 1. Jason Plato             SEAT          26:31.059
 2. Fabrizio Giovanardi     Vauxhall         +1.582
 3. Tom Onslow-Cole         Vauxhall         +2.173
 4. Gordon Shedden          Honda            +2.993
 5. Colin Turkington        BMW              +5.446
 6. Mat Jackson             BMW              +5.725
 7. Rob Collard             BMW              +9.759
 8. Adam Jones              SEAT            +10.364
 9. Andrew Jordan           Honda           +10.846
10. Tom Chilton             Honda           +11.268
11. Mike Jordan             Honda           +13.934
12. Steven Kane             BMW             +16.292
13. Stephen Jelley          BMW             +20.730
14. John George             Honda           +23.256
15. Alan Taylor             Honda           +38.530
16. Matt Neal               Vauxhall         +1 lap

Retirements

    Harry Vaulkhard         Chevrolet       15 laps
    Darren Turner           SEAT            13 laps
    Jason Hughes            Honda            5 laps
    Michael Doyle           Honda            5 laps
    Chris Stockton          SEAT             2 laps
    Martyn Bell             Vauxhall         1  lap


Fastest lap, Plato 53.496 on lap 14