Race 2: Thommo takes thriller

"I just enjoy winning races," said Thompson after winning his third race of the season. "I don't care how they come! The first part of the race was cracking, real good old fashioned touring car racing. Once in front I could almost cruise, and watch them in my mirrors. But it was great fun."

The reversed grid saw Rob Huff and Kelvin Burt start from the front row, and it was BTCC returnee Burt that grabbed the lead at the start, and while he made the most of the opportunity, there was all sorts of action going on behind, and plenty of opportunistic moves. Amazingly, Thompson was up to second by the end of the first lap. Thommo's teammate Yvan Muller was also on a charge, coming from ninth to third.

Burt, in a private Astra, was able to hold on to his lead until lap 3, when Thompson took control. Huff was also determined to stay up front, and spent most of the next flew laps being passed and then getting his position back. It was thrilling stuff. Muller finally made it stick when Huff half spun at Brooklands, dropping to seventh.

Another driver in the thick of the action, predictably, was Anthony Reid. The Scotsman in the MG hooking up with rival Muller, and the pair of them racing very hard indeed.

By half distance it had settled down a bit, with Thompson enjoy a five second lead over Muller who was still scrapping with Reid and Burt. Colin Turkington held fifth, from Dan Eaves, Huff, first round winner Matt Neal, and Jason Plato completing the top 10.

Turkington closed in on Burt as they headed towards the finish, contact removing Burt's rear bumper, not not his fourth position.

Muller and Reid fought all the way to the flag, but there were no tears this time, and the pair enjoyed their battle. "That was a tough race from the beginning to the end," said Muller. "But to come from ninth to finish second with the success ballast we have, then I have to be pleased with that. I had so many great fights during that race with so many different drivers that I can't even remember them all!"

Reid, in the underfunded private MG, was also happy with his race. "We had no winter testing, so we had to guess the set-up. We made radical changes for that race, but we just weren't quite fast enough to pass Muller. We had a bit of contact, but it was a clean race... Nothing to get upset about. I'm just delighted that we are going so well."


1, James Thompson, Vauxhall Astra Coupe, 24m04.241s
2, Yvan Muller, Vauxhall Astra Coupe, 24m07.468s
3, Anthony Reid, MG ZS, 24m07,693s
4, Kelvin Burt, Vauxhall Astra Coupe, 24m12.558s
5, Colin Turkington, MG ZS, 24m13.551s
6, Dan Eaves, Honda Civic Type-R, 24m14.952s
7, Robert Huff, SEAT Toledo Cupra, 24m16.612s
8, Matt Neal, Honda Civic Type-R, 24m17.130s
9, Jason Plato, SEAT Toledo Cupra, 24m17.769s
10, Tom Chilton, Honda Civic Type-R, 24m18.348s