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Race 3: Huff breaks duck

SEAT's Rob Huff has taken his first British Touring Car Championship win in an action-packed final race at Brands Hatch on Sunday.

In what became a last-lap shoot-out for the win following the deployment of the Safety Car for the second time, chaos ensued with the lead changing hands three times. It was Huff, though, who avoided the havoc behind to reach the chequered flag first ahead of his team-mate and the winner of Race 2, Jason Plato.

Certainly one of the most exciting races of the season, the final race had top-notch action from the off. It was hardly surprising that Plato lost the lead as soon as the lights went out, ladened as he was with 42 kilos of success ballast. The MG of Colin Turkington soon shot past while Vauxhall's James Thompson also made a quick getaway to take up second spot behind Turkington while Plato dropped to third.

The SEAT driver was having none of it, though, and on the second lap went up the inside of Thompson to reclaim his second place. Thompson held him off briefly on the straight, but Plato kept his nose in there and took the second spot but lost his rear bumper in the process courtesy of Thompson.

With ballast up to his ears though, Plato was clearly holding up the pack behind him, to the advantage of Yvan Muller in particular who worked his way up to fourth spot ahead of Honda's Matt Neal.

It wasn't long before the Safety Car was deployed, though, closing up the pack to the advantage of Plato, who snuck up behind Turkington and swiftly went up the inside of the WSR driver to take the lead when the Safety Car went in, despite his weight.

As Plato pulled out a steady lead, team-mates Muller and Thompson were fighting for third. Muller won the intra-team battle but while the two were busy battling with each other, Neal went up the inside of Thompson to take fourth. The Honda driver was to repeat the move again laps later when he and Muller moved in on second-placed Turkington. While Muller and Turkington tussled, Neal spotted a gap and made a move on both of them to claim second.

While Neal chased down leader Plato, Huff passed Turkington, who now had smoke coming off his left rear wheel, and shortly after Thompson made his move on the WSR driver. With championship rival Muller up ahead though, Thompson knew he had to hunt him down, but instead he made a trip across the gravel coming out of paddock after catching the inside kerb. It could prove to be a crucial moment in the championship with Thompson finishing the race 12th while Muller was fifth.

Meanwhile, the Safety Car was deployed for the second time, this time for James Kaye. Neal couldn't believe his luck as suddenly he was on Plato's bumper. With just one lap to go when the Safety Car went in it was anyone's race. Neal, though, believed it was his and went on a charge. He hit the rear of Plato, though, sending them both sideways and allowing Muller through, with Plato close behind. As the two foes fought and touched, Muller went sideways giving Huff his chance to go up the inside of both cars to take the lead and the chequered flag ahead of his team-mate.

Robert Huff SEAT 26m10.528s
Jason Plato SEAT +1.364s
Michael Bentwood Vauxhall +1.608s
Matt Neal Honda +2.127s
Yvan Muller Vauxhall +2.359s
Anthony Reid MG +2.530s
Luke Hines Vauxhall 2.856s
Tom Chilton Honda +3.021s
Robert Collard Vauxhall +3.321s
Carl Breeze Vauxhall +3.701s

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