Shedden makes it a double

The Scot, starting on pole position with a maximum of 45kg success ballast, held the lead at the start, although he was soon relegated to second after Fabrizio Giovanardi, who had made a blistering start with a little assistance from the grass, slipped ahead into the chicane prior to the deployment of the safety car.

While the lead battle was clean, it was less so further down the order as the Vauxhall of Tom Chilton and Colin Turkington's MG ZS made light contact while running side by side through the Craner Curves.

Chilton's front-left steering arm was deranged in the impact, and he flew into the gravel trap, closely followed by Darren Turner's SEAT.

David Pinkney, driving a Motorbase Performance prepared Honda Integra-R, also flew into the gravel after losing it out of the Craners.

At the restart, Shedden slipped under Giovanardi with a late move into the chicane, with the third Vauxhall of Gavin Smith harrying the pair. However, before the battle could further develop, Matt Neal, leading the championship, made contact with the WSR MG of Rob Collard in the Craners.

Collard spun, with Plato having no option but to pile into the back of Neal. Plato was out on the spot, Collard was forced into the pits and Neal rejoined eighth. Once again the safety car was deployed.

At the lap 12 restart, Shedden's attempts to back up the field resulted in him having the Vauxhalls of Giovanardi and Smith breathing down his neck, but it was Smith who took best advantage of the situation, slipping past his illustrious teammate down the Craner Curves to take a second place which he was never to relinquish.

Mike Jordan claimed his third podium finish of the season after slipping ahead of Giovanardi into the chicane on lap 15.

Neal recovered to take fifth after thinking better of a last-lap move on Giovanardi, with the inspired Eoin Murray taking a career-best sixth in his independently-run Alfa Romeo 156.

Murray slipped ahead of Kaye earlier in the race when the latter found his rear tyres coated in oil after a seal failed on the gearbox. Kaye survived two off-track excursions to hold on to seventh, one place ahead of the recovering Turkington.

The final point went to Adam Jones in the Xero Competition-prepared Lexus IS2000, one place ahead of Mark Smith's In-Front Motorsport Alfa.

CLASSIFIED:

Pos  Driver               Make                        Time
 1.  Gordon Shedden       Honda Integra                27:19.499
 2.  Gavin Smith          Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch   +   1.128
 3.  Mike Jordan          Honda Integra                +   5.232
 4.  Fabrizio Giovanardi  Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch   +   6.493
 5.  Matt Neal            Honda Integra                +   6.663
 6.  Eoin Murray          Alfa Romeo 156               +   7.390
 7.  James Kaye           Honda Civic Type R           +  11.998
 8.  Colin Turkington     MG ZS                        +  15.244
 9.  Darren Turner        SEAT Leon                    +  16.872
10.  Adam Jones           Lexus IS200                  +  25.388
11.  Mark Smith           Alfa Romeo 156               +  30.481
12.  Martyn Bell          BMW 320i E46                 +  32.511
13.  Robert Collard       MG ZS                        +1:02.092

NOT CLASSIFIED:

     Driver               Make                       Laps
     Richard Marsh        Peugeot 307                 15
     Jason Hughes         MG ZS                       15
     Jason Plato          SEAT Leon                    7
     Tom Chilton          Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch   0
     David Pinkney        Honda Integra                0

Fastest lap: Collard,  1:13.523 on lap 12