Sprint Race: Neal wins thrilling opener

Muller made a good start but Neal admitted to "bogging down" on the grid and it was all he could do to fend off Dan Eaves's VLR Peugeot into Paddock Hill bend. Conversely Warren Hughes's MG shot off the grid and was third heading into Druids. Team-mate Anthony Reid in the 2002-spec ZS, who had qualified third, effectively had his race destroyed when Tom Chilton pushed him off at the first corner. The Scot rejoined last.

Very quickly Neal began to harry Muller's Astra while Warren Hughes stayed close, Eaves and team-mate Tim Harvey a little further back. Before they could complete the first lap however the Safety Car was deployed for five laps to clean up a shunt that eliminated both Gary Ayles Motorsport Alfa Romeo 156s of Graham Saunders and Alan Blencowe.

As Muller led the field round, team-mate James Thompson pulled off, smoke billowing from the Astra, having suffered his second major engine failure in two days.

At the restart, Neal pushed Muller hard but the Frenchman looked in control. What was more impressive was Hughes's ability to stick with the factory Astras in his hybrid 2001 MG. He would remain in touch until he too had a puncture on the exit of Druids which forced his retirement.

This elevated Eaves, who had passed Harvey at Paddock on lap 12, to third place. Harvey meanwhile was forced to defend his position from an impressive Chilton and the second Egg Sport Astra of Paul O'Neill which had started ninth but was now flying as the scouser began to grow in confidence.

By the time Muller pitted on lap 17, O'Neill was past Chilton''s independent Barwell Astra and both were by Harvey's Peugeot which consequently ended its race in the Paddock Hill gravel trap.

Muller was not amused: "The front left tyre failed and there was nothing I could do," he said. "There are so many right-handers here that are hard on the tyres and with the battering they get at Dingle Dell, they are not standing up to it."

Muller added that he was very concerned about the BF Goodrich rubber's ability to last the distance in the feature race.

This left Neal far out in front with an easy win, but second was far from certain as Eaves came under massive pressure from O'Neill. As the pair came into Clearways on the lap though, the Egg Sport Astra went straight into the gravel, damaging the front splitter. So Eaves took second from Chilton, the 17-year-old the youngest ever BTCC driver to stand on the podium.

"I'm speechless," said Neal. "When I was behind Yvan, I was trying to pressure him into a mistake. He didn't make one, he was as solid as a rock, until he hit trouble."

Reid finished fourth as other retired while Muller salvaged fifth. Production Class Norman Simon winner survived a panel-damaging battle with Edenbridge BMW 320i team-mate Tom Boardman to finish sixth overall ahead of Robert Collard.

Both Proton runners also suffered punctures which led to retirements. Leslie in particular was going well despite a brake problem which put him off at Westfield. Works Honda driver Andy Priaulx was the last registered Touring Class runner in 12th but fell back through the field because his power-steering failed. His team-mate Alan Morrison didn't finish.


1 Matt Neal, Egg Vauxhall Astra, 33m35.811s, 89.03mph
2 Dan Eaves, Halfords Peugeot 406, +4.137s, 88.84mph
3 Tom Chilton, Barwell Vauxhall Astra, +5.405s, 88.79mph
4 Anthony Reid, MG ZS, +11.722s, 88.51mph
5 Yvan Muller, works Vauxhall Astra, +41.761s, 87.22mph


1 Norman Simon, Edenbridge BMW 320, +1m21.481s, 85.57mph
2 Robert Collard, Renault Clio, +1m22.331s 85.53mph
3 Spencer Marsh, Honda Accord, +1m26.820s 85.35mph