Thruxton BTCC: Jason Plato beats Rob Collard for 90th race win

Collard got his rear-wheel drive WSR BMR ahead of Plato's BMW Volkswagen at the start, as behind a slow getaway from Adam Morgan allowed Gordon Shedden and Andy Priaulx to attack.

The three ran side-by-side through Allard and Shedden, on the outside in his Honda Civic Type-R, got very close to Priaulx's WSR BMW, which touched Morgan's Mercedes.

As Shedden took second, Priaulx did a full 360-degree spin and Morgan slithered across the grass on the right-hand side, with Josh Cook and Jeff Smith exiting the track stage-left in avoidance.

Priaulx recovered with only a handful of positions lost until Warren Scott hit him at the Complex, spinning the BMW again, and the three-time world champion limped back to the pits and retired.

On track, it did not take long for Plato to wrest control back from Collard.

The 2001 and '10 champion outdragged the local racer on the run to chicane for the second time and made the pass stick with ease on the outside.

Collard gamely gave chase and did not give the BMR driver any rest, but ultimately could not deprive Plato of his second win of the season.

Behind, race-one winner Shedden held off a late charge from MG's Jack Goff to complete the podium and take the championship lead.

Goff was due to start second but, like Matt Neal, had his fastest lap from race one removed for a track limits offence and started 10th (one place behind Neal).

The opening-lap fracas had allowed the duo to rise to fifth and fifth, just behind Aron Smith, and Neal attacked the VW at the Complex just before mid-distance.

They made contact, sending Smith sideways, handing Neal a puncture and allowing Goff to pass both. Neal headed to the pits, and retirement, while Smith gradually slipped back to 11th.

The incidents ahead allowed last year's champion Colin Turkington, who has had a quiet weekend so far, to stealthily rise from 12th at the start to fifth at the flag.

Sam Tordoff had a similar drive to take sixth from 14th, just ahead of Andrew Jordan - the MG man also starting outside of the top 10 in 13th.

Morgan recovered to claim eighth, ahead of Rob Austin and Aiden Moffat.

RESULTS - 16 LAPS:

RACE THREE GRID: