The championship couldn’t be any closer as the drivers head to Silverstone in two weeks time for the season finalé in the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

After a torrid start to the day following a puncture in race one after riding as high as third, Neal fought back during the remaining two races and ended the day with a race win and a respectable points haul of 21 points and more importantly, the lead in the championship by five points with just three races remaining at the ‘Home of Motorsport’.

Jason Plato will be mightily happy following his weekend after he Oxfordshire racer dragged himself back into the championship title fight and currently sits tied second after twenty-seven races on 220 points. Two race wins and maximum points in the first two races put Plato back into the mix and added to his 6th place finish in race three the two-time champion ended the day with the biggest points haul of the weekend with 40 points.

Gordon Shedden managed to salvage something from the weekend and with it keep his championship hopes alive after the Scot endured a difficult weekend behind the wheel of the turbo-powered Honda Civic. Like Neal, Shedden suffered a puncture in race one which severely compromised his weekend. He managed to battle back to 8th in race two and, with the help of the reverse grid, ended the final race of the day on the second step of the podium. Team orders also helped the Scotsman which allowed him to cross the line and lead the race for a lap and with it take a vital point in the championship hunt which ties himself and Jason Plato in second in 220 points.

Another driver which kept his slim championship hopes alive was Mat Jackson. After a torrid two weeks at Knockhill and Rockingham the Henley-in-Arden racer took two podium finishes and returned to the form which saw him lead the championship earlier in the season. Mat ended the final race with a 5th place finish to take 30 points from the weekend and lie 31 points adrift in the championship with 51 points still up for grabs.

As well as stay in the overall championship title hunt, Mat also managed to claw himself back into the independents championship. Nash still leads the independents standings but the gap has been reduced to seventeen points as we enter the final three races of the season.

The teams now have a two week break before heading to Silverstone for the season finalé.

Full championship standings, click here.

Photo Credit: Pete Mainey (www.psmmotorsportimages.co.uk)

James Mappin is the editor-in-chief covering the British Touring Car Championship. You can contact him at james@btcccrazy.co.uk, on twitter @BTCCCrazy or on his personal twitter account @jamesmappin.