Plato Wins To Set Up Title Fight
Submitted on October 7th 2012 18:36 by Chris Ashby.
Jason Plato has claimed his second win of the day at Silverstone from 20th on the grid, thus closing the gap to Gordon Shedden to a mere 15 points now in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship as the series heads to the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit for the 2012 finale where this year’s champion will be crowned.
The MG KX Momentum driver drove a storming race from the back of the grid to take the lead on lap 13 and from then the two time champion never looked back. Championship contender Matt Neal had a weekend to forget after a crash with Lea Wood meant the defending champion left the track with not a single finish in all three races also be demoted to now third in the championship table. Neal had been fifteenth however when the faster Wood ran down the inside of him at Brooklands and contact was made sending the Honda driver spinning.
The reverse grid draw saw Nick Foster picked out of the bowl and for the first half of the race the eBay BMW driver stretched his legs and built a big lead of three seconds whilst behind the rapid Rob Austin and Dan Welch came together at Copse sending both into a half spin and dropping them down the top ten. Fosters team mate Rob Collard jumped to second with Shedden and Jordan following behind.
Race two winner Mat Jackson had a late burst of pace to charge from sixth to finish second on a brilliant weekend for his NGTC Redstone Ford Focus. Plato worked his way through to the lead with ease and it was apparent that there was more pace in the MG6 whilst Shedden struggled to deal with the lack of pace in his Honda Yuasa Civic. Shedden had been running as high as second at one point but the straight line speed of the cars around him was proving too much for the Scotsman as he bravely fell to sixth place in the end. Tom Onslow-Cole continued his impressive form throughout the day by finishing in fifth position.
Andrew Jordan maintains his Independents lead ahead of Collard although the gap has been reduced in today’s three races. Jordan had a tough race as Aron Smith and Dave Newsham provided a lot of pressure although when entering Luffield spun sideways and an avoiding Frank Wrathall went off into the barrier. It was good news however for Speedworks driver Adam Morgan who finished a career best eighth.
So after 27 races in the 2012 season there are now just three races left and four drivers will go into the event with the chance of being crowned British Touring Car Champion. Gordon Shedden will enter the finale on 364 points and crucially 15 ahead of Jason Plato who has overtook Matt Neal in the standings on 349 points. Matt Neal sits third with 333 points and it could be that he will have to ply wingman for Shedden if needs be. The fourth man with an outside chance of being crowned champion is Andrew Jordan who has 303 points.
Finals Day takes place on 21st October 2012 where ITV4 coverage begins at 10:30am. It is not to be missed and the question that everyone is asking will be answered….
Who will be 2012 British Touring Car Champion?
PHOTO CREDIT: Jonathon Hobley
Chris Ashby
