Double moves Plato to summit
Date published : 08 Aug 2010 - 22:01:09
Jason Plato moved into a 20-point lead at the summit of the British Touring Car Championship standings after racing to a double victory in Sunday's meeting at Snetterton.
The Silverline Chevrolet Cruze driver got the jump on pole-sitting team-mate Alex MacDowall to set up his first win, while a dominant display from pole in the next race further extended his advantage over title rival Matt Neal, who had earlier been forced to retire from race one.
Honda Racing's Gordon Shedden kept alive his title hopes by taking victory in race three. Plato finished fifth in the final race of the day to move onto 151 points. Neal, on 131 points, is just four ahead of new third-placed man Shedden.
The manner of Plato's wins sends an ominous warning for the remainder of the campaign and the former champion praised the hard work of his team over the recent seven-week break.
"What you're seeing is a result of all the hard work we've put into the car during the summer break," said Plato. "The Cruze is now a great race car which doesn't deteriorate over a race distance."
Plato's opening win had a touch of good fortune after team-mate MacDowall slowed off the start with a broken gear lever which dropped him out of contention.
That left Plato to lead home Airwaves BMW driver Mat Jackson, while Tom Chilton was third for Team Aon Ford Focus. Honda Racing driver Neal stopped a lap from home with a puncture to see Plato inflict maximum damage on his bitter rival in the race for the title.
Plato was never troubled in the second race of the day, pulling clear to win by nearly three seconds from Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole in the second Aon Ford.
Shedden inherited the lead in race three after pole man James Nash spun at Riches on the second lap, and held station to the chequered flag ahead of WSR BMW's Robert Collard, who barged past Shedden's team-mate Neal at the Esses on the final lap.
Race officials later reprimanded Collard, adding two penalty points on his competition licence, but the result of the race not changed.
