Andrew Jordan took a dramatic win in the second British Touring Car Championship race at Snetterton – after championship rivals Jason Plato and Matt Neal clashed late in the race.
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Following his earlier win in race one, Plato led away from the start and by the half-way point of the race had built up a 1.1 second lead over Neal, who had passed Jordan to take second on the fifth lap of the race. Neal set about closing the gap to Plato, who was clearly struggling later in the race with the 45 kg of success ballast he had accumulated for his earlier win.
By the tenth lap of the race the top four cars of Plato, Neal, Jordan and Gordon Shedden were covered by less than one second and, with Plato struggling in the final section of the lap, Neal attempted to make a move at Coram, pitching the MG into a slide. As Plato retaliated at Murrays both former champions went wide onto the grass, allowing Jordan and Shedden to easily pass the duo.
Although Plato was able to rejoin in third, where he eventually finished, Neal dropped down to sixth. However the reigning champion fought back over the next couple of laps to repass Frank Wrathall and Tom Onslow-Cole to take the flag in fourth.
Frank Wrathall finished in fifth, after gifting a position to Neal on the penultimate lap of the race by running wide. Redstone Racing’s Mat Jackson took the new NGTC-spec Ford Focus to sixth, ahead of Onslow-Cole’s BMW in sixth after he lost out to Jackson on the final lap of the race.
Following his disqualification from race one, Dave Newsham had a strong race from 22nd on the grid to eighth overall. Lea Wood and Árón Smith completed the top ten.
American Robb Holland took his first BTCC points and first race finish in fourteenth.
What a Joke Plato is….he tries to be clever by trying to back everyone up, only to get the lightest of taps by Neal and then Plato gets upset his plan didn’t work and blatantly pushes off Neal. Plato you’re a disgrace to the championship.