Neal extends points lead with third race victory at Oulton Park

Tweet

Sun 6th June 2010 Matt Neal opened up an eight-point lead in the championship with victory in the third race at Oulton Park this afternoon.

Neal came under considerable pressure from Steven Kane in the closing stages of the race, but held on to become the first driver to win three races this season.

Alex MacDowall started the race from pole position and led away from the line, ahead of Tom Boardman and James Nash. However, there was little time for the race to get under way as the safety car was deployed at the end of the first lap. The cause was Martin Depper’s Forster Motorsport BMW going straight on at Cascades.

The race resumed after two laps behind the safety car, but not for long. Race leader MacDowall slowed and pulled off the track, parking his car in the gravel. The safety car was required again while the Chevrolet was recovered, which took a further three laps.

It was lap eight before the race was able to restart again. There was another change in the lead when Tom Chilton passed Tom Boardman into Old Hall, however, Chilton slid wide at Cascades. He managed to point the car in the right direction again, but dropped to fourth, handing the lead back to Tom Boardman.

Boardman was now leading from Nash and Neal – and a train of eight cars that were following. Neal passed Nash to move into second position at Island on lap 10 and then quickly closed up on the leader.

It looked like a third safety car period might be required when Andrew Jordan’s Vectra landed on the tyre barrier with its rear tyres after a collision with Andy Neate. However, the race was allowed to continue.

Neal continued to challenge Boardman at the front and eventually took the lead at Lodge on lap 14. Boardman tried to defend as Neal passed, turning into the Civic. While he continued initially, Boardman’s SEAT was damaged and he later retired with a damaged front-right corner.

The final three laps saw Steven Kane pass James Nash and then put the pressure on race leader Neal. The Airwaves BMW was quick and tried several times to find a way past the Honda. Kane kept trying all the way to the final corner, but just failed to beat Neal in a sprint to the finish line.

Neal held on to take the spoils – his third win of the year. Kane finished second, ahead of Nash in third and Chilton in fourth. Tom Onslow-Cole ended the race fifth, with Plato sixth and Jackson seventh. Rob Collard scored his first points of the weekend in eighth, ahead of Andy Neate and Paul O’Neill.

Heading to Croft for rounds 13, 14 and 15 in two weeks’ time, Matt Neal leads the championship with 98 points, ahead of Plato on 90 and Kane on 82.