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Neal leads Honda 1-2 in second Knockhill race

BTCC News | Sun 5th September 2010

Race two at Knockhill saw Matt Neal take victory ahead of his fellow Honda Racing Team driver, Gordon Shedden.

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After winning the first race, Shedden led at the start of race two, but had to settle for second after Neal dived to the inside at the Real Radio Hairpin on lap 10.

Behind Shedden, Alex MacDowall made a poor start from second. Realising he was slow away from the line, the Chevrolet driver pulled to the left to avoid being collected from behind for the second meeting in a row. That meant he lost a whole host of positions, dropping to seventh.

The safety car was deployed at the end of the first lap for the second race in succession as the cars of Rob Collard and David Pinkney were recovered from the gravel on the outside of the Scotsman corner.

Pinkney lost control of his Vectra as he headed into Leslie's, first running onto the grass on the right-hand side, before spearing back across the track and collecting Collards's WSR BMW. That was the end of the race for both drivers.

It was a lengthy safety car period, with the race resuming on lap nine. Neal was soon past Shedden into the lead, while further back, Paul O'Neill took seventh place away from Alex MacDowall before going on to pass Tom Onslow-Cole for sixth.

As the race entered its final third, the top five were all running close together. The first change saw Jason Plato pass Tom Chilton into Seat Curve on lap 23. Plato then closed on the back of Steven Kane in fourth, eventually making the same move work again to pass the BMW.

The penultimate lap of the race brought further drama for Kane. Chilton tapped the back of the Airwaves car, which in turn collected Paul O'Neill's Sunshine.co.uk Honda, dropping both down the order.

At the front, Shedden kept Neal on his toes right the way to the chequered flag, poised to capitalise on the smallest of mistakes.

Neal was faultless to the flag, though, holding on for his fourth win of the season. Shedden finished second, with Plato third. Chilton crossed the line fourth, Kane fifth and Mat Jackson sixth. Seventh place went to Tom Onslow-Cole, ahead of Andrew Jordan, Alex MacDowall and the recovering Paul O'Neill.

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