First victory for Team RAC

Thunderous clouds loomed large over Thruxton ahead of the third and final race of the day, but the downpour held off until after the chequered flag.

James Kaye started the race from pole position, but it was fellow front-row starter, Colin Turkington, who took the lead away from the line. The Northern Ireland-based driver proceeded to drive away from the rest of the field to take the first win of the year for Team RAC.

Darren Turner settled into third position, but not for long, as he was unceremoniously removed from the race by a heavy hit from Gordon Shedden’s Honda Integra. It was an incident that brought the safety car out onto the track, ensuring the pack closed right up together once again.

Turkington controlled the restart and broke away once again, leaving James Kaye in second to fend off Gordon Shedden. Kaye managed to do so for a couple of laps, but the Integra proved too much for the Civic and Shedden was able to find a way past on the approach to Village. Later on the same lap, Matt Neal passed Rob Collard in the second Team RAC MG, leaving the top five as Turkington, Shedden, Kaye, Neal and Collard.

Neal’s next target was James Kaye, who he despatched just a couple of laps later. Meanwhile, Neal’s championship rival, Jason Plato, was working his way up through the grid. He passed the Vauxhall pairing of Giovanardi and Chilton, before setting about the rear of Collard’s MG.

Collard succumbed to the Plato pressure, as did James Kaye, just a couple of laps later. When Gordon Shedden slowed with a front left puncture, it left Plato with a podium position, from a weekend that had done little to bolster his championship challenge.

At the chequered flag, Turkington was victorious, with a massive 11.6 second lead over second placed Matt Neal. Jason Plato finished third, ahead of James Kaye, Dave Pinkney and Rob Collard. Gavin Smith, Tom Chilton, Jason Hughes and Fiona Leggate completed the top ten.

Going into the six week break before Croft, Matt Neal leads the championship by 33 points from Colin Turkington, with Jason Plato a further 12 points behind.