Team Halfords driver Gordon Shedden scored his first victory of the 2007 season in the opening race at Oulton Park, while Vauxhall’s Fabrizio Giovanardi has moved into the lead of the drivers’ championship after guiding his Vectra home in second spot.

It was Team RAC’s Colin Turkington who started from pole position for round 13 and the rear-wheel drive BMW led away from the grid, with Shedden second and Giovanardi darting through from sixth into third. Turkington’s lead lasted just a lap though, with the Honda and Vauxhall drivers both getting inside the BMW as they ran through Old Hall for the second time.

Lap two brought an early end to the race for Darren Turner and David Pinkney. Running eighth and ninth respectively, the pair came together at the Knickerbrook chicane. Turner’s SEAT Leon was able to go no further, while Pinkney’s Alfa Romeo crabbed back to the pitlane.

Shedden’s pace was enough to give him a cushion at the front. The same could not be said for Giovanardi in second, who was under constant pressure from Turkington and reigning champion Matt Neal. Behind them were Mat Jackson, Tom Chilton and an unusually quiet Jason Plato.

There was cruel luck, not for the first time this season, for Motorbase Performance pairing Matt Allison and Gareth Howell. The latter pitted after his outlap with a broken driveshaft, which the team impressively replaced in time for him to start the race from the pitlane. Howell quickly picked off the backmarkers and would ultimately finish the race in tenth position to pick up a valuable championship point.

Matt Allison’s race started well enough and he was running comfortably in 11th position with just a couple of laps remaining. However, drama unfolded in front of the Norwich-based driver. Tom Onslow-Cole and Adam Jones made contact as the BMW driver looked for a way past. Jones ended up bouncing across the grass and his damaged car deposited radiator fluid on the track. Unfortunately for Allison, he was first on the scene and was helpless as his Toledo skidded across the slippery surface before continuing straight on into the tyre barrier, extensively damaging his already reshelled SEAT.

At the front, Shedden took his first win of the year with relative ease, ahead of new championship leader Giovanardi. Colin Turkington filled the final spot on the podium for Team RAC, ahead of Matt Neal and Mat Jackson. Chilton and Plato were sixth and seventh respectively, with Mike Jordan, Onslow-Cole and Howell completing the top ten.

Just moments after the chequered flag was waved, heavy rain started to fall on the Oulton Park circuit, which could play its part in the outcome of race two.