Snetterton’s third race brought the long awaited on-track battle between championship rivals Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi. The pair squabbled spectacularly over second position in the closing stages of the race as Giovanardi closed the gap to 14 points.

Tom Onslow-Cole started the race from pole position after race two winner Fabrizio Giovanardi spun a six on the BTCC’s own wheel of fortune, reversing the top six finishers from the second race.

It was Onslow-Cole who led the race away from the line and the Team RAC driver quickly found himself under pressure from second placed Mat Jackson. The two BMWs headed the two SEATs of Jason Plato and Darren Turner, at least until Turner was passed by the fully ballasted Vauxhall of Giovanardi on lap two. On the next lap, Plato was the attacker, launching a move on Jackson in second, before tucking in behind the BMW at the Esses. That was enough to allow Giovanardi to close up on the back of Plato. Plato went defensive at Sear on lap four, which in turn gave Matt Neal the opportunity to close in on Giovanardi.

A third of the way through the race and Tom Onslow-Cole was still on course for his maiden BTCC victory, but it clearly wasn’t going to be easy for the 20-year-old Team RAC driver. There were a series of concertina actions among the top six as they each took their turns to attack and defend. Lap seven saw Jackson challenge Onslow-Cole for the lead, only to run wide and hand Jason Plato an easy route through as they entered the Esses. Later the same lap, Giovanardi got a run on Jackson along the Senna straight, which allowed Matt Neal to push his nose inside at Riches, tapping the Vectra sideways and prompting a superb save from the Italian, who even managed to retain the position.

As Onslow-Cole continued to lead, Plato would have hoped to apply the pressure and force a mistake. Instead, Plato found himself defending from Jackson once again, which set the stage for the most crucial on track battle of the season so far.

Jackson made an attempt to pass Plato at the Esses on lap 15, which gave Giovanardi the perfect opportunity to pull alongside the SEAT. As Plato turned back in on the Vectra, the pair collided and travelled across the infield together. There was further contact as they rejoined the track, but remarkably both were able to continue in the right direction. It was an opportunist’s dream, and the opportunist on this occasion was Matt Neal, who found himself up into second position for the second consecutive race.

The fight for second spot meant that Onslow-Cole’s lead going into the final lap was almost 3.5 seconds. The Surrey-based youngster completed a mature drive to clinch his first BTCC victory. Behind him, reigning champion Matt Neal was second, with Giovanardi third and Plato fourth. Gordon Shedden finished fifth, ahead of Turkington, Jackson and Chilton. Darren Turner and Eoin Murray completed the top ten.

Jason Plato continues to lead the championship as the series heads to Brands Hatch in three weeks’ time, but his advantage has been cut to 14 points, with Giovanardi picking up 11 points more than the SEAT driver this weekend.