Fabrizio Giovanardi opened his BTCC 2007 win account in the first race of the day at Rockingham, with a lights-to-flag victory. Giovanardi found himself with a clear track in front of him at the start of the race after Darren Turner’s SEAT Leon failed to start once it returned to the grid after the green flag lap.

It was a cruel blow for Turner, who had secured his maiden BTCC pole position in Saturday’s qualifying session. The SEAT racer said, “It’s a great disappointment. We got to the line and then the engine died. There was nothing we could do.”

Turner’s problems saw the race distance reduced by a lap. When the action did finally get underway, Giovanardi made no mistakes, leading into Turn 1 with the SEAT Leon of Jason Plato and fellow Vauxhall racer Tom Chilton behind him. Eoin Murray failed to make the most of starting just behind Giovanardi, finding himself down in sixth after the first couple of corners. Starting from the back of the grid after losing his times at the end of Saturday’s qualifying session, Colin Turkington made up an impressive nine places before arriving at the second corner.

There were BMWs battling closer to the front as well, with Mat Jackson making a bid to pass Tom Onslow-Cole as they went into the Tarzan hairpin for the first time. The Team RAC driver managed to hold onto the place, but not for long. Turn 1 on lap two saw Jackson pass on the inside.

As the leaders went onto their third lap, Giovanardi still led from Plato, whose attention was focused on Tom Chilton behind him. Fourth was reigning champion Matt Neal, with Mat Jackson fifth and Gordon Shedden sixth.

Colin Turkington’s progress through the pack continued as he closed on the Motorbase Performance pairing of Gareth Howell and Matt Allison, who were both chasing Eoin Murray in the Quest Racing Alfa Romeo 156.

There was another four-car battle slightly further up the order with Neal, Jackson, Shedden and Mike Jordan all fighting for fourth. After a couple of failed attempts, Gordon Shedden succeeded in stealing fifth position away from Jackson in the BMW to move up behind his Halfords teammate.

Lap ten saw a spectacular engine blow-up for Fiona Leggate in the Kartworld Racing MG ZS – unfortunately leaving a trail of oil around the final chicane and corner, before continuing along the straight and pulling off the track after Turn 1.

The oil caught out the race leaders next time around, with Giovanardi, Plato and Chilton all running off the track. Giovanardi had enough of a lead to be able to hang on at the front, and it actually worked in Vauxhall’s favour, with Chilton managing to pass Plato as they approached Turn 1 on the following lap.

The oil drama was just enough to shake the race into life for the closing stage. Although there were no changes among the top five, Mat Jackson found himself defending once again, this time from Mike Jordan in the leading BTC-spec car. In turn, Jordan was under siege from the orange Team RAC BMWs of Tom Onslow-Cole and Colin Turkington.

Jordan passed Jackson on the inside at Turn 1 with just a couple of laps remaining, and it got worse for the Whale Tankers backed driver. A gentle tap from Onslow-Cole at Deene was enough to turn Jackson around, dropping him down through the order.

The closing stages would have seen a few hearts in mouths at Team RAC as Turkington pushed Onslow-Cole, literally at one point, before squeezing past at Turn 4.

At the front, Giovanardi eased to victory for VX Racing, ahead of teammate Chilton, who managed to fend off a late challenge from Plato in third. Fourth and fifth were Shedden and Neal in the two Team Halfords Civics. Mike Jordan finished sixth for Team Eurotech, ahead of Turkington and Onslow-Cole. Eoin Murray finished ninth, with Mat Jackson rounding out the top ten.