Fabrizio Giovanardi took victory in round 26 of the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship to restore the championship advantage that Jason Plato had bitten into in the opening race.

Mat Jackson’s impressive form from the earlier race continued at the start of race two, as the BMW Dealer Team UK driver led away from the line. The rear wheel drive car had the advantage from the standing start and survived being squeezed towards the pit wall by polesitter Jason Plato to edge in front through Copse. It wasn’t a good first lap for SEAT as Darren Turner ran wide across the gravel after a nudge from fourth placed Fabrizio Giovanardi.

Starting the second lap, Jason Plato attacked Mat Jackson on the inside through Copse, but the BMW was quick enough to stay in front around the outside. However, the diesel power was sufficient to propel Plato through into the lead at Brooklands at the end of lap two. The same corner swallowed up Stephen Jelley’s Team RAC BMW, which along with an off for Darren Turner and Micky Doyle, brought out the safety car at the end of lap three. Doyle was running tenth, but a nudge from Rob Collard was enough to send him off the track. Turner was just behind after his earlier off and was collected by Doyle’s Civic.

Race leader Jason Plato controlled the restart on lap nine and it was second placed Mat Jackson who found himself under pressure from Fabrizio Giovanardi in third. Jackson ran wide at the complex later that lap, which gave Giovanardi an irresistible opportunity to move up into second position. Jackson also dropped behind Matt Neal and Colin Turkington.

It got worse for Jackson on the following lap when he spun at Luffield and was collected by the unsighted Tom Chilton. The clash put Chilton out of the race, while Jackson continued with a heavily damaged car, a long way down the order.

At the midway point it was still Plato leading from championship leader Giovanardi, ahead of Matt Neal, Colin Turkington and Tom Onslow-Cole. Further down the order, the quickest progress was being made by Motorbase’s Steven Kane, who was lapping quicker than everyone except the two leaders and was rapidly closing on the top ten.

With eight laps remaining, Jason Plato’s lead started to diminish and it looked as though the TDi engine might be suffering yet another failure, which would take with it any faint hopes Plato still held of challenging for the title. Giovanardi was right on the tail of the SEAT and soon took the lead. Matt Neal was the next to close down and pass Plato, followed by Adam Jones, enjoying a strong race in the petrol-powered Team Air Cool Leon.

Giovanardi was alone at the front for the final few laps, but second was still up for grabs. In the end it went to Colin Turkington, who passed Matt Neal into Woodcote. Neal’s pace just wasn’t good enough in the closing stages of the race and he lost out on a podium position when he was passed by Adam Jones going onto the start-finish straight.

Win number five of the season all but secured the title for Fabrizio Giovanardi, ahead of Colin Turkington and Adam Jones. Matt Neal finished fourth, while Steven Kane climbed to fifth from the back of the grid. Tom Onslow-Cole was sixth in the third of the Vauxhalls ahead Plato in seventh. Gordon Shedden, Rob Collard and Mike Jordan rounded out the top ten.