The final race of the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship was cut short after oil on the track at Paddock Hill rendered the circuit too dangerous to race. The safety car led the pack into the pitlane a lap ahead of schedule after Erkut Kizilirmak’s Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch deposited the contents of its engine at the first corner. The safety car had a busy race, having already been out on track after a heavy shunt for John George earlier on.

Emerging from the chaos on track to take his only win of the season was Team Halfords’ Tom Chilton, who edged out Steven Kane, but Kane capped a superb weekend for Motorbase with a second place and Independents victory. Meanwhile, champion Fabrizio Giovanardi finished down in 11th but salvaged a point from his weekend with the fastest lap of the race. Vauxhall’s Tom Onslow-Cole started the race from pole position, but he was beaten to the first corner by Tom Chilton. Behind them, Motorbase drivers Steven Kane and Rob Collard narrowly avoided coming to blows at the start of the race, surviving gentle contact and a skirmish with the pitwall.

On the grid ahead of the race, Darren Turner was asked what he could achieve starting from 18th position in SEAT’s final BTCC race. His response was, “Either cause a lot of carnage or have a great race”. Little did the SEAT racer know that he would be involved in a huge shunt with John George just a lap into the race. George’s Integra was ahead of the Leon running along the Cooper straight, although Turner was clearly quicker. George moved to the left of track, before moving back across the front of Turner. That was enough to turn the Honda around and send it spearing into the barrier on the right hand side. It was a huge impact that spun the Integra around and onto its roof, before it came to rest on its side.

The safety car was deployed immediately and George emerged from the car within a few minutes. Although dazed he was able to walk to the medical vehicle, although he was later transferred to hospital for further checks.

It was a ten-lap safety car period while the wrecked Honda was removed from the scene and the crash barrier made good. Following the restart, race leader Tom Chilton came under pressure from Onslow-Cole in the lead Vectra. Behind them, Steven Kane had passed Andrew Jordan to move up to third, while fourth-placed Rob Collard was under pressure from double race-winner Mat Jackson.

At the bottom of the top ten, there was one final battle for championship rivals Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi. Giovanardi challenged at Clearways, but Plato was able to stay in front. The following lap, Plato locked his wheels and got a gentle tap from the Italian, but again, the SEAT held the spot. Giovanardi then became the meat in a SEAT sandwich when Darren Turner closed on the pair, but it was the champion that had the last laugh when he passed Plato going into Clark Curve on lap 19.

The same lap saw Adam Jones’ season came to an abrupt end when a tap from Stephen Jelley sent him spinning out of the race along the Cooper straight. Jones’ exit was a precursor for the curtain to drop on the 2008 season ahead of schedule. It was lap 23 of 27 when Erkut Kizilirmak dropped oil around Paddock Bend. As the pack came around on the following lap, race leader Chilton avoided the oil, but Tom Onslow-Cole did not, running off into the gravel. Third placed Steven Kane had to brake early entering Paddock because of a problem with one of his rear wheels, but it meant he stayed on the track and passed Onslow-Cole to go second.

Several of the drivers in the following pack were caught out by the oil and the safety car was inevitably deployed once again. They continued for a couple of laps, but when it became clear that the oil could not be cleared, the safety car led the field into the pitlane and the result was declared.

Victory went to Tom Chilton, from Kane and Onslow-Cole. Mat Jackson finished fourth, from fellow BMW drivers Rob Collard and Colin Turkington. Turkington clinched the Independents title, but Jackson can console himself with taking second in the overall championship away from Jason Plato. Andrew Jordan finished the race in seventh, with Matt Neal eighth, Gordon Shedden ninth and Mike Jordan tenth. Fabrizio Giovanardi finished 11th, but picked up his only point of the weekend for setting the fastest lap of the race.