Jason Plato scored the first BTCC victory for a diesel-powered car in the opening race of the day at Donington Park. Plato, who became a father for the first time last week, got the better of Vauxhall’s Tom Onslow-Cole to take his first win of the season.

The start of the opening race at Donington Park was delayed when the red lights failed to illuminate as the cars lined up on the grid. When the race eventually got underway with an old-style flag start, Team RAC’s Colin Turkington slightly over-anticipated the drop and was almost at the first corner before any of the others left the grid.

Behind Turkington, who along with BTC Racing’s Stuart Oliver, was handed a drive-through penalty for jumping the start, it was Tom Onslow-Cole who led the remainder of the pack. The Vauxhall Vectra was second ahead of Jason Plato in the leading SEAT Leon TDi. Gordon Shedden was next for Team Halfords, ahead of the second SEAT of Darren Turner. Fabrizio Giovanardi was running sixth until a high-speed excursion onto the grass dropped him down through the order.

The slippery Donington track claimed another couple of victims early on. Motorbase Performance’s Rob Collard ran wide on the grass and was then collected heavily by John George in his TH Motorsport Honda Integra. Collard was stranded, and George’s attempts to limp back to the pits on three wheels were shortlived. Matt Allison was unable to make the most of his best qualifying performance so far this year in the Robertshaw Racing Chevrolet Lacetti, spinning heavily into the tyre barrier.

The safety car was deployed at the end of lap three to allow recovery of the various cars stranded around the circuit. Turkington had already conceded the lead to Tom Onslow-Cole when he pitted to serve his drive-through penalty. Gordon Shedden was second ahead of Turner and Plato. Plato briefly led the race, but was caught out when Onslow-Cole retook the lead at the old hairpin.

The restart came on lap seven, with Onslow-Cole holding on to the lead. There was action behind though, with both SEATs passing Shedden through the old hairpin. Jason Plato inherited second position when his teammate’s Leon lost power as he exited the chicane on lap nine.

BMW Dealer Team UK’s Mat Jackson could only manage 14th on the grid in qualifying, with the championship ballast taking its toll around the Donington Park circuit. But rapid progress in the early stages of the race saw Jackson up to eighth by lap ten. That was where the race ended for Jackson, however. A gentle tap from Tom Chilton’s Honda Civic was enough to turn the rear-wheel drive BMW around, with both cars ending up in the gravel trap. Motorbase Performance’s Steven Kane carefully negotiated the Chilton/Jackson clash to move up to fifth position, and lead the independents’ class.

Another safety car period was required to move Jackson and Chilton to safety, with the drivers finding time to discuss their relative views of the incident at the trackside.

Five laps of the race remained when the safety car pitted once again. Following the restart, Tom Onslow-Cole ran wide at Mcleans, allowing Jason Plato through into the lead. Gordon Shedden followed the SEAT through into second position, but lost the position to both Onslow-Cole and his Vauxhall teammate Matt Neal on the following lap.

Steven Kane defended hard over the closing stages of the race, first from Stephen Jelley, until the Team RAC driver spun out on the penultimate, and then from John Guest Racing’s Andrew Jordan. However, it was Jordan who took the independents’ spoils at the end of the race, after Kane was slowed by Jelley’s exit.

Plato held on at the front to take his first win of the year, ahead of Vauxhall pair Matt Neal and Tom Onslow-Cole. Gordon Shedden finished fourth, with Andrew Jordan fifth. Steven Kane claimed his best BTCC finish in sixth, if a little disappointed to lose the indy win. Seventh was Adam Jones, ahead of Giovanardi, Turkington and Jordan snr.

Racewinner Jason Plato said, “That was a great race. It was really interesting with the safety cars and everything that was going on. Tom Onslow-Cole has been stunning all weekend. I managed to get past him but then he pulled a stunning move to get back into the lead at Mcleans. It’s great for the guys to get a win. We’ve struggled a little bit with the diesel, but I think were homing in on the sweet spot now.”