Race two report

Sun 14th June 2009 The order in the top six in race two at Croft was a repeat of the day’s opener as Colin Turkington and Stephen Jelley put in another dominant performance to lead home again for Team RAC.

It was a BMW 1-2-3 through the first corner after Rob Collard got the better of Jason Plato away from the line, to trail the RAC pair into Clervaux for the first time. It was Stephen Jelley who led the race in initially, but Turkington was back in front by the time they crossed the line for the first time.

Turkington and Jelley were never troubled at the front, handling the success ballast they carried with ease. The only thing that looked like it could slow them down was the looming grey clouds if they were to drop their contents on the Croft circuit.

Behind the lead pair, Rob Collard dropped back into the clutches of fourth-placed Jason Plato and had to switch to full defensive mode as the Racing Silverline driver sought a Lacetti-sized gap. Meanwhile there was an early retirement for Collard’s Airwaves BMW teammate Jonny Adam, who slowed before pitting with engine troubles.

Collard resisted multiple challenges from Plato, but eventually ceded third position at Tower on lap 10. A brief attempt to repass was unsuccessful and from there on Plato looked comfortable in third. Collard was unable to relax as the next cars up on the back of his BMW were none other than the Vectras of Fabrizio Gioavanardi and Matt Neal.

No further changes inside the top six runners meant that it was a second win of the day for Turkington, with Jelley second. This time around they were able to perform the formation finish that was denied them by the red flags in the first race. Plato was third, from Collard, Giovanardi and Neal. Andrew Jordan made it three Vectras in a row in seventh, just ahead of Adam Jones. James Thompson fended off a hard challenge from friend and rival Paul O’Neill in the closing stages, with the pair crossing the line ninth and tenth respectively.

Following the race, the number 10 was drawn to reverse the top ten finishers to form the grid for race three, handing pole position to Paul O’Neill for the second time this year.