Record crowd flocks to BTCC season finale

Mon 11th October 2010 A record 42,000 spectators descended on Brands Hatch this weekend (9/10 October) for the season finale of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship - the biggest crowd for a BTCC event since MotorSport Vision took over the Kent circuit in 2004.

After record-breaking advance ticket sales following an extensive marketing effort from MSV, fans were treated to the biggest title fight in BTCC history - with four drivers in contention for the trophy.

Silverline Chevrolet's Jason Plato proved to be the class of the field, dominating free practice and qualifying before taking two commanding lights-to-flag victories to secure his first British Touring Car crown since 2001.

Championship second place was awarded to Honda Racing's Matt Neal, who secured a double podium finish. Second place in race one was sufficient to net third in the standings for his team-mate Gordon Shedden, whilst their joint points haul clinched the teams' title for Honda.

The final victory of the season was taken by the Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra of Andrew Jordan, who capitalised on his reverse grid pole position to secure his second race win this season - despite the challenges of two safety car periods and intense pressure from second placeman Airwaves BMW's Steven Kane.

Team Aon's Tom Chilton scooped the Independent drivers' trophy after taking a podium and two top ten finishes during this weekend's races, contrasting the fortunes of team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole, who had an outside chance of overall title glory until he retired from the opening race with mechanical problems.

In the BTCC's support races, four titles were decided at the season finale. Tom Ingram clinched the Ginetta Junior Championship, whilst Tim Harvey took the Porsche Carrera Cup GB honours. Frank Wrathall won the Ginetta G50 Cup and Tom Blomqvist triumphed in Formula Renault UK.

The 42,000-strong crowd enjoyed an enthralling overall atmosphere at Brands Hatch including unseasonably warm and sunny raceday weather, and entertainment such as demonstrations of the Next Generation Touring Car prototype by double BTCC champion James Thompson and a Classic Touring Car parade.