Neal Leads Honda Racing fight back In BTCC race three at Brands Hatch

Monday, 03 October 2011 09:33

Matt Neal led Honda Racing team mate Gordon Shedden across the line to take the chequered flag in the third British Touring Car Championship race at Brands Hatch.

After taking his first BTCC race win in race three of the previous round, 888 Racing’s James Nash crossed the line in third to also take the Independent’s win for the race. The fight back from the Honda Racing Team in the race saw Matt Neal retake the lead in the 2011 Driver’s Championship and the team provisionally win the Team’s and Manufacturers Championships.

The top ten finishers from race two were reversed which saw Nick Foster on pole for the race. The WSR driver led the field into the first corner, with the two Honda Civics of Neal and Shedden putting the pressure on Team Aon’s Andy Neate. Neate susequently ran wide seeing the two Hondas slip through. Before the first lap was even complete the Hondas were also able to round up Foster to take the lead of the race with Neal in front of his team mate. From there Foster’s move down the order continued as James Nash, Paul O’Neill, Tom Chilton and Mat Jackson all made their way past.

Frank Wrathall was the first retirement of the race after going off into the gravel at Graham Hill bend. O’Neill becomes another race casualty laps later, retiring with a broken drive shaft. At the front of the pack Shedden overtook Neal for the lead only to have Neal take it back one lap later, giving Shedden an extra point for leading a lap. Behind them Neate runs off track with only a few laps to go, promoting Nash into third.

This is how they finish in another safety car free race with Neal taking the race win and Championship lead (225 points) and Shedden finishing up in second and moving into an equal second in the Championship with Jason Plato (220 points). Nash’s third saw him retain his lead of the Independent Drivers Championship and 888 Racing with Collins Contractors continue to lead the Independent Team’s Championship. The race three finish also saw Honda Racing provisionally win the HiQ Team’s Championship and Manufacturer’s Championship for 2011.

The remaining BTCC Championships will be decided at the final round to be held at Silverstone on October 15-16.

Race 3 Results
P/ No/ CL/ Driver/ Car/ Laps/ Gap/ Best/
1 2  Matt Neal Honda Civic 15 -- 1m32.750s
2 52  Gordon Shedden Honda Civic 15 +0.186s 1m32.842s
3 14 I James Nash Vauxhall Vectra 15 +4.033s 1m33.058s
4 5 I Tom Chilton Global Ford Focus 15 +4.291s 1m33.454s
5 7 I Mat Jackson Ford Focus ST 15 +11.720s 1m33.510s
6 1  Jason Plato Chevrolet Cruze 15 +13.555s 1m33.921s
7 4 I Tom Onslow-Cole Ford Focus 15 +14.820s 1m34.172s
8 77 I Andrew Jordan Vauxhall Vectra 15 +17.414s 1m34.346s
9 22 I Tom Boardman SEAT Leon 15 +19.750s 1m33.974s
10 18 I Nick Foster BMW 320si E90 15 +20.129s 1m34.390s
11 42 I Daniel Welch Proton Gen-2 15 +20.354s 1m33.901s
12 17 I David Newsham SEAT Leon 15 +22.451s 1m34.024s
13 6 I Michael Caine Ford Focus ST 15 +23.994s 1m33.952s
14 13 I Rob Austin Audi A4 15 +24.297s 1m34.402s
15 55 I Jeff Smith Vauxhall Vectra 15 +25.142s 1m34.739s
16 66 I Liam Griffin Ford Focus ST 15 +28.820s 1m34.612s
17 99 I Martin Byford VW Golf MK5 15 +29.897s 1m34.384s
19 78 I Chris James Chevrolet Lacetti 15 +54.697s 1m36.370s
20 31 I Chris Swanwick Audi A4 15 +55.246s 1m36.222s
21 28 I John George Chevrolet Cruze 15 +1m20.699s 1m35.290s
22 50 I Tony Hughes Toyota Avensis 15 +1m21.468s 1m36.996s
Not Classified
- 44 I Andy Neate Global Ford Focus 13 +2 Laps 1m33.239s
- 8 I Robert Collard BMW 320si E90 12 +3 Laps 1m33.621s
- 43 I Lea Wood Honda Integra 11 +4 Laps 1m34.556s
- 29 I Paul O'Neill Chevrolet Cruze 9 +2 Laps 1m33.149s
- 20  Alex MacDowall Chevrolet Cruze 5 +10 Laps 1m36.408s
- 11 I Frank Wrathall Toyota Avensis 3 +12 Laps 1m34.910s By Chelsea Woods  - Photo by Marc Waller