BTCC 2011 - ROCKINGHAM

[Julie B]

Plato on controversial pole
Jason Plato has taken pole position for the first of tomorrow's three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at the Rockingham circuit in Northamptonshire after an angry clash with Matt Neal in qualifying.

In a rush to set a time in the session's closing stages following a late red flag stoppage, Plato’s Silverline Chevrolet and Neal’s Honda Racing Civic twice collided and there were harsh words exchanged between the pair in the pit lane afterwards with members of their teams having to intervene.

Both incidents between them, on and off the track, have been referred to the championship stewards for investigation.

Plato, though, had already set a time, 1m23.745s, good enough for pole. He will be joined on the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s first race by fellow Chevrolet driver, GoMobileUK.com with tech-speed’s Paul O’Neill.

Rob Austin, driving an NGTC-spec Audi A4 for his eponymous team, was third fastest ahead of Neal in fourth. James Nash (888 Racing with Collins Contractors Vauxhall Vectra) and Neal’s Honda team-mate Gordon Shedden, the championship leader, completed the top six.

Shedden holds a one-point lead over Neal going into tomorrow’s three races. Mat Jackson (Airwaves Ford Focus), who qualified ninth fastest, is third ahead of Plato in fourth.

Elsewhere Martin Byford, in only his third BTCC event, qualified the AmD Milltek Racing.com team's VW Golf an excellent tenth overall. Michael Caine, making his BTCC debut this weekend in a third Airwaves Focus, was 19th, and Tony Gilham, in the returning Geoff Steel Racing squad's BMW, 23rd.

Completing the 25 runners was Airwaves' Liam Griffin who crashed his car shortly before the end of the session - this causing the red flag stoppage mentioned above.

P/ No/ CL/ Driver/ Car/ Time/ Laps/ Gap/ M.P.H./
1 1 Jason Plato Chevrolet Cruze 1m23.745s 15 -- 83.39mph
2 29 I Paul O'Neill Chevrolet Cruze 1m23.905s 13 +0.160s 83.23mph
3 13 I Rob Austin Audi A4 1m23.970s 13 +0.225s 83.17mph
4 2 Matt Neal Honda Civic 1m24.006s 14 +0.261s 83.13mph
5 14 I James Nash Vauxhall Vectra 1m24.014s 12 +0.269s 83.12mph
6 52 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic 1m24.095s 13 +0.350s 83.04mph
7 11 I Frank Wrathall Toyota Avensis 1m24.186s 11 +0.441s 82.95mph
8 77 I Andrew Jordan Vauxhall Vectra 1m24.372s 16 +0.627s 82.77mph
9 7 I Mat Jackson Ford Focus ST 1m24.458s 15 +0.713s 82.69mph
10 99 I Martin Byford VW Golf MK5 1m24.537s 13 +0.792s 82.61mph
11 18 I Nick Foster BMW 320si E90 1m24.537s 14 +0.792s 82.61mph
12 44 I Andy Neate Global Ford Focus 1m24.576s 11 +0.831s 82.57mph
13 4 I Tom Onslow-Cole Ford Focus 1m24.578s 10 +0.833s 82.57mph
14 5 I Tom Chilton Global Ford Focus 1m24.612s 15 +0.867s 82.54mph
15 20 Alex MacDowall Chevrolet Cruze 1m24.628s 13 +0.883s 82.52mph
16 8 I Robert Collard BMW 320si E90 1m24.630s 15 +0.885s 82.52mph
17 22 I Tom Boardman SEAT Leon 1m24.753s 15 +1.008s 82.40mph
18 42 I Daniel Welch Proton Gen-2 1m24.842s 15 +1.097s 82.31mph
19 6 I Michael Caine Ford Focus ST 1m24.902s 16 +1.157s 82.25mph
20 17 I David Newsham SEAT Leon 1m24.909s 11 +1.164s 82.25mph
21 55 I Jeff Smith Vauxhall Vectra 1m25.089s 14 +1.344s 82.07mph
22 28 I John George Chevrolet Cruze 1m25.515s 15 +1.770s 81.66mph
23 34 I Tony Gilham BMW 320i E46 1m25.667s 12 +1.922s 81.52mph
24 78 I Chris James Chevrolet Lacetti 1m26.739s 14 +2.994s 80.51mph
25 66 I Liam Griffin Ford Focus ST 1m26.865s 11 +3.120s 80.39mph

[Greig]

Dirty Plato

[Julie B]

Exciting

[Rob]

Rob Austin right up there!!!!

[Rob]

should be some good close racing tomorrow.

[Sianellen]

Jason and Matt's tiff

[Greig]

love how even when wearing a crash helmet Plato still flinches

[Rob]

Jason and Matt's tiff

love it, racing tomorrow going to be fruity now.

@Greig, plus his dad stepped in for him and JP walked (get taken away)away, wow, talk about fighting your own battles

the old school yard saying " i get my dad on you"

[RockyRaccoon]

What exactly happened, did Plato brake test Matt Neal?

[Julie B]

Ooooh handbags

[Sianellen]

Think we could be in for some interesting racing today

[Julie B]

..anyone got a vid of what actually happened on the track ?

[Sianellen]

Matt: "I'm gonna rip you f******* face off, watch out Jason watch out"

[Julie B]

Jason Plato and Matt Neal punished for post-qualifying altercation at Rockingham

British Touring Car rivals Jason Plato and Matt Neal have both been fined, given three points on their licences and handed a suspended grid penalty for their qualifying altercation at Rockingham yesterday.

Plato's Chevrolet Cruze and Neal's Honda Civic hit each other during the final minutes of the session, and there was then an altercation in the pitlane after they got out of their cars.

This morning, both were handed £1000 fines, three points on their licences, and given a suspended six-place grid penalty, which will last for the rest of the 2011 season.

Plato, who was provisionally on pole when the pair clashed on-track, said: "The Hondas didn't want me to come past so they blocked me. I overtook Neal and then [his team-mate] Gordon [Shedden] tried to box me in, so I jinked left, while Matt kept his foot in and hit me - not once, but a few times.

"Onto my qualifying lap I had a big vibration at the left rear at Turn 1, and when I got on the brakes for the second corner it locked up immediately, so I thought I might have damage. I had time for another lap and didn't want to catch Tony Gilham ahead, and then I got to the hairpin and got a massive whack from Matt."

On the pitlane clash, Plato added: "I looked over at Matt, and I gave him the finger to say 'thanks for those hits' and he comes over and assaults me - he had me by my racesuit. I'm really upset."

Neal saw things differently. "He got in front of me and hit me as he came past," he said. "Exiting Turn 1 I got a run on him – I was maybe about eight to 10 car lengths behind – and he stopped on the apex of the hairpin.

"When I got put the car I said 'what the hell are you doing?' and he gave me the bird and the w****r sign."

Plato will start today's first race from pole, with Neal fourth.


Grid penalty for Boardman

Tom Boardman will take a six-place grid drop for today’s opening Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Rockingham.

Boardman’s penalty follows an investigation by BTCC officials into an incident in race three at Knockhill two weeks ago (pictured above) in which his Special Tuning Racing SEAT and Jason Plato’s Silverline Chevrolet Cruze tangled while disputing the lead.

Plato crashed out of the race as a result of the contact while Boardman went on to achieve his first race win in the BTCC.

However, having reviewed the incident, officials have demoted Boardman six places on today's race one starting grid – he'll start from 23rd having qualified 17th fastest. They have also fined him £1000 and applied three penalty points to his competition licence.

[Greig]

Matt: "I'm gonna rip you f******* face off, watch out Jason watch out"

Jason's dad telling Matt to stop it

Shame they aint close on the track, maybe next race

[Sianellen]

Jason's dad telling Matt to stop it

Shame they aint close on the track, maybe next race

would be brill!

[Sianellen]

Have to post this version too

[Julie B]

RACE 1 - RESULTS

Jason Plato has won the first of today’s three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at the Rockingham circuit in Northamptonshire but Matt Neal has reclaimed the series lead.

Reigning Champion Plato, starting from pole position, led every lap in his Silverline Chevrolet Cruze for his sixth victory of the season and the 66th of his illustrious career.

Second was fellow Chevrolet driver, GoMobileUK.com with tech-speed’s Paul O’Neill, who held the position throughout and third, setting the fastest race lap, Frank Wrathall in his NGTC-spec Dynojet Toyota Avensis.

It was the battle for third that was the most exciting of a race that was littered with incidents…

Gordon Shedden held the spot until the closing stages when he was caught by Wrathall and his own Honda Racing team-mate Neal. The latter was able to squeeze by Wrathall only for the Toyota driver to then re-pass the Honda and then, on the penultimate lap, move past Shedden as well to secure the final podium position.

Later around the same lap Neal and a rapidly-closing Nick Foster in his WSR BMW also wriggled by Shedden – struggling on worn tyres in a car carrying the maximum 45kgs of success ballast – as they exited the Tarzan hairpin. Neal then had to fight off Foster around the final lap to take fourth while Shedden finished in sixth.

The results means Neal has re-taken the championship lead from Shedden by two points. Plato has moved up to third in the standings and is now 25 behind Neal. A dejected Mat Jackson has fallen to fourth after his fourth race retirement in a row, this time after his Airwaves Ford Focus’s front end was damaged in a collision involving Neal and James Nash’s 888 Racing with Collins Contractors Vauxhall Vectra on the opening lap. There was similar heartbreak for Andrew Jordan who retired his smoking Pirtek Vauxhall Vectra while lying third early on…

Finishing the race in seventh, thanks to overtaking Tom Boardman’s Special Tuning Racing SEAT on the final lap, was Rob Austin’s Audi A4. Austin had put in a sublime recovery drive after spinning out of second place on the opening lap. So too Boardman who’d started back in 23rd after being handed a grid penalty by officials.

Nash took ninth and tenth, scoring a point on his BTCC debut, Jackson’s new team-mate Michael Caine. Nash and Jackson and their respective teams are now tied for the lead of the two Independent trophies.

Elsewhere Team Aon’s Andy Neate and Plato’s team-mate Alex MacDowall took 11th and 12th – earlier in the race their cars had tangled at high-speed through the banked Turn 1 corner, the latter’s Chevrolet being sent into a wild 720-degree spin. A safety car period, to recover Foster and Boardman’s team-mates Robert Collard and Dave Newsham’s cars – both stranded in gravel traps – then enabled Neate and MacDowall to resume battle and on the final lap both were able to edge out Aon’s Tom Chilton who was curiously off the pace.

Jordan’s team-mate Jeff Smith survived a spin and a brush with the barriers to take 14th. Further back in 19th was Aon’s Tom Onslow-Cole after a costly clash with Collard (that caused the BMW driver to spin into retirement) forced him into the pit lane to have a punctured tyre replaced. Having started tenth, Martin Byford was also in the wars, his AmD Milltek Racing.com VW Golf’s bonnet flying into its windscreen on the opening lap – he was also forced to pit for repairs and finished 20th, a lap down.

Dan Welch also retired his slowing Welch Motorsport Proton Gen-2 in the pit lane. Newsham’s retirement in the gravel came courtesy of a collision with the recovering Austin.

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Jason Plato Chevrolet 26m57.428s
2. Paul O'Neill Tech-Speed Chevrolet + 2.612s
3. Frank Wrathall Dynojet Toyota + 10.403s
4. Matt Neal Honda + 11.440s
5. Nick Foster WSR BMW + 11.846s
6. Gordon Shedden Honda + 13.832s
7. Rob Austin Rob Austin Audi + 17.360s
8. Tom Boardman Special Tuning SEAT + 18.951s
9. James Nash Triple 8 Vauxhall + 20.777s
10. Michael Caine Motorbase Ford + 21.447s
11. Andy Neate Arena Ford + 22.684s
12. Alex MacDowall Chevrolet + 23.998s
13. Tom Chilton Arena Ford + 24.889s
14. Jeff Smith Eurotech Vauxhall + 25.406s
15. Tony Gilham Geoff Steel BMW + 25.636s
16. Liam Griffin Motorbase Ford + 37.737s
17. John George Tech-Speed Chevrolet + 38.054s
18. Chris James ES Chevrolet + 43.673s
19. Tom Onslow-Cole Arena Ford + 1m08.467s
20. Martin Byford AmD Volkswagen + 1 lap

Retirements:

Daniel Welch Welch Proton 11 laps
Rob Collard WSR BMW 6 laps
Dave Newsham Special Tuning SEAT 5 laps
Andrew Jordan Eurotech Vauxhall 2 laps
Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford 0 laps

[Julie B]

RACE 2 - RESULTS

Gordon Shedden strengthened his British Touring Car title challenge by winning the second race at Rockingham this afternoon.

Shedden's Honda ran third early on, once the fast-starting WSR BMW of Nick Foster had fallen back from the place after being blocked by a wall of Chevrolets at the first corner.

Whereas the Cruzes of Jason Plato and Paul O'Neill had driven away in race one, this time they struggled with the extra success ballast of 45kg and 36kg respectively. They led, but were soon under pressure.

Shedden overcame O'Neill on the run to Deene on lap two and quickly closed on championship rival Plato. He pulled the same move on the works Chevrolet two laps later to take the lead.

Frank Wrathall, who had made a poor start in his NGTC Toyota Avensis from row two, soon became Shedden's main rival. He passed O'Neill and Plato in separate moves on the run from Turn 1 and closed onto the tail of the lead Honda Civic.

Although he remained close for the rest of the race, and had several looks at the lead, Wrathall could not find a way by and had to settle for a BTCC career best of second, just 0.38 seconds behind Shedden.

The second Honda of Matt Neal ran a quiet fifth in the early stages, but got stronger and stronger. He powered past O'Neill just before half-distance and quickly caught Plato.

Neal got alongside Plato on the run to Deene with three laps to go and the Chevrolet driver let him the Honda go.

Behind the top four, Foster continued his impressive weekend by going around the outside of O'Neill on the penultimate lap to secure a well-earned fifth. James Nash also made it by in his Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra to complete the top six.

O'Neill just held off the Eurotech Vauxhall Vectra of Jeff Smith, having one of his best races of the season in eighth, while Rob Austin brought his NGTC Audi through to ninth after starting from the pitlane.

Rob Collard will start this afternoon's reversed-grid race from pole after taking 10th in his WSR BMW.

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Gordon Shedden Honda 23m06.832s
2. Frank Wrathall Dynojet Toyota + 0.380s
3. Matt Neal Honda + 4.576s
4. Jason Plato Chevrolet + 5.952s
5. Nick Foster WSR BMW + 12.895s
6. James Nash Triple 8 Vauxhall + 15.852s
7. Paul O'Neill Tech-Speed Chevrolet + 16.673s
8. Jeff Smith Eurotech Vauxhall + 16.874s
9. Rob Austin Rob Austin Audi + 23.549s
10. Rob Collard WSR BMW + 25.848s
11. Tom Chilton Arena Ford + 27.566s
12. Tom Onslow-Cole Arena Ford + 27.837s
13. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Vauxhall + 28.349s
14. Tony Gilham Geoff Steel BMW + 28.784s
15. Alex MacDowall Chevrolet + 30.166s
16. Liam Griffin Motorbase Ford + 42.161s
17. Chris James ES Chevrolet + 43.167s
18. Martin Byford AmD Volkswagen + 44.328s
19. John George Tech-Speed Chevrolet + 1 lap

Retirements:

Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford 14 laps
Andy Neate Arena Ford 13 laps
Daniel Welch Welch Proton 8 laps
Michael Caine Motorbase Ford 8 laps
Tom Boardman Special Tuning SEAT 5 laps
Dave Newsham Special Tuning SEAT 0 laps

[Julie B]

RACE 3 - RESULTS

James Nash has achieved his first race win in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at his home circuit of Rockingham in Northamptonshire.

Newport Pagnell racer Nash, driving the 888 Racing with Collins Contractors team’s Vauxhall Vectra, clung on to win today’s third race ahead of the ever-present Rob Austin in his Rob Austin Racing Audi A4.

The result means that the 888 team’s record of winning at least one race every season since 1998 remains in tact. Nash becomes the eighth different driver to win this year, while Austin’s second place marks his first podium result in the BTCC.

Having been passed by GoMobileUK.com with tech-speed’s Paul O’Neill in the mid-stages, Robert Collard fought back in his WSR BMW to re-pass the Chevrolet driver and grab third position.

Jason Plato, setting the race’s fastest lap, took fifth ahead of Matt Neal in his Honda Racing Civic – Neal left it until the last corner to get alongside Jeff Smith’s Pirtek Vauxhall Vectra and take the position by just 0.028s in the sprint to the line.

The five points scored by Neal mean he and Honda team-mate Gordon Shedden are now tied for the championship lead. Shedden could only finish 21st after his Civic struggled a collision with Collard’s team-mate Nick Foster’s BMW left his Civic struggling for pace. Meanwhile Plato, third in the title race, has closed the gap to the championship leaders from 35 to 24 points.

Smith’s team-mate Andrew Jordan finished the race in eighth ahead of Frank Wrathall’s Dynojet Toyota Avensis. Tom Boardman headed a train of cars to complete the top ten.

Notably, Nash's win means he now comfortably leads Independents Trophy from Mat Jackson, as does 888/Collins the Independent teams' championship. He is now also only one point behind fourth-placed Jackson in the outright drivers' championship after the latter, for the second event in a row, failed to score in any of the three races.

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. James Nash Triple 8 Vauxhall 23m05.027s
2. Rob Austin Rob Austin Audi + 0.366s
3. Rob Collard WSR BMW + 0.860s
4. Paul O'Neill Tech-Speed Chevrolet + 2.207s
5. Jason Plato Chevrolet + 3.724s
6. Matt Neal Honda + 14.182s
7. Jeff Smith Eurotech Vauxhall + 14.210s
8. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Vauxhall + 14.726s
9. Frank Wrathall Dynojet Toyota + 15.174s
10. Tom Boardman Special Tuning SEAT + 21.065s
11. Alex MacDowall Chevrolet + 22.086s
12. Nick Foster WSR BMW + 22.357s
13. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford + 23.663s
14. Daniel Welch Welch Proton + 26.706s
15. Dave Newsham Special Tuning SEAT + 33.296s
16. Martin Byford AmD Volkswagen + 37.909s
17. Tony Gilham Geoff Steel BMW + 38.419s
18. Tom Chilton Arena Ford + 38.420s
19. Liam Griffin Motorbase Ford + 41.584s
20. Michael Caine Motorbase Ford + 43.166s
21. Gordon Shedden Honda + 44.117s
22. John George Tech-Speed Chevrolet + 57.445s
23. Chris James ES Chevrolet + 1 lap

Retirements:

Tom Onslow-Cole Arena Ford 4 laps

[Ste]

Jason Plato is such an !

[Rob]

some really good racing today. Congratulations to James Nash on his maiden win. Good see Triple 8 win again.