Matt Neal wins as punctures hit Plato & Jackson

Matt Neal has won the first race of the day at Silverstone from Honda team-mate Gordon Shedden, as a puncture for Jason Plato’s Chevrolet all but ends the reigning Champion’s title challenge.

Mat Jackson was battling with Matt Neal for the lead all throughout the race, but a puncture for the Motorbase driver with two laps to go also ends the 30-year-old’s challenge for the independents’ championship, with James Nash taking the trophy with a third place finish for Triple Eight.

There was carnage at the start as Rob Austin was spun around as the rear-wheel drive Audi A4 tried to squeeze past the Motorbase Ford Focus ST of Liam Griffin down the inside wall, with Austin spun into the second Triple Eight car of Ollie Jackson, and Tony Gilham’s GSR BMW also crashing off in avoidance.

James Thompson’s BTCC return ended behind the following safety car with broken front suspension.

At the restart, the top three of Matt Neal, Mat Jackson and Gordon Shedden broke away from James Nash’s Vauxhall, who held off the battling Chevrolets of Jason Plato, Alex MacDowall and the three Arena Ford Focuses.

On lap 10, Plato’s charge came to an end with a front-left puncture on the Cruze, promoting Tom Chilton to fifth with his two Arena team-mates in-line behind him. Though on lap 16 Chilton was one of the first drivers to be served with a drive through penalty for exceeding the track limits at Copse, which dropped him down to 12th.

On lap 20, Dave Newsham’s STR León and Andrew Jordan’s Eurotech Vauxhall came together as the two were battling for what was then eighth place. Jordan was able to continue and finished behind Newsham, who took his best result of the year with sixth by the chequered flag.

Jackson continued to fight with Neal for the lead and also took the point for the fastest lap, but a front-right puncture on lap 23 saw the Motorbase driver forced into the pits and handed Honda a 1-2 finish.

Matt Neal now leads the Championship with 242 points, with Gordon Shedden 10 points adrift on 232 and Jason Plato now the only driver who can stop the Hondas on 220.

Jackson’s no score also means he can no longer win the independents’ trophy, which goes to James Nash.

The next race is at 14:35 BST.