Tom Onslow-Cole would take his first victory for Ford in race two at Brands Hatch after his team-mate Tom Chilton was sensationally stripped of his win after a technical infringement.
The start of the race would see Gordon Shedden lead in to Paddock Hill Bend as he got the jump on Tom Chilton from the start, the positions after the first lap would be Shedden, Chilton, Onslow-Cole, O’Neill and Jackson leading the pack with Jason Plato just behind.
Plato’s race would soon be over though as his engine ground to a halt at Druids, as the field went pass Plato would coast down the hill to enter the pits using the back entrance.
The safety car was called in to action on lap three as Lea Wood and Arther Forster both slid of the track in separate incidents.
With the stranded car’s secure the race was all ready to go again on the fourth lap, as Shedden rounded the last corner ready for the restart the back end of this Honda stepped out, flinging the Scotsman sideways. Unbelievably Shedden managed to hold the slide and get the car pointing in the right direction, despite briefly being at the 90 degree angle.
Chilton would inherit the lead as Shedden slipped down the order to seventh as the safety car returned to track after Andy Neate slid off track.
The next restart would see Rockingham race winner Steven Kane lose out to Matt Neal as he went pass to take ninth place. Two laps later Pinkney would find a way past Kane as they headed in to Druids. Further ahead Tom Onslow-Cole and Paul O’Neill were having their own fight with O’Neill pulling alongside Onslow-Cole at Graham Hill Bend before losing out.
Mat Jackson would sneak past Tom Onslow-Cole just before Martin Depper brought the safety car out again after beaching his BMW in the Paddock Hill gravel trap. Matt Neal would battle past Paul O’Neill before the line to gain fifth place briefly before a mechanical problem took out the championship contender.
Tom Onslow-Cole would use the restart to his full advantage as he muscled by Mat Jackson at Paddock Hill Bend. As the cars climbed the hill up to Druids Jackson would retake the position before running wide at Paddock on the following lap letting Onslow-Cole pass. Things would get worse for Jackson as he spins of track at Surtees, dropping down to thirteenth place.
Meanwhile up front Tom Chilton was getting ready to take his second win of the day by a full five seconds, further back it was much closer as Onslow-Cole took second, just nine thousandths of a second ahead of Shedden.
As the top three celebrated the stewards were discussing the legality of Chilton’s Ford Focus. With the 30 Park Ferme conditions ending the outcome was announced, Tom Chilton’s Ford had failed on a ride-height test and would be thrown out of the official result.
With Chilton removed Onslow-Cole would record his first win of the season ahead of Gordon Shedden and Chevrolet’s Alex MacDowall.
Photo credit: BTCC.net
