BTCC

BTCC Snetterton Race 2: Jordan Wins As Neal And Plato Collide

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Jordan led a Honda 1-2 ahead of Gordon Shedden (Photo Credit: Chris Gurton Photography)

Andrew Jordan took his first win of the season after a breathtaking climax to the second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car race at Snetterton.

Jason Plato led the majority of the race but the MG was visibly slower through the final three corners, a side-effect of the success ballast being carried – and contact with Matt Neal, twice, ended with them both on the grass.

Shedden benefited from the mayhem, too, to finish second and draw level with his Honda Yuasa Racing teammate in the race for the title.

Plato led away as Wrathall once again bogged down off the line, and Dan Welch was swamped as the Proton reacted slowest by some way. Tom Onslow-Cole got a superb start in the BMW to assume fifth by the end of the first lap while Dave Newsham, excluded from race one, made quick progress to get up to 12th.

Wrathall dropped down to sixth but repassed the fast-starting Onslow-Cole, Shedden following him through shortly after, as Jordan began to hound the MG out front.

Plato was struggling from the Bomb Hole through to the Murrays chicane and Jordan, and then Neal, closed right up behind him. Further back, Shedden began to challenge the Toyota as Newsham took ninth from Aron Smith.

Neal made short work of Jordan, eager to get on to Plato, but the Pirtek Racing Honda never dropped beyond a second beyond, sensibly keeping a watching brief. The second Honda was also on the move, passing Wrathall, and slowly reining in the three in front.

Slightly further down Mat Jackson was again excelling in the new NGTC Ford Focus ST, running in seventh, just ahead of Newsham, who had passed Lea Wood.

Jordan and Shedden, and then Wrathall and Onslow-Cole, were running close together and the pair of Hondas began to catch the lead two as Neal found himself tucked underneath Plato’s bumper.

It was then three for the lead as Plato, Neal and Jordan crossed the line nose-to-tail, which then became four as Shedden quickly joined in, attempting to wrest third from Jordan around the outside at Montreal.

Contact seemed inevitable and further round the lap it came. Neal got a great run out of the Bomb Hole and as Plato tipped the MG into Coram Neal touched his rear bumper.

Plato turned sideways, but held it well, and as Neal assumed the lead – briefly – Plato hit it square in the rear into the Murrays chicane, both cars running wide onto the grass. The MG KX Momentum Racing driver rejoined in third but Neal was further down, passed as well by Wrathall and Onslow-Cole, though he repassed the BMW soon after.

Through it all came Jordan, to take a very popular win, his first of the campaign. Behind him was Shedden, ahead of Plato, Neal, Wrathall, Jackson, Onslow-Cole, Newsham, Wood – who takes pole for race three courtesy of the reverse grid – and Smith.

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