9) 2011 – Neal makes it a title hat-trick
The final round of 2011 saw an unpredictable and sometimes bitter title fight head to Silverstone, with three drivers still in contention for the crown.
These included two-time champions Matt Neal and Jason Plato, with Gordon Shedden also in the running for what would have been his maiden success.
Plato’s chances were made slimmer by a lack of straight-line performance in his S2000 Silverline Chevrolet Cruze compared to his turbocharged Honda Civic rivals, but a puncture in race one ended Plato’s title chances on the spot, leaving Neal and Shedden to jostle it out for the honours over the remainder of the day.
The first of those two final encounters pitched Neal and Shedden against each other for the win. Shedden fended off his team-mate as the pair staged a close, but ultimately clean fight for the win, the Scot hanging on to take it to a last race showdown.
The third and final encounter was won by Tom Chilton for Arena Ford after sustaining huge pressure from Plato, while a great start from Neal put him ahead of Shedden where he remained crucially to the chequered flag, sealing an emotional third championship title.
