In highly dramatic circumstances, Mat Jackson has won the third of today’s three HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship races at the Knockhill circuit in Scotland.
Warwickshire driver Jackson took his chance when early leaders James Thompson (Dynamics Honda Civic) and Matt Neal (VX Racing Vauxhall Vectra) tangled ahead of him. Once in front he drew clear for his second win of the season.
Jackson said: “I came here hating Knockhill – I’ve never done well here. But today I love it. Third, second and then first in the three races doesn’t get much better.”
His Racing Silverline team-mate Jason Plato finished the race in second after starting from last on the grid with what will stand as one of the most exciting drives in the BTCC’s 50-year history. Plato had climbed from 17th to eighth by lap eleven but it wasn’t until lap16 that he made another place when he overtook Vauxhall’s Andrew Jordan for seventh. That left him just 11 laps in which to do the rest.
It was a lap later, though, that it all changed around for the lead. Neal appeared to have grabbed it from Thompson into Clarke Curve, but on the exit their cars rubbed against one another and both lost momentum. Jackson, following in his Racing Silverline Chevrolet, was through in a flash into a lead he would never surrender.
Plato, nearing the 300th race of his BTCC career, said: “I just had absolutely nothing to lose from back there and, apart from going absolutely suicidal, I just went for every gap possible. It’s the sort of circuit where strange things happen. Yeah, I’m very happy – it’s one of my drives.”
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