After nine thrilling rounds of the 2011 BTCC campaign, the season finale rolled in to Silverstone where the crowds were greeted with a fantastic atmosphere and the prospect of five drivers being in with a chance of taking the title – Matt Neal, Gordon Shedden, Jason Plato, James Nash & Mat Jackson.

Silverstone also saw the return to the championship of James Thompson driving the third Airwaves Ford Focus and a new NGTC entrant in John Thorne driving a Batman liveried Vauxhall Insignia. With a full day of racing ahead and packed out grandstands waiting for the action to begin, the atmosphere was electric.

The Hondas were too good at Silverstone, as they've been for much of the season

Qualifying saw Matt Neal take pole position for race one of the day with Jackson starting second.

For the first race of the day it actually turned into a bit of a crash fest with multiple incidents from the word go. Ollie Jackson ended up going backwards down the pit-straight with Rob Austin & Tony Gilham having to take avoiding action onto the outskirts of the track into retirement.

After a brief safety car period, racing was resumed and it was Neal & Jackson who were battling for the win – Jackson pushed and pushed for the lead whilst defending from Shedden but a puncture near the end of the race put him at the back and out of both the overall and independents championship. Jason Plato also suffered a puncture mid-race.

It was James Nash who was there to pick up the pieces and took a fine third on the podium behind the Honda duo to take the Independents Crown for 2011. Race-long battles between Onslow-Cole in the Ford, Alex MacDowall and Dave Newsham saw them eventually finish 4^th, 5^th & 6^th respectively.

Tom Boardman crashed out late on, Thompson suffered a puncture, O’Neill was barely seen out on track and Thorne only managed an installation lap in the Insignia. Result: Neal, Shedden, Nash

The grid for race two lined up as per the result of race one with Neal & Shedden (the only realistic title contenders) lining up on the front row with Plato back in 20^th after his earlier puncture.

A great getaway gave Shedden the early lead with Neal briefly slipping back behind Tom Onslow-Cole before regaining the place. Neal pressed hard hoping for a mistake from Shedden but it never came and it was status-quo to the finish – taking Honda’s second 1-2 of the day ahead of Onslow-Cole. Further down the field WSR endured a nightmare lap with Rob Collard in the pits whilst teammate Nick Foster spun into Thompson and into retirement, plus it was a second retirement for Paul O’Neill after another short race.

Blink and you've missed him! Matt Neal takes charge in race two

On the flipside, STR enjoyed their best result of the season with a 4^th & 6^th place for Newsham and Boardman respectively, whilst Daniel Welch scored his first BTCC point. Result: Shedden, Neal, Onslow-Cole.

The reverse grid draw for Race three put Alex MacDowall on pole position but the race was all about the Honda duo of Neal & Shedden who were starting down in 8^th & 9^th places. The atmosphere was electric in the grandstands as the lights went out. It was Tom Chilton in the AON Ford who got away to take the lead with Plato quickly up to second and this was how it stayed until the flag. Further down Matt & Gordon struggled to keep up with the maximum ballast and slipped down the field in what was a pretty unspectacular race. Andy Neate & Dave Newsham made contact early on in the race putting both drivers into retirement. Up at the front MacDowall slipped to fourth whilst Tom Boardman moved up to third place.

Rob Austin had a stellar drive in his NGTC Audi A4 elbowing his way past the Hondas and Onslow-Cole to finish in sixth. However, with Matt Neal finishing in eighth place ahead of Wrathall and more importantly Shedden it allowed him to take his third BTCC Drivers Title by a mere eight points. Result: Chilton, Plato, Boardman.

That's the spray to do it! Neal wins third title

After the race the fans were allowed onto the track to crowd in front of the podium on-track to witness Matt being crowned Champion by series co-ordinator Alan Gow.

Trophies also went to Honda for the Manufacturers, 888 for the Independents titles. A fantastic sight and an ecstatic Honda driver and team clearly showed how much it meant to them all. It is a shame for Shedden who has been close all season but in a team game they all won as one.

It has been a fantastic season from start to finish with tremendous support from team, manufacturers, sponsors and drivers to make such thrilling action on track to provide the excitement for the fans.

There is so much to look forward to in 2012 with new cars already announced and a further progression to full NGTC Rules & Regulations. So what has been your highlight of the season and what do you think to Matt’s third BTCC Title?

Leave your thoughts, enjoy the off-season and see you all in 2012 – the countdown begins today!

As Matt finishes go, not many will be more memorable than a certain Mr Neal’s eighth place in the final race of the Dunlop British Touring Car Championship, which sealed a third driver’s crown at Silverstone.

For everyone at HiQ, the sight of hundreds of camera flashes amongst the thousands of fans in the grandstands was the perfect ending to a memorable season.

Many of those spectators were clad in pink as we raised thousands more pounds for Breast Cancer Care courtesy of a day of goody bag handouts and offer of official memorabilia.

It soon became apparent that Neal and Shedden were the two serious contenders at Silverstone

Retail marketing manager Geraldine McGovern said: “The generosity and fanaticism of the BTCC fans never ceases to amaze us.

“We’ve had a wonderful weekend and have enjoyed a fantastic spectacle on the track, when we weren’t raising thousands of pounds off it for Breast Cancer Care.

“We’d like to thank everyone for coming along to see us at our stand, while we’d also like to congratulate Matt Neal for winning his third title.

“His teammate Gordon Shedden was an honourable, terrific teammate too, and also deserves credit for playing his part in Team Honda’s HiQ Teams’ Championship win.”

In front of ITV Sport’s cameras – broadcasting live for seven and a half hours from the event – and packed grandstands at Silverstone. The BTCC also ended on a massive high twith a record 30 cars appearing on its grid.

Worcestershire’s Neal won race one from pole position ahead of Fife’s Shedden. Buckinghamshire’s James Nash finished third in his 888 Racing with Collins Contractors Vauxhall Vectra to secure the Independents Trophy.

Shedden then retaliated by winning race two ahead of Neal, their Civics chased to the line by Tom Onslow-Cole’s Team Aon Ford Focus. It meant Shedden was now just six points behind Neal heading into the day’s third and final race of the season.

A wonderful sight at Silverstone - a packed grid for the final round of racing

But it was to be Neal’s day as he finished the third race in eighth, two places ahead of Shedden, to add to his previous titles in 2005 and 2006 – also in Hondas and with the same Team Dynamics squad.

The race was won by Tom Chilton’s Team Aon Ford Focus ahead of 2010 Champion Jason Plato’s Silverline Chevrolet Cruze and Tom Boardman’s Special Tuning Racing SEAT Leon.

An ecstatic Neal, who at 44 has become the first triple BTCC Champion since Andy Rouse in the early Eighties, commented: “This has been the toughest of my three titles to win – the competition has been extraordinarily high and Gordon has been such a hard team-mate to beat. To have my name on the trophy for a third time alongside so many great names… I am overwhelmed. It means the world to me.

“My pole position lap on Saturday, with maximum ballast in my car, was one of the best laps of my entire career and it set things up perfectly for me. If I hadn’t won it I would have been disappointed for myself but over the moon for Gordon – he’s become like a younger brother to me and even though he’s only been in the BTCC for six years he is one of the absolute best out there on the track.

“But it’s not just me who has won this championship – it is everybody in the Honda team. Gordon and I couldn’t ask for a better company or bunch of people to drive for and they all richly deserve this clean sweep of titles.”

Champagne time! Matt Neal celebrates his third BTCC title

Shedden, aged 32 from Dalgety Bay, had today hoped to become the first Scottish driver to win the BTCC since John Cleland in 1995. He said: “We’d said all along our priority was to ensure Honda won these titles and then see where things led after that – I was third last year, now second this… maybe it’ll be my turn next season.

 “I gave it my all but it was to be Matt’s championship this time around and I’m very happy for him and particularly everyone in the Honda team.”

Five drivers in the hunt, three races remaining, and thousands of British Touring Car Championship fans none the wiser as to who will win the title!

That’s the magic of Britain’s premier motor racing series, which will keep supporters of every driver talking right up until the final race weekend at Silverstone on October 15 and 16.

Jason Plato lead from the front in races one and two

On a balmy afternoon in Kent, Jason Plato emerged with two victories to steal a march on his Honda rivals, only for Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden to seal a one-two in the third and final race.

It all means that Neal is in the lead by a mere five points from Plato and teammate Shedden, with everything still to play for in a fortnight’s time. With the HiQ Teams’ Championship title all but secured for Honda Racing, the team can focus all their efforts on securing a memorable double triumph.

Typically, Jason Plato was playing down his chances of retaining his title, deeming Silverstone’s circuit too incompatible with his Chevrolet Cruze, despite his Brands delight. But he’ll take his position from where he was three race weekends ago, as will Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden right now, following the disaster of tyre woes in race one at Brands Hatch.

Mat Jackson and James Nash may well have a say in proceedings too and can mathematically win the title themselves. And with the BTCC gods as notorious as HiQ knows they are, we wouldn’t dare predict who will finish where come 6pm on Sunday October 16.

This way to Silverstone Flash! Neal and Shedden steal the show in race 3

Neal, who won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006 said: “A 1-2 in racxe three is a relief because at one stage today it really looked like the title was slipping through our fingers through some bad luck.” Nash and Jackson will also battle it out for the Independents Trophy for the drivers in privateer teams – 17 points separate them with a potential 45 still available from the season’s final three races.

Quite who will win the HiQ champagne moment after this weekend is anyone’s guess.

Quite who will win the overall silverware out of five different drivers really is anyone’s guess.

While the destiny of this season’s Dunlop British Touring Car Championship may still be some way from being decided, whoever secures drivers’ title might just reflect on Knockhill as the place where things began to fall into place.

Scotland’s finest Gordon Shedden enjoyed a memorable weekend on his home circuit, winning face two and leaving Fife with a one point lead over team mate Matt Neal.

With three races left, such success might just prove crucial in securing ‘Flash’ his first drivers’ title of his career.

Brilliant Boardman! Tom wins race three in style

Surely the HiQ Teams’ Championship picture is far clearer, with Honda Racing extending their lead to a near unassailable 129 points.

If ’Flash’ is to prevail, he will have to overcome two-time champ Neal, who will be similarly pleased with his efforts after erasing the painful memory of Snetterton to surge past Mat Jackson into second place in the standings.

For Jackson though, the less said about his unfortunate Knockhill experience the better, as the Henley speedster was cruelly beset by misfortune, failing to finish any of the three races.

It was Tom Chilton, Gordon Shedden and Tom Boardman who shared the wins, with Chilton making the most of the pole position he secured the day before.

Neal and Shedden followed in second and third spots in their Honda Racing Team Civics – a result that meant they jointly led the standings.

Race two saw Dalgety Bay’s Shedden pass Worcestershire’s Neal for a famous win on home ground to move three points clear in the title race. Neal finished second to complete a Honda 1-2. Third, achieving the first outright podium result for a car built to the BTCC’s latest Next Generation Touring Car technical regulations, was Preston’s Frank Wrathall in his Dynojet Toyota Avensis.

A perfect picture for all Scotland motorsport fans - race two podium

In race three, an ecstatic Boardman achieved his and his Preston-based Special Tuning Racing team’s first victory in the BTCC after a collision between his SEAT Leon and reigning Champion Jason Plato’s Silverline Chevrolet Cruze caused the latter to crash out. Hook’s Robert Collard chased Boardman to the line but had to settle for second in his WSR BMW. Taking another third place was Wrathall as Neal and Shedden followed in fourth and fifth.

The pair leave Scotland separated by just one point and some considerable distance now ahead of their rivals led by Airwaves Racing Ford Focus driver Mat Jackson – the Henley-in-Arden racer had led the standings arriving at Knockhill but uncharacteristically crashed out of all three of today’s races.

Shedden commented: “It feels great to be leading it finally, but Matt has two titles on me and knows how to apply the pressure so it’ll be interesting to see how it all pans out. OK, we’ve built a bit of a lead now over the rest but no way is it over – there are still nine races left and a shed load of points to be won and you just have to look at poor Jackson today to see how quickly it can go wrong.”

Neal, from Droitwich Spa, added: “After the awful time I had last time out at Snetterton this was just what I needed to get back in the title hunt. But Gordon has been on great form and he really is now a very difficult driver to beat whatever the conditions. Sure, it’s all played into our hands today but we can’t rest on our laurels. There are plenty of drivers in there capable of messing it up for us.”

A dejected Jackson commented: “I think that’s it now, realistically. They’ve got 20-plus points on me and even though there are more than 150 available from the final nine races (at Rockingham, Brands Hatch and Silverstone) I cannot see both of them giving up a lead like that. The pace of our car this weekend has been terrific but we’ve just suffered some really cruel luck. We’ll give it everything in the final three rounds – we have nothing to lose now.”

Another wonderful weekend for Frank Wrathall

Consequently, Jackson’s three retirements mean his lead in the Independents Trophy has been slashed to just five points by 888 Racing with Collins Contractors’ James Nash. Likewise his Airwaves team’s lead in the Independent Teams Trophy has been cut to just one point by 888/Collins. Meanwhile Shedden and Neal’s results have enabled Honda/Dynamics and their Honda Racing Team to massively stretch their respective leads in the Manufacturer/Constructor and HiQ Teams championships.

 Elsewhere during the weekend, BTCC officials fined Team Aon driver Andy Neate £250 for speeding in the pit lane during Saturday’s qualifying session.

With an endless list of memorable moments from a sizzling Snetterton 300 circuit, it is easy to see why so many BTCC fans have been suffering from withdrawal symptoms of late.

A six week mid-season break has left thousands of supporters with a touring car shaped void in their lives, until a phenomenal weekend of racing in Norfolk provided them with the mother of all fixes.

Jason Plato, Gordon Shedden and Mat Jackson might have won the three races, but a clutch of other notable performances also grabbed the headlines.

Oxford’s Plato won the first race from pole position in his Chevrolet Cruze but only after a controversial clash with Neal at the first bend that sent the Honda driver into a costly spin.

Thank the lord! The fans return to the pit lane after a 6 week break

Alex MacDowall took second to cement a dream 1-2 result for the Silverline Chevrolet team ahead of Shedden in third. After qualifying a lowly 13th on Saturday, Jackson came through to finish sixth.

Scotsman Shedden won race two in his Honda Civic to move past Neal and into the championship lead. Keeping his title hopes alive, Newport Pagnell’s James Nash was second in his 888 Racing with Collins Contractors Vauxhall Vectra ahead of Plato in third.

Jackson was sixth again to move into second in the standings ahead of Worcestershire’s Neal who suffered more woes, this time with a punctured tyre.

Jackson then won race three in his Airwaves Racing Ford Focus ahead of a feisty Paul O’Neill in his GoMobileUK.com with tech-speed Chevrolet and Plato who took another third to make it podium results in all three of today’s races.

Neal finally put points on the board with a stunning charge from 17th to fourth but Shedden was only seventh after damaging his Honda.

As a result, Jackson, for the first time in his career, now leads the BTCC ahead of Shedden, Neal, today’s biggest points-scorer Plato and Nash. Just 31 points cover these five. Furthermore, Jackson becomes the fifth different driver this season to lead the championship.

Jackson from Henley in Arden said: “I’m delighted but it’s way too early to think about titles. Just look how quickly fortunes have changed today and we’ve still got four events – that’s twelve races – to go. You have to remember we’re privateers taking on the bigger budget Honda and Chevrolet teams and maybe it’s starting to niggle them – I’m already beginning to sense a bit of mind games! Between now and Knockhill I’ll be busy renovating the house I’ve just bought with a big lump hammer to take my mind off things…”

Mat Jackson in an all too familiar sight...leading!

Having also tasted the championship lead for the first time earlier today Shedden, from Dalgety Bay, Fife added: “It’s absolutely game on from here on in, isn’t it? Two more podiums have obviously kept me right in the hunt and it’s given me even more reason to look forward to racing in front of my home crowd at Knockhill.”

Former double Champion Neal, from Droitwich, commented: “That’ll go down as one of the worst days at the office in all my years in the BTCC – a proper stinker and all the knock-on effect of what happened with Jason at the start of race one. But I enjoyed the run to fourth in race three and it’s at least good to come away with something positive.”

Plato, the reigning Champion, said: “To have arrived here 40 points behind Matt and to be leaving just ten behind him is mission accomplished for us today. We took some big risks in qualifying to get the pole – we had to – and it’s paid off really well.”

There were several other star performances at Snetterton. Frank Wrathall achieved the first-ever top ten finish for a car built to the BTCC’s latest Next Generation Touring Car technical regulations with a fourth place in race one in his Dynojet team’s Toyota Avensis. Dave Newsham also shone with three top ten finishes in his Special Tuning Racing SEAT Leon. Newcomer Daniel Welch showed encouraging pace on his and the Welch Motorsport team’s first appearance in the BTCC with its all-new Proton Gen-2. So too did Martin Byford, also making his BTCC debut in the AmD Milltek Racing.com team’s VW Golf.

Honda/Dynamics and the Honda Racing Team continue to lead the Manufacturer/Constructor and HiQ Teams championships but by a reduced margin over Chevrolet/RML and Silverline Chevrolet respectively. Jackson has extended his lead in the Independent drivers’ standings as has Airwaves Racing in the Independent teams’ table, with Nash and 888 Racing with Collins Contractors rising to become their respective nearest challengers.

Elsewhere, Jason Plato was fined £500 by BTCC officials for his involvement in the incident with Matt Neal in race one. He also had three penalty points applied to his competition licence. Honda/Dynamics and the Honda Racing Team had ten points deducted from their Manufacturer/Constructor and HiQ Teams championship scores for exceeding their engine allocation. Similarly Dynojet in the HiQ Teams and Independent Teams standings.

So far in 2011 we have witnessed what is turning into fantastic season of BTCC racing.

New rules, new teams, new cars and new drivers have all contributed to five thrilling rounds of racing.

A spectacular moment from the season so far? Matt beats Mat

Highs, lows, incidents and controversy have all played a part in shaping the season too. Now we have a break before the championship resumes at Snetterton, it is time to take stock of events and to see what you – the fans – have thought about the season so far as we challenge you to take the BTCC Half Term Report.

•  Best BTCC Newcomer – Driver:
• Best BTCC Newcomer – Team/Car:
  ·         Surprise Of The Season:
  ·         Most Spectacular Moment:
  ·         Most Controversial Moment:
  ·         Most Unexpected Moment:
  ·         Favourite Round Of The Season:
  ·         Team Of The Season:
  ·         Car Of The Season:
  ·         Driver Of The Season:
  ·         Round Of The Season:
  ·         Spirit Of The Championship (Competing Against All Odds):

  As we look forward to the 2^nd half of the season make your predictions as to what we can expect in the 5 rounds still to run…

 2011 Drivers Champion:

• 2011 Manufacturer Champion:
  ·         2011 HiQ Teams Champion:
  ·         1^st NGTC Car To Make The Podium:
  ·         Turbo/NA Equivalency To Be Settled:
  ·         1^st BTCC Pole Position At New Snetterton 300 Track:
  ·         1^st BTCC Race Winner At New Snetterton 300 Track:
  ·         Number Of New Entries Into The Championship During Rounds 16-30:
  ·         Percentage Chance Of Jason Plato Stopping Moaning:

Plato holding off a Honda...What for the second half of the season?

I hope everyone has a wonderful Summer Break and enjoys some form of motorsport to fill the void! See you all at Snetterton in August!

Vaughan Dee