Fabrizio Giovanardi will have been pleased that he wrapped title up in race one. When the rest of the BTCC drivers were lining up on the grid, Giovanardi was left in the pitlane, watching as the VX Racing team endeavoured to complete an engine change on his Vectra. The Italian was left to watch the race from the garage though, as the car refused to start. Hardly a crowning glory for the new champion.

VX Racing Team Principal Ian Harrison said, “Fabrizio ran off the road in race one and it’s cooked the engine. We’ve changed the engine but now we can’t get it to start. It’s a case of the team’s lucky bucket has got no bottom to it now. So he’s not going to do this one unfortunately.”

The race got underway for the rest of the field with polesitter Mat Jackson leading into Paddock Hill. Rob Collard was the quicker of the two Motorbase cars off the line, leapfrogging his teammate Steven Kane to trail Jackson through the first corner. Kane in turn quickly came under pressure from Jason Plato.

Plato attempted a pass around the outside of Druids on lap two but Kane held station. Kane seemed the pacier of the two Motorbase cars, but he couldn’t find a way past Collard, and a queue started to form behind the pair. Meanwhile, Mat Jackson quickly opened up a two-second lead at the front.

Plato kept the pressure on Steven Kane, until the SEAT Leon’s farewell meeting took a turn for the worse. The 2001 champion was slow exiting Clearways on lap ten – the result of a broken steering rack. Although he coasted round to the pits, it was a disappointing retirement for Plato.

Midway through the race and Jackson continued unchallenged at the front. Rob Collard was still in second, while third placed Kane had to turn his attention to defending from Matt Neal. On lap 16, Neal took the inside on the approach to Paddock Hill, which was enough to see him past Kane and up to third. Colin Turkington cleverly followed Neal through the gap, dropping Kane to fifth.

With one Motorbase BMW disposed off, Neal and Turkington quickly set about the second. It took a further four laps, but the pair pulled off a replica of their earlier move to get the better of Rob Collard. Neal’s next target was race leader Jackson, but the BMW was too far ahead for the number of laps remaining.

Behind the leaders there were few changes, however SEAT’s dismal race continued as Darren Turner joined Plato in retirement.

At the chequered flag, Mat Jackson claimed his second win of the day. Matt Neal finished second, with Colin Turkington in third. Motorbase pair Rob Collard and Steven Kane were fourth and fifth respectively, ahead of Tom Chilton and Andrew Jordan. Tom Onslow-Cole finished eighth, with Gordon Shedden ninth and Mike Jordan tenth.