BTCC season mid-point

Following this weekend’s round at Croft, the 2010 British Touring Car Championship season is already at its mid-point.



Going into the seven-week summer break, the top five drivers are separated by only 27 points, which is great news for fans. Honda Racing’s Matt Neal heads the table, just ahead of archrival Jason Plato. Neal’s team mate, Gordon Shedden, has propelled himself into third slot, following victories in the first two Croft races - his first BTCC wins since Oulton Park way back in July 2008.



Series organisers will have been pleased with the result in race three at Croft, because it saw the maiden victory of a car powered by TOCA’s Next Generation Touring Car turbocharged engine. Andrew Jordan lead from pole to flag in his Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra, helped by a first corner slide by second-place Tom Onslow-Cole which backed the field up. Plato in his Chevrolet Cruze then mounted a challenge for the lead, but a puncture put paid to his efforts.

Steven Kane, driving a BMW 320si, gave an impressive performance, starting from 19th on the grid but eventually finishing third. That result means Kane has maintained his run of achieving a podium finish at every round so far this season.



British Touring Car Championship standings after fifteen races:



Pos. / Driver / Car / Points

01 / Matt Neal / Honda Civic / 119

02 / Jason Plato / Chevrolet Cruze / 111

03 / Gordon Shedden / Honda Civic / 100

04 / Tom Onslow-Cole / Ford Focus / 97

05 / Steven Kane / BMW 320si / 92

06 / Mat Jackson / BMW 320si / 79

07 / Paul O'Neill / Honda Integra / 79

08 / Robert Collard / BMW 320si / 67

09 / Tom Chilton / Ford Focus / 60

10 / Andrew Jordan / Vauxhall Vectra / 51

11 / Tom Boardman / Seat Leon / 40

12 / Fabrizio Giovanardi / Vauxhall Vectra / 38

13 / Alex MacDowell / Chevrolet Cruze / 35

14 / James Nash / Vauxhall Vectra / 30

15 / Philip Glew / Vauxhall Vectra / 9

16 / David Pinckney / Vauxhall Vectra / 9

17 / Daniel Lloyd / Vauxhall Vectra / 7

18 / Andy Neate / BMW 320si / 4

19 / John George / Honda Integra / 2

20 / Martin Johnson / Vauxhall Astra Coupe / 2

21 / Matt Hamilton / Honda Civic / 2

22 / Martin Depper / BMW 320si / 0

23 / Arthur Forster / BMW 320si / 0

24 / Lea Wood / Honda Integra / 0

25 / Shaun Hollamby / Volkswagen Golf / 0