Fabrizio Giovanardi has been crowned the 2007 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Champion after overhauling the one point margin between himself and title rival
Jason Plato in the final race of the season at
Thruxton.
The race was ended two laps early following a smash for Mike Jordan in the Team Eurotech Honda, with Giovanardi's second place finish enough to give him the title by just three points, when Plato could only manage to get up to fourth.
An intense race from start to finish, the outcome was all but decided from the start when Giovanardi made a far better getaway from seventh on the grid, diving in front of a rather laboured Plato to come up to the Campbell Cobb chicane in sixth place.
A typically fraught first few corners followed with
Mat Jackson exiting Seagrave with the lead of the race, followed by
Colin Turkington, the two BMWs showing of their impressive rear-wheel drive startline form to dive into an early lead.
They were followed by
Matt Neal in the Honda initially, with Giovanardi following closely behind. He would pull alongside on the run up to the Club Chicane though and slot through into third place.
Plato on the other hand would end the first lap in seventh place, leaving him staring at the back of the fast starting Tom Chilton, who in turn had Neal and pole sitter Tom Coronel directly ahead.
Coronel quickly gave his place up through Campbell though, getting out of the way of Chilton and Plato as they promoted themselves to fifth and sixth.
Plato was seemingly not able to keep the pace though, slipping away from a top five that was being pulled along by the close but clean tussle between Jackson and Turkington. Giovanardi keept a safe distance behind, with Neal and Chilton in turn keeping things in check a comfortable margin back.
