At the half way point of the season, it couldn't have been much closer at the top of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship standings.
Having endured a difficult start to the season at
Brands Hatch, Fabrizio Giovanardi and VX Racing had worked hard to reel in SEAT's
Jason Plato at the top of the standings and heading to round six at Donington Park, it was the Italian who had overcome a 24 point deficit to lead by a single point. In the Independents' standings, it wasn't quite as close – but only 28 points covered leader Mike Jordan to fourth placed
Tom Onslow-Cole.
Hitting the track at
Donington, it was the ever-improving Team Halfords Honda Civics that proved to be the cars to beat on qualifying day, with the bright orange cars leading every session and Gordon Shedden taking pole for the second meeting in succession. However, title rivals Plato and Giovanardi were in the wars – with Plato down in ninth place and Giovanardi only 15th after an engine problem with his Vectra.
Race day dawned with heavy rain falling and it led to tricky conditions for the opening race, which went the way of Shedden after he quickly re-passed the quick-starting
Mat Jackson at the start. Podium places went the way of Adam Jones and
Matt Neal – despite the champion having to pit to replace a puncture – while Plato moved back into the lead of the standings with a fifth place finish compared to eighth for Giovanardi.
Plato further strengthened his position in the second race as he took a storming victory after a delay to the programme because of the heavy rain. From fifth on the grid, the SEAT man carved his way up the order to take the lead from Shedden and pull away for a fifth victory of the campaign. With Giovanardi in third, Plato's lead grew still further heading into the final race of the weekend.
