For a split second it looked like everyone would avoid the white BMW, but defending champion Neal could do nothing to avoid hitting Jackson's spinning car and came to a virtual halt on the circuit. With the spray kicked up by the leading cars, the field behind were unsighted about what lay ahead, and the A-Tech Alfa Romeo of Dave Pinkney slammed into the rear of the Honda at full race speed – spearing left across the circuit and wiping out a number of other cars.
When the dust settled, no fewer than eleven cars were left parked on the circuit, with the Motorbase Performance SEAT of Tom Ferrier and the Kartworld MG of Fiona Leggate up against the barrier on the inside after running into Jackson's
BMW. Eoin Murray and Martyn Bell were both past the stricken Honda of Neal but in the wall, while behind the blocked track, Jason Hughes, John George, Rick Kerry and Richard Marsh had been caught up in the incident.
Neal and Pinkney both required a visit to hospital while it took the best part of an hour to clean up the mess before a field of just 15 cars lined up for the restart. Luckily for the title challengers, both Plato and Giovanardi had avoided the melee and took their place for the second start of the day.
Giovanardi made a better start than Plato to jump ahead of the SEAT when the lights went green and took second place from team-mate Chilton on the eighth lap and Plato quickly following him through. When leader Turkington spun coming out of Paddock Hill Bend, the pair were suddenly dicing for the lead but the Italian took victory ahead of Plato and Turner – closing the gap to the leader still further.
