British Touring Car Championship
Brands Hatch - Race 1 Report - 1/4/12
By MJP Media | 1 April 2012
Rob Collard wins the 1st race of the 2012 BTCC season in front of a bumper crowd at Brands Hatch amid dramatic action further down the field.
Rob Collard celebrates winning the first race of the 2012 season
The first race of the 2012 MSA Dunlop British Touring Car Championship got under way in dramatic style at Brands Hatch with incidents galore. From pole position, Dave Newsham got a good start off the line in his Team ES Racing Vauxhall Vectra. Rob Collard also got a good start with his eBay Motors BMW 320si, passing the Honda Yuasa Racing Team Civic of Matt Neal and Newsham to take the lead.
Collard doing battle with Neal ahead of Newsham and Plato
Collard maintained his lead over Neal and Newsham until Neal and Newsham passed him on lap 9. Behind them, a duel was developing between Tom Onslow-Cole in the eBay Motors BMW 320si and Jason Plato in the MG KX Momentum Racing MG6. Newsham regained the lead on lap 14 before contact with the hard-charging Plato put him into the gravel at Paddock Hill and out of the race.
Aron Smith crashes out on lap 15
Rob Collard was now leading the race again followed by Matt Neal in 2nd and Tom Onslow-Cole 3rd. The three maintained their positions to the end of the race giving the first victory of the 2012 season to a delighted Rob Collard and the WSR eBay Motors Team. Jason Plato finished in 4th place ahead of Gordon Shedden in 5th and Andrew Jordan 6th.
Elsewhere in the race, various incidents caused the retirements of Adam Morgan, Frank Wrathall, Aron Smith and John Thorne.
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BTCC - Brands Hatch - Race 1 Report - 1/4/12
Rob Collard wins the 1st race of the 2012 BTCC season in front of a bumper crowd at Brands Hatch amid dramatic action further down the field.
BTCC - Brands Hatch - Qualifying - 31/3/12
Dave Newsham from Inverness secures pole position for the first race of the 2012 British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch.
BTCC - Brands Hatch - Free Practice - 31/3/12
Rob Collard and Andrew Jordan top the timesheets in free practice at Brands Hatch ahead the first race of the 2012 BTCC season.
BTCC - 2012 Season Preview
The 2012 British Touring Car Championship gets under way in just over a week and a half when the teams and drivers make their way to Brands Hatch in Kent on March 31/April 1 for the opening rounds of the 2012 season.
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