British Touring Car Championship - Rockingham - Race 2 Report - 15/9/13

British Touring Car Championship
Rockingham - Race 2 Report - 15/9/13

By MJP Media | 15 September 2013

Rob Austin takes his maiden BTCC victory for WIX Racing in the second race from Rockingham. Matt Neal retires from the race and loses another place in the championship standings.

Rob Austin celebrates his maiden BTCC victory at Rockingham

Following his victory in the first one, Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan started the second race of the day from Rockingham in pole position alongside the Airwaves Racing Ford Focus of Mat Jackson. Rob Austin started on the 2nd row alongside Gordon Shedden with Jason Plato and Colin Turkington on row three.

The race started in dry, cool and very windy conditions. Mat Jackson and Rob Austin both got away well with Austin leading into the first hairpin and Gordon Shedden challenging Andrew Jordan for 3rd. Jordan lost further places on lap 2 when he was passed by Shedden and Dave Newsham. Jordan then came under attack from the eBay Motors BMW 125i M Sports of Rob Collard and Colin Turkington.

Rob Austin leading Gordon Shedden

On lap 3, Dave Newsham was in an exciting battle with Mat Jackson for 3rd place. Speedworks Motorsport driver Newsham briefly took 3rd from Jackson before Jackson regained the position. Behind the leaders, Matt Neal was busy making his way up the field. Having started 14th on the grid he was up to 7th place by lap 4 in his Honda Yuasa Racing Civic.

With Rob Austin out in front ahead of Gordon Shedden, the battle for 3rd place was intense between Mat Jackson, Dave Newsham and Rob Collard. By lap 6 Collard was up to 4th place and by lap 7 Newsham had lost places to Matt Neal and Colin Turkington. Meanwhile, pole-sitter Andrew Jordan was also losing places and was running in 10th place by lap 10 when Matt Neal retired his Honda Yuasa Racing Civic and Rob Collard sustained a puncture which caused him to pit.

Rob Austin takes the chequered flag in race two

At the finish it was a maiden BTCC victory for Rob Austin in the WIX Racing Audi A4 with Gordon Shedden 2nd and Colin Turkington 3rd. Mat Jackson finished 4th with Sam Tordoff 5th and Jason Plato completing the top 6. Lea Wood won another Jack Sears Cup for S2000 specification cars whilst Matt Neal drops to 3rd in the Drivers' Championship behind Andrew Jordan and Gordon Shedden.

Following his emotional victory, Rob Austin made the random selection for the reverse grid which will see the top 8 finishers from race 2 reversed on the grid for the final race of the day. Andrew Jordan with start in pole position alongside Dave Newsham on the 1st row of the grid with MG KX Momentum Racing team-mates Jason Plato and Sam Tordoff on row 2. Mat Jackson and Colin Turkington will start on row 3 with Gordon Shedden and Rob Austin on row 4. Following his retirement from race 2, Matt Neal will start 24th on the grid.

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BTCC - Rockingham - Race 2 Report - 15/9/13
Rob Austin takes his maiden BTCC victory for WIX Racing in the second race from Rockingham. Matt Neal retires from the race and loses another place in the championship standings.

BTCC - Rockingham - Race 1 Report - 15/9/13
Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan wins the first race of the day from Rockingham as Matt Neal loses his lead in the Drivers' Championship in the slippery conditions.

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Jason Plato and Sam Tordoff secure a front row lockout for the first race from Rockingham tomorrow by qualifying 1st and 2nd for MG KX Momentum Racing.

BTCC - Rockingham - Free Practice - 14/9/13
Honda Civics top the time sheet in the first free practice session at Rockingham whilst Dave Newsham leads the way for Speedworks Motorsport in the second.

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