Tom Onslow-Cole has given himself the perfect present for the birthday he celebrated on Friday by winning the first two BTCC races of the day at Thruxton.
In both events he ran second before the leader dropped back with a puncture. In race one it was Gordon Sheddon who led the way in his Honda Civic before falling back.
Even more sensationally in the second race it was Onslow-Cole’s championship-leading team mate who lost the lead with a puncture – on the final lap!
Onslow-Cole led Colin Turkington home in the first race with Jason Plato holding a string of cars back for third place – or so he thought. After the race the stewards adjudged his Seat Leon was running too low at the rear and threw him out.
A furious Plato insisted the infringement was only because of damage caused by Fabrizio Giovanardi hitting the back of his car as Plato rebuffed the Italian’s advances.
But Plato had the last laugh in the second race have battled through to finish in the points while Giovanardi slumped from first to tenth on the final tour.
Darren Turner gave Seat some cheer with second place ahead of Matt Neal in the second race.
