The BTCC headed to the fastest circuit on the calendar, with a visit to the Hampshire circuit of Thruxton. Vauxhall’s Tom Onslow-Cole was hoping to build on his pole position last time out and take his first factory for the VX Racing team. SEAT again began a race weekend with a huge amount of uncertainty, having never run the Turbo diesel cars at Thruxton before.

It was Tom Onslow-Cole who set the pace in qualifying, as he took his second consecutive pole position, and was closely followed by his team mate Fabrizio Giovanardi in the Vectra, which was weighed down with the full success ballast.

Onslow-Cole and Giovanardi got good starts, but were pushed into corner one by Team Halford’s driver Gordon Shedden. The Scotsman capitalised by moving into the lead of the race. Giovanardi lost out to SEAT Sport driver Jason Plato, but was soon pushing to regain the position. Alan Taylor and Gareth Howell were both issued with drive through penalties for jumping the start. The leading pair of Shedden and Onslow-Cole had pulled out a gap to the chasing trio of Plato, Giovanardi and Colin Turkington. Side by side racing between Giovanardi and Plato had the crowd on their feet, as the pair battled from the exit of the chicane right into corner three, with Plato holding on. On lap eight, Turkington moved past Giovanardi, as the Italian ran slightly wide. The leading pair soon became the leading one, as Gordon Shedden’s front left tyre gave way, allowing Onslow-Cole to take the lead of the race he had started on pole position for. At the start of the thirteenth lap, Jason Plato left a slight gap and that was all it took for Turkington to slot his BMW alongside, and ultimately past, the SEAT. Mat Jackson passed Darren Turner in the closing laps in a clean overtaking move. Tom Onslow-Cole crossed the line to take his maiden VX Racing win, and his first in the BTCC in a front wheel drive car. He was followed by Colin Turkington and Jason Plato. However, Plato was disqualified as his car failed the post-race check on ride height - this promoted Fabrizio Giovanardi to the third step of the podium.

The second race of the day saw Onslow-Cole suffer from too much wheel spin off the start, as he relinquished first place to a very fast starting Colin Turkington, who was in turn closely followed by Giovanardi. Darren Turner got into third place early into the lap, as Stephen Jelley pushed Andrew Jordan off the track. Tom Chilton spun, but rejoined at the back of the field with Andrew Jordan, as Martyn Bell’s collision caused the Safety Car to be deployed for the first time. The race re-started on lap six, and the race was extended to nineteen laps. Turkington negotiated the restart well and pulled away, closely followed by Giovanardi and Darren Turner. Giovanardi found the sweet spot around the Hampshire circuit, as he pushed Turkington massively for a few laps, before making his move into the chicane, and he came out ahead of the Ulsterman. Jason Plato was moving well through the field. After starting from the back of the grid as a result of his disqualification in race one, he was in eighth. Gordon Shedden and Stephen Jelley got past Steven Kane. An intense battle involving Darren Turner, Colin Turkington, Tom Onslow-Cole and Matt Neal was evolving, as Turner past Turkington in the chicane, but soon saw the Team RAC car going back past on the exit. Onslow-Cole moved ahead of Turner as well, as did Vauxhall team mate Matt Neal. Neal and Turner both took to the grass, but rejoined without significant time loss. Onslow-Cole took the opportunity with a clear track, to move up behind and pressure Turkington. The pressure paid off as Turkington pushed too hard and slipped onto the grass, and lost his position to Onslow-Cole. The final lap saw massive drama, as leader Giovanardi suffered a front left puncture, which saw him retire to the grass. The puncture gifted Onslow-Cole his second race win of the weekend. He was followed over the line by Turkington and Matt Neal. Giovanardi was classified in tenth place.

Race winner Onslow-Cole was asked to draw the number to determine the number of places that were reversed for race three. He drew number nine, which meant Andrew Jordan would be given a great chance to show the watching crowd and television viewers what many of us know he can do.

The third race saw youngster Andrew Jordan, sporting the name “Young One” on the side of his car, make a good start, but was swamped by fast starting pair, Gordon Shedden and Jason Plato. Both BTCC veterans got ahead of Jordan early into the first lap. Darren Turner got past Mat Jackson, as Fabrizio Giovanardi passed his VX Racing team mate Tom Onslow-Cole. Tom Chilton soon followed Giovanardi through, and pushed Onslow-Cole back another position. Matt Neal was pushing Colin Turkington, and passed him well, and soon his team mate Giovanardi was alongside the Ulsterman on the fast back part of the track. He made the move stick and took through Tom Chilton, as well as Tom Onslow-Cole. The race leader, Gordon Shedden, retired again with a front left puncture, as Jason Plato took over the race lead. Thruxton is well known for its high speed nature, as well as its massive load on the left hand side of the car, and in particularly the front left on front wheel drive cars. This was again evident as Darren Turner suffered a front left puncture and returned to the pits to change it. Andrew Jordan, Adam Jones and Mat Jackson chose to compete in a three-way side-by-side race through the fastest part of the circuit, and Andrew Jordan held position, as Adam Jones went slight wide and lost time. As Mat Jackson was pushing Jordan, he ran wide, and Giovanardi capitalised to take Jackson’s position. Into the chicane, Giovanardi nudged Andrew Jordan, causing both to lose positions to Jackson, but both rejoined behind him. The next lap saw Jordan retire to the pits, a bitterly disappointing end to a fantastic race for the youngster in his debut BTCC season. Plato drove well to clinch a win for the SEAT team; he was followed by Mat Jackson and Giovanardi.

Tom Onslow-Cole celebrated the weekend of his 21st birthday in style, by taking a double win. He showed how he will be a massive name in touring cars for some time to come. I have no doubt what he will be a BTCC champion, and I would also suggest that the other young star of the weekend, Andrew Jordan, will also be a BTCC winner in the near future. I cannot help thinking that even when many people foolhardily disparage the BTCC over driving standards and such, that these two drivers will be regular visits to the top step of the podium, and I can see them both moving on in the future to follow on from Andy Priaulx in the World Touring Car class.

The next round of the BTCC will be held at Croft in North Yorkshire, on the 31st May and 1st June 2008.

Final Race 1 Standings (Top 10):
    1.  Tom Onslow-Cole
    2.  Colin Turkington (I)
    3.  Fabrizio Giovanardi
    4.  Matt Neal
    5.  Mat Jackson (I)
    6.  Darren Turner
    7.  Tom Chilton
    8.  Adam Jones (I)
    9.  Mike Jordan (I)
   10.  Andrew Jordan (I)

   Disqualified
        Jason Plato

  NB: 1. (I) Denotes drivers eligible for the Independents Trophy
      2. Jason Plato disqualified for failure of a post-race
         ride height check

Final Race 2 Standings (Top 10):
    1.  Tom Onslow-Cole
    2.  Colin Turkington (I)
    3.  Matt Neal
    4.  Darren Turner
    5.  Mat Jackson (I)
    6.  Adam Jones (I)
    7.  Jason Plato
    8.  Gordon Shedden
    9.  Andrew Jordan (I)
   10.  Fabrizio Giovanardi

  NB: 1. (I) Denotes drivers eligible for the Independents Trophy

Final Race 3 Standings (Top 10):
    1.  Jason Plato
    2.  Mat Jackson (I)
    3.  Fabrizio Giovanardi
    4.  Matt Neal
    5.  Adam Jones (I)
    6.  Colin Turkington (I)
    7.  Tom Onslow-Cole
    8.  Mike Jordan (I)
    9.  Steven Kane
   10.  Harry Vaulkhard

  NB: 1. (I) Denotes drivers eligible for the Independents Trophy

Driver's Champtionship Standings (Top 10):
    1.  Fabrizio Giovanardi   114 Pts
    2.  Jason Plato            96 Pts
    3.  Tom Onslow-Cole        93 Pts
    4.  Matt Neal              90 Pts
    5.  Mat Jackson            83 Pts
    6.  Darren Turner          75 Pts
    7.  Gordon Shedden         67 Pts
    8.  Colin Turkington       63 Pts
    9.  Adam Jones             46 Pts
   10.  Tom Chilton            41 Pts

Independents Trophy Standings (Top 10):
    1.  Adam Jones            127 Pts
    2.  Mat Jackson           126 Pts
    3.  Colin Turkington      111 Pts
    5.  Mike Jordan            68 Pts
    4.  Steven Kane            67 Pts
    6.  Andrew Jordan          56 Pts
    7.  Stephen Jelley         47 Pts
    9.  Robert Collard         42 Pts
    8.  Jason Hughes           37 Pts
   10.  Harry Vaulkhard        32 Pts

Manufacturer's Championship Standings:
    1.  Vauxhall   270 Pts
    2.  SEAT       238 Pts