Fabrizio Giovanardi went to Silverstone for penultimate round of the 2008 BTCC season with a healthy advantage of over 40 points over big rival Jason Plato. Giovanardi’s mission was again to score as many points as possible without taking any risks. By doing so he would surely be successful in defending his title.

Plato enjoyed a perfect qualifying session as he took pole position ahead of his teammate, Darren Turner. Despite the fast starting Team RAC BMW of Colin Turkington starting in third, and both of Giovanardi’s VX Racing team mates Matt Neal and Tom Onslow-Cole next in line, Plato was feeling confident of making a dent in the points deficit to Giovanardi, who had qualified in a lowly 12th place.

Wet weather greeted the race day at Silverstone, but it would not hamper Plato’s start. He got away well, but his rear guard Turner fell back to a fast starting Steven Kane who moved up to second from sixth. At the front Plato would not look back from his start, he led from start to finish, taking maximum points for the first race. He didn’t make great inroads into Giovanardi’s championship lead, as the Italian managed to finish fifth. He would have been higher, but team tactics and driving from Darren Turner were executed perfectly. It seemed Giovanardi was closing in on the leading pack and Turner seemed to slow from his earlier pace and effectively back Giovanardi into Turkington who was fast approaching from behind. Giovanardi elected to make it easy for Turkington to pass, instead of risk an incident and a non-finish. Motorbase driver Kane lost his second place on the third lap as he went off track into the gravel, and the safety car was deployed to allow the marshals to remove his car. When the safety car was called in, Plato got away again, but behind Matt Neal and Mat Jackson were having an epic battle, as they exchanged positions some five times over one lap, before Jackson got the better of the former double BTCC Champion. Onslow-Cole was having a torrid time as he slipped back into the pack. He had gambled on an irregular tyre choice, with slicks on the front and wets on the rear, but it didn’t pay off. Mat Jackson had a fantastic race as he took second place, after starting back in 14th.

Jackson made a great start in race two, leapfrogging Plato, as Giovanardi did the same to Turkington. Giovanardi pushed Turner around the lap, and it all escalated, as out of the final corner, Giovanardi edged Turner off onto the. Turner classed it as “dirty, unnecessary driving””, in reality it was typical touring car driving that happens at every race, every year, where a car on the outside losing position is edged out and forced to concede. Turner rejoined but later retired, after ending up in the gravel again only a few laps after the Giovanardi incident. The safety car came out after Turner’s retirement, and as it came back in, Plato got away well, but Giovanardi would soon be making moves on second placed Jackson. The Italian was again amongst the controversy as he made contact with Jackson out of the final corner. His car slid over the greasy surface and he hit Jackson in the door, forcing the BMW driver into a slide. Giovanardi continued, but Jackson’s car was damaged as Team Halfords driver Tom Chilton came around the corner close behind and was unable to avoid the spinning Jackson. Chilton retired, but Jackson continued further down in the field. Meanwhile Giovanardi was closing in on Plato, and managed to pass the SEAT on lap 17. Plato suffered from setup problems, and moved backwards to seventh, as his car seemed to fall away from him. Giovanardi took the chequered flag, followed by Colin Turkington and Adam Jones. Jones had moved well through the field throughout the entire race.

Giovanardi drew ball number ten, which meant that the John Guest Racing car of Mike Jordan would start from pole for race three.

Jordan appeared to get away well, but was soon passed by the fast starting Gordon Shedden. Tom Onslow-Cole had a spectacular start, moving into second by the first corner. Jordan fell away through the course of the race, as did the two front-runners. Firstly it was Jason Plato who moved well through the pack to take the lead, as he made good passing moves on Mike Jordan, Shedden and Onslow-Cole. His lead was short lived, as a bullish Mat Jackson drove from thirteenth, to lead the race by lap seventeen. He did not relinquish the lead once he claimed it, and took the flag. His celebrations on his in-lap, and as he got out of the car, showed what it meant to him. It was a truly amazing drive, and a well deserved victory. The latter half of the race was again an unhappy experience for Jason Plato. Not only was he falling back, but also his great title rival Fabrizio Giovanardi was moving up well. Giovanardi had started in tenth and managed to take the third step of the podium, but Plato could only manage fifth. Adam Jones provided another spectacular race, as he finished second behind Jackson, he had started in eighth. Scottish youngster Michael Doyle claimed a very impressive eighth place, after fighting against, and beating, regular BTCC front-runners such as Gordon Shedden and Tom Chilton. It was a stellar drive from 17th on the grid.

The final round of the 2008 BTCC season is right where it started, at Brands Hatch, from the 20th to 21st September 2008. It was planned that the Grand Prix circuit would be used, but the Indy layout will be used to decide the title. ITV4 have announced that they will extend their coverage, by starting an hour earlier at 11.30am on the Sunday. The move is to show what could potentially be the title-deciding race live, something that will appeal to the viewing fans.

Final Race 1 Standings (Top 10):
    1.  Jason Plato
    2.  Mat Jackson (I)
    3.  Darren Turner
    4.  Colin Turkington (I)
    5.  Fabrizio Giovanardi
    6.  Matt Neal
    7.  Stephen Jelley (I)
    8.  Adam Jones (I)
    9.  Andrew Jordan (I)
   10.  Harry Vaulkhard

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

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

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

Final Race 3 Standings (Top 10):
    1.  Mat Jackson (I)
    2.  Adam Jones (I)
    3.  Fabrizio Giovanardi
    4.  Colin Turkington (I)
    5.  Jason Plato
    6.  Tom Onslow-Cole
    7.  Robert Collard (I)
    8.  Michael Doyle (I)
    9.  Tom Chilton
   10.  Stephen Jelley (I)

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

Driver's Championship Standings (Top 10):
    1.  Fabrizio Giovanardi   261 Pts
    2.  Jason Plato           217 Pts
    3.  Colin Turkington      188 Pts
    4.  Mat Jackson           185 Pts
    5.  Matt Neal             165 Pts
    6.  Tom Onslow-Cole       155 Pts
    7.  Gordon Shedden        140 Pts
    8.  Darren Turner         129 Pts
    9.  Adam Jones            119 Pts
   10.  Tom Chilton            83 Pts

Independents Trophy Standings (Top 10):
    1.  Colin Turkington      293 Pts
    2.  Mat Jackson           271 Pts
    3.  Adam Jones            253 Pts
    4.  Robert Collard        161 Pts
    4=  Steven Kane           161 Pts
    6.  Andrew Jordan         120 Pts
    7.  Mike Jordan           119 Pts
    8.  Stephen Jelley        115 Pts
    9.  Harry Vaulkhard        74 Pts
   10.  Jason Hughes           66 Pts

Manufacturer's Championship Standings:
    1.  Vauxhall   623 Pts
    2.  SEAT       502 Pts