- 5/4/2025
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00:00This weekend you find us at the home of British motorsport, Silverstone, for some real racing, touring car racing.
00:30As you can see, the AA.com British Touring Car Championship provides some very close racing indeed.
00:50However, the 30 lap feature race here at Silverstone is being run in the dark, and I'll tell you what, that is a completely different set of challenges for these drivers.
01:00At the start, it's very dark.
01:03Well, we can't see.
01:04I think you need to eat a lot of carrots.
01:07You are sort of really, really scanning the side of the track for your braking points.
01:12We don't see the corner like on the day.
01:16It takes a good 20 minutes if you get into any racing car in the middle of the night to sort of get your whereabouts of where all the corners are.
01:25It's like driving in and out of shadows on a normal main road.
01:29It's difficult to pick up things, and you get a little bit disillusioned out there.
01:37So the drivers reckon it's difficult, do they?
01:40Well, how difficult?
01:41We thought we'd let the Oracle work up a sweat.
01:43Well, this is the first time I've driven at Silverstone where it's night, and coming up to go across the start-finish line, then back down into darkness, into copse, and oh, so easy to go in there too quick, too late.
01:58Worst of all, go into the corner, realizing you've got it wrong, on the brakes, off the power, trying to turn, recipe for ending up in that gravel trap.
02:09And the same applies coming up in the Beckett's.
02:13There's lots of gravel around the circuit.
02:14First part's very simple.
02:17It's a place where people are going to dive up your insides, so not only worrying about what's going on ahead of you, you've got lights in your mirrors.
02:24Those are going to catch your eye, distract you as well.
02:26So you're racing at the same time you're trying to keep yourself on the racetrack.
02:33This is another favorite overtaking spot coming down into Abbey.
02:37You come down and swing to the left, you leave the inside open.
02:41You've got to do that to get the line, but if you're going to drive defensively, then you're going to take a more middle-of-the-room position, and hopefully nobody's going to bash into you.
02:48I guarantee you, at Abbey, you'll see lots and lots of action.
02:52On the climb out of Abbey, coming up to Bridge Corner, it's darkness, then you're back into the light within the stadium.
03:01Always looking for things that might have changed, different textures or different shades of grey on the surface.
03:07That'll give you some indication as to whether maybe somebody's dropped oil or simply gravel, or, as can easily happen, you get a little shard of rain.
03:16But this is the worst.
03:17I have to say, that is almost impossible.
03:19For a millisecond, you can't quite see where you are.
03:23And again, you get that terrible sheen on the surface.
03:27You're feeling for a grip.
03:28You're trying to get the throttle open.
03:30You just don't know how soon you can get it open.
03:33And, of course, you're always chasing the throttle as much as possible.
03:37Then it's just back flat out down through Woodcutt.
03:40Okay, Sunshine, in you come. You're going to wear that thing out at this rate.
03:44We are at the Silverstone International circuit, not the Grand Prix circuit where Wattie had so many great successes, but the international one favoured by the touring cars.
03:53The key to a good qualifying lap, I reckon, at a place like Silverstone International, it's all about momentum.
04:01There are plenty of places where the car's off-balance, where you're braking, and there's a couple of really, there's one particular really steep hill where you're standing on the brake.
04:08It's so easy to carry too much speed through that corner, especially in cars where, by design, the brakes aren't all that flash, to be honest.
04:15And in doing so, go through the corner too fast and then get out of it really, really slowly.
04:20So self-control from the driver.
04:22Self-control, in a way, for the pit crews as well, because it's really tempting for them to change things around and trying to do something to make the car go a little bit quicker in qualifying.
04:30Once again, you should never do that, only change to known settings on the car between different qualifying times, because you've only got an X number of really good laps in the tyre before it's all over.
04:42One thing you can do, though, is change cars between races.
04:46And I'll tell you what, if ever a car was changed between races, it's this one, Tom Boardman's Peugeot.
04:51You might remember last time out when it raced at Alton Park.
04:54It got absolutely knocked to pieces, but did finish the race.
04:58Look at that.
04:59That's one of the wheels of it.
05:00Now, Chris Reeve, you had to put this car back together again.
05:03Tell me, what's original?
05:04What's still on the car?
05:05Basically, the roof.
05:07That's it?
05:08Well, we put new bonnets, new wings, doors, quarter panels, repaired the tailgate, repaired the boots, new bumpers, new front and back.
05:16Good second-hand souvenir.
05:18Yeah.
05:18Tom really raced it very hard, didn't he?
05:20And he did finish.
05:21That's the key.
05:22Well, the main secret is what we're trying to do is keep going, keep in the places, keep your name in the frame.
05:28And if you keep your name in the frame, people notice you.
05:31Well, he'll certainly keep his name in the frame.
05:33Tom Boardman, one of the drivers of the future.
05:35And it just goes to show, tons of work by the pit crews to get these things back on track.
05:39But at the end of the day, it's really the driver that makes that last couple of tenths difference.
05:43I push very, very, very hard.
05:51And I had just a tiny understeer, which I hate understeer.
05:56And I didn't find the way to resolve these problems.
06:01So I had to go all the sessions with this understeer.
06:04And we have to fund that for the race.
06:06I'm normally in bed when this race starts.
06:12So I don't know.
06:13I was quite quick last night in the dark.
06:17I don't actually know if that was because I couldn't see anything or if it was me that had a bit more experience than the rest.
06:25Now, the main thing is, you know, we're that far off.
06:28So, but yeah, you know, I hate to be beaten and I have been.
06:32So we've got to try harder.
06:33Oh, what can I say about where am I finding the age?
06:37You've got to keep that secret, obviously.
06:39But I think it's just little bits here and there.
06:41The car's very good.
06:42It's great to have my teammate Roger pushing me so hard because that drives you on faster and faster.
06:48I try hard this time, man.
06:50I really think I had a lap, but I can't put a lap together.
06:53There's always some mistakes in every lap, but still front row, so everything is possible.
06:58I've got to keep my foot and I was, I mean, I must have been a spectacle around the first and corner and had a moment at bridge.
07:06And it's all crossed, don't you think?
07:07Is it going to work?
07:08And then I come past the line and Marge saying, well, I'll take P3.
07:11Come on, lad, dig in.
07:12And everyone just wants me to do well in the team.
07:14I just love it.
07:15It's brilliant.
07:15The front row of the touring car grid and once again, the same two boys leading it up.
07:25Ivan Muller and his teammate Jason Plato yet again at the sharp end.
07:29And it is so close between these two.
07:31Muller has pole, but only five one-hundredths of a second separate them.
07:35I tell you what, not much more separates the next two boxers either of James Thompson and Mr. Bennett.
07:40And right behind them, a much improved Peugeot squad.
07:44Steve Soper, less than two-tenths of a second as we get ready for the start of this sprint race.
07:49Two-tenths of a second behind Phil Bennett.
07:51Now remember, this is the combined sprint race where the touring cars and the production cars race together.
07:57What will happen is, just to remind you, tourists set off.
08:00They do 16 laps.
08:02And then 30 seconds later, the production field just behind me here, they set off on a 15-lap race.
08:07So when everyone gets rolling, it is the production guys who are in the lead.
08:10And once again, as always, Harrison and Moen in the pair of Peugeot 306s head the production field.
08:17Well, there's the confirmation in case you didn't believe me.
08:20Muller and Plato so close together.
08:22Half a second back to Thompson and Bennett.
08:24Soper, Eves, Luby and Pinckney on the next two rows.
08:30Simon Harrison and Roger Moen, as I said, they're always at the sharp end.
08:33Gavin Piper is never far away from them either.
08:36A couple of fancied runners missing from up the sharp end.
08:40Tom Boardman would normally qualify better than he has in 12th.
08:44And, of course, James Kaye, way back on 16th.
08:47No time allowed for his qualifying.
08:54Lights go to red.
08:57Muller on the left-hand side of the screen.
08:58Plato on the right.
08:59Green and they're away.
09:00Cracking start there for Muller.
09:02Everyone else away cleanly.
09:03In the first corner.
09:05Ivan Muller's got the jump.
09:06Jason Plato is right behind him.
09:07James Thompson just slotting in there.
09:09On board with Kurt Luby.
09:10And we've lost it.
09:12Into the first corner.
09:13The production boys haven't started yet.
09:14Very focusing moment.
09:16Remember, cold rear tyres on the rear-wheel drive.
09:18Lexus for Luby.
09:19Well, Luby has to get it out of the way quick-smart because the production boys are now away 30 seconds after the start of the touring cars.
09:28The production boys are heading down the pit straight.
09:30And it's Simon Harrison in the lead.
09:32Moen on the left-hand side.
09:33But Harrison gets around him nice and cleanly.
09:35The rest of the field have made a good start.
09:38Heading through cops for the first time.
09:40Huge gaggle of cars.
09:43Back at the front.
09:45Although these are the touring boys.
09:46They have to actually pick up a lap.
09:49So these are chasing.
09:50This is our race leader at the moment.
09:52The production car driven by Simon Harrison is in the lead.
09:54And that's one of them off early.
09:55That's Alan taking a shortcut to the grass.
09:59I don't know whether he was helped or just slid wide in early lap enthusiasm.
10:03Meantime, there's plenty of early lap enthusiasm back in the touring ranks.
10:06Ivan Muller coming under some real pressure from Jason Plato.
10:10A new back from Muller's car.
10:11That's as close as you want from Plato.
10:13Really bringing him under pressure as they go across the start finish line.
10:17Muller, of course, winner two times at Ulton Park.
10:19A fortnight ago.
10:20And Jason Plato desperate to get back on terms and not lose the grasp of the temperature.
10:25Here's a man trying to get on terms.
10:27Gavin Piper in the red alpha.
10:29Pushing very hard on the back of Roger Moen's car.
10:33Now we're on board with Tom Boardman coming into the complex.
10:35This looks busy indeed.
10:37Tom Boardman, one of the most frenzied drivers out there.
10:41Trying to affect the pass around the outside.
10:43There are a couple of cars to the infield, but he doesn't seem to be wanting to back off.
10:46Just keeps it buried.
10:47We're running out of tracks.
10:48Doesn't see the matter.
10:49Takes to the grass.
10:50That'll do.
10:51Rough and tumble stuff.
10:52So near as on the outside of Laffield just drives off the track.
10:55Pretty dry at the minute.
10:57A lot of grip out there.
10:58But Boardman always in the heart of the action.
11:00He does.
11:01He pedals furiously.
11:01And there's Gavin Piper peddling furiously as well.
11:05Crosses the strike for the first time.
11:07One lap down.
11:07This is the race leader, Simon Harrison, in the red Peugeot.
11:10Behind him, Roger Moen in the red Peugeot.
11:12Behind him, Gavin Piper in the red alpha.
11:16Do you think it's confusing?
11:16So do we.
11:17Puff of smoke.
11:18There goes Piper.
11:20Unforced error.
11:21Snatches defeat from the tours of victory.
11:23We saw him again at Alton Park.
11:25He drove off track consistently.
11:27But managed to stay in control this time.
11:29Driver error just gets it wrong.
11:31Clips the curb on the inside.
11:32Just seems to be a little bit too far right before he can cut back for the second part of
11:36Beckett's.
11:37Job done.
11:37Sorry, Gavin.
11:38Not your day-to-day.
11:41And engine stopped as well.
11:42Doesn't get much worse than that.
11:44Back in the touring ranks.
11:46And I'll tell you what.
11:46Old Erwan Muller has got his hands full.
11:48That's him on the left-hand side of your screen.
11:50Jason Plato, his teammate.
11:51Really giving him a workout.
11:53Trying to work out a way past through the complex.
11:56This is the last corner now.
11:57Exiting the pit straight.
11:58And Plato is really on it.
12:00But they're just so evenly matched in terms of car performance.
12:03And the difference between the two drivers in these dry conditions, really, it's just identical
12:07as well.
12:08Not too much between these two drivers either.
12:10Simon Harrison, the second of these two Peugeots.
12:12He's normally the man to beat out of these two.
12:15No one in front at the moment.
12:16Simon Harrison, usually the man that is the quickest in qualifying.
12:20He's got it all to do to get past his teammate.
12:22A lot of people reckon Roger Moore, in fact, is better than Simon Harrison.
12:26Simon would have something to say about that, I think.
12:28Well, a lot of reputations on the line here.
12:30Because as we can see, both pairs of Vauxhalls dueling.
12:33Ivan Muller working very hard to defend himself from Jason Plato.
12:36And James Thompson and Phil Bennett really giving each other a hard time in the Egg Vauxhalls
12:41as well.
12:42And Bennett pushing very hard to stay ahead of his teammate James Thompson.
12:46Somebody who, again, is recognized as being as a maestro in Turinco's.
12:50Yeah, James Thompson, I guess, very much the team leader out of those two.
12:53What if Ivan Muller thought he was the team leader out of these two?
12:58He's got another thing coming.
12:59Jason Plato, once again, right alongside him through the left-hand part of the complex.
13:03Now the feed line back onto the straight.
13:06And once again, Muller just hangs on.
13:09Pretty agricultural line there from Phil Bennett and just moves across.
13:13And lets James Thompson know who's boss.
13:16But unlike the two red Vauxhalls where there are no team orders, in the Egg Vauxhalls it
13:21is clearly Thompson is number one, Bennett number two.
13:23But Bennett's not giving anything away.
13:26There he is now.
13:27Looks pretty relaxed.
13:29Well, Phil's pretty relaxed in the car, out of the car, socially, wherever.
13:35Well, James Thompson has held bent on giving him a bit of a wake-up call, I'm sure.
13:40They are as close as you like.
13:42Thompson's down the inside, side by side.
13:45This is going to be close.
13:46This is the run down to Abbey Corner, side by side.
13:48They're in a real drag.
13:49Maybe Bennett have been too relaxed, but Thompson is right there with him.
13:52Right there with him.
13:53Oh, a bit of biff and barge there.
13:55Thompson takes to the grass.
13:57Bennett still holds the line.
13:58Moves to the inside to cover.
14:00Thompson cuts back.
14:02Now, what can he do on the switchback?
14:04Moves up the inside.
14:06Darts out of the way, just in case that Bennett bloke pushes him onto the grass again.
14:09Very physical, Waddy.
14:10Yeah, it was.
14:11And it's not something you'd expect from a number two driver with a number one.
14:14But this time, Thompson's got the job done.
14:16Just muscles his way back past.
14:18Can he hold it now?
14:19There's a left-hander coming up.
14:20Thompson has got to defend through the complex.
14:23Absolute sideways move there from Thompson.
14:25And look, Plato, is he through?
14:28He's finally, finally done it.
14:29Taps Muller on the way past.
14:31He's tried that maneuver about three times in the last three laps.
14:33But he's just stuck his car inside of Muller's.
14:36And if they go back onto the pit straight, it's absolutely Jason Plato in the lead.
14:41Now, here's a replay.
14:42Plato behind Muller.
14:43They come through Prairie.
14:44He now dives down the inside into Brooklyn.
14:47Takes the track.
14:48Just pushes Muller out to the right.
14:50All the way to the edge of the track.
14:51Plato's in the lead.
14:52And Muller's relegated down to second.
14:54Yeah, Jason Plato really just levering that tiny little gap open there.
14:58Forcing it open.
14:59Making enough room for himself.
15:01And there he is now coming down the pit straight.
15:03Headlights are blazed.
15:04Plato in the lead.
15:05Muller behind him.
15:07And James Thompson with his teammate behind him.
15:10James will be thinking natural order has now been restored.
15:14Roger Moen in production ranks.
15:17Still the outright race leader, of course, in this sprint race.
15:21Simon Harrison in pursuit.
15:23Much different line there from Harrison.
15:25Yeah, coming through Luffield corners.
15:26A long corner.
15:27Difficult at front-wheel drive to get the car to bite all the way through.
15:31Harrison experimenting with lines.
15:33Moen taking the more conventional line.
15:38Seven laps down.
15:40Half-race distance.
15:41Harrison in second position.
15:42Moen in the lead.
15:45Light years between them and the rest of the production field.
15:48They really are the class of the field now that Piper's ditched it.
15:51Well, Gavin Piper was the one person that could have challenged the two Persians.
15:54Did well at Oakton Park again.
15:56But just threw it away at this corner.
15:58Beckett's.
16:00Absolutely no one in sight.
16:02Jason Plato wishes he could say the same, though, because he can see the whole gaggle of them right in his rearview mirrors.
16:07Muller, Thompson and Bennett, the four Vauxhalls, the class of the touring car field.
16:13Bennett once again, using every bit of track and more.
16:16Threading their way through the first of the production cars as they try to make their way all the way up to the top of the field and outright race victory.
16:27It's very difficult now for Plato.
16:29He's got to get his way through all these back markers and not lose momentum.
16:33That's what Muller's going to be looking for and Thompson.
16:36Very focusing moment for all of these drivers as well.
16:38They can see the faster cars coming through.
16:40There's Alan, who chucked it at the scenery a little bit earlier.
16:44Plato through.
16:44Muller through.
16:45There's the Plato view.
16:48Late turn in under this rear part of the circuit.
16:51Don't use much black stuff, do they?
16:53No, and the reason they're not is because there's so much gravel on the track because all the drivers have been driving off track
16:57that they have to use the off track to find grip because the on track's too slippery.
17:02I think I follow that.
17:03Now, Plato, you might notice there, has actually, in touring car terms, opened up a little bit of a gap there.
17:09He's picked up a couple of spaces in the last half a lap or so.
17:11Obviously, the traffic working pretty well for him.
17:14Paul O'Neill.
17:16He's P3, of course.
17:18His car is jiggling around a little bit.
17:20Hop, skip and jump as he moves down the back of the field.
17:22It doesn't look like a happy handling car, but it's way up in the order.
17:25And it's basically the best race so far this season Paul O'Neill has had with his Peugeot.
17:30Is that my eyes or is that really hopping around all over the place?
17:34It doesn't, it looks very stiff in the front end, doesn't it?
17:36A lot of rake in it.
17:37The car just seems to ride differently to the two lead Peugeots.
17:42Well, it's the P3 Peugeot at the moment, so he won't be complaining at all.
17:50There's Gavin Piper in the foreground with so much work to make up in that alpha after his off earlier.
17:55And the touring boys have really compressed again.
17:58That breathing space for Plato lasted not long at all as Phil Bennett has all sorts of problems
18:01feeding his way past Blair and the second of the production alphas up and over the curds.
18:06What Bennett's trying to do is keep in contact with his teammate James Thompson.
18:09He doesn't want to let that group of three touring cars get away from him.
18:13Well, race order after lap 11.
18:15Moen Harrison with O'Neill.
18:17A distant third.
18:19This is the race for the lead, though.
18:21Bit of a big lock up there for Moen.
18:22And Moen's run wide, unbelievably locked it up all over.
18:26Front brakes locked up.
18:27We've seen Peugeot having a problem with their brakes on other circuits, but not at Silverstone.
18:32But Moen locked the front up.
18:33Harrison's through and in the lead.
18:35Pretty clever trick, that by Harrison.
18:36Must have put the hex on him.
18:38Now we're on board with Tom Boardman.
18:40He's a busy old boy at the wheel.
18:42Now, this isn't the racing line, so there's got to be cars around here somewhere.
18:45There are always cars around with Tom Boardman.
18:46There you go.
18:47It's the Tom Boardman, Rob Collard show, and they are always highly entertaining.
18:52The pair of them, and Boardman is run wide, kicking up the gravel all over the place.
18:56Brighton Cowboy.
18:57I tell you what, he did a good job keeping that car in the straight and narrow, even though he was off track.
19:02It was high speed and a big thrill for Tom Boardman.
19:05A big thrill for us, too.
19:06And once again, he hangs it all together.
19:08Never knowingly in control is our Tom.
19:10But tons of fun to what's with it.
19:12Really high-spirited driver.
19:14Extremely competitive.
19:15Now, Plato through.
19:18Once again, a little bit of a gap as Ivan Muller has to just work his way around the Ford Focus of Jackson.
19:24Side by side down the pit straight.
19:28That's helped Plato a little bit.
19:31Now, Jason Plato, of course, is coming up now onto the third-place production car.
19:35That's Paul O'Neill.
19:37Plato passed Paul O'Neill and effectively put himself third place outright in the race.
19:41The car's very off-balance there, Waddy.
19:49You can see under heavy braking how the front tips down, the back's cocked up, and all that rear camber.
19:53Well, speaking of rears, here's the rearward shot from Steve Soper's Peugeot.
19:57We're looking back at his teammate Dan Eves in the second of the touring Peugeots.
20:05Down through the gears.
20:06Just ducks past Tom Boardman.
20:08And we're off.
20:10Well, there's Soper showing us how it's done.
20:12Tom, you think he can run wide?
20:13Here's how a real pro runs wide.
20:15Steve Soper just carrying a bit too much speed there, but still holds Boardman at bay.
20:19And, of course, you never know.
20:20Every lap you come up to a corner with these touring car guys.
20:23There could be dust, gravel, or both on the circuit.
20:26Yeah, that's true.
20:27As you said, everybody using every bit of the grass dirt as well as the black stuff as we go on to our last lap.
20:33Simon Harrison still our race leader.
20:36Jason Plato in hot pursuit.
20:37There he is.
20:38It's going to be difficult for him to make up the gap.
20:40So, in the production ranks, it's Harrison and Moen.
20:44There they are.
20:45They're swinging into that tight right-hander that's caused so many peoples.
20:49The great Steve Soper included.
20:50So many people problems in this race so far.
20:55Jason Plato leading the touring ranks.
20:57These two, first and second outright.
20:59I don't think Plato's going to catch them now for the outright win.
21:01No, it doesn't look like it.
21:02Remember, the touring car started 30 seconds ahead of these, the production cars.
21:06But that minute difference in a 15-lap race around the 2.25-mile Silverstone International Circuit is just too much.
21:14And the Vauxhall's really, the best they can do is looking like a third place.
21:17What do you reckon Roger Moen's thinking right now?
21:20As he follows his teammate around to finish this lap, even though he had that lock-up when he was in the lead.
21:25I think thinking's a contradiction in terms.
21:28Pick up.
21:29OK, well, that's the word.
21:30Simon Harrison, he's got one more turn to do.
21:32Don't lock the brakes up, and it is yours.
21:34Just feeds the power on.
21:38The exit to the complex makes it look very easy.
21:41Comfortable win for Simon Harrison.
21:43Well-driven, opportunistic, saw a gap to get past his teammate and took it.
21:47Harrison, then Moen.
21:49That's the production ranks, and that is the outright race position as well.
21:52Jason Plato.
21:53Touring car winner and third outright, then Muller right behind him, and James Thompson in P3.
22:01Great race between these two, Plato and Muller.
22:04Shoulder to shoulder all the way through.
22:08Highly entertaining indeed.
22:09Jason Plato will be very pleased he won that race.
22:11It wasn't gifted him.
22:12Indeed, and he'll be also delighted on, like last year.
22:15There are new team orders between Plato and Muller this year.
22:18So, Peugeot has filled the first two spots.
22:21Production cars at that.
22:22Then Vauxhall touring cars the next four, followed by another 306 and a Ford Focus.
22:27Simon, you really capitalised on Roger's mistake there.
22:35Yeah, in all fairness to him, I don't know if I'd have found a way past.
22:39All I could do was really pressurise him.
22:40He was very strong.
22:41Roger was, you know, driving great.
22:44I don't think I could have got a way past.
22:45He just made that one mistake I could nip through, and then there was a gap he could never close.
22:49I'm quite pleased with that.
22:51It was a fairly hard week we've had, and it's just rewards for all the guys.
22:56He's my old flatmate, so it'd be quite good to have a scrap with the old flatmates.
23:01Yeah, we did.
23:01We used to share a flat.
23:02Boy, there's some tales there, to be told.
23:04We used to ask him about the bingo evenings.
23:06The focus was having me down the back, and I thought, I'm going to be done here,
23:15and I just thought, defensive driving, and I'm not.
23:18There was no way I was letting this one go.
23:19It's just unbelievable.
23:21The best feeling I've ever had, uncontrollable in the car.
23:36This is Phil Bennett, British touring car driver at the weekends, but this is what he does
23:44during the week.
23:45Phil, tell us about the day job.
23:48Instructing at Silverstone, it could be quite scary, actually.
23:52The quality of my day definitely depends on the quality of the driver I'm sat next to.
23:57So without mentioning any names, what's been the hairiest experience you've had?
24:01You mean without mentioning any names, because that would be rather embarrassing to you.
24:04The hairiest moment was when I was with you at Alton.
24:06You're a lunatic.
24:08But, I mean, I did what you said.
24:10Exactly.
24:12So, you're driving for Vauxhall.
24:14How does it feel to be a works driver?
24:17You know, I've worked quite hard for a long time to kind of make headway into sort of professional
24:22motor racing, because, as you say, you know, still, even now, I own the majority of my living
24:27from instructing.
24:29So, yeah, you know, it's exciting, and hopefully it'll continue into the future.
24:33You're the rookie in the team.
24:35Do your teammates really help you, or do they keep things from you?
24:39Well, when people became aware that I was going to be driving for Triple Eight in touring
24:43cars, the teammates were already very well established, and people were already saying
24:49to me, you need to be careful of this and that and one thing and another.
24:53You've specified this and that.
24:55Well, for instance, people have this impression that, for instance, James was a little bit
24:59full of himself and so on, and I've not found that to be the case at all, really.
25:02You know, he's been very kind to me, and he's helped me a lot with my driving and with
25:06the set-up, and he's quite happy to share information, and, you know, even away from
25:10the circuit, we have some fun.
25:11So, yeah, it's nice.
25:13Okay, thank you, Phil.
25:14Now, can I have a go, please?
25:17As long as I'm standing out here.
25:20Don't blame me, Dorney, I don't do the sound effects around here.
25:29Now, back to that race one incident, where Tom Boardman thought he was shoveled off by
25:33Rob Collard going into cops.
25:35Boardman runs wide, hops, skip and a jump, suspicious marks on the car.
25:39This car is getting serious, bashing around.
25:44It is, yeah.
25:45It was on, there was two cars, two or three cars involved, and it's all got pushed into
25:50the gravel.
25:51I knew Collard was going to catch me up, and I could see him gaining on me all the
25:56time, and he was going into cops, and then he just tapped me, and it just sent me onto
26:00the gravel, and then I couldn't do anything about it, but, and then the car just started
26:05missing, and, I don't know, something must have come loose, something electrical.
26:09Do you have lots of pink paint on your car?
26:12No, I don't, actually.
26:13I've got one little mark from Tom's car, and I like Tom, he's a good driver, he comes from
26:18the same background as where I come from, so I think we've got a bit of respect for
26:22each other.
26:23Looks like things that go bump in the night to me.
26:25Anyway, there's another band used to plenty of wild action, soon to join the touring car
26:30race.
26:35Aaron, super bike legend, joining British touring cars.
26:39When are you going to start testing, first of all?
26:42We're going to start testing a couple of weeks before the first race, or my first race,
26:45so we're going to, we're racing in, you know, July the first, so the end of June, we're
26:49going to get into it, you know, a couple of weeks before that race.
26:51So you're going to be at Donington?
26:53Yeah, going to be at Donington, and, you know, it's a great track, and I've always gone
26:56fairly well there on a super bike, so I'm really looking forward to it in the car.
26:59But I'm sure you'll be stirring things up with all the drivers here.
27:03Yeah, well, I'm hoping to, you know, I've done a few drives in my past, and so I'm not
27:07exactly brand new to the series, but, you know, I haven't done a lot of mileage in
27:10these cars, and I just can't wait to get started.
27:12So we can't wait for him to get started either.
27:15And as you can hear, party time here, everyone can't wait for the main event of the night
27:19to get started, and that's the feature race.
27:26Very strange feeling, walking up the grid in the dark, getting ready for the start of
27:29a touring car race.
27:30And if you think it's strange for us, and we've been here before, spare a thought for
27:34some of the production drivers in particular who've not raced in the dark before.
27:38Now, racing at night pays its own challenges, lots of different things the teams have to
27:42do particularly, in order to identify the cars.
27:45A whole host of headlights coming head-on towards you, very difficult for the guys on the pit
27:50wall to work out what's going on.
27:52So each and every one of these cars has a different identifying light in the windscreen, different
27:56colours, so the teams can see what's going on.
27:59Now, Ivan Muller, as we come up to the front row of the grid, once again is in pole position.
28:03I have to mention that it's his sixth pole so far, right alongside him, only two hundredth
28:08of a second behind, is Jason Plato.
28:10The other thing I don't really have to mention is you can see it's raining.
28:13Now, you've driven on a motorway, I'm sure, at night in the rain.
28:17You know how difficult it is.
28:18Imagine what it's going to be like for these guys, with 30 other psychopaths all around them,
28:23steaming into the first corner in a rolling start together.
28:26It will not be fun.
28:28There they are, just coming round the complex for the last time.
28:30Muller and Plato on that first row, then Bennett and Thompson, Soper and Eves, then Luby and
28:36Pinckney on the fourth row.
28:37And I tell you what, Waddy, you wouldn't be them for quids, would you?
28:39No, interesting for me is as Phil Bennett got ahead of James Thompson in qualifying, I
28:43think it's the first time this year we've seen Bennett out-qualify his teammate.
28:47He's a bit of a Silverstone expert as well, an instructor here, as you've said before,
28:51so maybe that will hold him in good stead.
28:52That'll keep his eyes shut.
28:54As the paceman and the poleman, one and the same, Ivan Muller backs the field up, rolling
29:00down towards the line.
29:01We haven't got a race start yet, two by two, headlights on, ready for a start, ready for
29:05a start.
29:06There they are, green lights, and off we are, and away we're on board with Dan Eves.
29:09This is the best way to view them all, trying to negotiate their way through the first corner,
29:13because you can just see a wall of headlights in front.
29:16Big right-hander here, the guys up in front can't see anything.
29:18So, that's Soper, he's across, that looked like Thompson, I think he took out, Luby
29:22was on the right-hand side of the screen.
29:24Luby just pushed me off, Luby pushes me off.
29:27Well, there's the verdict, he reckons Luby hit him, and then maybe he hit Thompson.
29:32Well, all I could see was that Soper came down right through the pack, tagged Thompson, pushed
29:37him off, but of course, looking at the grid, Kurt Luby was directly behind Steve Soper on that
29:42grid.
29:43Well, it'll all be to sort out later on.
29:45Now, meantime, slipping and sliding all over the place, there's Muller on the right-hand
29:49side of the screen, and Plato on the left, and Plato's through, great stuff from Jason
29:53Plato, just muscled his way past, slipping and sliding under brakes, got through, now we're
29:58coming down into Abbey Corner.
30:00What can you see?
30:01Well, you can see nothing, but look, the rain is so heavy down at the lowest part of the
30:05circuit.
30:06Very uncomfortable indeed, especially for the man in front, I suppose he gets some breathing
30:10space, but he's the one that's got to work out where the braking points are.
30:13Some of these guys in production are not working out where the braking points are, running
30:17terribly wide indeed.
30:18That looks like some sort of a science fiction movie, doesn't it?
30:22Bright light, nothing else you can see into the complex now.
30:27Plato first, Muller second, and a very wide line there from Phil Bennett in third.
30:32We can pick them up because Plato, for your interest, has a blue light in his windscreen,
30:36and Muller has the red light in the left-hand side of his windscreen, and then a green one,
30:40as you can see in Bennett's car.
30:42That's how we're telling it, that's how the pit guys have got to tell it, but it is not
30:45easy, and then you can throw a blanket over them as they go across the strike for the
30:49first time.
30:50And it is the first time for a lot of the drivers in this field, particularly in the production
30:54they've never raced at night-time before.
30:57I reckon they won't do it again after this either.
30:59On board with Bennett.
30:59Ahead of us is Muller and Plato.
31:02Muller's looking down the inside, seeing if he can find a way past side by side.
31:05This is fast, and yes, he's got him.
31:07Nerves of steel.
31:09All right, the ladder, he had his eyes shut.
31:10Just slithered down the inside, through Cobb's corner.
31:13Now, that's actually interrupted Plato's momentum.
31:15Bennett has got momentum.
31:16Can he get past as well, side by side over the crest of the hill?
31:19Plato's seen him off.
31:20Bennett's got to use a little bit of prudence here.
31:26Yeah, very gently feeding the power on, but taking shortcuts in the process.
31:30I mean, they're so wide, they've always got a full car width by going onto that curb.
31:34But what was interesting with Plato and Muller was that Plato saw Muller coming, he gave
31:38him working room.
31:39Cool bit of camouflage there by Kurt Luby.
31:41I know, I'll turn the headlights off.
31:42Ah, at last, he's found the switch.
31:44Must have been a distracting opening lap or so.
31:47Got to be a light switch around here somewhere.
31:49Cigarette lighter, tape, don't like that song.
31:52But if you put off your headlights and run on spotlights, which are just powered by the
31:55battery, not running off the alternator, you pick about four or five horsepower.
31:59And you're blind the other blokes in the process.
32:01Got to be perfect.
32:03OK, meantime, in the production ranks, it's Roger Moen, Gavin Piper ahead of us.
32:07We're on board with James Kay, right on the bootlet of Piper.
32:11Now we're coming down into a very fast right-hander here.
32:14And if you're really crazy, you can pass here.
32:16Slips through, is he?
32:17Is he passed?
32:19Runs wide.
32:20He's taken the racing line.
32:21Great pass there from Kay.
32:22Yeah, a brave move down the inside.
32:23Remember, very difficult going from the bright of the pitch straight into the darkness of Cobb's
32:28corner, hard to know where you are and get it correct.
32:31Well, let's move him up into second position.
32:35Ahead of us, you can see the quarry, which is Roger Moen.
32:38It's like slow motion in these slippery conditions, isn't it?
32:41And just look at the windscreens.
32:42That's not just the water.
32:44That's a mixture of oil, rubber, a smear.
32:46And on top of which, you've got all the floodlights around the circuit right in your eyes.
32:52Jason Plato has also got the taillights of Ivan Muller in his eyes now that the Muller
32:56looks as though he's actually starting to build up quite a handy lead already.
33:00Early days yet, but he has got just a little bit of a buffer.
33:04And he's got clear track ahead of him.
33:05He's got to work his way around what's going on, but he has got clear track.
33:09Here's a man who'd like some clear track.
33:11James Kaye in the Honda.
33:12Second position just ahead of him there, Roger Moen in the Peugeot.
33:15And there is Steve Soper working his way back through the field.
33:18His car identified by the electric blue aerial.
33:22Quite an easy thing to spot in the evening, working his way back through after his early shenanigans.
33:28Down on the bridge corner, fast part of the circuit in the evening.
33:30There's Kaye.
33:31Now there's Soper.
33:32Look at the side of that car.
33:33That was quite a big impact with James Thompson.
33:35I mean, he lost very little speed until he hit James Thompson.
33:39Then he slowed down.
33:40But a lot of damage to the left side of the Peugeot.
33:44The complex, the stadium part of the circuit, if you like.
33:48You can still see the rain sheeting down.
33:49Now there's somebody making an early retirement.
33:51Jackson in the Ford Focus.
33:53And the weather he was pushed on board with Tom Boardman and Rob Collard yet again.
33:58Making friends, slithering and sliding in the wet.
34:00Getting a head of steam up down the back straight.
34:10Collard ahead of us.
34:12This is the downhill part of the circuit.
34:14Abby is at the bottom here.
34:15Very tight corner.
34:18He's having a lunge.
34:19Down through the gears.
34:22Big rev on that gear.
34:24Got his nose tucked in tight.
34:25Side by side.
34:26Oh, these two are fabulous.
34:27Oh, I like you.
34:28I like you too.
34:28Bang, bang.
34:29They go side by side and up and over the hill.
34:31Never fail to amuse.
34:33I mean, Collard and Boardman have been locked together throughout the year.
34:36Sometimes it's been sad.
34:37Sometimes it's been fun.
34:38This time looks pretty good to us.
34:40Well, that's never dull.
34:41That's for sure.
34:42Phil Bennett, the touring car.
34:44First man into the pits.
34:45Remember, the tourers still have to make their pit stops.
34:47And, of course, that pit stop window between lap 5 and lap 21.
34:51Bennett is doing a great job.
34:52Front of the car jacked up.
34:54A fresh set of BF Goodrich's go on.
34:56There you see full, wet tires.
34:58No chance of trying something like an intermediate or a slick.
35:02Bennett goes out.
35:02Good stop.
35:038.1 seconds for the Egg Voxel team.
35:05Cold fronts in this sort of damp weather is not going to feel much fun at all.
35:09Well, you could see as he put the power on on the concrete.
35:12There was very little grip at all.
35:13And it'll take a lap or two for those wet weather tires to get up to their operating temperature.
35:18No choice, I guess.
35:19Chasing rears in this sort of weather wouldn't work at all.
35:21I think it would be impossible.
35:22Fronts would probably be the way to go.
35:24This is the battle for third position, meantime.
35:27Third and fourth.
35:28Kurt Levy in the Lexus with his indicator on.
35:31And right behind him, Dan Eves in the Peugeot.
35:34I don't know why he's got that indicator going now.
35:36I mean, he managed to get a set of lights working in the front of the car.
35:38And maybe he's just simply forgotten to turn the indicator off.
35:41Mate, I reckon what happened was he just flipped every single switch on the dashboard until he got lights.
35:47And he got the blinker.
35:48He got everything else in the process.
35:50Lap 11 now.
35:52Muller, Plato, Luby and Eves bearing in mind that James Thompson has all sorts of problems.
35:57And Phil Bennett has already pitted.
35:59All of these lead tourists still have yet to do so.
36:05That's the gap.
36:05The red light to the blue light.
36:07The red light is Ivan Muller.
36:08The blue light is Jason Plato.
36:09And there ain't much in it.
36:12And Muller and Plato are hanging on, I think, as long as possible before they make their mandatory stops.
36:16In the forlorn hope that the rain might stop.
36:19And suddenly, by some miracle, the track might dry out.
36:23And they may get an advantage by putting on a set of slicks.
36:26Not just in the front, but all round.
36:29But they're dreaming.
36:31Now, Jason Plato is really on a lunge here.
36:32He's starting to close up.
36:34A big...
36:34Starting to close up.
36:35He's gone straight up.
36:36That's Plato.
36:37Through the gravel and off.
36:38Abbey corner.
36:39Downhill.
36:40I don't know what's happened there.
36:41I don't know if he's just outbraked himself.
36:43It looked just like a completely unforced arrow.
36:45He's lucky.
36:46He's still moving, at least.
36:47But very unlike Plato.
36:48Let's have another look.
36:50Come down to D'Avi.
36:51But let's hear what actually happens.
36:54Well, that's a gearbox of neutrals in the sequential six-speed gearbox.
37:00Flash down.
37:04Terrifying to see whether he could keep that going.
37:06It must have been awful.
37:07Yes, it is.
37:08But look, again, windscreen completely covered.
37:10That's from gravel thrown all over the car.
37:12Well, he is rolling.
37:13There he is now.
37:14I assume he'll want to get back into the pits.
37:16He's coming round the last corner of the complex before going on to the start-finish straight.
37:20Is he going to pit or is he going to keep running?
37:22No, he's in.
37:22And a very, very late cut indeed.
37:24I don't know whether he decided at the last minute, I'm going to go into the pits for my stop or not.
37:28But certainly, Jason Plato in the pit lane.
37:31Remember the speed limit.
37:32Jason, slow down.
37:33You're coming up to the line just about now.
37:36Unfortunately for him, there is his team.
37:38Wet, slippery concrete.
37:39Be very careful.
37:40He's lucky they're actually ready for him because this probably isn't scheduled.
37:45And that probably explains that very late cut into the pit lane.
37:48But a good job by the Vauxhall team.
37:50Get him in and out.
37:517.1 seconds.
37:52Well done, guys.
37:53That's brilliant stuff.
37:54And great news for Ivan Muller, I suppose, because he can now take it nice and easy.
37:58There he is.
38:00Well, if you could see the gap, it's dark.
38:01You can't.
38:02But if you could, you could notice that there's nobody within miles.
38:04I mean, Plato was really pushing him hard.
38:06This has really played into his hands.
38:08And, I mean, Muller came out of Abbey Corner, used only about three quarters of the track.
38:12No pressure whatsoever.
38:13And just take it easy.
38:15He's going to come in for his pit stop, I suspect, very shortly.
38:17And he doesn't want to get too mixed up with some of the production cars.
38:21Yeah, what he's got now, which is exactly what he needs, is time.
38:24He's got time to pick his way past these other backmarkers.
38:27He's got time to actually pick the right line, not take chances.
38:30Because there was a big gap back behind Jason Plato to the third place man.
38:34Now that's out of his hair as well.
38:36So, Ivan Muller cruising.
38:37And it comes out of Laffield fairly wide.
38:40Yeah, he's going to come into the pits one lap later.
38:43We see Muller make his pit stop.
38:45Again, the entry to the pit lane.
38:47And look at the brakes glowing.
38:48Now that's the pit lane.
38:49He can still run at racing speeds here.
38:51But once he comes across the line, the white line, which is at the end.
38:55There you see it now.
38:56Down to 40 k's per hour.
38:59His pits, once again, the first pit in the lane.
39:06Grab the engine, keep it running.
39:08It's not up.
39:09Now there's a problem with the car's not going up.
39:11There's something with the air jack.
39:13Surely something's gone wrong.
39:14The guys in the front of the car, they can't do anything.
39:17There's the air jack.
39:18Man, he's trying to get it attached.
39:20He's looking at everybody.
39:21He said, please help me.
39:22Turn the air on.
39:23Do something.
39:24What an absolute nightmare.
39:26I suppose a nighttime race is the time for a nightmare.
39:29They still haven't got it up.
39:30Is it up now?
39:31At last, at last, at last.
39:33Meantime, Jason Plato has disappeared into the distance.
39:36And I'm not surprised because we're over 30 seconds, 33, 34, 35.4 seconds.
39:42Well, there you go.
39:45He had time on his hands.
39:46Once again, we put the mockers on him by telling him, time to burn.
39:51And that happens.
39:52Unforeseen, one of those things, I guess.
39:53But now Jason Plato, back in front.
39:56There's Ivan Muller now, just coming over the crest of the hill after the pit lane.
39:59And we've seen already Jason Plato heading down.
40:01Now that's one of the Peugeots.
40:02That's Dan Eves off.
40:04Well, we don't know what happened to Dan Eves.
40:05That car looks like he's got a fairly terminal mechanical problem.
40:11Kurt Luby, as you can see by the green strip above his name, has still yet to pit.
40:15That's the tear-off to tell us he's pitting.
40:17And he's going and now indicating left to pit right.
40:20But that's okay.
40:21At least he's got headlights.
40:23And he's got his winker going.
40:24And that's just for whatever reason he's chosen.
40:26Kurt Luby comes in once again on the Lexus.
40:31Further down the pit lane.
40:33Pick up the signal.
40:34You'll see somebody there in the pit lane saying, slow down.
40:37That concrete is absolutely like glass when it's wet.
40:41Rear-wheel drive Lexus, remember.
40:43So it's the two rear wheels that get changed on front-wheel drive who changed the two front wheels.
40:49Maybe a little bit more leisurely for the Lexus team.
40:51Remember, they're not accustomed to doing pit stops in these contexts.
40:55Car comes down, in gear, drop the clutch.
40:5818.9 seconds.
40:59Yeah, that's really costing them some time on the track.
41:05Jason Plato now has the sort of lead that we were boasting Yvonne Muller had a couple of laps ago.
41:09In terms of the real comfort.
41:11Plato, Bennett, Pinckney and Muller.
41:14That's your top four.
41:15Lays of headlights heading towards us, trying to pick out what it is.
41:24Well, I can tell you what it is now.
41:25It's Phil Bennett with the green light on the top left-hand side of his windscreen.
41:29Got his indicator on as well.
41:33I assume that's just by accident.
41:34Now, on board with James Kaye in the production.
41:37Ranks Simon Harrison ahead of us.
41:41Simon Harrison just looks as though he's running a little bit wide.
41:44Kaye's just got a nose in.
41:46Just like a can over.
41:47Can I rip this open side by side now?
41:50Back onto the pit straight.
41:51Harrison's still with us.
41:54He's around here somewhere.
41:56Kaye's holding the inside line.
41:57And he's got him.
41:59He did a good job because that inside line at Luffield is very slippery in the rain.
42:03That's why Harrison was hanging out.
42:04He's looking for a grip in the middle to the outside of the track.
42:07But Kaye did a good job.
42:08Got the place.
42:09And in doing so, muscles his way up into the lead of production.
42:14Not for long.
42:15I don't know if all the success has gone to his head.
42:17He's driven straight back off again.
42:18Where's Harrison?
42:19He's got to be around here somewhere.
42:20We must have lost momentum.
42:22There he goes.
42:23Zooming straight past.
42:24That's cost him a place.
42:26Bad news for James Kaye.
42:27Yeah, that was just a shame.
42:28He made a great pass coming out of Luffield.
42:30Just too hot into Copse on the track.
42:33Under the gravel and Harrison back into the lead.
42:36Well, swings and roundabouts.
42:37Early days yet.
42:38Snakes and ladders have problems.
42:40Yeah, I don't know.
42:41He's got a normal gait in the gearbox.
42:43Look, Mowen's got a pass as well.
42:44Just another gearbox for the box for the neutrals.
42:47Well, it's costing him places.
42:48He was P1 for a moment there.
42:50Now he's P3.
42:51Now into the PB.
42:52Pinkney into the pits.
42:54Pinkney comes in.
42:54And the Alfa Romeo.
42:55The other one, Tim Harvey's car.
42:57It didn't make the feature race a problem in the sprint race.
43:00So Dave Pinkney representing Alfa Romeo in the touring class.
43:0412.2 seconds for JSM.
43:07And they'll not be too dissatisfied with that.
43:09And Jason Plato won't be too dissatisfied with the way things are unfolding thus far either.
43:14He wouldn't have dreamt that he'd actually find himself in this position after that earlier off.
43:21Plato Bennett is your number two man now, of course.
43:23Ivan Muller in third position.
43:25Not bad going considering what happened to him in the pits.
43:27And Steve Soper out there somewhere is in fourth.
43:30Hey, what's going on?
43:33Muller pitting.
43:34Well, I don't know if it's a problem or not.
43:36Muller comes into the pits for the second time.
43:38The car looks fine.
43:39He's not going at a reduced pace.
43:42That drive-through penalty.
43:43That's what it is.
43:44Up on the screen.
43:45Drive-through penalty for Ivan Muller.
43:46I don't know what that's about, though.
43:48I don't know either.
43:49I'm just wondering whether it had anything to do with Plato when even that late cut of that has affected.
43:53You know, there's a penalty if you go out in the pit lane too early for a pit stop.
43:57I don't know.
43:59Look at the rain sheeting down.
44:01Ivan Muller, this has just made his evening.
44:03He's got to be thinking to himself, if I've got bad luck to get out of the way, let's get it all out of the way in one race.
44:08I don't have the script for this at all.
44:10I was in pole position.
44:11I led the race.
44:12Then I had the slowest pit stop known to man.
44:14You could have timed it on a calendar.
44:16And now on top of that, a drive-through penalty.
44:18He won't be buying any lofty tickets tonight, that's for sure.
44:23Now, that is a very, very wide line indeed taken by Simon Harrison.
44:29We saw him do it earlier, but he's doing it in the wet as well.
44:31And it looks pretty effective because it's taking Kurt Luby in that touring car an age to pass him.
44:36Yeah, and remember, the outside line is a lot longer than going around the lower line.
44:40And Luby's Lexus should be a lot quicker on that corner.
44:43But just illustrates how much grip there is on the outside of the circuit.
44:46So this is definitely an exploratory tactic by Harrison, finding grip there and using it.
44:50Well, Harrison's Peugeot's got some grip, but here we see Steve Super, who had no grip into Copse on the first lap, brings it to a standstill.
45:00Look at the damage on the left-hand side of the door.
45:02That Peugeot well stoved in.
45:05Peugeot in the front wheels back on, leaves the pits 10.4 seconds, and he takes half the paper towel in the pit lane with him.
45:12Looks like a just-married car, doesn't it?
45:14All things hanging off the back of it.
45:17Now, we're on board with James Kay, and ahead of us we've got a pair of Peugeots.
45:20We've been dicing with him before.
45:22Owen's the first one, Harrison's the second one.
45:24At the moment, at least, looks like Harrison wants to be the first one.
45:27Kay is very much in touch.
45:28This is a bird's-eye view.
45:30That was Abbey Corner.
45:31We're going up over the crest of the hill, this streakingly fast right-handed bridge.
45:34This is next.
45:38Just feeding in the power, slipping and sliding.
45:41Harrison's looking for a way through, and so is Kay looking for a way through.
45:45We saw Kay muscle past here before.
45:49Now he's going to have another go.
45:50Come on, you can do it.
45:51Nose in.
45:52Oh, that's it.
45:53Very delicately done.
45:55Excuse me, Simon.
45:56Sorry about that, son.
45:57Using all of the bulk of that great big fat Honda Accord to just lever this Peugeot out of position.
46:02That moves him up into P2, with Moen almost within grasp.
46:06And certainly very slippy for the top three in that category.
46:09But James Kay, that gearbox, he still goes clunk, clunk, clunk as he goes down the gears.
46:14Well, he uses the car to good effect, though, and he's picked up another spot.
46:17Obviously, he responds quite well in these damp conditions.
46:20Talk about responding well as we're on our last lap.
46:22Jason Plato, he won't be able to believe the luck he's had.
46:25Driven very well as well.
46:27He had that earlier problem right at that very corner, Abbey.
46:30But it's all come right for him.
46:31Yeah, he has to thank his teammate, or maybe he has to thank the team,
46:34because Muller's problems clearly gave the race to Jason Bader,
46:37who's really had the rub of the tarmac here tonight.
46:42Only a couple of more corners left into the complex now.
46:45Two lefts and a right, if my calculations are correct.
46:50Stroking it home now.
46:52Phil Bennett, he'll be pleased as punch as well.
46:54Second position.
46:55Very good drive and deal.
46:56Typical conditions.
46:57Bennett's really sure he's got potential.
47:00He's not just got a bank balance to match.
47:02And just to remind you, his teammate, James Thompson, is still circulating.
47:05We haven't seen anything of him after that early lap problem,
47:08but he's still in fourth position.
47:10But Jason Plato, his night, his weekend, both races, two wins for him.
47:15And then Phil Bennett.
47:18Yabba-dabba-doo.
47:19He'll be beside himself.
47:20A second place.
47:21His best race result so far.
47:24Ivan Muller, well, lucky to get away with a third, really.
47:28Could have been so much worse, he'll be kicking himself.
47:31And this scrap is going right down to the wire in the production ranks,
47:34but Roger Mowen is just going to hang on
47:37as he crosses the line with Dave Peatney in the Alpha.
47:40Roger Mowen takes out the production class.
47:42Second, Kay.
47:44Great race from him.
47:45And third, Simon Harrison.
47:48Well, I have to say,
47:48if you'd shown me a results graphic like that a few minutes ago,
47:51I wouldn't have believed it possible.
47:53Muller third place.
47:54Plato first.
47:55Bennett second.
47:55And James Thompson in fourth.
47:57Owen and Kay also making it to the top ten.
48:00I was just starting to catch Ivan,
48:02and I made a bit of a mistake.
48:03I got a bit of a neutral.
48:06My error and shot off.
48:08And I thought, I've got to stop, I've got to stop.
48:10So I flat the spot on my tyres,
48:11just hoping he made a mistake in the pits or something.
48:13So I don't know what happened,
48:14but it's a shame because we were, you know,
48:16I was catching him, it could have been a good race,
48:18but I'll settle for that.
48:20I just kind of settled into a rhythm
48:21because obviously, you know,
48:23the race in the feature race is quite long,
48:25and I was trying to conserve the tyres and so on.
48:28And then I started seeing P2 on the board
48:30and the gap back to Ivan,
48:32and I thought, hmm,
48:32Ivan being an ice racing champion,
48:34this would be quite good weather for him, wouldn't it?
48:37But, no, fortunately,
48:39everything's held together this time.
48:41Gearbox stayed in one piece.
48:43P2, not bad.
48:45Not bad indeed, old son.
48:47Ivan Muller, though,
48:47still heading the driver's championship
48:49despite that rotten piece of luck.
48:51James Thompson, look at that.
48:52He might have had a difficult evening,
48:53but he's still in third place.
48:55Phil in fourth.
48:56And in the team's championship,
48:57well,
48:57you can chuck a blanket over those two voxels.
49:02That was fantastic.
49:04That was a great race.
49:05It was another toughest race
49:05in my career
49:06because the car is missed for the inside,
49:09so I need to guess
49:09the left turn here
49:10to the final line,
49:12but I must also thank James Kay
49:13for very clean
49:14and find a good fight.
49:16Clean and entertaining with it.
49:18Simon Harrison still leading the championship,
49:20though,
49:20James Kay in second place,
49:22Roger Moen a little further back in third.
49:25And consistency is carrying
49:26through to the team's championship as well.
49:28James Kay's team
49:29still heads the point.
49:44So,
49:45champagne celebrations
49:46are rightfully so.
49:47Great weekend,
49:48particularly for Jason Plato,
49:50but spare a thought for the mechanics,
49:51especially sopers.
49:52Just have a look
49:53at the side of that car
49:54and believe me,
49:55that's the good side.
49:56Plenty of work to do
49:57over the next two weeks
49:58and the boys
49:59have got to get their skates on
50:00because rounds 9 and 10
50:01of the championship
50:02are across the sea in Ireland.
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