The third race of the day at Croft was live on ITV and it didn’t take long for the action to hot up. John George lined up on pole position in the Team JAG Honda Integra, with Jason Hughes alongside him in the Kartworld racing MG ZS. However, by the time the pack arrived at the first corner, it was Tom Onslow-Cole who led the race for Team RAC.

First corner contact involving Martyn Bell and Erkut Kizilrmak led to the safety car being deployed early on. It only took two laps to clear the track, and racing could then resume. It was still Onslow-Cole leading from Giovanardi, Hughes, Mat Jackson and John George, but Giovanardi showed his experience to take the lead at the chicane on lap three.

Gareth Howell was running in sixth position for Motorbase Performance before passing John George on the run to the Sunny In corner. His stay in fifth position was shortlived however, as Mike Jordan tried to follow him through, but ended up hitting the side of Howell’s Toledo Cupra, sending him spearing off into the gravel. Howell rejoined at the back of the pack, but subsequently retired to the pits.

Five laps into the race, the order was Giovanardi leading from Onslow-Cole, Jackson, Hughes and Plato. Sixth placed Darren Turner came under pressure from Tom Chilton as they went into Clervaux on lap six, but it took until the following lap for the SEAT to find a way past.

The front three became spread out as the laps went on, with Gordon Shedden climbing to fourth spot, ahead of Darren Turner. Championship leader Jason Plato lost several places in the latter stages of the race, dropping down to eighth.

At the chequered flag it was win number five of the season for Fabrizio Giovanardi and Vauxhall. Tom Onslow-Cole finished second, with Mat Jackson third. Gordon Shedden finished fourth, ahead of Darren Turner and Matt Neal. Tom Chilton ended the race in seventh, Jason Plato was eighth and Colin Turkington was ninth. Tenth and scoring the final championship point was Mike Jordan.

Leaving Croft, Jason Plato’s lead over Fabrizio Giovanardi in the drivers’ championship has been cut to just two points. Rounds 13, 14 and 15 take place at Oulton Park in Cheshire over the weekend of 23/24 June.