Stillis/PSP
ROCKINGHAM PREVIEW
LOOKING AHEAD TO ROUNDS 22, 23 & 24
After another weekend of action at Knockhill, the BTCC heads back onto English soil for the eighth round of the season at Rockingham – the only circuit on the calendar that will see the teams compete in an anti-clockwise direction.
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Despite a challenging time in Scotland, Matt Neal was able to end the weekend with a trip to the podium to ensure that he remains the man to beat at the head of the standings, with a ten point lead over Honda stable-mate Gordon Shedden, who had moved into the lead after two podiums in the opening two races on home soil before a retirement in race three saw the lead go back to the defending champion. Both Honda drivers have won at Rockingham in the past, with Shedden taking his second success last year and Neal having four wins to his name. Inside BTCC
While the boost levels haven’t been kind to the Honda Civic so far, the car handles well and the pair will be eager to try and maintain their advantage in the title race over third placed Jason Plato. Plato is level with Neal in terms of race wins at Rockingham, with his victory in the opening encounter last season being his fourth success at the Northamptonshire circuit. Plato’s Knockhill weekend was nothing short of a disaster after a clash with Aron Smith in the opening race put him into retirement and he came away from the weekend with just one finish – and that was outside the top ten in race two. The aftermath of the clash with Smith has taken plenty of headlines in recent weeks, but the MG man will be keen to put all that to one side to try and get his championship www.insidebtcc.com