JASON Plato declared himself satisfied after the sixth round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Croft, despite losing his slender lead at the top of the driver standings.

The 47-year-old, from Oxford, secured a podium finish in the second race, but is now ten points behind new frontrunner, Honda Yuasa Racing’s Gordon Shedden.

In a weekend dominated by the West Surrey Racing trio Andy Priaulx, Sam Tordoff and Rob Collard, Plato finished 27th, second and fifth respectively.

Plato was last in the first race after pitting at the end of the green flag to change tyres.

The double world champion sacrificed his chances of a decent points haul in order to set a fast lap and obtain a good grid position for the second.

His plan paid off, as he set the third fastest lap to start race two from the second row.

Plato finished second behind Tordoff ’s BMW, managing to hold off his Team BMR teammate Colin Turkington.

Oxford Mail:

  • Jason Plato (right) celebrates his second place   Picture: Aaron Lupton

He then followed Turkington home to complete the weekend with a fifth-place finish.

Plato said: “I’m pretty pleased with the weekend and where we are.

“We’ve only given away a handful of points at a circuit which on reflection isn’t going to be one of our strong ones this year.

“The gamble in race one paid off.

“Had I gone out in 12th with maximum ballast and the soft tyre it could have ruined the weekend.”

He continued: “For the second half of the year we’ve got a lot of circuits where we’re going to be very strong and only Knockhill where I think we might struggle a bit.”

The next round of the championship is at Snetterton on August 8-9 after a six-week break.

STANDINGS

1 G Shedden 195pts, 2 J Plato 185, 3 M Neal 173, 4 S Tordoff 162, 5 C Turkington 161.