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00:00Sponsored by Green Flag Motoring Assistance, dedicated to getting to you faster.
00:30Hello and welcome to Donington Park, where five weeks ago we saw the dramatic conclusion to the British Touring Car Championship.
00:36But it was here eight months previously when the series was launched and the teams got together for some pre-season testing.
00:43Testing at Donington was the first chance for the teams to compare their efforts over the winter on the track.
00:49But most of the attention was focused on new teams at either end of the pit lane.
00:54At one end, Mardi Gras Motorsports demonstrated their unique LPG-powered Honda Civic Type R,
01:00the first alternative fuel car to be entered into the British Touring Car Championship.
01:05At the other end, a new works entry from SEAT.
01:08Making an immediate impact with their striking silver and yellow colour scheme,
01:11the team's European spec Toledos were to be driven by 2001 champion Jason Plato and BTCC debutant Rob Huff.
01:20Throughout the course of the year, I'd be disappointed if we don't get on the podium at some stage.
01:25Whether or not we're spraying champagne at the top step, you know, I don't know.
01:282003 champions VX Racing returned with a new livery for the Astra and two familiar faces.
01:34James Thompson and Ivan Muller were everyone's favourites to lead the title fight.
01:38Joining them was Luke Hines, the 2003 production champion,
01:42who replaced Paul O'Neill, unable to race this season for medical reasons.
01:46Other works entries testing at Donington included the Honda of Tom Chilton,
01:50while Proton brought some homegrown talent for their assault,
01:5321-year-old Malaysian Farik Harriman, who quickly showed an affinity for gravel traps that would remain all season.
02:00I do a lot of racing back at home and, of course, Petrona's got their own team for BTCC
02:07and they wanted the Malaysian driver to drive for BTCC
02:12and, of course, amongst all the drivers, they're searching and they say that I can do it.
02:19The list of entries eligible for the Harriers Euros Independent Trophy included some big names.
02:25Matt Neill took the Honda in which he won races in 2003 to his father's Team Dynamics outfit,
02:30while Colin Turkington was testing WSR's MG ZS,
02:34now powered by a four-cylinder Judd-built engine instead of the previous year's V6.
02:38People were asking if this could be the first outright championship win by an independent team.
02:43Four weeks on and the 20 drivers finally get to race in the first three rounds at Thruxton in Hampshire.
02:53The boxer of James Thompson wins the first race, getting his season off to the best possible start,
02:58but teammate Ivan Muller is not far behind.
03:01Jason Plato is only eighth in Seat's first race, but could that all be tactical?
03:06Under a new rule, the top ten in race one start race two in reverse order.
03:10That puts Plato on the second row, behind Tom Chilton and South African Sean Watson-Smith.
03:15Chilton stalled whilst by contrast Plato powered away from the line
03:19and was in second as they reached the complex on the first lap.
03:23But it was Dan Eves who took the lead with a blinding start from sixth position.
03:27Meanwhile James Thompson was in trouble, he hit the back of Matt Neill putting the Honda into the wall,
03:32and as a result the safety car was brought out.
03:34A sprint to the line saw Plato take the lead as Eves dropped down the order.
03:39Muller and Michael Bentwood got past to grab podium positions.
03:48Race three and Plato took pole, but poor Michael Bentwood didn't even make the start due to a head gasket failure.
03:55Carrying maximum ballast, the Toledo was less competitive and Muller soon passed Plato for the lead.
04:01After doing so well in race two, Eves made an early exit from race three.
04:06At least he never received a time penalty for jumping the start.
04:10Further back Tom Chilton was battling for 15th with Jason Hughes.
04:13And as Plato started to feel the ballast weighing his Seat down,
04:17Anthony Reid and then James Thompson overtook to follow Ivan Muller home.
04:22So after three rounds, Muller leads the title race.
04:27Ten points clear of teammate Thompson and 2001 champion Jason Plato.
04:31Anthony Reid is the top independent.
04:34The second meeting of the season saw Colin Turkington on pole for race one at France Hatch.
04:40Michael Bentwood qualified second, but the starter motor failed at just the wrong moment.
04:45He was forced to start at the back.
04:48Well, that put him right in the action at the start of the race.
04:51But it was the wrong sort of action, getting caught up in a crash,
04:54which also eliminated Jason Plato and John George.
05:06The safety car was deployed, but there were two lead changes on the first lap,
05:09with first Mac Neil and then Rob Huff leading the race.
05:13When the safety car went in, Neil retook the lead in the Concertiche Honda,
05:16while the works car of Tom Chilton was working its way up from the rear,
05:20passing Turkington and then James Thompson to take third place.
05:27His tactics may have been marginal, but they brought a welcome podium finish
05:31behind race winner Mac Neil and runner-up Rob Huff.
05:35Thompson smoked his way to fourth place, still one position ahead of Ivan Muller.
05:41Race two saw trouble for Dan Eves, stalling on the grid and for Rob Collard.
05:46Racing along the Brabham Strait at over 100 miles and a half,
05:49his bonnet flies up, blocking his view.
05:51But it's the proton of Sean Watson Smith who loses out and hits the Panic Hill Bend gravel.
05:56At the front, VX Racing show they still know how to dominate,
06:01as Luke Hines leads a 1-2-3 and becomes the fifth different winner of 2004.
06:08So the Voxels lined up in the first three grid positions,
06:11but by the first corner Anthony Reid had passed two of them.
06:14Further around there was chaos as Justin Keane was hit from behind in the BMW.
06:19He avoided the barrier, just, but Fariq Harriman ran wide trying to stay out of trouble,
06:24causing him to spin as well.
06:26So Thompson took the championship advantage as the first man to win two races.
06:30So after two rounds we've had some familiar winners,
06:33but newcomers, Seat, have surprised everyone with their pace.
06:36What will happen next time out at Silverstone?
06:38Find out after the break.
06:40Sponsored by Green Flag Moping Assistants.
06:48With you all the way.
06:52His conditions are perfect really.
06:54All the ingredients are there. He's got the oranges.
06:57He's got the rope. And he's got the goat.
07:00A lot of people look at that rope and say, it's a blue rope.
07:04Oh yes it is.
07:05Away! And he's gone! Look at that!
07:07Around and around like a clock.
07:10Don't ask him the time, he wouldn't be able.
07:12Oh, that's one, that's two.
07:14That's the hitch of the whole fruit right there!
07:16And he's off his pipe. Happy little hamster.
07:19You know when you've been tangoed.
07:22Do you think she'll like me?
07:24Yeah, everyone loves you.
07:28Is that a new shed, Mum?
07:30Go on. She seems nice.
07:44Oh, let's open them then.
07:46He was an interesting looking baby.
07:49Your happiness loves Cadbury.
07:51Experience the new body heat activated deodorant from Adidas.
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08:12I'm 43.
08:17Thing is, on the inside, I'm still 17.
08:21I want a snog, not a kiss.
08:24I don't want to make decisions.
08:25I don't want to wear a watch.
08:27Sometimes I don't really want to wear anything.
08:30Finances.
08:32Fixed interest securities and annual indexation thingies.
08:35Talk to me dad.
08:36I'll worry about being older when I am older.
08:43I'm only 17.
08:45I think I always will be.
09:05There you get engine technology.
09:06Better pictures, whatever you're watching.
09:11So, what about next Thursday night?
09:12No.
09:14I'm going to that Salesforce 3 thing in Daventry.
09:16Yeah.
09:17There is Daventry.
09:18Are you sure you don't mean Coventry?
09:19It is not Coventry.
09:20It's Daventry.
09:21Better pictures, whatever you're watching.
09:25So, what about next Thursday night?
09:27No. I'm going to that Salesforce 3 thing in Daventry.
09:30Yeah. Where is Daventry?
09:31You sure you don't mean Coventry?
09:33It is not Coventry, it's Daventry. It says so on the email.
09:36Hi, guys. Sorry I'm late. Where's Daventry?
09:38Daventry's on the, er, Daventry...
09:40Guys.
09:41Fruit toast, cappuccino, bagels.
09:44You can't bring food from another restaurant in here.
09:47You'll get us kicked out.
09:49Hi.
09:50Our surprising new breakfast menu.
09:52I'm loving it.
09:59Sponsored by Green Flag Motoring Assistants.
10:02You come first every time.
10:14The first race at Silverstone saw another win for Matt Neill,
10:18who had qualified on the second row.
10:20But race two had an unfamiliar look to the grid,
10:22caused by the reverse grid rule.
10:24Rob Huff started on pole alongside the independent Astra of Kelvin Burt.
10:28Burt took the lead at the start,
10:30but teammate Carl Brees got no further than the second corner,
10:33before being knocked out by Luke Hines.
10:36Hines was clearly struggling with the car's handling,
10:38because he spun on his own not wrong afterwards.
10:42Back at the front, Burt and Huff are running side by side.
10:46With Kelvin forced wide, Thompson takes second.
10:50Muller takes advantage of Burt's error to move up to third,
10:53while his teammate challenges for the lead.
10:56Further back, Justin Keane has another nasty spin,
10:59and again it's caused by contact from behind.
11:02As Thompson pulls clear at the front,
11:04Muller tries to take second from Huff that is forced wide,
11:07falling into the clutches of Anthony Reid.
11:09Huff's chance of a second podium ends when he runs wide,
11:12and Reid takes third behind the VX racing duo.
11:16With an engine problem forcing Muller to miss race three,
11:22Thompson was able to pull away from the MGs at the start.
11:26Despite carrying ballast, he defended cleanly,
11:28until Anthony Reid pulled off an audacious pass at Priory,
11:31putting all four wheels on the grass to take the lead.
11:34As Thompson dropped back, it looked like he'd held up the chasing pack.
11:38A nudge from Plato meant that Chilton, who started tenth,
11:41and Carl Brees could both nip through.
11:44Neil overtook half the second at Maggots,
11:47with Tom Chilton also following.
11:50So the battle for the lead became one between Anthony Reid and Matt Neil.
11:55But a spot of rally cross allowed Tom Chilton in front
11:59to become the youngest winner in BTCC history.
12:02Tom, you are the youngest man ever to win a British Touring Cup race.
12:06History in the making. How do you feel?
12:08Great.
12:09Were you worried at all that you might throw it off in excitement?
12:12No, not at all.
12:13Kept a cool head.
12:14Did the job for the boys.
12:15We needed it.
12:16Lovely.
12:17And, um, fantastic.
12:18But not everybody was so happy.
12:20I mean, he put me on the grass.
12:21I mean, I was ahead of him.
12:23Almost completely a car length,
12:25and he banged into the back of my bumper,
12:27and basically lost that race for me.
12:28I mean, MG should have won today.
12:30So I'm not happy at all.
12:31And plus what you did on the slowing down lap
12:33is just totally out of order.
12:34Right.
12:35Well, thank you for your word, Anthony.
12:37You don't deserve a license.
12:38You are a f***ing out of order.
12:40That is bloody outrageous what you did.
12:42Just driving people off the road.
12:43You're really right, mate.
12:47It seems nobody had a good word to say about Anthony Reid.
12:49The bloke's a clown.
12:50He should be juggling balls in a circus somewhere.
12:52Following Silverstone, James Thompson had a four-point lead
12:55over Ivan Muller.
12:56Anthony Reid was third and top independent.
12:58Matt Neill lay in fourth place,
13:00ahead of the two SEATs of Jason Plato and Rob Huff,
13:03with Dan Eves and new winner Tom Chilton in eighth position.
13:10After the gloom of Silverstone,
13:12the sun was shining once more at Alton Park in Cheshire
13:15for rounds 10, 11 and 12.
13:17I hope.
13:18Race one saw the light-running voxels on the front row
13:20ahead of Matt Neill.
13:21Muller took the lead at the start
13:23and stayed there until the chequered flag.
13:29Race two saw Dan Eves take the lead into Old Hall
13:32from second position on the grid,
13:34while Paul sitter Anthony Reid was chased by the two SEATs
13:37and by Rob Collard's independent Astra.
13:40Plato and Collard ran side by side for half a lap
13:42before the SEAT driver took third place,
13:44but when teammate Rob Huff tried to follow,
13:46he ran wide off the track, taking Collard with him.
13:55The safety car bunched up the pack and when it went in,
13:57it wasn't long before the drivers were up to their old tricks.
14:01At Silverstone, we saw Tom Chilton win for the first time.
14:05At Alton Park, we were about to see another first-time winner.
14:10Dan Eves, in his fourth season of BTCC Racing,
14:14took the chequered flag.
14:16Do you think it was a faultless performance from you?
14:19As ever.
14:20On the way to the grid for race three,
14:22Anthony Reid's engine let go big style,
14:24dropping gallons of oil on the circuit.
14:26But the Scottish driver seemed to think it was a minor problem.
14:29A little bit of an oil leak, I think.
14:31I'm not sure.
14:33We've got a new engine in just for this race,
14:35and it's going extremely well.
14:37I hope we can get it fixed.
14:39I was just aware of a bit of a smoke coming into the cockpit.
14:42I couldn't see behind me.
14:45Anthony was ordered off the grid, but his legacy remained.
14:48Yves didn't lead for long, but the surprise was Ivan Muller
14:52moving into second place after starting on row four of the grid.
14:58Approaching Lodge, Muller had the inside line,
15:00and as Jason Plato ran a little wide,
15:03the Frenchman slipped into the lead.
15:06Plato began to drop back,
15:08with Matt Neill and James Thompson moving into the top three.
15:11But further back, there were problems for Charlie Butler-Henderson.
15:14His car just veered off the track into the tyre wall.
15:17Further back still, Justin Keane maintained his run of crashing at every circuit,
15:21spinning out of control as he passed Luke Hines.
15:25At the front, it was Muller who took his second win of the weekend,
15:28putting him level on points with teammate James Thompson.
15:40Despite carrying full ballast,
15:41Ivan Muller takes pole position at Mondello Park
15:44and gets away from the line in front.
15:46The BTCC's annual trip to Ireland sees the debut of an Irish driver,
15:50Gavin Smith, and he makes an immediate impact,
15:53taking James Keane out of the race.
15:55Reid kept the pressure on Muller, but was never able to get past,
15:58and with Thompson only fifth, the Frenchman extended his points lead.
16:02Michael Benwood started from pole in race two,
16:05but was swamped off the line by the Seats of Plato and Huff,
16:08who fired the Vauxhall off at turn two.
16:11Just a few metres further on, and Farik Harriman gained two places,
16:14firstly by taking out his proton teammate Sean Watson-Smith,
16:18then sending the alpha of Carl Breeze into the same barrier.
16:21The Malaysian gets some of his own medicine a couple of laps later though,
16:25when he's tapped into the gravel by Rob Connors.
16:30But at the front it's a great result for Seat,
16:33taking their first one-two of the season.
16:35The celebrations were short-lived however,
16:39as the clerk of the course took a dim view of Huff's first lap antics,
16:42and sent him to the back.
16:44So, Plato was surrounded on the grid by the works astros of Thompson, Muller and Hines.
16:50But, they were being picked off one by one as the race got underway,
16:55by the MGs of Colin Turkington and Anthony Reid.
16:59McNeil's attempt to pass his teammate around the outside left him stuck in the gravel,
17:06bringing out the safety car and eliminating the big lead Plato had built up.
17:11With his warm tyres and heavy car, Plato couldn't stay out front for long,
17:14and Turkington nudged his way past, with Muller taking second.
17:18Plato wasn't giving up that easily,
17:20but his lunge on Muller put him onto two wheels and into the gravel.
17:24Colin Turkington took what would be his first and only win of the season.
17:31Luke Hines completed an excellent Irish weekend with second place,
17:34and Dan Eves survived to finish in third.
17:37So, halfway through the season and Muller leads by four points from Thompson,
17:43with Anthony Reid a further 46 points behind.
17:46After a summer break, the championship resumed at Croft in North Yorkshire,
17:55where overnight rain left a slightly damp track.
17:58Anthony Reid took pole position and led Matt Neill into the first chicane,
18:02but at the back of the grid, they weren't all able to get through cleanly.
18:05Rob Collard and James Kay have spent the last three seasons battling with each other,
18:10and this race was to be no exception.
18:12But it was Reid who took the chequered flag.
18:15It's the sort of win I'd like to have every time.
18:17I'm absolutely delighted.
18:19Stephen Hodgett's finished tenth in race one,
18:22and therefore was on pole for race two,
18:24but Paul Luke Hines behind him was going nowhere.
18:27Hodgett's start wasn't brilliant either,
18:30and it was Jason Plato who led into the first corner,
18:32as Jason Hughes was shot out onto the grass.
18:35But Hodgett's day was about to take a turn for the worse,
18:38spinning out at that first bend.
18:41Dan Eves had taken second place at the start,
18:44but he was soon passed by Rob Huff to give Seat a 1-2.
18:48The question was, would they stay there?
18:51Colin Turkington tried to pass Ivan Muller,
18:56but ended up losing a place to Matt Neill at the hairpin as a result.
19:00And as Muller ran wide, Matt Neill made up another position.
19:07But his teammate wasn't doing so well trying to pass to Seat's,
19:12who took first and second.
19:14Push it a bit, push it lots.
19:15Stephen Hodgett's bad day got even worse on the way to the grid
19:18for the third and final race of the day when his wheel came off.
19:21He was able to start from the pit lane,
19:23while at the front of the grid the car starting second and fourth
19:26did better than those in first and third.
19:29Rob Huff took the lead from Jason Plato,
19:32while James Thompson managed to get past Dan Eves.
19:36But Plato wasn't too happy about how close Thompson behind him was getting,
19:42and asked for help.
19:43He's pushing me like a ****, didn't he?
19:46Tell Rob to sort this out, otherwise I'm going to get him **** off here.
19:50Jason, it's Mark. We are telling Rob to slow down.
19:54He should open the door for you at the hairpin the next time.
19:57Huff did leave the door open,
19:59but almost let the Vauxhall through as well.
20:02As the Seat pulled away again,
20:04Colin Turkington was catching Thompson,
20:06and a mistake from the Vauxhall driver on his home circuit,
20:09let the MG come through.
20:11Turkington was the fastest car on circuit,
20:14but he couldn't take the Seat,
20:15and Plato took his second win of the day.
20:18Croft was not a good weekend for James Thompson,
20:21and in qualifying at Knock Hill,
20:23it was about to get even worse.
20:25As his car lost fluid and power,
20:27he was hit from behind by Matt Neill.
20:29The team worked late into the night to fix the car,
20:32using some unorthodox methods to get it straightened out,
20:35and James took his place at the back of the grid for race one.
20:39Early morning, fog greeted the drivers on race day,
20:42and Anthony Reid won the first race of the day from pole position.
20:45Race two saw Plato on pole again,
20:48with the Vauxhalls far back in the pack.
20:51Thompson's shortcut actually cost him two places.
20:55The replay shows he had help getting there,
20:57and he was eventually forced to retire.
21:01But it was another win for Plato,
21:03ahead of Matt Neill and Dan Eves.
21:09Plato made another good start,
21:11but teammate Hough was being challenged by Anthony Reid,
21:13and both took a novel route through the chicane.
21:16Matt Neill may have started second,
21:18but he was only going backwards.
21:20Muller, Reid and Hough getting past in one move,
21:22with Thompson and Hines overtaking in another.
21:25With Plato still leading from Eves,
21:27the big battle was between Reid and Muller for third.
21:30The Scotsmen won that one,
21:32and as Eves took the lead from Plato, Reid followed through.
21:36Having won one race on home soil already,
21:39Reid sniffed an opportunity for a second,
21:41and began to chase down Dan Eves.
21:43Plato and Muller had been joined in a four-way battle for third
21:46by their teammates, Hough and Thompson,
21:48but it ended in tears for the Frenchmen.
21:52Reid took the lead with six laps to go,
21:54and that inspired Colin Turkington,
21:56who started at the back to make a charge of his own.
21:59Watching and waiting as Thompson and the Seats
22:01fought amongst themselves,
22:02he slipped past to take third,
22:04and give MG two drivers on the podium.
22:08So, another bad weekend for VX Racing.
22:11Neither Muller nor Thompson
22:12has been on the top step of the podium since Mondello Park,
22:15and that means their lead in the championship is being eroded.
22:18With nine races remaining,
22:20any of the top six drivers have a realistic chance
22:23of taking the title.
22:24So, can Vauxhall turn it around at Brandt Hatch?
22:28Round 22 saw a return visit to the Kent circuit,
22:31and Muller got a front row starting position,
22:33but it was Pulse to Matt Neill who led at the start.
22:37His teammate Dan Eves was an early retirement,
22:40and it didn't help visibility of Druid
22:41when his fire extinguisher went off.
22:45The safety car came out
22:46while the Honda was moved out of the way,
22:48and when it went in,
22:49Neil continued to lead until the end of the race.
22:52Muller finished in second,
22:53extending his points lead,
22:55but not by much,
22:56as rival James Thompson was only one place behind him.
23:02Colin Turkington took a pole position
23:04for the first race when we were last at Brands,
23:06and for race two, this time out,
23:08he was there again by virtue of finishing tenth in race one.
23:12Alongside him was Jason Plato,
23:14but the MG took the lead.
23:16Further back, Muller tipped teammate Luke Hines into a spin
23:19on the way into Paddock Hill Bend.
23:21At the end of lap one,
23:22Proto made his move to take the lead.
23:24The proton of Sean Watson-Smith was running in a strong third,
23:27but he lost it on the exit of Paddock Hill,
23:29and the safety car was deployed.
23:31It came out for a second time
23:33when Rob Collard beached his car at Druids,
23:35after contact with Dan Eves and Carl Breeze,
23:38as he explained to the fans afterwards.
23:40After the restart,
23:41Plato was never challenged,
23:43and took his sixth win of the season,
23:45with Turkington second and Rob Huff third.
23:49The third race at Brands Hatch saw yet more safety cars,
23:52the final one going in with just one lap of racing remaining,
23:55and it was to be one of the most exciting laps of the year.
23:59It's a one-lap shootout for the win in race three here at Brands Hatch,
24:03and it's Jason Plato who blasts away.
24:05Matt Neill and Ivan Muller go with him,
24:07and Ivan Muller's been in this situation before
24:10with a late race restart.
24:12Oh, and Plato's sideways!
24:14Matt Neill, and Muller comes through!
24:16Muller's on the inside,
24:17and he's not quite sure,
24:18he's going to take advantage of all this.
24:20Ivan Muller, but he's run wide!
24:23He's run wide, he's in trouble!
24:24That's Rob Huff in the lead!
24:26Rob Huff is about to win his first ever touring car race!
24:30What a fantastic...
24:31It's all going now!
24:32Muller's sideways again!
24:33Reid is out on the grass!
24:35They're all all over the place,
24:36they're all desperate on this last lap,
24:38and Rob Huff!
24:39Rob Huff is going to win his first British touring car race in the Seat!
24:44He was driver of the day here at France earlier on this season,
24:47and he has emerged from chaos on the last lap
24:51to take his first ever win!
24:53The 24-year-old from Newmarket has won here at France Hatch!
24:57Second place goes to Jason Plato,
25:00third goes to Michael Bentwood!
25:03At Smithston in Norfolk,
25:06Thompson and Muller lined up on the front row,
25:08and it was James Thompson who took the initial advantage.
25:13Ivan Muller wasn't so quick off the line,
25:15and then dropped back further.
25:16Tom Chilton got through,
25:17when the Frenchman ran wide at the S's.
25:20So at the back,
25:21Stephen Hodgett and Sean Watson Smith came together,
25:23and the Alfa very nearly went over.
25:25But Thompson took the chequered flag,
25:27his first win since Silverstone,
25:29and VX Racing's first since Mondello Park.
25:31Going into race two,
25:33Thompson had a nine-point lead over Muller,
25:35but was starting three places behind him,
25:37and Muller made a flying start
25:39to be in third place by the end of the first lap,
25:42and it wasn't long before he was challenging Reid for second.
25:45Behind him,
25:46James Kaye,
25:47Dan Eves and Matt Neill
25:48discovered three into one doesn't go,
25:50with Eves being squeezed out.
25:52Reid retook second,
25:53and Muller started to drop back,
25:55passed by Plato,
25:56and struggling to keep Turkington behind him.
25:58But it was a second win of the season
26:00for Luke Hines.
26:02So on to race three,
26:04and three manufacturers in the top three grid positions.
26:07Muller made a good start.
26:09In the second row,
26:10he took the lead into Rich's corner.
26:12But Rob Huff made a better start,
26:14and was able to go past into Sear.
26:16Behind the top two,
26:18Reid, Thompson, Hines and Chilton,
26:20were fighting for third,
26:21a battle won by Thompson.
26:23Could he now close the gap to the Frenchman?
26:26The answer was a definite yes,
26:27and he set a new lap record in the process.
26:30VX Racing were looking for a third win in one day,
26:33after going through an 11 race barren patch.
26:36But local boy Rob Huff wasn't going to let them take the clean sweep,
26:39and he held on for the win.
26:41You're making a bit of a habit of this, aren't you?
26:44Oh, what a weekend.
26:45What, two weekends in a row,
26:46you know, with Brandt Hatcher now coming into my home circuit?
26:48The points table shows Thompson still in the lead,
26:54but only by four points,
26:55while Plato and Neil have lost their mathematical chance of taking the title.
26:59But Neil is still in with a chance of the Independence title,
27:03if he outscores both MGs in the final three races.
27:07And so VX Racing ended a barren streak at Snetterton
27:10to set up a three-way championship battle,
27:13going into the last round at Donington Park.
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27:29Come on, Mum, time to go.
27:33Go? Go where?
27:34The Old People's Home.
27:36They'll look after you now.
27:37It's for the best.
27:38Are you mad?
27:39I'm 55.
27:40I know, but I've had a word with them.
27:42They'll take you.
27:43Come on.
27:44Gear off.
27:45Why should I go live in an Old People's Home?
27:47Because I want to put a snooker table in your bedroom
27:49and the kids are frightened of your moustache.
27:51Now come on.
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29:27Ah.
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29:49D
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30:32Oh, Jenkins.
30:33I'd like one of those new Seville Orange Kit Kat editions.
30:36I saw you secrete in the glove box.
30:39Yes, madam.
30:42A bit familiar, Jenkins.
30:48Jenkins!
30:48Where the devil is my hat?
30:53Just been buffing your fruit, madam.
30:55Shh.
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31:15And so, on to the final round at Donington Park.
31:17And both the Drivers' and Independence Championships were still wide open.
31:23Jason Plato and Matt Neal lined up on the front row for race one, with title protagonists Thompson and Muller third and fifth.
31:30But the Vauxhall drivers weren't going to stay there long, but the Vauxhall drivers weren't going to stay there long, and each made up a place at the start.
31:34Thompson was determined to get as big a lead as possible over Muller, and pushed Mille out of the way to take the lead on the first lap.
31:42Plato, though, was going to go to the Vauxhall.
31:43Plato, though, wasn't going to let a little thing like a championship contender get in the way of his race, and barged past Thompson on lap two.
31:52That left the Vauxhalls running side by side through the Craner curves, and it was inevitable that one of them would go off.
31:58While Plato's lead grew bigger, Thompson was left battling with Anthony Reid, the MG driver knowing he had to win the race to keep his title hopes alive.
32:14Jason Plato took the win, but Thompson's second place increased his lead to 13 points, and made it a two-way fight for the championship between him and Muller.
32:26In the second race, Ivan Muller had managed to claw his way back to seventh after going off in race one, and that put him fourth on the grid for race two in a lighter car than his teammate.
32:35As young guns, Huff and Chilton battled for the lead, Muller lay in wait behind, ready to pounce on any mistake.
32:41Thompson was making up ground, but was almost taken out by VX Racing's third driver, Luke Hines.
32:52And Muller must have had a sense of déjà vu when he was T-boned by Dan Eves going through into second.
32:59This time he only lost one place, quickly got it back, putting his foot to the floor in a bid to catch Tom Chilton.
33:06But the 19-year-old had opened too much of a lead, and Muller had to settle for second,
33:10closing the gap for the championship title to six points.
33:17The start of race three went Muller's way, holding on to second, while James Thompson was squeezed onto the grass by Dan Eves,
33:26and dropped back behind Rob Collard into Redgate Corner.
33:30Down the crane of curves, Muller had secured first place, edging past Tom Chilton.
33:35But Thompson was also making good progress.
33:39He closed the gap through the old hairpin, and with Chilton struggling under 42 kilos of ballast, he was soon up to third.
33:46If Muller and Thompson had finished the race in these positions, they would have been tied on 273 points,
33:52but Muller would have taken the title as he'd won more races.
33:55As Thompson tried to go around the outside of Dan Eves, he actually let Jason Plato through into third place.
34:03Ivan Muller and the title were getting away from him.
34:06But retaking third place from Eves put Thompson level again.
34:13Then he set the fastest lap, and that gave him the extra point he needed to win the title,
34:18if he could just hold on to third.
34:22Fans of both drivers took a sharp intake of breath whenever they saw a red and white Astra flying through the gravel,
34:29as first Luke Hines, and then Michael Bentwood went spinning out of the race.
34:33Those incidents brought out the safety car, and Muller lost his comfortable lead.
34:41It was taking all his concentration to stay ahead of Plato.
34:46The final lap, and Plato moved alongside Muller, braking for Goddard,
34:50but the Frenchman had the racing line.
34:52Ivan Muller won the race, but lost the title as Thompson finished in third.
34:58Thompson could now call himself a two-times British touring car champion.
35:03May I give you this trophy? Your name was last on it in 2002.
35:07Which is sweeter, now or then?
35:12To be honest with you, I have to say now.
35:15I mean, winning it the first time was unbelievable,
35:17but the fight that we've had all year, and take it down to the last race of the year,
35:23and, you know, to do it on the fastest lap, you know, I knew.
35:27And at one point, isn't it?
35:28Well, that's why I worked so hard in the early part of the race,
35:31and then, to be honest with you, I just let him get on with it.
35:33You know, I just sat there. The car was fantastic.
35:36But I was getting all a bit emotional, so I thought I'd better just think where I am.
35:40By the tiniest of margins, Thompson won the 2004 title.
35:45Jason Plato moved up to third,
35:46but Anthony Reid held on to win the Harrier's Euros Independence title.
35:51And so the sun has set on another British touring car season.
35:55VX Racing have had their fourth win in as many years,
35:58but it's not been easy for them.
36:00No, that's right.
36:00They have come on the scene,
36:01and they almost had as many victories as Vauxhall did this year.
36:04Fantastic achievement by them.
36:05MG started a bit quietly.
36:07They were hoping for more.
36:08They had some good runs going,
36:09and Anthony Reid was in the race towards the end,
36:12but couldn't quite make it.
36:13And the Hondas also, they had flashes of brilliance,
36:15but they couldn't quite get it right all season long,
36:18like Vauxhall did this year.
36:19But it has been a wonderful year,
36:21and we're already looking forward to 2005.
36:24But from us, for now, goodbye.
36:26Bye-bye.
36:27Won't you look up at the skyline
36:30At the mortar-blocking glass
36:32And check out the reflections in my eyes
36:37You see, they always used to be there
36:40Even when this all was grass
36:43And I sang and danced about a high rise
36:48And you were laughing at my helmet head
36:53Laughing at my torch
36:58If you go ahead, you can laugh all you want
37:05And I got my philosophy
37:08And I got my feet on the ground
37:11And I'm trusted like the ground
37:15And that's why my philosophy
37:18And now it's time for the song to hide
37:22And away we go
37:30Oh, and there's a chorus in the background
37:33It's Clayton
37:34Oh, there's contact between the two boxholes
37:41The gloves are off here this time
37:43Muller's back on
37:45Oh, is he not going to make the corner?
37:46Oh, and Kay now
37:51Clouds are pretty hard
37:53A little bit of contact
38:05More contact
38:06Durkington sideways in front of him
38:08How did they avoid having a huge pileup?
38:10I just don't know
38:11James Thompson, the 2004 British touring car champion
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