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00:00Good afternoon and welcome to Donnington and the last round in the 2004 British Touring
00:29Car Championship. Now for the third year running the driver's title has gone right down to the
00:33wire. It's between James Thompson and Ivan Muller. One of them will emerge victorious at the end of
00:38the day. That's right in theory Anthony Reid could still win it but he needs a minor miracle. He's
00:43really fighting for third place with Jason Plato and Matt Neill. The battle for the championship
00:47between Ivan Muller and James Thompson is so finely balanced. Just four points separate them.
00:52Each has won two races here at Donnington over the last three years. Each has won four races in this
00:56last year's championship. Nothing to choose at all between the two drivers. Now some will favour
01:01James Thompson because of course it was here in 2002 where he clinched his driver's title.
01:05This is it. This is the championship decider.
01:17Here come the leaders into McLean. Thompson on the inside of Muller. Oh he hits it. Muller's put the big
01:21wide. It's disaster for Ivan Muller. James Thompson is predictor record champion.
01:30It's his mother. He's champion.
01:52It's always good coming back somewhere where you've actually won a championship. I have won a race
01:56already here this year in the European championship so it's got fond memories for me. I started my
02:02Jim Russell racing career here when I was very small so it's yeah it does have fond memories and
02:09it would be to be no better place to clinch the championship if we do than here. Now you and
02:14James have fought pretty fair so far this year. Are the gloves about to come off?
02:19You know it's it's always difficult to fight for the championship at the last race especially when
02:28it's your teammate because first it's the same car of you the same color so you can't you can't do
02:36anything bad and also is I think my philosophy to not do it especially between two cars of the same team.
02:44I was a little bit grieved with some of the tactics he employed a little bit earlier on and
02:49yeah so enough I've not you know I've not made good that yet so end of the day you know he knows
02:56that you know he's got it coming in that respect you know you can't dish it out one way and not
03:01expect it the other way. I think the two guys respect each other they'll drive accordingly if
03:05there is a bit of argy-bargy well they run the risk of both of them not benefiting from that or
03:12being disadvantaged by that so I'm hoping that they'll do the right thing and I expect them to
03:16they've done it for the last four years so I don't see why they should stop doing it now.
03:19Who is your money on? A voxel driver basically you can't put a cigarette paper between them to be
03:25honest James has got a small advantage but this it means nothing really. If I finish second of the
03:31championship I will be not I will not consider I lost the championship I think we were very close
03:37one to the other one during all season it was never more than five point difference between us.
03:41We've had our share of you know the lows I wouldn't be aggrieved if it was to happen the
03:48other way this weekend but says a lot racing left to do yet this weekend. Along with the battle for
03:54the title of British touring car champion there's also the small matter of the Harrier Zuros independence
03:59title to be decided this is the category for non-works teams and coming into Donington it's a
04:05three-horse race between West Surrey racing's Anthony Reid his teammate Colin
04:09Turkington and team Computeach racing with Halfords Matt Neil. Now your teammate Colin Turkington isn't
04:16too far behind you how much of an eye are you keeping on him? Yeah I mean he's an up-and-coming
04:21driver everyone knows that and I know he's as keen to win this title as I am so you know the gloves
04:28are off for tomorrow no team orders and the best man will win. There's just 19 points between us
04:33where we're sitting first and second in the championship so it's really all to play for
04:38and this last round there's no team tactics but it's going to be very hard to close down those 19
04:44points there's three races and 15 points up for grabs in each so I'm just going to try and do my
04:49best I'm really just looking for for more race wins and independence points always come along with
04:53that. How much would it mean to you to win the independent title? It would be fantastic like I know
05:00there's a lot of good guys have won it in the past and it's it'd be a great thing to have on
05:04the CV but if I'm beaten to it by Anthony Reid that's not it's not a bad thing either as long
05:09as as long as West Side Racing comes away with a title I think that's that's the main that's the main
05:14thing. At the beginning of the season you know most people would have had you on as odds on
05:18favourite to win the independent title what went wrong do you think? I'm you know I always harp on
05:24about lady luck and sometimes it goes with you sometimes it doesn't and nine times out of ten
05:29it she seems to avoid my my car but yeah West Side have done a good job. Reid and Turk is a good
05:36driver so you can't take anything away from them well done. And so to the first race of the day
05:42Jason Plato may have popped it on pole but there's a lot more at stake here than a race win it's over to
05:48our boys in the commentary box it's Ben and Tim. Jason Plato and Matt Neil on the front row but keep
05:54your eyes on the progress of James Thompson and Ivan Muller from rows two and three. Let's go racing
06:00the lights go out oh it's a bad start from Plato dreadful getaway Matt Neil makes an excellent start
06:06this time and James Thompson comes up in a second trying to block Muller who's trying to come down
06:10by the grass there Plato right in the middle of it all and as they go through red gate Plato's trying
06:15to go around the outside of Thompson and Muller oh and off goes Stefan Hodgett squeezed out in the
06:21usual barging match through red gate the lead has broken away though it is Matt Neil he might not
06:26have got it right on his outlet but he's got it right this time. Plato very lucky to be in third
06:30place he saw this contact between Thompson and Neil Neil saves it he may lose second place well and third
06:36and fourth. Goodness me that could have been the end of Thompson's chances well not quite the end but it
06:41could have been big trouble damage to several of the cars further back but Thompson has taken the lead
06:46and now Ivan Muller wants to try and get past Jason Plato well oh Collard in trouble there that's with
06:52Matt Neil and Rob Collard further down than expected after a good qualifying performance and Matt Neil is
06:58furious he will have felt that he got pushed out of the way there by James Thompson and he wants to get
07:03back on terms with the leaders now and Matt Neil fired up well that will be a sight to see it was a door
07:08missing I thought it was from Hodgett's car Thompson leads Plato in second and Muller in third
07:14watch how much of the inside this chicane they cut there may be markers up for one lap but those
07:18posts getting on there look Matt Neil side by side with Tom Chilton he's going to force him wide
07:23Matt doesn't like to be shoved around and that was quite unlike James Thompson but he obviously means
07:27business he does today and Plato's gone for it Plato down the inside it's a red gate what a manoeuvre
07:33and Muller's now oh there's contact between the two voxels and Thompson doesn't want to let Muller
07:38through and they are leaning on each other and there are no promises and no the gloves are off
07:44here this time between Thompson and Muller's on the grass Muller's back on oh is he not going to make
07:49the corner he's on the grass and through the gravel trying to get back on you're riding with Muller
07:53and what a ride it is as the president tries to rejoin my goodness it is a real battle now and Thompson
08:01is not about to be beaten but he's got to watch out he's now got Colin Turkin to try to pass what an
08:07incredible manoeuvre that was started off with Plato going down the inside of Thompson and Muller trying
08:12to take advantage here comes Muller back on the track he looks cool but believe me inside that helmet he's
08:18furious Turkington now alongside Thompson Thompson does seem to be struggling just a little bit in
08:23this race and look at the lead that Plato's inherited now this is all good news for Jason
08:27Plato Turkington now trying to take second from Thompson and he does so in quite a straightforward manner
08:32then it's benchward running very well and the lead of the next group and Reid is right behind him
08:37then it's Luke Hines and Dan Eats and look at where Ivan Muller is he's way way down there's Hines Luke Hines
08:44under pressure of Reid and as he goes wide there that was Matt Neal nipping past Anthony Reid so Matt
08:50Neal who got pushed out of the way by James Thompson on the opening lap he has now recovered to sixth
08:56place oh well here we go oh great chance for Reid Reid has managed to get past Matt Neal as well
09:01and past Luke Hines James Kaye and Tom Chilton are right there James Kaye on the outside Tom Chilton in the black Honda at the back of this group
09:07and look behind Muller with his lights on he's trying to get past Sean Watson Smith behind this group as well and it's all beginning to happen that Muller's past Watson Smith so Muller is up to 11th place and they're with five laps to go Muller is only one place away now from taking pole position from race number two and will all these guys make it to the end anyway that's the other big question
09:29Jason Plato leads by a full 5.7 seconds over Colin Turkington there is our race leader and just look at the gap back to Turkington and Thompson and off has gone Matt Neal and that means that Ivan Muller is 10th Ivan Muller is 10th because Matt Neal is out of this what a drama Ivan Muller is now lined up for pole position in race two if he stays where he is and that is extremely significant and Thompson is still trying to get past Turkington
09:57I think he might have a go on the last lap I would advise him to wait till the last lap but he doesn't want to wait look he's got a little inside overlap Turkington is going to give him racing room that's good I thought maybe Tomo might wait till the last lap because now he's in front he's got to defend and the decisive move can only really come on the last lap look he's going to lose that position again
10:17yeah Turkington's got the inside for the chicane and that car the MG looks very good on the brakes down here he seems to be able to brake a fraction later and still get it turned in and stable through the corner and there you are the view from James Thompson there is Muller then and he's right behind Dan Eves with Watson Smith now down in 10th place now Muller should just stay here if I was you Ivan just stay there it's a front row start for race number two here comes Thompson Thompson now making a move on Colin Turkington to reclaim second place
10:45they'll be coming across the line to complete 14 laps out of 16 this time has Thompson timed it right or will Turkington come back at him again it is amazing just like last year these two hammer and tongs together Benwood in fourth place and Anthony Reid still in fifth Jason Plato here will start from 10th place but he won't mind it's another victory to add to his tally he's had six wins already this season and he's coming around now to the last corner it's the chicane for the last time and Jason Plato is going to
11:15win his seventh win of the season what a fantastic performance from Plato from pole position he made the moves he made a poor start but he made the moves to get ahead and it's another victory for Seat second does go to James Thompson third goes to Colin Turkington Benwood looks happy in fourth wiggling the car across the line it's Reid in fifth Hines is going to take sixth place ahead of Dan Eves and then Ivan no in fact I think Muller yes seventh Muller took seventh ahead of Dan Eves
11:44my first motivation was to be in the top 10 and then on the end we were thinking what we do I say no we don't play you know he's a he's a racing a speed racing is not he's not a racing to go slow so I have pushed and to do the best result I could
12:03so here's how the driver's championship stands after that race James Thompson now leads Ivan Muller by 14 points and Plato has overtaken Reid for third
12:15you
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