Hughes breaks Vauxhall's stranglehold

Warren Hughes and MG broke Vauxhall's monopoly on wins in the 2002 British Touring Car Championship with a decisive victory in an action-packed sprint race here yesterday. His team-mate, Anthony Reid, looked likely to repeat the feat in the feature race but he was pipped by Vauxhall's James Thompson, who leads the points race.

Hughes qualified second and maintained that place into the first corner to follow Matt Neal's Egg-backed Astra. It was clear that the MG had more speed than the Vauxhall and Hughes took the lead during the fourth lap and proved uncatchable. Paul O'Neill, in an Egg Astra, finished second with David Leslie's Proton beating the Honda of Andy Priaulx into third.

Reid led the way in the feature race but lost his advantage after the mandatory pit stops. The Scot reckoned that the two new tyres which were put on the car in the pits were not quite as good as those they had replaced, while Thompson conversely had ensured that he kept his best tyres until the end. Reid held onto second while Neal beat O'Neill to third place.